Silvermay - James Moloney

Silvermay (Silvermay #1) - James Moloney

Grade: YA

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Sixteen-year-old Silvermay Hawker feels drawn to the newcomer in her village - a young man of solemn good looks named Tamlyn. But only heartache can come of this, because Tamlyn is devoted to Nerigold and to little Lucien, her son.

So things seem, until the dark forces of Coyle Strongbow come in search of Nerigold′s baby and Silvermay is swept up in the young family′s escape. When Lucien is entrusted to her care, she discovers the startling horror of what he might become, and the truth about Tamlyn, too.

Can Lucien be spared his fate, or is he doomed to become like Coyle? And Tamlyn, can he be trusted, can he be loved and can he love in return? Silvermay′s heart will not give him up, but what happens when devotion becomes a weapon in the hands of the ruthless? (Description from Goodreads)

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Silvermay begins with one of the best written prologues I have ever read. It hooked me in and left me shocked to the core.

Silvermay is the first novel in a 3 book series (and each book is named after one of the main characters, so hopefully my review doesn’t get confusing). Although it doesn’t state what time period it is set in, it has the feel of the 1100’s. Commonfolk work the lands, harvest their own food, ride horses (if they can afford them); there are ruthless rulers, thieves, and murderers. So you know you’re in a different time as soon as you start the novel.

Silvermay is a 16 year old girl, whose life is turned upside down when two strangers with a baby come through her town. Silvermay finds herself attracted to the mysterious Tamlyn, and no matter how hard she fights it (Tamlyn has a family after all), soon falls in love with him. When it becomes clear that the most ruthless of people, the race of wizards called Wyrdborn, are after Tamlyn and his family- Nerigold and baby Lucien; Silvermay helps them to escape.

What happens next is an epic journey through the lands, where discoveries are made about baby Lucien and the fate of the world.

I really enjoyed Silvermay. The characters, time period, and plot were all well written. After that amazing prologue, I found the start of the book a little slow, and it took me a while to understand what exactly Wyrdborns were (other than being a feared bunch of people), but then all these things started to happen and I found myself swept up in Silvermay’s adventure. And then, of course, it ends just as dramatically as the prologue, making me itch for the next book.

Kerrie

(Originally posted on Goodreads)