Novella
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Okay, before I get to talking about the story, can we just acknowledge this title for a second? I mean, Sanderson is pretty good at coming up with evocative titles that require further reading for explanation (Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, Warbreaker, etc), but none quite so much as this one, I think.
This story has a very different feel from the rest of Sanderson’s works that I’ve read. Unsurprisingly for a story that manages to work the words ‘shadows,’ ‘silence,’ ‘forests,’ and ‘hell’ all into the title, it is more horror fantasy than typical epic fantasy.
This story follows Silence, a middle-aged woman who runs a tavern and is secretly a bounty hunter. She lives in a small community that is one of the few human outposts in the Forests of Hell, an ocean away from most of the population of Threnody.
The Forests of Hell are filled with Shades, spirit-like beings whose touch can cause a person to wither and die.
In an effort to raise enough money to pay her creditor and avoid losing her inn, Silence goes after a notorious highwayman in the Forests. Things quickly get out of hand when another group has the same idea. In order to keep her inn, she and her daughter must outwit their competitors and collect on the bounty… all without attracting the attention of the Shades.
After The Emperor’s Soul, this story is probably my favorite from among Sanderson’s shorter fiction. It introduces a new world and a new magic system, and it has a sense of dread and desperation that is well-executed.
I would definitely recommend this one.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell can be found in George R.R. Martin’s Dangerous Women anthology, or in Arcanum Unbounded, Sanderson’s collection of Cosmere-related short fiction.
From Threnody, we travel to First of the Sun, another Cosmere planet on which only a single novella has been set.
Or, you can click here to return to the general Cosmere page.