The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins is a beautifully written gothic novel that just like the spiders featured in the story, completely captivates you.

Told from the perspectives of two characters in two different timelines this is an eerie tale steeped in mystery and one of the most unique historical fictions I have read. The main feature and driving force of this story is the silk soured from spiders that has the ability to completely silence sound but also manipulate soundwaves that in turn can manipulate the mind the body. I loved this concept and found it absolutely fascinating to read about because I've never seen anything like it before. I found myself eager to keep reading and like our main character Henry, became enamoured with it.

Bridget Collins had a beautiful and skilful prose throughout this novel that made this an enchanting story to read. The descriptions were so vivid that the setting easily lifted off the page and there was a constant feeling of suspense woven throughout her words that really built this into a truly gothic tale.

I did find the ending a little too open ended for me, I just wanted a bit more so I didn't feel left with so many questions. Other than that I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to any historical fiction fans out there!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved the Betrayls and the Binding so was super keen when I saw this at an available on net galley .

A mild gothic thriller which at time completely blew my mind , I mean imagine a spider who’s silk was so powerful it plunges your world into complete silence a dark eeery creepy and actually scary world …

Makes me shudder just thinking of the possibilities!!

Dual POV .. Sophie who is under the control of her powerful husband in 1820’s Greece wanting to seek out said magical spider and Henry who seeks to impress and work alongside Edward and quickly becomes obsessed with the spiders ….

Slow at times but again another brilliant book …

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc

A most unusual and original storyline. The reader is drawn into a world of Silence that contradictorily seems full of oppressive noise.
The story is populated with unusual characters throughout; all with strange stories of their own.
A most intriguing read and towards the end of the story, the pace picks up as those in thrall to this Silent world begin to rebel and the intent of those in charge becomes almost dystopian.
The end of the story left me hanging on a thread myself. I wanted there to be a more defined ending for Latimer but maybe the Author intended for the Reader to weave their own ‘happy ending’ for him as he is a complex character.
If you like something a little different, this is one for you.

"The imposition of silence on oneself may be a good; but the imposition of it on anyone else is always an evil"

After losing his beloved wife in childbirth, Henry Latimer is lost in the world. Moving to Telverton to help a wealthy gentleman's deaf daughter, Henry thinks he's found his fresh start. What he finds is a place full of secrets and lies, which drives him to despair.

Bridget Collins' previous book The Binding is probably one of my favourite historical fiction books, however this one didnt quite grab my attention the same way.
Some parts of the storyline felt unfinished and unanswered, and I felt some parts were quite slow. I loved Sophia's POV in this book and would have loved more of her story. What did stand out is the beautifully descriptive way Collins writes, which I wholly enjoy.

A dark Gothic mystery written over two timelines. The slow pace and the intense atmosphere were not enjoyable and I failed to finish.

Loved this latest offering by the author of the Betrayals. It was dual POV, beautifully characterised, Gothic and just a little bit disturbing. As always, Collins kept me hooked until the last word. Victorian melodrama with a touch of Victorian adventure fiction. Loved it.

After reading ‘The Binding’ and ‘The Betrayals’ it is obvious when reading ‘The Silence Factory’ that this is a Bridget Collins novel, it has the same gothic atmosphere in which Bridget creates fully rounded and intriguing characters.
There are two timelines in the novel. The first is set in the 1820’s and provides the historical background to the main story which, set in the late 1800’s, introduces us to Henry Latimer the protagonist. Henry is an audiologist who is living a drab life and still mourning the loss of his wife and daughter in childbirth when he meets Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy. His life changes forever when he joins Sir Edward in his quest to help produce a cloth which will revolutionise society.
Things do not turn out well for Henry in this dark and mysterious novel.
A compelling read which I enjoyed immensely.

A triumphant modern version of a Victorian melodrama. The setting for the story is the industrial revolution but in this case it is not iron or steel that the satanic mill manufactures but a legendary form of silk from a mystical Greek island. Our hero is caught up in the adventures of a charismatic Victorian adventurer who will stop at nothing to ensure his product, which turns out to have dangerous properties, makes him his fortune. The characters are well drawn and each has their own background of love and conflict in a period where personal survival was constantly in doubt. The catastrophic ending reads like a disaster movie and from that moment the no reader could stop reading until the end.
Gripping stuff!

With its tantalising, colourful, and intriguing cover, Bridget Collins latest novel is a disturbing, astmospheric, slow burn of a Victorian gothic mystery with its elements of the magical, blood, and horror. It is beautifully written with its rich descriptions, such as the appalling nightmare conditions in exploitative factories of the period. The story has two timelines, the first from 182o with Sophia Ashmore Percy's journal entries, she accompanies James, her privileged and entitled husband, to the Mediterranean Greek island, hunting for rare spiders, but their scientist friend is dead. An unforseen relationship develops between Sophia and Hira that will change everthing, Sophia's life turned upside down.

The second timeline takes place a considerable time later, widower Henry Latimer is struggling with the darkness of his grief, depressed, desperate to escape the maddening chaos of people and sounds of city life. He works as an audiologist for his father-in-law, the entry of wealthy Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy into his life are to herald changes and worrying turbulence, he appears to answer his need for escape, his desire and dreams of silence. He gives Henry a piece of silk that offers him his precious silence on one side, but on the other side the sounds chillingly reverberate back, leaving nearby listeners facing horrifying consequences. Henry goes to Telverton, seeing his factory, meeting Edward's deaf daughter, Philomel, who he is tasked to heal. As Henry becomes increasingly caught up in the special spider silk business, he is deaf and blind to dire warnings of the cursed nature of the silk.

This is a imaginate, compulsive, intense, unsettling, and immersive read in Collins trademark style and prose, eventually the past and present collide and connect with Henry becoming aware of the true nature of the magical silk business. I think this will appeal to fans of the author, and those interested in the Victorian historical era and many readers new to the author will embrace this gothic mystery too! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Beautifully written but this book wasn't for me. I was really looking forward to reading this book but I couldn't engage with it and found it very slow. I'm sure many readers will enjoy it as it has a good plot or it could be turned into a mini-series for television.

This book was GLORIOUSLY creepy. Collins managed to masterfully create a persistent sense of unease throughout and, even after finishing it, I can't quite put my finger on what it was that had me so unnerved.

The Silence Factory is a dual POV in two different timelines.

The first is Sophia Ashmore-Percy, a wife encumbered with a petulant husband who has gone on a wild goose chase of an adventure in a remote greek village. Then we have Henry, a widower who works in his father-in-law's audiology shop. He is sent to the home of Sophia's distant relative, Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, to try and "cure" his daughter's deafness and while there becomes infatuated with the industrialist who sells a mysterious, specialist silk created from a rare breed of spider.

While the narrative was compelling, it relies heavily on the spectre of unrevealed secrets. The intensity of the relationships felt off - Henry becomes very quickly infatuated with his new benefactor, finds himself wrapped up in local intrigue and dynamics remarkably quickly and ultimately bumbles through the plot. Sophia felt like a significantly more real and sympathetic character; ignoring her mysterious findings, her story didn't feel out of place with reality.

Despite this. The plot is addictive. I was desperate for answers (some of which were never really forthcoming). Collins' world building details are amazing, you're truly immersed in the scenery of the book.

If you're a fan of subtle gothika, this is an excellent choice for you.

Avoid if you're not a spider fan

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The writing in the book is gorgeous from the surreal and unsettling feel of Teverton, the town forced by economic necessity to produce the magical cloth even though it is destroying their children to Sir Edward’s stately home equipped with a dour governess... Henry, is one of the point of view characters, a young man struggling with grief of losing his wife during childbirth leading to his slow, destructive obsession with Sir Edward makes him at times an unsympathetic character. I enjoyed Henry’s story, his struggle with grief and the eventual resolution of his story. Sir Edward, is shadowy presence through the book and his manipulation of Henry’s emotions for his gain makes uncomfortable reading ( in a god way)
However, I did struggle with Sophia’s story and was found myself speed reading through these chapters ( even though these again are beautifully written. I’m not sure how this added to the overall story except to give us a history of these magical spiders and their webs.
This book depicts a time when industrialists could control a town and its people with employment, a time of child labour and where women had no rights, - this isn’t a gothic love story!
Content Warning
References to death during childbirth ,descriptions of miscarriage

This book was intense, the spiders gave me the fear, characters were good, some I would have liked to know more about. The two timelines were good but I really wanted to know more about Sophia. Very enjoyable read. Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

There is something that I deeply love about Bridget Collins’s writing, and that is the sense of mystery within her books. Having read The Betrayals some years ago, I went into this book familiar with the author’s writing style and their use of exposition, especially through side plots such as Sophia’s journal entries.

The use of narrative voice is something I love about this book, the changes between Henry and Sophia and clear and distinct. I really enjoyed reading from Henry’s perspective and his change of attitude throughout the book towards the silk and the spiders. Similarly, I really loved Sophia’s story told in snippets at the start of each part as well as her husband’s deterioration.

Collins work within speculative fiction beautifully, writing within worlds that are not quite our own but not so distant that they feel completely alien. This book has cemented my love for the author and I desperately need to get around to reading The Binding.

I would have loved to have seen more between Henry and Sir Edward, I felt a lack of Sir Edward’s character for the last portion of the book. I would have preferred to have seen some sort of closure between the two but I also expected there to be an open aspect to the ending so I am not too surprised.

“Henry dreams of silence.

A world without the clattering of carriages through cobbled streets, the distant cries of drunken brawls, the relentless ticking of the clock.

Then he meets a fascinating, mysterious gentleman who sells just that. Precious silk that can drown out the clamour of the world – and everything Henry is so desperate to escape.

Summoned to Sir Edward’s secluded factory to try to cure his young daughter’s deafness, Henry is soon drawn deeper and deeper into the origins of this otherworldly gift: a gift that has travelled from ancient Mediterranean glades to English libraries.

Ignoring repeated warnings from the girl's secretive governess, he allows himself to fall under the spell of Sir Edward and his silk… but when he learns its true cost, will it be too late to turn back?”

I love a gothic novel, so this magical, historical and sinister read was just perfect for me.

It is a unique premise, set over dual timelines and very atmospheric and intriguing, the only downside for me was that I didn’t really warm to any of the characters.

If you love a historical gothic story I would definitely recommend. It was a lovely way to spend a couple of afternoons.

And that cover! 😍

“The whole world disappears when you enter.”

Pub date: 09.05.24

Thank you very much to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Having previously read The Binding and The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, I was eager to see where her next standalone novel The Silence Factory would take me. The Silence Factory is part Fantasy, part Gothic, Part Suspense novel that follows two separate but related timelines. The first is that of Henry Latimer (a seller of hearing aids,) who has been employed to help the daughter of Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy. Henry becomes obsessed with Sir Ashmore-Percy’s business that produces and sells a magic spider silk fabric that repels noise. The second story line is that of Sophia Ashmore-Percy, aunt to Edward Ashmore-Percy and her life with her husband James at a time when they travelled to an island in Greece on the hunt for the self-same spiders.
Before I even begin on the plot, I have to draw your attention to Collins’ entrancing world building, The Silence Factory is truly a masterclass in the development of such distinct and contrasting worlds, from the dark, grimly gothic southwest based factory town where the silk is manufactured to the brightly coloured, lush, warm Greek island that holds such mystery and intrigue. Another important factor is Collins’ use of language, there is a distinct difference in the language used in the timelines. That of Sophia’s early 19th Century timeline is much more formal when compared with Henry’s in the latter timeline of the story.
Whilst I found a lot about the plot and the key drivers for this gothic decline to be truly interesting and seriously creepy (spiders included,) unfortunately I didn’t feel any empathy for Henry, and this distracted from my enjoyment. I continue to admire Bridget Collins for her eerie and truly beautiful prose, her worldbuilding, use of theme and development of intriguing plots and storylines and found the premise of this book to be interestingly unique and intriguing.
I would advise that there are topics in the book that could be triggering for readers such as the loss of a child/baby, partner, and general mental health but, this is a gothic story that these were intrinsic parts of the characters and at that point I must stop and encourage you to pick up The Silence Factory yourself before I hit spoilers.
Thank you so much HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the arc of The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The silence factory by Bridget Collins is a beautifully written, gothic tale. Like her others it is very imaginative and unique storyline. But I found it to be very slow and it didn’t hold my attention or could connect to any characters in this story. In all honesty I struggled all the way though. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad book. It wasn’t personally for my taste. 3 stars from me.

Very intense, dark tale of greed, spiders and desire. Two timeliness, good characters, gothic horror, good read.

First of all, can I just say... I love the cover of this book. I find it captivating and would instantly gravitate towards it on any bookshelf.

The book itself does not disappoint. It is a well written gothic mystery with some horrifying aspects of what mankind is willing to do for power.

The book is split over two timelines and shares the story of Sophia Ashmore-Percy set in the 1820s and later the story of Henry Lattimer, an audiologist who is looking to escape his current life. Both stories are equally captivating and eventually intertwine with some horrifying consequences.

Sophia's story is focused on her power-hungry husband Edward’s manic pursuit of a rare spider specimen. He goes from Greek island to island in his relentless search, almost driven mad with the need to prove himself worthy of scientific accolade. At times, he forgets Sophia is even there, and she takes the opportunity to find her own connections on the island on which they finally settle, leading her to reevaluate her life and love for Edward.

Henry's story focuses on his need to please and earn a place alongside industrialist Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, who wants to create a silk made from spiders. The silk has extraordinary qualities, and Henry quickly becomes obsessed with it. The silk blocks sound, offering complete tranquillity. However, the other side of the silk has echos that reverberate, causing headaches, sickness, and madness to those unfortunate people who are in its range.

 The more Henry gets entangled in the business pursuits of Edward, the more he needs to question what price he is willing to pay for Edward’s favour and his own success. 

The factory descriptions put me in mind of the cotton mills in the North of England, and the author really painted a vivid picture of the noise, bustle, and danger of such an environment. 

This is not my usual genre. It is a slow burn, and at some points, I found it too slow for me, but I am glad I stuck with it. The ending for me was worth it to see it all come together, and I appreciated the descriptive writing, emotion, and mood of the book.  Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

A really brilliant and thought provoking gothic thriller. The titleis wonderfully misleading as although the factory in question does make lace/silk that provides silence it is at the expense of the workers and the whole town it is in. Told from the prospective of two people: Henry who has lost his wife to child birth, who just wants silence. He finds it in a square of silk given to him by the charismatic Sir Edward and he becomes obsessed with both. And the second narrative is from Sir Edward's aunt who accidently brings the spiders who make the magicel silk to her cruel husband when they are on a Greek Island. There is tension from the very beginning when a couple arrive at the house of a man who has died to the dark shop Henry works in and then onto the strange illness that assaults the senses around the Silence Factory and the gothic house far where Sir Edward's deaf daughter lives with her devoted governess. It is story of grief, silence, noise, money, poverty, love, devotion, obsession and ruin. Enjoy!