Author: Rob Thier

Title: Storm and Silence

Genre: Historical Fiction

Setting: England, 1800s

Current Ranking: #387  in Romance

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Review:

(I hate you guys for making me read this, but here goes.)

An action-packed adventure filled with overtures of romance and a historically accurate plot set in the throes of Victorian England marks Storm and Silence as a must-read thriller.

Set in the 1800s, the story starts off with the main character Lillian being thrown in jail for cross-dressing as a man to vote in an election. This strong-willed feminist is a quick-witted rebel who won't take no for an answer and ends up eliciting a job offer from a mysterious Mr. Ambrose while dressed in men's clothing. Follow along as this periodical story introduces you to characters that jump off the page and an eternal debate of the battle of the sexes.

Storm and Silence is steeped in tradition meets progress through the eyes of two distinct characters- Lillian, an eccentric feminist and Mr. Ambrose, a masochist. They are both well-written for the time period and speak volumes on their differing viewpoints about female roles even today. As their personalities conflict and their roles as employee/employer intertwine, the attraction between these two could be cut with a Swiss knife. The description of Victorian England is on point as well as the allusions to news/inventions of that time period that it is easy to lose oneself in it.

Unfortunately, the characters represent polar extremes of their argument and continually hit the reader over the head with it. It makes it tiring at times to read it when it starts to become cringe-worthy. All in all, the story is extremely well-written and the comedy superb. In tense moments, some comic relief thrown in will make me chuckle at the hilarious banter between Lillian and other characters or the commentary constantly running through her head. While Lillian is working, she is free to act as she wishes which sometimes leads to disastrous results and remind her of how out of touch she is with the world outside her home.

In short-if you like action, mystery, adventure, historical fiction and the odd story about bosses/assistant romance, you'll love this satire on historical romance that makes North and South (the novel/BBC mini-tv series) look like a stringent older cousin of this story. Pride and Prejudice beware, there's a new story in town and it'll make Darcy/Elizabeth's love-hate relationship seemed timid in comparison. Honestly, I recommend this story for the humorous comedy it mocks of England in the 18th century.

Stars: 3/5