ADORED THIS BOOK.

I loved the Arthurian tale from a modern perspective, and really enjoyed the aspects of gender roles, and what it takes to be a "hero". Well-written and totally gripping.

This is the story of a child called Silence who is born a daughter to Earl Cador and his lady wife but because of a degree by the King that girl children will never inherit, Silence is raised as a young boy. As Silence gets older and learns the truth about who he is, he dreams of becoming a knight only his father's fear of discovery holds him back until he runs away.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was a fine listen - the story is entertaining and there is an earnestness to the good old fashioned medieval tale of knighthood and virtue that lends a charm to the overall tale.

Silence's story is a unique one and it's hard at times to see him suffer from both the confusion of being in two places at once with a body that does not quite match how he feels about himself, and also the constant fear of what would happen if his truth was found out. But I loved how Silence proved himself, to his own self and to others, again and again whenever there was a doubt about his ability to be a knight and he was kind, talented, strong and brave for the entirety of the tale.

I think there were parts of this book that the pacing suffered a little bit and it feels like some of the things Silence really wants for himself take a long time to come around, and then when they do enter Evil Queen.

I did find the ending slightly depressing though (more so in character reactions rather than anything else) though there were good points made, and I loved Silence's final acceptance of who he was and how he wanted to live in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this eARC to review.

I think this would be better for me in an audio format with how it is written. It is not badly written in anyway from the little I have read of the book but I just found it hard to wrap my head around the way it was written. I know that many people will enjoy this book, especially fans of Arthurian legend/ medieval settings.

This copy was kindly gifted to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (submitted on Instagram)

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

I kept going for a while with this book, but ultimately stopped because it had established itself pretty solidly and wasn't going to switch anything up - which was most of the disappointment to begin with; you're retelling a classical legend in which the protagonist is born a female, but is raised as and identifies as a male. How can you not make something out of that?!

The Story of Silence is a painfully straightforward retelling of a Medieval legend, in which a girl is raised as a boy. And that's kind of it. There's no meaning put onto the situation, no commentary and no 'point'. In theory, I'm of the belief that representation can and should be normalised and not have to be the main focus of the story. And yet, in a lot of ways, it is the main focus of the story. Silence doesn't have much of a personality himself, and the whole book is placed in a framing narrative with a sleazy bard pressing Silence and a few other people for the epic story of their adventures, which boils down to him wanting to put Silence into a box of male or female. Fine as a framing narrative, but things don't develop much from there.

Silence's main narrative tensions revolve around hiding that he's anatomically a female - or at least, the tension that comes as a result of other people worrying about that. Silence himself has actually quite little agency. And this isn't mentioning yet that everything else in the book falls into sexist stereotypes and narrow-minded tropes - something that the author literally acknowledges and basically shrugs off in his introduction. I honestly couldn't help thinking what the author themselves thought of Silence and his situation, his identity and the history of a story that could hold such marvellous potential for modern audiences.

Aside from everything else, it was really boring. It almost felt academic in its style and wasn't trying to establish any sort of exciting or even thoughtful tone. For a book so ripe for the very purpose of retellings (storytelling rooted in tradition but growing vibrantly in our contemporary understanding of these stories and our own human experiences), it sure didn't try very hard to do literally anything. What's the point of doing it if you aren't going to do anything with it?

Silence, born a girl, raised a boy. The laws of the land that only males could inherit therefore Silence MUST be a boy. I had never heard of this medieval poem so this retelling was shiny brand new to me from all angles. We open in an old tavern with a bard telling the story of Silence and we go back to Silence's birth, why the law came into play that only males can inherit and Silence's life.

This is brilliant, different, unique (I felt) going back to a time when there is war, inheriting through marriage, birth, titles, land. Being raised as a boy, knowing you are different but not exactly why and living your life a lie, trying to constantly prove your worth. It is emotive in places, I really felt for Silence. Nothing was good enough, just wanting approval, only wanting to be a knight. Silence is such a good person, kind, honest and it is almost constantly used against them.

I don't generally read books like this and I am glad I got a chance to, historical fiction (I am coming more around and enjoying this genre), fantasy, gender vs sex, adventure, friendship, relationships, deceit, betrayal and even a wizard! There is just so much and for me it was fresh, different, new. I read a lot of books across genres but this was really different. I plan to hunt down the poem and have a read at it. When reading this I did find myself pondering life/situations for Silence then and for those in the LGBTQIA community now. I don't know if that was one of the authors goals in writing this but it certainly left me deep in thought. Sometimes you don't realise how much you take for granted purely because of how you were born/raised. 4.5/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author, I will be looking at their other work and other books in this kind of vein. It is thought provoking read and I think I will be thinking about this long after I put it down.

A captivating tale with lyrical prose exploring the gender boundaries of a thirteenth-century French chivalric romance. As a cis reader, I'd recommend exploring own-voice reviewers but the issue of sex versus gender seemed to be handled with nuance and care.

Hmm. The writing is great but I think this is not a book for everyone. People might struggle to finish it. It's a tad too long! But very atmospheric and the setting leaps off the pages!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

If you love traditional tales, Arthurian legends and noble Knights then you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Inspired by a C13th French poem, The Story of Silence tells the tale of a person who wants more from their life than what is merely expected from them. A tale of courage, adventure and heart, Myers crafts a traditional tale, which could have almost been lifted straight from the archives, and gently injects it with a modern perspective.

The story itself was a little on the steady side for me, however this is faithful to and in keeping with the style and era of the poem that inspired the novel.

If you're looking for sensitive LGBTQ representation within a traditional tale and to escape to beautiful Cornwall to meet dragons and wizards, and even travel with a bard or two, then this is perfect for you.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

The Story of Silence is a retelling of a medieval poem called ‘Le Roman de Silence’.
Not being familiar with this poem, I’m not really how much of the story is the authors version or taken from the original.

I love that this book is set in Cornwall, it’s refreshing reading something that’s set in the UK/somewhere I’ve been and not America!

I did not find myself growing attached to any of the characters, which was a shame, and the development just seemed non-existent except for the main character, Silence.

The pacing of the book was a bit slow for my liking but I can understand the authors decision for this and some readers will probably enjoy being able to take the time and enjoy the story.

I loved the concept of the book but the slow pacing and lack of character development just wasn’t my style.

However if you’re looking for a fantasy book that handles LGBTQ+ incredibly well, and has knights then give this one a go!

This book is definitely unique and did make for a nice historic read.

This is like everything I ever wanted from an Arthurian retelling but never knew I needed: preposterous, adventurous, full of heart and with a main character whose difficult circumstances and incredible journey are lovingly described.

Myers really captured the feel of tales from this era; it reminded me of a class I took in medieval German literature (which, incidentally, I hated - but that was entirely the lecturer's fault. The actual literature I adored!) with its occasional sheer absurdity.

At the heart of it, The Story of Silence is about gender, and it was really fascinating to learn that it was based on a real 13th century tale, discovered in 1911. And the story is, of course, about Silence, whose determination to be a knight, resilience, and sheer goodness were honestly just delightful to read.

I gave this four stars because the pace felt a little meandering at times, but overall I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an Arthurian-era tale with what feels like a very modern take on gender.

A fairytale full of Knights of honour, dragons and bards stuck in darkened inns where strangers lurk in corners, The Story of Silence reimagines a classic story within a story, of travelling tales and the ideas of gender versus sex, and acceptance of yourselfbover what is expected.

In some respects this felt like a classic story, but it had so much within that needed to be said. Gender roles, and how they are perceived in society play a large role throughout the story, as we see Silence struggle to be accepted the way they want to be. They want the respect that is given to men, but also be known as female without really knowing how they should behave. Silence as a character is wonderfully developed, with complicated feelings and internal struggles that are sensitively and lovingly portrayed. To see them grow throughout the story really was a highlight, as well as watching them learn than they can be and behave exactly the way they want to, and not be constrained by society or family. Silence is at their best when left to flourish.

The writing is also really compelling, told within a traditional format that lends itself to the popular tropes in fantasy, yet still managing to feel fresh and unique. Sometimes all a plot needs is a simple structure like this to really propel the story, especially when the characters are as interesting as Silence. The plot doesn't need much additional work.

Highly original characters and a great modern update on a more traditional historical fantasy. Perfect for lovers of Knights and dragons with brilliant LGBTQIA+ rep.

This was a strange and beautiful fairytale/ fable about a transgender knight based on a little known 13th C French poem. Interestingly the original poem proves that rigid constructs aroud gender are a far more recent invention that most of us realise. I found this a little slow going but beautifully realised and the fact that it included an incredibly intelligent discourse on biological sex versus gender was a big plus.

This book sent me on google search rabbit hole, researching queerness during the medieval period, and it was genuinely fascinating. But unfortunately, I think that I preferred it to the book itself. Some of my favourite books are retellings of popular myths, think The Bear and the Nightingale and The Golem and the Djinn, but this just didn’t do it for me. The story and the characters were all very one dimensional. I am not sure if this was an attempt not to diverge too far from the original material, but I just felt like it let down the story. Even the main character, Silence, felt like a cardboard cutout. This story had so much potential, and I am genuinely grateful for introducing me to the topic, but that's all.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I also have the beautiful, signed and exclusive Hardback edition produced by Goldsboro books.

The Story of Silence is a modern retelling of a poem called Silence, originally written in 1286. It begins with a bard in a tavern, they meet a stranger called Silence and the novel centres around the story that Silence tells the bard.
The world Silence is born into has laws that ensure women cannot inherit lands or titles from their parents. Silence’s father declares them his son, whether this is true or not. The story is fascinating, and delves into deep discussions that are very relevant and shouldn’t be shied away from. The language of all the characters flows beautifully throughout the novel and gives a steady pace to a story of centering around a beautiful character.

Alex Meyers truly captures the internal struggle faced by Silence and their journey of finding out they’re a female when having lived their whole life as a man. They are forced to fight against their own body in their journey to become a knight. Whilst the book is beautiful and I struggle to find fault with the character development and storyline, there are some elements of semi-heavy exposition that some readers might not like. However, I found it not at all overwhelming and necessary to allow the reader to be sufficiently clued in on the background to be able to read the story that follows.

A fantasy novel steeped in history but with a fresh and current take on the characters and the story complete with a wizard- cough, Merlin, cough and a dragon… what more could you want?

I really liked the idea of "The Story of Silence", but, especially towards the end, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

The pacing was somewhat odd, apart from the protagonist none of the characters really undergo development and the ending just didn't work for me.

Still, I really liked the concept and most of the elements worked on their own, but the end product just didn't really come together in my opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved that it was set in Cornwall, and as someone who has been there a lot, it meant that I knew all the places the travelled to! I love the character development in this and thought that the book portrayed some very important messages incredibly well!

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was unaware until after reading this book that the author, Alex Myers is a trans man, a trans advocate and a gender identity educator. This only added clarity to why the original story the book is based upon, Le Roman de Silence, which dates back to the 13th Century and is part of the later Arthurian catalogue was of interest to Myers. Myers took the original story and crafted it into an exploration of how society’s gender expectations influence self-identity.

The book itself is written as a story within a story based on Arthurian takes and legends. Always enjoyable, but now taken to the next level as the knight is more than just a knight.

The pace of the story itself is considered and provides sufficient backstory to give the reader the required background to snuggle in and settle down to hear a beautiful, and nuanced tale that firmly encourages engagement, thought, and consideration.

Silence is born into a world where the law prevents women from inheriting and Silence’s father takes the decision to declare his first born child a son, irrespective of their born sex. Thus, we meet Silence and witness their life from birth to the telling of the story.

Silence is a beautiful character, embodying the infinite argument of nature vs nurture, striving to achieve his own desires through hard work, good temperament, honesty and sheer determination.

The depths of this discussion are emphasised through Silence’s own internal arguments and strife as they face so many challenges, including believing yourself to be one thing and finding you are instead another. When Silence is told that he is a girl, but must continue to live as a boy, the internal struggle is emphasised and maintained to show Silence’s battle with his body and nature to become a knight.

Silence faces all this against the floods of gender stereotypes that dominate society; women are disloyal, lustful, feeble of mind, body and spirit, meek and docile. This is totally bewildering for him as he is living amongst men, undertaking physical feats as he trains to be a knight.

Silence is forced into a position where his whole being is considered unnatural and forced to live in fear of being found out.

Throughout the story the language and pronouns are used to perfection and ultimately as the reader we are fortunate enough to hear both the original ending and that of the book. This only adds to the strength and impact of the story, and whilst this isn’t my preferred type of story, it is one I have truly fallen in love with.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book that turns tropes on their head and delves into history, making it fresh and wholly into the 21st century, definitely read this book. And yes, there is a dragon and Merlín too!

The Story of Silence is a retelling of a medieval poem called Silence, believed to be originally written in 1286. It was written in Old French and discovered in 1911. It starts with a bard in a tavern, who meets a stranger called Silence. He asks Silence about their life, and the book is the story Silence tells. Their father, Lord Cador, married the heiress of the Earl of Cornwall, and King Ewan has decreed that inheritance can only travel through male heirs. Unless Cador has a son, on his death, Cornwall will be returned to King Ewan. So when Cador's wife gives birth, Cador decides to raise his daughter Silence as a son. Silence is sent to grow up at Ringmar, a hunting lodge, with only his nursemaid and seneschal for company — and the only people who know the true secret of Silence's Nature.

I have read several books in the past in a medieval setting, of a girl who pretends to be a boy to train as a Knight, such as the the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce and Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett. But in those, the characters all knew and acknowledged that they were women. In The Story of Silence, while Nature has made Silence a woman, they see themselves as a man in every other way. This made it a really interesting read and there are a lot of themes throughout the book about Nature vs Nurture and what really makes you, you.

"Nature is but the mould that forms us," the nymph said. "Nature might have given you delicate hands, but if you work all day with wood, what happens? ...We can form ourselves, through our labour, through our love, through our desire. We can form our own selves, despite what Nature intends."

I really liked Silence, who has taken all of the stories of Knighthood to heart and is honourable, chivalrous and honest. He is given advice by a Knight when struggling with the pell — Silence learns to hold the sword differently because he is thin and long-limbed. He also struggles to use the lance, having a different body shape and not having the same shoulder strength. He realises that he must do things differently. I thought this was interesting and is something I haven't seen in previous books. My heart also broke for him, as he wants to be able to tell the world who he really is — be able to live openly as a woman but remain a Knight, but society won't let him. It was interesting throughout the book to see how differently the women around Silence are treated.

I loved the setting — half of the book is set at Tintagel and Ringmar in Cornwall, and the other half is set in Burgundy in France. I also enjoyed the writing style. It's intended to sound like a bard telling the tale, and has comments in brackets throughout the story with side-comments. The story is well-paced, and I loved the magical elements around Merlin, dragons and water nymphs!

This is a fantastic read, a mix of fantasy and historical fiction. It's brilliantly written and I really liked Silence as a character, and his adventure was such an interesting read. I also really enjoyed reading about how he manages in such a male-centric world, where everyone must fit into the same moulds with no space for anyone different or individuality.

(My blog will go live on my website on Thursday 13th August at 6am BST.)

A modern day interpretation of a 13th century poem, this novel maintains the feel of a fairy tale or Arthurian legend.

Silence was born a girl but bought up as a boy, leading to a constant battle of nature and nurture. Throughout the story we encounter dragons, noble knights, royalty and Merlin - the perfect blend of medieval fantasy! All these elements feel familiar but are woven into an engaging and dynamic tale that feels modern and fresh.

The trope of gender swapping has been well explored in literature but this one stands out for its main character not only dresses as the opposite sex but identifies as the opposite sex as well. With a modern understanding of gender fluidity it’s interesting to contemplate the topic from a medieval perspective.

The issue of gender roles is also a key theme of this book and while they are effectively challenged the author does a good job of highlighting their importance in the 13th century. In particular, the deep standing misogyny in society and the perception of women as naturally wicked is emphasised. I did find this interesting to explore but would have liked a bit more depth to some of the supporting characters, allowing them to show some development or personality beyond what society expects of them. But then perhaps Silence wouldn’t stand out as quite so unique, it was satisfying to see them grow while remaining true to their core beliefs and values at all times.

While there are certainly elements of magic to this story that often takes a back seat, it’s the very hymen’s element of searching for an identity that provides the real magic.