So this is a super short review because I'm still reading The Silenced! I know its terrible and I should be more organised. But here's what I think so far:

I read Stephen first book The String Diaries  and I loved it - this author manages to mix fantasy with a fast-paced thriller. I am have only started this book but the pages are begging me to turn them and read late into the night.  Only having to go to work is stopping me.

There have been a couple of moments when I have felt my heart racing and heart stopping at the same time. Some bits have been truly terrifying and made me want the light. 

But here's to five o'clock when its finally the weekend and I can crack on with fabulous book. And a full review will appear as soon as I can!

When I first started reading The Silenced I was determined to keep a distance from the characters. After all, when evil is on the hunt, inevitably there’s going to be some kind of ending … but I found it impossible to hold myself apart and even found myself wavering towards the evil that’s honed specifically to destroy Mallory and Obe. So that’s the first thing to be aware of. These characters are easy to love and will cause you many moments of suspense, worry and tears. As will Yoda! The characters experience some extreme conditions and you’ll find yourself willing them on, although to what end?

I loved the chase! London, Cornwall, the Lake District, Yorkshire, Wales, Weymouth, Chesil Beach, France, Italy, Spain … each setting has dangers and blessings and because Stephen Lloyd Jones’ writing is so vivid and visual, it’s easy to immerse yourself in each scene. It really is edge of your seat tension. And there isn’t a place in the story where you can stop either which makes for a page turner (and late nights – just one more chapter syndrome!). Something else to be aware of.

The reason? Ancient feud. Bloodlines. Metaphysical. Supernatural. A gift. A leader and dictator who rules by breaking his followers spirits with depravity and pain; making his way of reasoning seem valid and logical ensuring detachment and betrayals. Such a powerful force and with connections in all sorts of places – easy to leave no avenue unexplored on the hunt to kill. Where one simple mistake could cost a life …

The Silenced is fast paced, dark and yes, it does have hope and light. For me, another outstanding read from this author. Don’t miss it!

‪The Silenced by Stephen Lloyd Jones https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2018/4/21/the-silenced-by-stephen-lloyd-jones‬

You’ll remember the opening of The Silenced for a long time. It’s a really good cold opening with Mallory working out how to deal with a dead man in her bathroom. The reader doesn’t know what on earth is going on. It’s a technically skilful thriller that crosses the globe and human history but while it delivers on action and locations I think it is more a mixed bag in terms of characters you can understand and want to care about.

Mallory Grace (not her real name) has been on the run for many years and her pursuers have finally found a way to trace her. A chance meeting in Cornwall outside a science fiction convention has led to an event that means to some groups Mallory and Obadiah must die. The duo then run across the UK and Europe to hide from this group pursued most viscously by Aylah who has personally sworn an end to Mallory and will stop at nothing to see her die.

Lloyd Jones has an amazing cinematic style and really knows how to flow action and wider scenes together. You can easily see this as a film where Mallory flees from a London suburb across beautiful locations such as Cornwall, The Alps and every scene is well pictured. So, once you start in that scene with a body its propels you at high speed and there is a great set of tension as the reader sees Mallory’s pursuers are both technically very powerful and ruthless. The teasing mysteries as to why Mallory must die are what propels the first half of the story along and its fun watching the introverted, skilled and often violent Mallory with the ultra-relaxed and geeky Obadiah. Watching their relationship thaw out is a nice bit of character building

Unfortunately, I found two major issues with the story. The McGuffin as to why Mallory is targeted really pushes belief and for me these days has a staler taste of women being valued for what they can produce rather than an active character. It just isn’t sold that effectively to believe that all this violence is being committed for such a flimsy reason. My other issue is that while pace and action is non-stop for most of the novel character development seems slight. Mallory is the skilled fighter who can hide anywhere, and Obadiah is the geeky but kind companion (although his geeky tastes resemble more those of a 40-year-old!) their characters don’t stand out and sadly for me mean once the central mystery is relieved I cared much less for their survival. The one exception was the main villain Aliya – her motivations for Mallory’s death are much more personal than worshiping an ancient tradition and her story is fascinating. You’re not sure right up to the end where she is going.

Overall while I think the story is well paced I didn’t find myself rooting for our heroes and it didn’t for me stand out or take any surprises. I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced action thriller to turn the brain off for but I’m not sure like all good movies it will leave a lasting impression.

Well this book certainly starts as it means to go on! Right from the off there is 1 bloody dead body and the body count continues to rise. Im not sure what category I would put this book in, Supernatural Thriller would be the most accurate – I think!!

Fast paced and unbelievably hard to put down so be prepared to lose some sleep!

The beginning of the book was almost like I had jumped straight into the middle of a story as opposed to just beginning one, but thankfully we do eventually get the back story to our two protagonists and it clicks everything into place and explains things that some of us might not have already worked out.

The two main characters, Mallory and Obadiah both have a story to tell as well as their shared one and even though they make a strange couple, i guess opposites do attract! Mallory – hard as nails, cynical, defensive and a complete negative view to life, whereas Obe – gentle, kind, compassionate and his positive outlook to life make for some interesting reading.

This is quite a hard book to review without giving too much away so I will just leave my review as my impressions and thoughts as opposed to out laying the storyline beyond what you already know so I don’t ruin it for anyone. I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this book up as the book blurb doesn’t give too much away and for me that added to the books appeal so my advice – just go for it and enjoy one hell of a story!

Even if you’re not a huge fantasy / sci-fi fan, if you enjoy a fast paced thriller you will enjoy this!

This is essentially an action adventure with a slightly supernatural edge and a smidgen of religion. It starts with a young woman, Mallory, who has been living and hiding in London. After being attacked in her home she manages to escape and goes on the run from violent types who want her dead. Then there is a young man, Obadiah (or Obe as he likes to be called), in Cornwall who also goes on the run because of a connection he has to Mallory. Between them these two may hold the key to mankind's salvation, provided they aren't murdered by the nasty folks chasing them.

The story proper takes absolutely ages to get going. All the fighting and constant descriptions of weapons early on almost had me calling it a day as I was getting tired of waiting for the story to kick in. But I really enjoyed Obe's introduction. His affinity with the animals he cared for and the way he talked to them was endearing and amusing at times too.

Overall I liked this book but I didn't love it. The characters are mostly really well fleshed out, particularly Obe, without whom I doubt I would have got more than 20% through this book. Some of the 'baddies' are a little cartoonish but that just made them even more evil and hateful. And once the story kicks in, especially in the last third of the book, it really is pretty good. I just wish it had got going a bit quicker.

I haven't read anything by this author before, I was hooked from the start. A fantasy thriller that I was reluctant to put down. The story unfolds at a good pace, the characterisation is fabulous, an age old tale of the battle between good and evil but with a modern take on it.
Mallory is fighting for her life, she killed a man and will do so again to protect everything she holds dear. Obadiah is a loner with a secret, between them they may hold the future of humanity in their hands. Together they run from an organisation bent on the destruction of mankind.
I would be very happy to read a sequel to this one and I plan on reading more by the author.

The start of this with Mallory in London was as dark as it was powerful. Almost immediately it is clear this is not a story for the faint hearted. Switching then to Obe's story in West Cornwall the book takes on a different feel though no less interesting. There is obviously a connection between these diverse threads but what is it?

Having read and loved The String Diaries by this author I had some idea what to expect I guess. He manages to interweave myth and legend with a normal world very well. In this story you will learn some Turkish words! I ended up googling some of them with varying degrees of success. The ordinary drama (though it is not ordinary) plays out with undertones of the mystic/mysterious.

The main characters came over strongly in this book for the most part. That said I found it hard to really like any of them. Both Mallory and her sister were extremely strong characters but even Mallory wasn't that likeable. Obe was lovely but I still found him quite hard to really be involved with.

For the most part the writing here is extremely good. It makes for a tense and well paced read that I simply could not put down. The Turkish aspect didn't work as well as the equivalent in The String Diaries for me. There were times when the story felt very managed and contrived I guess though I would never have stopped reading it. As a warning it can be powerfully visceral at times.

And so to the end
"After violence, silence"
And that is not what I call an "epilogue" however I do hope that the author writes more books!
4.5/5

I loved this book. It starts with an explosive opening which means the reader (and the characters) hit the ground running and don't really pause for breath the entire way through. If you want an action book that keeps you on your toes then this is the one for you.

We open as Mallory has just killed a man. She is being hunted. Obadiah Mcintosh isn't having a much better evening as he does the night shift at an animal sanctuary. Mallory and Obe are caught up in a centuries old struggle survival that Mallory just about understands but it is all new to Obe. There is a slight science fiction/fantasy twist in the book which is mostly quite easy to believe.

Mallory and Obe are both quite prickly characters neither of whom are used to spending much time around people. Obe is a big kid with a fascination for comics, superheroes and science fiction. Mallory is just plain difficult and is used to seeing the people she loves dying. Chasing her are a group of people which do have their own characters despite being more supporting cast. In fact the characterisation in this book is excellent with even the lesser characters making their mark.

As I have said, this is an action book. It is full of action with gun fights and chases. It is a bit gory in places but not excessively so. There is a lot of suspense as the author builds up to the key points with excellent description.

What can I say - I started this book & just didn't want to put it down. My only issue is towards the end. I feel that the author should have stopped the book before the last section & certainly without the epilogue. There is a good final chase through the snow that would have made an excellent ending. The last bit of the book and the epilogue could easily have been turned into a sequel which I would have been keen to read. As it was, a lot of information was squeezed into the end and the author didn't do this justice. It isn't often that I complain that the author needed to write a sequel with the last section of the book - usually I complain that authors have stretched a story too far in making it two books rather than one!

I have already treated myself to other books by this author & look forward to his future work.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.