In a single moment 13 people across European cities martyr themselves. The only clue accompanying the burnings are cryptic messages in the form of a prophesy by Michel de Nostredame and an excerpt from the third secret of Fatima. The world is promised 40 days and nights of terror that will shatter faith. This is the powerful opening of Steve Savile’s thriller Silver.
Sir Charles Wyndham’s team of brilliant warriors and technicians, codenamed Ogmios, puzzle together the truth through a journey that takes them to London, Berlin, and the Vatican itself. Behind the bloodshed they discover a plot to kill the Pope.
As they fight to prevent this, the team must take on a fanatical group called the Disciples of Judas, which has risen in the Middle East. The Disciples want the true story of Judas proclaimed to the world. They believe Judas was in a highly volatile relationship with Mary and Jesus that twined love and betrayal. We see Judas mourn the man he could have been, the life he may have had, if he’d not loved so well the man destined to die on the cross.
Love, power, fear, treachery are woven together for the faithful in this novel. Jesus spread a message of religion based on love without fear. He took them out of the temples and back to the earth. But there have always been those who would use religion to control others and spread dread.
Savile expertly composes a tale of how terrorism has changed and now strikes where average citizens expect to feel safe. For the terrorists understand that fear can break even strong people. Fear can take a person to the point where death is a mercy. These terrorists understand that there is power in tragedy on a mass scale. How do even the best of mankind fight against the misdirection, subterfuge and bloodshed of war — when even the most beautiful things are cloaking betrayal in their finery? The members of the Ogmios must find a way.
Since this is a European religious thriller, it is easy to compare it to The DaVinci Code. But that seriously negates the originality and intelligence of Savile’s work. His work demands to to be read on its own terms. This is his first action thriller steeped in history and religion, and he has created a novel worthy of being considered among the best.
Savile weaves complex action throughout Silver involving many characters and time periods. His imagery is vivid, specific, and original. Berlin, Rome, and London come alive on the page. We feel the terror of the public, cook under the sun’s heat, and see the grimy buildings. His characters are 3-dimensional, flawed, and entertaining to follow. As with all of us, their imperfections and uniqueness make them stronger. He is able to reveal many character traits through very organic, realistic dialogue and the way the characters experience their surroundings.
Silver deserves to be on everyone’s must read list. Savile has written an entertaining, intelligent, enthralling work that leaves readers longing for the next book in Ogmios series titled Gold.
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Silver is available for purchase on Amazon as a hardback and for Kindle.
I like this part. “We feel the terror of the public, cook under the sun’s heat, and see the grimy buildings.” It’s not every day a book engages all the senses like that.
Great review, I think we have established how much I love this book already.