See all my reviews at GingerRead ReviewsI knew before I signed up to review this book that I was a fan of the stylistic difference to Silverwood's writing, from reading her previous title, Qeya. My opinion of that did not change while reading Silver Hollow. I also knew that I was a fan of fantasy and the darker side of fairy tales. I wasn't expecting Silverwood to deliver both of those aspects, but she did.Silver Hollow started out quite slow, I'll admit. Also, at times it felt confusing and maybe a bit muddled. With any book that incorporates fantasy, I expect a ton of detail so I waded trough hoping for brilliance to follow. It may not be brilliance, per say, but the world of Silver Hollow is definitely unique and fascinating.The story really takes hold just before the half way point. After Amie arrives at her mysterious uncle's castle and all the forgotten dreams of her childhood begin to surface and take hold. The pace of the story picks up after Emrys enters the story and the unusual relationship between him and Amie begins to establish.Emrys is a jerk, naturally this makes me like him very much. What can I say, it makes him a fun character to read. I looked forward to him entering the page. Amie, on the other hand took a little time for me to warm up to. I liked her at first, then began to question how easily she went along with things and how naive she seemed, then loved her later in the story. I just wished the strong attitude she showed at times would have carried through the entire story. She, all too often, let things slide and people take advantage of her lack of knowledge in this strange world. I kept waiting for her to put her magically powerful foot down and demand answers.The characters, the creatures and the setting gave me the feeling as if I had just stepped in to an amazing mixture of Beauty & The Beast and Alice in Wonderland. In fact, as Amie's life, her entire existence, is questioned she must look for answers from only those who speak in guarded riddles, reminding me of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Which, of course I found highly entertaining. But, the way these people talked became a bit much at times.Overall, Silver Hollow is an amazing adventure unlike anything else I've read and I'm so glad I took the time to dive into it. The pure imagination that Silverwood penned in Silver Hollow is worthy of attention. It's clear she's spent much time in her own head and dreams and I think she may have quite the calling as a fantasy writer in the years to come. Silver Hollow is not a quick and easy read, be prepared to spend some time there and let your imagination take control.I would have degraded the rating due to the slow and confusing start but the fantastical world created was worth a some extra credit.
