Silent City - by Sarah Davis-Goff (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"The definition of a single session read." --Eoin Colfer, bestselling author of Artemis Fowl
For fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us, an apocalyptic tale of a young woman fighting for life and justice in the tyrannical Phoenix City--the only place in Ireland yet to be overrun by the flesh-eating skrake

Outside the walls of Phoenix City, where the plague has overrun Ireland, one bite from the savage skrake means death or infection. Inside, Orpen and the other survivors of the plague gather in meager numbers. They are protected from the skrake, but the city is by no means a refuge.

Orpen is the only outsider ever admitted to the ranks of the banshees, the fierce, all-women force of fighters who push back the hungry skrake gathered at the city walls. Phoenix City is ruled with an oppressive hand--its best leaders power-hungry and ruthless--and the banshees keep the peace, or shatter it, depending on their orders.

But unrest is building in the city, and even some banshees question the cost of implementing the management's patriarchal rule. When two banshees are publicly executed, and a foraging trip beyond the walls goes bad, Orpen knows she must make a choice between survival within a cruel society or treacherous freedom beyond the walls. She will need to muster all her courage and prowess if she and her fellow banshees are going to be able to find a way to escape--and rebuild a society worth fighting for.

Review Quotes

"The definition of a single session read."
--Eoin Colfer, bestselling author of Artemis Fowl

"Zombie-adjacent chills in the story of an Ireland entirely devastated by undead-like things--a familiar but always satisfyingly disturbing scenario. . . The friendships are complex and the interactions mature--in the best sense of the term. The characters are neither flimsy adventure heroes nor simple villains. . . I can't wait to see where Ms. Davis-Goff will take her horrific world next."
--Wall Street Journal

"The novel's worldbuilding is crisply efficient. . . Fast-paced and suspenseful, and the banshees satisfyingly heroic. . . A headlong thriller."
--Kirkus

"Eloquent. . . Davis-Goff elevates a familiar plot with vivid prose and emotionally resonant characterization. Horror fans looking for more than jump-scares will find it here."
--Publishers Weekly

"A fierily compelling dystopian thriller crackling with resonances of the now. Sarah Davis-Goff proves herself a storyteller of remarkable gifts in this provocative gobsmacker of a novel."
--Joseph O'Connor, #1 international bestselling author of My Father's House and Star of the Sea

"Silent City is grim but hopeful, tackling questions of risk, trust, courage, morality, and sacrifice. Davis-Goff's prose is stark but lovely. A strong feminist voice, austere circumstances, and a resolute sense of integrity make this dystopia memorable and inspiring."
--Shelf Awareness

"Vibrant and unsettling, Davis-Goff's Silent City is a haunting read."
--Danielle McLaughlin, award-winning author of The Art of Falling

"A dark, visceral dystopia about a few young women who decide to take a risk and strike out for a better world. . . The cinematic gore and fight scenes mix with heart-sinking twists and a small hint of hope."
--Booklist

"Terrifying and edifying in equal measure. In showing us a chilling future, Davis-Goff offers us some provocative thoughts about the world we inhabit today. Davis-Goff has built a frightening dystopian world from the embers of fires we're stoking today. Brutal and beautiful, Orpen's story is a cry against complacency. Davis-Goff invites us to examine what has always been, and fight for who and what we might be."
--Tara Flynn, actor and author of Rage-In

About the Author