Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley and HarperCollins!

I've read and enjoyed both The Binding and The Betrayals, so of course I requested this as soon as I saw it on NetGalley!

The writing was great and it had a very unique and interesting concept. It certainly has gothic vibes, with Bridget Collins' signature magical element.

The book has two timelines: Sophia's pov, as she travels to Greece with her controlling husband, in search of a rumoured spider breed with magical qualities. The other pov is Henry, who is coincidentally thrust into the world of Sophia's great-nephew, the owner of a spider-silk factory.

I was interested in the story and curious to see where it would lead, but I didn't particularly care about the characters. The book lost me on the "relationships", which felt very forced and unlikely to me, unfortunately. It made Henry extremely unlikeable with how intentionally blind he was.
The magical element, while a unique concept, didn't lead to anything particularly interesting for me.

Overall, it didn't really stand out and won't be very memorable for me.

This is a good old-fashioned gothic novel, written in a Victorian style. As you might imagine, there are countless examples of attitudes that are no longer tolerated in civil society – misogyny, child-labour, cultural insensitivity and rapine, equation of disability with feeble mindedness, and snobbery to name but a few.
Henry Latimer, a widower aurist, is hired by Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy to try to get his deaf daughter, Philomel, to hear (and speak).
“He had never met a deaf-mute child; from the stories he had heard, they were sullen and feral, on the edge of idiocy, hardly human. This little girl, with her white-frilled pinafore and chalk-smudged cheek, left him entirely at a loss. She was a child like any other; a child like the one he and Madeleine might have had.”
Sir Edward is a stereotypical Victorian capitalist, who owns a factory spinning spider webs into a magical silk cloth that dampens sound. He says, he sells ‘silence’. He inherited his factory and the spiders from James, who stole the spiders from a Greek Island, where they were regarded with religious reverence. James cared nothing for the Greek natives, their religion or culture, and felt that as an Englishman he had the right to take what he wanted – for the advancement of science. Sir Edward cares nothing about the well-being of his workers (“there are always accidents”), only about his profit, and the promotion of his arain silk. The town, Telverton, and its inhabitants are grueomely blighted by the factory. Henry is not able to help Philomel, but can help Sir Edward (whom he regards as a great man) promote the silk.
The qualities of the silk are indeed wonderous – who hasn’t wished occasionally for quiet. But, it turns out that silence is not the only thing that the silk can be used for. Our nice Victorian novel goes from Gothic to full-on horror. As the friendly Quaker, Hinshaw points out:
“The imposition of silence on oneself may be a good; the imposition of it on anyone else is always an evil.”
The book has two connected story lines: one with Henry and Sir Edward, and the other with James, his maltreated wife, Sophia, and her Greek friend Hira. The characters of Sir Edward and James are odious cardboard stereotypes. But Henry and Sophia are well realised, and develop through the novel.
I enjoyed this book the more of it I read. There are characters to love, and to empathise with, and others to utterly detest. And a few horrifying twists.
Definitely recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.

This was another good read by Bridget Collins. I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I gave it a go because I loved The Binding.

I love how she weaves magic into historical fiction- I don't tend to like magical realism, but she does it so effortlessly.

I did get bored for the middle part. Admittedly, I skim read to the end because I lost interest. I did like the ending though.

I think I prefer when she writes in first person, but I liked Henry's character nonetheless. I liked Sophia too, but I got bored of her wanting to be a good wife - I get that this is due to the time period though.

Overall, I think a lot of people would really like this strange gothic story, so I'd rate it 3 stars.

This was my first Bridget Collins book and overall I really enjoyed it. The story is gripping and well paced, and felt dark and gritty which suited the Victorian backdrop well. I will say that the characters let it down slightly for me - Henry was truly lacking braincells throughout this book and came across naive in the extreme. I didn't really buy into his infatuation with Edward but I did enjoy how erratic he became as the story progressed and he was woven further into the silk's web. Overall, a very enjoyable, fast paced read that I would recommend to fans of historical fantasy fiction with a minor romance plotline. (Full review to follow on my TikTok shortly.)

Recently finished #TheSilenceFactory ARC from #netgalley out the 9th May 2024!! A really really intriguing read that has elements of magic, mystery and horror. Having loved Bridget Collins The Binding I was SO excited to be given an advanced read copy of The Silence Factory from #netgalley! It grabs you from the get go. The first chapter immediately has you asking questions and the mind boggling over what this book could be about. Creepy mentions of spiders and a voyage on the sea start the novel off and then we meet Henry, the book’s sad protagonist who suddenly sees an opportunity to make something of his life after tragedy. The writing is poetic and gripping and I couldn’t put the book down. My only reservations would be it was a little convoluted in parts and I would have liked to have known more about the echos and the town itself as this could have been a great add to the suspense and mystery. My favourite story and chapters were those set in Greece. I loved Sophy’s story and again would love to have known more about Hira and the spiders! But congratulations Bridget Collins on another great read with wonderful descriptions that made Henry and Sophy’s worlds come alive

I couldn't get into this one. The writer is clearly very talented, but the whole thing just felt like a chore and I struggled to engage with the plot and the characters. I would give this author another chance for sure

Henry Latimer is a widower when he meets Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy and learns about his strange silk factory. This special silk is produced by a rare species of spider from a remote Greek island.

As Henry gets deeper into the mystery of the silk factory, we read diary entries from Sophia Ashmore, from some years before, who was living on the Greek island where the silk's story began. Sophia's diary provides clues to the silk's origins and the secrets behind it.

While the story starts a bit slow, it quickly picks up pace with lots of twists and turns. Henry and Sophia are both interesting characters, and you'll find yourself rooting for them as they face tough choices and moral dilemmas.
Another great Bridget Collins read 🕷️

I was very interested to read this new novel from this author as I really enjoyed The Binding, but not so much, her second one - The Betrayals.
Loved the dual time line and the intricate imaginative plot line, but I did find the first third of the book a little slow and hard to get into. However, the master storytelling, gothic, sometimes macabre setting, and plot line skilfully pulled me in and I enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the review copy.

This was actually very different from what I expected. It was very interesting in the way that I didn't know who to trust. And certain characters you think will follow one archetype end up being way different from what you thought they would be.

I did feel there was a lack of closure at the end considering how many characters were involved, however I think this book is good at what it's supposed to be. It's an allegory about colonialism, capitalism, queerness, misogyny and abelism. The inherent evil of those things and whether or not we can ever break free from them, and how.

This is definitely different from other books by the author in terms of the way things played out but if you enjoy the tone of her novels and the lyrical writing style then this will be for you.

Bridget Collins previous books The Binding and The Betrayals were difficult, but ultimately enjoyable, reads. Is the same true of her latest, The Silence Factory? Sadly, not for this reader.

The idea at the heart of The Silence Factory, a cloth woven from mystical spider silk that is able to kill sound, is interesting, but it's hard to care about when the central character, Henry, is so unsympathetic. The fact that he does nothing after the abuses he sees within the titular factory, children in the most part deafened and driven mad by prolonged exposure to the silk, is unforgivable.

Of more interest are Sophia's diary entries chronicling her time on Kratos with her husband that are scattered throughout the narrative. Here is a woman trapped in a largely loveless marriage, her husband obsessed with finding the mystical spiders that will hopefully make his name, her days spent growing closer to the women of the island.

Another issue are the gay/lesbian subplots. If I'm being generous I could put Henry's infatuation with his employer, Edward Ashmore-Percy, down to grief following his wife's death in childbirth, but it just didn't ring true for me. More believable is Sophia's lesbian flirtation. This grows organically through her time spent with Hira and the other women on Kratos.

Thanks to The Borough Press, HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advance copy.

The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

I've read her other books and enjoyed them . But for me , this one tops the others , a brilliant read.
It has a creeping gothic like horror to it that somehow makes you wish you were reading it in a big old dark house set upon the moors whilst the wind howls around you.
Very atmospheric !

Having enjoyed 'The Binding' I was interested to read the new novel from Bridget Collins.

This follows the story of Henry Latimer. Widowed and working in his father in laws hearing aid shop, Henry is just trudging through life. One day, Sir Edward Ashmore - Percy visits the store looking for help for his daughter. Before he leaves, Sir Edward gives Henry a piece of cloth that , on one side, blocks all sound, and on the other, feint whispers of something can be heard. Soon Sir Edward is hiring Henry to try to cure his daughter, Philomel's deafness.

Upon arrival at Sir Edward's home, Henry meets Philomel's governess, who heartily disapproves of Henry and warns him to leave the town as soon as possible. The backdrop to this story is the Ashmore-Percy silk factory. Previously a lace weaving mill it has been transformed into a fabric mill where Sir Edward's mysterious fabric is produced from the silk of a very special and rare spider. However, all is not as it seems at the factory as the workers endure terrible conditions and suffer 'accidents'.

This novel has a huge helping of gothic about it but it is very slow moving and, quite frankly, confusing. I did not enjoy the pacing of the novel, or the sections set in the past with Sir Edward's aunt and uncle looking for the spiders on an island somewhere. These bits were in diary form told from the point of view of the aunt and I found them equally as baffling as the main story.

All in all I was disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing book. Henry in London works in his father in law’s shop selling aids to improve hearing. Sir Edward enters the shop to try and find a solution for his deaf daughter., Philomel.
Henry is summoned to Sir Edward’s secluded factory to assist and test Philomels hearing. The story then goes back in time to a Greek island where an amazing silk is discovered that has amazing benefits of excluding sound. The idea of being able to not hear anything when you are wrapped in this special silk.
The story returns to Sir Edward, Henry and the factory where the special silk is now being made.
There is adventure, corruption and troubles ahead.
This book was gripping, I loved every page. Well done to Bridget Collins for another fantastic read.

On the whole I enjoyed this a lot, the atmosphere and the settings were so descriptive and vivid that I read this in a couple of sittings because I was just so drawn in to it all. From the very beginning with the hearing aid shop and how that is described to us, it just felt like I was there in the shop. I loved the overall concept of the silk and the thought that had gone in to each step, from the spiders on the island to the way the factory worked and how the factory impacted on the surrounding town.

Unfortunately I found Henry absolutely infuriatingly stupid. He doesn't seem to know his arse from his elbow at any given moment and the only consistent thing about him seems to be his intent to make the stupidest possible decision at every available opportunity. However everything else overshone that and I found it tolerable until right near the end when everything is wrapping up and I'm supposed to care about what happens to Henry. At that point I was fed up with him.

Another let down for me was the relationship between Henry and Sir Edward. I'm all for LGBT representation in books but the insta love plotline felt very half baked. Either let him mourn for his wife and child, and have that be the main thrust of his motivation, or commit to the pathetic unrequited love for the older man and struggling with his repressed homoerotic urges, both at once does each a disservice.

I think this is partly what led to the issues I had with Henry overall, it felt like each thread was only trotted out in a very perfunctory way when it was vaguely useful to the plot and neither were given the space to breathe and become believable and compelling in their own right. And this just meant that Henry's motivation was all over the place. Being generous I could kind of buy that he latched on to the kindness of Sir Henry and in his grief he developed it into something that wasn't there, but if that was the intention it just wasn't believable enough for me.

So that was disappointing as I've read The Binding and Collins did a way better job with the relationship in that.

I have read 2 other books by Bridget Collins. I loved the first one but i found the next 2 books unusual. The author obviously has incredible ideas and is writing these ideas into her books - but i felt that the development of the idea took over the story. This affected my enjoyment of the book.
I found it difficult to engage with either of her main characters and was almost irritated with Henry’s attitude. I wanted him to have more oomph!! Sophie, for me, has more character but in spite of the huge discovery of the silk, nothing is learned of the next stage - importing to the UK or the discovery of its production.
The final chapters are fast moving and disastrous but still Henry hasn’t learned his lesson.

Bridget Collins is an entirely new author to me and I am so delighted I decided to take the plunge, and read The Silence Factory. An atmospheric historical gothic tale with an element of magical realism, this haunting novel is eerie and constantly left me with this palpitating sick feeling, in the best way possible! I could feel my heart racing throughout every new page and I wasn’t quite sure why— the book just had me on the precipice of something equally horrifying and enthralling.

The premise of the book was so unique, so despite it’s slow, unassuming build up, I knew just from the plot regarding the silk and mysterious town in which the silk factory is located, that I would enjoy what was to come. The novel executes the speculative aspect so perfectly while exposition helps weave an uncanny backdrop that is so stereotypically gothic (in the classical sense), and the two forces working together enhanced a simultaneously realist and dreadful tale.

While I enjoyed our main characters, Henry and Sophia, who span over two separate timelines, it was Sophia who stole the spotlight for me. I love a complex, gritty Gothic heroine, so naturally Sophia enamoured me from the very beginning. I still found Henry intriguing, no less, but Sophia was the one to reel me into the story time and time again.

It wasn’t the type of book I devoured in one sitting, but instead was something that gradually crept up and me and deserved to be savoured because Collins’ writing style is truly so haunting and beautiful. She has deliberate intent with every word she wove together… like silk, some may say?

The Silence Factory is the perfect gothic treat for those who enjoyed The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell and Belladonna by Adalyn Grace.

This book was gothic, creepy and had the eeriest vibes from the get go. I loved the dual timeline aspect of it and reading Sophia's diary. The storyline was unique and interesting and I was immersed in this world. Bridget Collins has such lovely writing and it feels so beautiful and lyrical.
My only 'complaint' was that I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I would have liked.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc.

As I've come to expect from Bridge Collins the writing is beautiful. I was immediately caught up in the intense gothic atmosphere with its mystical touches and haunting ambiance. Henry struggles with his grief and his feelings of inadequacy and these feelings are further distorted by the eerie presence of the silk. He is not a likeable character and his infatuation with Sir Edward leads him to ignore the cruelties and horror of the silk factory. Despite the wonderful language I failed to be completely absorbed in his story which seemed a little slow at times, I much preferred the telling of Sophia's story and the details of how the spiders and their silk were truly a part of the Greek island where they originated.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was excited to read this Bridget Collins book, and it didn't disappoint. A unique sort of historical fantasy. I don't particularly like spiders but the presence of them in this book didn't bother me. Told over two different time periods, but it was easy to follow.

There are two things you can rely on when you open a Bridget Collins book. The first is that you are about to read something wholly original and unexpected, the second is that you are in the hands of a story telling master. The Silence Factory is no exception.
First, a warning. If you are not a big fan of spiders then the first chapter may need a strong cup of tea to read - and our eight legged friends will make further appearances. But they are a device rather than a main character, a creator rather than a player and only the most arachnaphobic should find their occasional presence offputting.
Henry is lost. His wife died in childbirth, his inability to help her let alone save her crushing. He now leads a quiet life of mourning, living and working with his father in law, who he is sure, regards him as a failure too. So when a rich successful man enters their aurologist shop in search of a cure for his deaf daughter, Henry is desperate to impress, to prove himself, feeling a connection with Sir Edward. This feeling intensifies when Sir Edward shows him a square of silk, unlike something Henry has ever witnessed before. One side bestows utter and absolute silence, the other - well, it's better not to use the other. It can lead a person to madness. Beguiled, Henry jumps at the opportunity to examine Sir Edward's daughter himself, and is soon ensconsed in a grand if gothic mansion house where of locked rooms, evocative pictures and half whispered secrets abound. The silk itself is made in the nearest town. And if the toll it takes on the workers seems extreme well, all mills are harsh work places, aren't they? All Henry wants to do is carve a place out for himself, to be needed, and if doing so means turning a blind eye then that's fine. He's an old hand at self deception after all.
Henry's story is interspersed with diary extracts from a few decades before, A young woman, Sophia, whose husband, the current Sir Edward's great uncle, is frantically searching the Greek islands in search of an elusive, mythical silk that he knows will make his fortune. And he is prepared to do anything to find it. Neglected by her husband Sophia finds solace in the local community. But she is more like him than she knows, she too yearns and she too will do whatever it takes to achieve her desire,
Dark, compelling, fantastical and absorbing, Bridget Collins has done it again. Highly recommended.