About the Book

The final book in this series will jump forward 18 years and feature Dorie, Jane’s young charge from Ironskin.

18 years later . . .
Dorie Rochart has been hiding her fey side for a long time. Now, finished with University, she plans to study magical creatures and plants in the wild, bringing long-forgotten cures to those in need. But when no one will hire a girl to fight basilisks, she releases her shapechanging fey powers–to disguise herself as a boy.

While hunting for wyvern eggs, she saves a young scientist who’s about to get steamed by a silvertail– and finds her childhood friend Tam Grimsby, to whom she hasn’t spoken in seven years. Not since she traded him to the fey. She can’t bear to tell him who she really is, but every day grows harder as he comes to trust her.

The wyverns are being hunted to extinction for the powerful compounds in their eggs. The fey are dying out as humans grow in power. Now Tam and Dorie will have to decide which side they will fight for. And if they end up on opposite sides, can their returning friendship survive?

272 pages (hardcover)
Published on October 7, 2014
Published by Tor
Author’s webpage
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This book was provided for me to review by the publisher.

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Silverblind is the third book in Tina Connolly’s Ironskin series. This is a series that has grown on me with time. The nice urban fantasy/steampunk mix works really well, and Connolly has a way with building on the last book almost flawlessly. The stories are quite charming. When I need something to just take my mind off of whatever it is I need a break from, this is a perfect series for me to hit.

So I hit this book when I was a few weeks out of surgery, needing to forget the pain.

As with the previous two books, Silverblind focuses on a new set of characters and new, unique situations. Dorie was introduced to readers in the first book of the series, but she’s an adult now, and a completely different person. Therefore, you don’t really need to be introduced to Dorie two books before to appreciate who she is now. This is also very much Dorie’s book. Jane and her sister make very small appearances later in the book, but other than that, she’s the star of this show.

Dorie is half human, half fey, and she’s very independent and determined. She has an inner compass that she tends to follow, and at times can almost be a bit too altruistic. However, Dorie is also a fantastic window into real world issues that were faced before, and still face now. She’s a woman in a man’s world. She has to fight for a job, and fight for her independence. On top of that, she gives readers a bit of a window into fey politics, beliefs, cultures and etcetera. In a world that is very afraid of fey, and very much man driven, Dorie is an absolutely refreshing, invigorating character. Furthermore, Dorie’s position halfway in this world and halfway in that ties up some loose ends, and adds some depth to the things that have been happening throughout the series that was incredibly appreciated.

As I mentioned above, Jane and Helen only appear a little bit, later in the book. That might disappoint some readers who hope to see more of those two characters. However, it’s nice that readers get enough of an appearance to see where those two characters have ended up, but not so much that they overpower Dorie’s story. Another thing that might disappoint some readers is that the romance isn’t quite as prevalent as readers might prefer. In fact, for my own perspective, Connolly managed to strike the absolute perfect balance between romance and plot. It’s there, it’s sweet, it’s not overwhelming but adds a nice tender element to the book that really complimented it than overwhelmed it.

Silverblind moves at a steady clip, but the first bit of the book does build up, and some readers might feel that it moves a little slow. Never fear, you will get your payback very, very quickly. When things start going, they go pretty quickly. Connolly has a real knack for refreshing readers with the events of the previous books without bogging things down. Furthermore, Dorie’s unique perspective fills in, and adds to the world that Connolly has already developed in fantastic ways. It gains depth and complexity. The actual front burner plot was just as interesting as how Connolly has developed her characters, and added complexity and depth to her world.

There is a lot in Silverblind that deserves praise. Connolly has really honed her craft through the writing of her series. Some of the plot elements were pretty predictable, and some things could have used a bit more description (basilisks, for example). Perhaps my biggest problem was the fact that Dorie ended up pretending to be a man to get the job she wanted. I understand why she had to do it. In a world and situation like that, there’s really no other option, but I get sick of seeing that in books. It felt a little clichéd to me. That being said, it would have been impossible to accomplish most of what the book is about without that taking place.

Silverblind is a solid installment in the Ironskin series. Each book is better than the last. Silverblind wasn’t just a fun read, but it was also quite thought provoking regarding a lot of social issues that I didn’t really expect. The plot is absolutely absorbing, and the characters are unforgettable. While I recommend readers to start with book one and work your way to Silverblind, that’s not absolutely necessary. Connolly has a soft touch, and before you know it, you’ll be as engrossed as series long readers. It’s impossible not to be. Silverblind just has that magic way about it.

This is the final book in this series, and I’m sad to see it go. It’s been quite an adventure. I honestly cannot wait to see what Connolly dreams up next. I’m sure to love it.

4/5 stars