View source for The Silver Tide (Copper Cat) by Jen Williams

{{infobox1
|title=The Silver Tide (Copper Cat) 
|sort=Silver Tide (Copper Cat) 
|author=Jen Williams
|reviewer=Ani Johnson
|genre=Fantasy
|summary=The Black Feather Three return in their third fantasy blockbuster, answering some questions and facing new shocks on the way.  An action packed ride right from the beginning – enjoy!
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=608
|publisher=Headline
|date=February 2016
|isbn=978-1472211156
|website=http://sennydreadful.co.uk
|video=
|cover=Williams_Silver
|aznuk=1472211154
|aznus=1472211154
}}


The Black Feather Three (Copper Cat Wydrin of Crosshaven, Lord Aaron Frith and Sir Sebastian), the sought after sell-swords are always looking for their next adventure and, more importantly, their next pay day.  Sebastian is still feeling lost after having to leave his love behind but he'll come around.  He has to; they've just been given a job by renowned pirate captain Devinia the Red.  They've been commissioned to help her and the crew of the aptly named ''Poison Chalice'' to go into a land famed for its monsters and ghosts.  A place deep in magic where people vanish.  A place where none of the three really want to go but they have no choice: Devinia the Red is Wydrin's mum.

After [[The Copper Promise by Jen Williams|The Copper Promise]] and [[The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams|The Iron Ghost]] fantasy author [[:Category:Jen Williams|Jen Williams]] pulls out all the stops for this, the third book featuring the Black Feather Three.  We've witnessed each of them growing in confidence and self-knowledge but they still have a lot to discover in that department.

This time out Frith will discover that he's capable of so much more than he thought.  He doesn’t know how but it doesn't half look impressive.  Sebastian learns more about his reptilian affinity, whereas Wydrin… Wydrin discovers the courage that comes with love, not that she was lacking in the bravery department before.

There are some familiar faces in the supporting cast too.  It's only my 'no spoiler' rule that prevents me from discussing one encounter that intriguingly convolutes through the story and loops back to previous books, enlightening what we already know.  (Yes, please do read the books in the right order or you'll miss out on much.)  Let's just say that there are repercussions backwards and forwards in time as if we're watching a very entertaining literary Newton's Cradle.  Another great moment is the reappearance of one of Sebastian's greatest successes, eliciting a loud internal cheer from me.  (It would have been externally expressed but… you know... British and all that.)

Jen doesn't just rely on old faces though.  We meet Xinian the warrior leader who has to cope with flora and fauna from which even [[:Category:David Attenborough|David Attenborough]] would shy away.  Meanwhile Devinia shows that Wydrin is a chip off the old block, despite Wydrin shunning the family business.  And then there's poor confused Oster, a man with an interesting built in mode of transport and some rather powerful relatives.

Once again Jen layers a great tale as real life feelings, emotions and frank language (in context) add texture to the characters and authenticity to a gritty world.  As alliances are made and betrayals tear them down again we're in no doubt we've been on the journey with our heroes.  In fact by the end of ''The Silver Tide'' I wanted to go back to the beginning of the series and relive it in the light of what we learn by the end.  

Speaking of ends, is this the end of the Black Feather Three?  Maybe or maybe not (definitely no spoilers!).  Is this the end of Jen Williams' writing career?  Ye gods and little fishes, I desperately hope that there'll be more and other acclaimed authors like [[:Category:Adrian Tchaikovsky|Adrian Tchaikovsky]] seem to agree.

(Thank you so much to the good folk at Headline for providing us with a copy for review.)

Further Reading:  If you enjoy a romp of an epic fantasy, having already read [[The Copper Promise by Jen Williams|The Copper Promise]] and [[The Iron Ghost by Jen Williams|The Iron Ghost]], we heartily recommend [[Truthwitch (The Witchlands Series) by Susan Dennard]].  If you prefer your fantasy in a series, we recommend the slow burning excellence of Den Patrick's] ''Erebus Sequence'' which starts with [[The Boy with the Porcelain Blade by Den Patrick|The Boy with the Porcelain Blade]].  Meanwhile if you're wondering who Adrian Tchaikovsky is, let [[The Tiger and the Wolf (Echoes of the Fall) by Adrian Tchaikovsky|The Tiger and the Wolf]] enlighten you.

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