Pamela BelleCritiques

It's 1651 and the story of the St Barbe family of Somerset continues. I found on reading this that I didn't have to have read the first volume of the trilogy as the story starts six years later with Silence's husband George St Barbe near death. He continues to manipulate his famity with a few last minute changes to his will.
And Charles Stuart is on the march from Scotland with the Cavalier Captain Nick Hellier.
I enjoyed the story, and the style of writing and liked the characters. I will need to look out for Book 1 and 3 of the trilogy.
A NetGalley Book

See book 3, Blood Imperial

See book 3, Blood Imperial

The Silver City Trilogy, by Pamela Belle: The Silver City, The Wolf Within, and Blood Imperial

A set of print books I replaced by ebooks earlier this year. Pamela Belle is better known as a historical romance writer, but she wrote this fantasy trilogy, presumably as a one-off.

Set in an early Iron Age fantasy world, the trilogy follows various members of a royal family who have natural magical talents. As the story opens, magic is mostly drug-induced, and requires the ingestion of an addictive drug that also causes premature aging and longevity. The Silver City details the fortunes of the Prince of Zithirian (later King), and the invasion of his lands by the Skai, horse nomads worshipping Ayak the Devourer, the wolf-god. He starts the story as a drug-mage, but with the assistance of a horse nonad woman (from a different and friendly tribe), survives the withdrawal (usually fatal) and finds that he has natural magical talent which is more powerful than the drug-induced variety. With the assistance of various relatives (including the Emperor of Totelyaki), he beats back the Skai who are destroyed by his bastard son.

The second book, The Wolf Within, details the fortunes of Bron, the King of Zithirian's bastard son. Born as a result of incest, Bron was dedicated at birth to Ayak by the High Priestess of Zithirian. She was killed by the Skai (her treacherous allies), but Bron is still protected by Ayak. As he matures, he realises he must drive out Ayak or die trying - he is too much of a danger otherwise. A natural mage like his father (and presumably his dead mother), he leaves Zithirian in order to try and find Jo'ami, the legendary island of magery. He wanders the Empire and Kerenth, the land ruled by women, before eventually finding Jo'ami and driving out Ayak.

The third book, Blood Imperial, focuses on the Empire. Originally ruled by an indolent and decadent Emperor, he is assassinated by his son, who decides to invade Kerenth, but is beaten back by a storm, then decides to invade the Northern Kingdoms, but is assassinated by Bron before he can do so. The Empire then goes through sort of a year of 4 Emperors, before the last man standing (bar one) takes over. Here the focus is on Bron's daughter, also a powerful natural mage. Eventually, the Emperor is killed, and his wife takes over as regent for her son (who isn't actually the Emperor's son).

A sweeping epic fantasy in scale, there is enough detailing and low fantasy elements to make it an entertaining read. Recommended.

Set in the era of the English Civil War, Silence is a subdued, Puritan housewife left to manage her husband's house and family as he fights in the war. When her home is overrun by Cavalier troops, Silence fights to keep order and prevent the house from being destroyed. To this end, she finds an unlikely ally in Captain Nick Hellier, and eventually comes to develop feelings for him. A good novel, although it was slow at the beginning and middle, by the end the author had develop a true conflict for the characters to struggle to resolve.

I loved this book. One of my absolute favourites. Set in the English Civil war. Understand its probably not for everyone as its rather romantic, but I really enjoyed the story and the way it was written.

All Pamela Belle's books set during the English Civil War evoke the period brilliantly, but this is my favourite. It is the story of a Puritan wife whose home is occupied by enemy forces whilst her husband is away fighting. The characters are so real, you feel they're standing in front of you. Pure escapism.

NIL