The description of this book heavily intrigued me, the idea was so new and innovative that I was very excited to read.

It did not disappoint, the relationships shown in the book are beautiful and tragic. The book raises every emotion and captures your heart an unexpected moments.

At times it makes you feel on edge but it’s a real page turner and I would definitely recommend for a mysterious tense read!

The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins, was an utterly captivating experience that transported me into a world of mystery and intrigue. Collins masterfully weaves a narrative that is both haunting and enchanting, making it difficult to put the book down.

The story unfolds through two intertwined timelines. In the early 19th century, we follow Sophia Ashmore-Percy, who accompanies her husband to a remote Greek island in search of rare biological specimens. Sophia’s journey of self-discovery and the secrets she uncovers are both compelling and thought-provoking. Decades later, in Victorian England, audiologist Henry Latimer is summoned to the estate of Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy to treat his daughter, Philomel, who is deaf. Henry becomes increasingly fascinated by Sir Edward’s production of a unique silk spun from a rare breed of spiders—silk that has the uncanny ability to muffle sound completely. As Henry delves deeper into the origins of this silk, he uncovers dark family secrets and faces moral dilemmas that challenge his very being.

Collins’s prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid images of the eerie factory and the enigmatic silk. The gothic atmosphere is palpable, immersing the reader in a world where silence holds power and secrets are woven into the very fabric of society. The characters are richly developed, each grappling with their own desires and fears, making their journeys deeply resonant.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book rather disturbing, a creepy but highly addictive novel that’s you’ll be thinking about long after it’s over. Not my usual thing but I have to say it was fantastic and I’m going to look for more by the author!

The entire story was so immersive, both the present and the past. It's a scary reality to imagine yourself in but I love the way all the characters interacted with the world building. Henry is an extremely unreliable narrator and most of his decisions and actions were moronic and yet he makes you feel like he's a sad, kicked puppy. The pure dismissal of women and misogynistic tendencies grated on my nerves at times but other than that an amazing experience overall.

Firstly, I fell in love with the cover – what a gorgeous cover! Secondly, I fell in love with Bridget Collins’s language and the way she weaves words together – she is a great storyteller. There was no “thirdly”. Sadly, what started for me as a five-stars book quickly deteriorated to three weak stars (and then I remembered that I, actually, hated “The Betrayals”).

The story is told from the point of view of two different characters (interesting how both ended up “questioning” their sexual attractions, these “twists”, I thought, were introduced just to tick the zeitgeist boxes). I note some of my fellow reviewers complain that the story of Sophia Ashmore-Percy (told through her diary) was inconclusive and ended abruptly. For me, it all was self-explanatory and was tied well together at the end. Similarly, the story of the second protagonist, Henry, was told to its optimistic conclusion. Sadly, in my opinion, both characters were quite lacklustre, a pair of wet blankets if you will, and I did not care for their destiny. I also did not care for the silk factories. What was supposed to make me scared (it is a gothic novel!) – did not scare me at all. I think it would be a different story for an agoraphobe.

Sadly, although the premise was somewhat interesting and I did enjoy the language and pace, I just couldn't connect with the book due to feeble portrayals of characters, weak storyline and chaotic last 25% of the book (the factory scenes). “The Silence Factory” promised me so much and delivered little.

I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of the book to review.

Another day, another excellent audiobook: ‘The Silence Factory’ by Bridget Collins.

Premise: rare Greek spiders weave extraordinary silk: the right side of cloth made from it offers a sanctuary from the clamour of C19th life; the wrong side resonates with sounds that will send you mad.

It follows Henry Latimer, a lost soul who finds new purpose when Sir Edward, owner of the world’s only silent silk factory, walks into his hearing aid shop and asks him to see if anything can be done to cure his daughter’s deafness. Woven into Henry’s narrative are the diaries of Sophia, who discovered the spiders a generation previously on a Greek island.

The historical detail is spot on and never too much - every nugget supports the story. There was also, for me, just enough ‘science’ to make the premise convincing, and it served as a perfect platform from which to explore how sound and silence affect our minds, bodies, and livelihoods - and who controls them.

Set between a factory town in Devon and on the Greek island where the spiders have lived peacefully for centuries, it has compelling characters who felt of their time but still relatable, dialogue that zips along even when dealing with heavier ‘scientific’ details, and page-turning pacing. If you like action-packed endings and love twists but don’t want to see them coming, this is a good one.

I particularly loved the ‘industrial Gothic’ feel to the plot: all the chilling aspects of Victorian factories combined with sublime forces of nature that are barely - if at all - under human control. The spiders are not the scary part; the people are.

The Silence Factory is such a wonderful book, It is packed with rich beautiful writing that draws you in and envelops you in its historic world. I was engrossed from the outset.

Henry’s wife dies in childbirth and he is existing working for his father in law’s in his shop as an aurologist when in walks Edward Ashmore-Percy looking for a cure for his daughter’s deafness. Henry is sent to Edward’s home and place of work to see whether he can help and becomes embroiled in the machinations of the incredible silk factory - is it a force for good or evil? The spiders spinning their incredible webs have a strange effect on the workers and anyone associated with the factory itself! A strange tale which had me hooked initially but unfortunately I found the conclusion a bit of a damp squib!

This was a disturbing, creepy read which was satisfying and felt like a fresh, innovative narrative.

Henry is grieving the loss of his wife and child when he is presented with an opportunity of a lifetime - to promote a fantastic new silk, spun by rare spiders whose thread blocks out all noise.

As Henry arrives in Telverton, he is warned of the oddness of the valley and the silk factory, but he pays no heed to the warnings and soon falls under the spell of this unnatural place and its magical silk. Henry's growing attraction to Sir Edward is cleverly plotted and Henry gradually finds himself leaving behind his previous grief and notions of normality.

Henry's experiences are interspersed with another story, one which traces the identification and capture of the spiders by Sir Edward's ancestors. again, the spiders seem to be the catalyst for a same sex relationship, but this time it is Sophia who succumbs to an unexpected experience.

These relationships are not explored very much, and I wasn't quite sure if they were meant to show the unnatural effect of the spiders on those who choose to reside alongside them: no good can come from such dark magic!

Beautifully written, this was an interesting premise which I enjoyed reading; however, I am not sure that I really connected with any of the characters and feel like I missed some deeper meaning or intention.

I enjoyed this storyline, it was well written and I found myself wanting to know how the characters developed. I am not a fan of spiders myself but it didn’t bother me too much. I would say this is gothic fiction and I do enjoy this genre. I would like to read other books by this author after finishing this one.

I enjoyed this at the start then I got a bit bored, not sure why. Then I enjoyed the end. Storyline ok, not exciting

PSA - this is not for an arachnophobe to read! I had nightmares about the spiders I won’t lie. It may have been my arachnophobia kicking in but I struggled to connect to the main characters and found the pace quite slow in parts.

I love this authors work and this was the best yet! Absolutely brilliant storyline and fantastic ending! Highly recommend

The Silence Factory is an intriguing gothic fantasy that follows two characters, Henry and Sir Edward, and the discovery of a rare spider-produced silk that can block out sound. The concept is definitely unique and had a lot of potential. The dual perspectives added some interesting layers to the story, but I personally struggled to connect with the characters.

While the premise pulled me in, I found myself wanting to fast-forward through certain parts, as the pacing felt a bit slow for my taste. It’s not the kind of book I typically go for, but I can see how others might really enjoy the atmospheric writing and the darker, gothic elements.

Even though this one didn’t fully work for me, I’d still be open to reading more from the author since I’ve heard great things about their other works.

Love all of Bridget Collins books. This was another fantastic gothic historical fiction story that brings to life the Vuction factory industrial life experiences, children experience abuse, neglect, poverty, class, being deaf, LGBTQ+ experiencs & the impact of childbirth loss,

Sophie felt so alive and would have liked more insight from her eyes. Frustrated with Henry, Bridget can really write string characters, but could have warned us about the spiders.

In 1820, Sophia Ashmore-Percy and her husband travel to a Greek island. While there, Sophia's husband searches for a special spider and Sophia grows close to one of the village women.
Several decades later, widower Henry Latimer finds himself in the home of Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, a man in the silk business whose daughter's deafness Henry will try and cure.
Sir Edward is an ambitious man whose silk is made by spiders and has the ability to block out sound. However, the silk can also harm those around it.
As Henry becomes entangled in Sir Edward's business, he learns that perhaps there is more to Sir Edward and the spiders than there appears.

I hadn't read a book by this author before, but I'd heard good things about their previous books, so I was looking forward to reading this one.
Sophia and Henry were both likeable protagonists. However, I did like Sophia more, and did find Henry a little annoying at times, but I could understand why he acted the way he did. I felt sorry for both Sophia and Henry, as neither of them had an easy time of things.
The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but nothing that happened surprised me, and I wasn't gripped. I also didn't feel particularly invested in what happened to Sophia or Henry.
The writing style was easy to follow and I would read another book by the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

I loved the Binding so so much, so was so excited to try this new novel by Bridget Collins. I am so happy to say i was not let down. Such a great gothic novel, absolutely perfect for this time of year.

A unique fast paced, thought provoking story.

I really enjoyed the dual time perspective which set the foundations for the outcome of the story. Henry Latimer was a great character and I liked him a lot.

In both time perspectives the character relationship development was brilliant.

The story itself was extremely unique and I was entranced from the first few chapters. How the story was written made me want to keep reading to get to the end of the story!

Thank you NetGalley and The Borough Press for an advanced reader copy for review.

Gosh, where to start with describing this book… it’s incredibly atmospheric - you might find yourself breathing differently as you navigate the fog or the jungle… the writing is crystal clear yet slightly threatening… the premise brilliantly executed and the ending has a satisfying twist. The story has two threads and each is strong and moves the narrative along without the reader losing track.

The characters are well developed and a nice mix of the naive but honest and good, and the uncertain, the possibly evil and the offhand and dismissive. Certainly I found myself hoping Henry found something to help him find a purpose after the death of his wife and child. And Sir Edward is confusing enough that you’re not sure of his motives.

The concept of the silk is astonishing and the complex plotting is masterful. Bridget Collins sure knows how to write a book and this is one worth reading.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

The Silence Factory is an intricate and beautifully written novel that will appeal to fans of gothic fiction, psychological thrillers, and literary fantasy. Bridget Collins once again proves herself to be a masterful storyteller, weaving a tale that lingers long after the final page.