Gothic Historical Mystery...I was HOOKED from start to finish! Eccentric and at some points startling, definitely a favorite!

The Silence Factor was an intense gothic story. I could not have anticipated where this story was going. Audiologist Henry Latimer has been brought to help Philomel, a young deaf girl at her father's request. Once he has met her father, Henry becomes enamored and will do everything he can to stay in his world. This means becoming involved in the spinning business that makes special silk spun from magical rare spiders. While the cost to make the silk is exorbitant, Henry sees all the benefits of the silk that completely drowns out sound. But the longer he stays, the more troubling the collateral of making the silk seems. undeniable. The descriptions are detailed, from the factory manufacturing process, and the ramifications of the weaving process. Henry is forced to deal with his own personal issues throughout the story which adds depth. I found the ending satisfying and rewarding after the journey Henry takes.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars!

Thank you to Bridget Collins and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

I feel a little mixed about this one because, theoretically, it has everything I love. Historical fantasy? Yes. Multiple timelines? Yes. Queer and disability rep? Yes. And yet, I don't feel particularly passionate about it in either direction. This is my first of Bridget Collins's books, although I've had my eye on them for a while since they've been compared with those of Natasha Pulley, and I liked it overall for sure.

First, the good. The writing is really gorgeous and makes for lush setting and dialogue. The concept for the fantasy elements with the spiders' silk and the way it interacts with sound was such a cool and original idea, and it felt crucial to the story, not as if it was added in as an afterthought. Sophy's journal was really intriguing and absolutely heartbreaking, so I really looked forward to those segments. The themes of motherhood and manipulation, both of Sophy and Henry and of the silk factory workers, were very raw and made sense for the story. I loved hearing about Philomel whenever she showed up, and I wish we had gotten more of her. The balance of passion and evident toxicity and abuse in Henry and Edward's relationship was done well. It got my heart racing at points and I couldn't tell whether I was compelled or disturbed which I think was the aim.

There aren't some massive flaws that I found but there were a few elements that fell short or that could have been expanded upon. In my opinion, a lot of the characters don't get the time or space that they deserve at the end. Edward, May, and Philomel hardly get a send-off. Sophy's story has a clear arc (upsetting as it is), but I wish Henry had really meditated on her legacy at the end having read her journal to really connect the two timelines. Henry wasn't a very compelling protagonist, at least in comparison to Sophy, so I struggled more with his sections (which are most of the book). His section always drags quite a bit in the middle. I would have loved to learn more about Hira as well. Generally, it seems like a lot of material was cut and I think a more fleshed out ending really would have benefited the book. The premise was cool but I wish more had been done with it. It's not even really an issue of execution, I just think this book needed more length tackle everything it could have.

I did like it and I would recommend it if you normally like gothic novels. If you want the fantasy elements to feel really complex or you like a more character-focused book, this might fall a little short. As always, it's worth a try, and I think this will be fantastic for the right kind of reader!

Happy reading!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Publishing, and Bridget Collins for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Imagine having the ability to block out all the extraneous sounds that bother us in life. No more cars honking, dogs barking, or sirens blasting in the middle of the night. For those of us who are light sleepers, it sounds like a dream. For someone who discovered how to do this, it could mean a fortune.

The Silence Factory shifts back and forth between a secluded Greek island in the 1820s and the latter part of the century in a small town in England. In the 1820s, James Ashmore-Percy and his wife, Sophia, travel to the Greek Island in search of an elusive spider described to him in letters from a friend. At first, Sophia has trouble adjusting to the primitive conditions, but later finds a place with the women of the village. James is frustrated by his inability to find the specimens he was told about. He’s unkind to Sophia in many ways and typical of an emotionally abusive husband.

Many years later, Henry Latimer is still mourning his late wife when Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy wanders into the shop his father-in-law owns. Sir Edward is looking for a cure for his daughter’s deafness. Henry, an audiologist, agrees to visit the estate and see if he can help the child to hear. Once there, he learns the town of Telverton is home to Sir Edward’s factory which weaves a magical silk born from the spiders brought back by his great Uncle many decades before. Henry falls under the spell of the silk and Sir Edward.

The story was slow to start, but eventually, it gripped me. It is a dark, sinister, and magical thriller with people behaving about as I’d expect. Sir Edward is a well-fleshed-out character who manipulates those around him. His status allows him to do what he wants with little questioning. However, the family fortune is dwindling and he’s counting on the silk to make him rich. He’s distant with his daughter and angered by her governess teaching her “fingerspeak” to help her communicate.

The story from Henry’s perspective is compelling. I could tell he was under a spell of sorts, but at the same time he sees things that are warning signs and can’t shake them. The setting of the town and the factory is seen through his eyes, and he knows something is wrong, but seems powerless to comprehend exactly what’s going on.

For people who like dark, noir thrillers, I think you’ll enjoy The Silence Factory. It’s not my particularly favorite genre, but this is a good read. It took a bit for the story to hook me, but once it did I really wanted to see how it would all end. There are a few curves thrown in the story that I did not see coming as well. I recommend it.

The Silence Factory is a new novel by Bridget Collins and features the stories of Henry Latimer and Sir Edward as well as the historical account of Sophia Ashmore-Percy in the early 1800's via her journal.


Ashmore-Percy travels to the Greek island Kratos to identify a new insect. When she and her husband arrive they find their scientist connection deceased but Sophia is immediately befriended with Hira. At the same time, there is a more current story is of Henry Latimer and how his life changes when Sir Edward Ashmore - Percy comes to his store. Ashmore-Percy gifts a cloth to Henry that has strange powers. Latimer ends up working with Sir Edward and his strange findings and factory. It's slow moving and a touch hard to follow. Collins builds a great world and her gothic tones that help bring up the start!
#williammorrow #thesilencefactory #bridgetcollins

The Silence Factory, Bridget Collins's third novel for adults, is a tour de force of gothic suspense, both with fantastical and historical elements, and a sinister underbelly. The story alternates between narrators Sophia Ashmore-Percy and Henry Latimer. In 1820, Sophia is trying to make the best of her situation, essentially marooned on a remote island with her husband James and his obsessive pursuit in the name of science (or is it for fame and wealth?) Decades later, Henry Latimer finds himself entering the circle of Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, his mysterious silk business, and the goings-on of Carthmute House, Sir Edward's estate. Collins sets both Sophia and Henry on their own unexpected - and treacherous - voyages of discovery, spinning and weaving her beautiful prose to captivate the reader from the first chapter to the novel's perfectly executed conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have DNFef at 39% and will not be continuing this based off recent news I have found of Bridget Collins, the author, being a TERF. As well as there being antisemitism in another one of their novels.

One well spoken and research provided by is @ermreading on tiktok. I will not go against things I believe to support this author. If you are unaware please look up El on tiktok and watch the video. Along with doing your own research and making your own choice.

Historical fiction can always be a hit or miss and there was not a single miss in The Silence Factory.

I absolutely love this genre and it tends to get a lot of slack for being a slow burn and I typically don’t mind that at all but have to choose wisely when reading historical fiction. Typically that’s being in the right mindset and mood, but there was no need to fret here as this book didn’t fall into the typical entrapping of reading a historical fiction book.

The plot was so freaking fun and fantastical and could’ve gone fantasy or science fiction and lended a lot to making this a quick read. It doesn’t go that way but I loved how Collins incorporated facets of other genres seamlessly while retaining the genre she is in and not butchering what makes scifi/fantasy enjoyable.

There was so much nuance in this book from the grieving widow, to gay love, colonization and commentary on social classes. It wasn’t preachy, it was real and beautiful and I couldn’t get enough.

The cover alone had me desperate for this book and I was counting the days to release and still am even after reading. I cannot wait to pick this one up and add it to my collection the second it’s released. Bridget Collins can do not wrong!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

The Silence Factory is a beautiful gothic historical fiction with horror and mystery elements.

We follow two POVs - Sophia and Henry.

Sophia’s story is told through journal entries as she travels to Greece with her awful husband who has become obsessed with the spiders that create magical silk. Henry’s story takes place in the future from Sophia. He meets Sir Edward - a descendant of Sophia’s husband who has now industrialized the spider silk. Henry becomes infatuated and spirals out of control as he navigates the consequences of this curious spider silk.

Overall, I thought this was a very interesting premise and Collins’ writing is beautiful and immersive. I was immediately drawn in by Sophia’s story and wish we would have gotten more from her. I did find the relationships that Henry formed to be under developed and rushed. I was surprised by his infatuation with Sir Edward, and never felt like it was truly justified. The middle of the book was a bit slow but the ending made up for it. Henry’s story felt resolved, but I wish the story would have ended with Sophia’s POV.

The Binding is in my top 10 favorite books of all time, with The Betrayals not far behind. I love Bridget Collins’ evocative, atmospheric stories that both hurt and heal the reader in equal measures. Needless to say, I was excited to start her latest, The Silence Factory. Set sometime in the 19th century (or early 20th), it follows the story of young widower Henry and a mysterious silk capable of silence the world, but at a cost that might prove too costly to bear.

Like her other books, The Silence Factory was full of beautiful lines and haunting imagery, with some truly prickling bits of body horror thrown in for good measure. The magic silk made for a sinister, unwinding kind of villain, both uncaring and invasive in equal measures. As an avid arachnophobist, the spider elements really made my skin crawl. While I didn’t love this quite as much as her two previous adult works— I found Henry too weak willed to root for and wasn’t quite sure of what resolution I was hoping for— I did enjoy Collins’ writing as always!

**Full review to be posted closer to publication!**
The Silence Factory is another excellent novel from Bridget Collins! I was immediately fascinated by the premise–silk from spiders that shields sound from the wearer, but causes odd sounds and effects to those on the other side!? Consider me hooked! I really enjoyed how Collins unraveled this story and how we got to enjoy two timelines associated with the silk and everything else that happens around. I particularly enjoyed following Henry Latimer's perspective and timeline and always looked forward to those chapters the most. What I always appreciate about Bridget Collins' writing is how she manages to create such effective and strong atmospheres that really draw readers in and writes in a way that calls for constant page-turning, and The Silence Factory had just that and more.

I thought I would try something out of my normal genre because this was highly recommended to me. It is just not for me.

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4.9375/5

[Wow, absolutely incredible. I will be reading every book written by this author.

Stayed up until half two because i couldn’t stop reading this one. Review to come closer to publication.]

<b>Fantasy Scoring<\b>
Worldbuilding ➷ ✅ 5/5
Foreshadowing ➷ ✅ 5/5
Plot ➷ ✅ 5/5
Relationships ➷ ✅ 4.75/5

Thank you to Bridget Collins, HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

This book is fantastic. The plot and the storyline are so intricate. It starts in 1820 on a Greek Island where a young English couple (James and Sophia) is stationed searching for rare biological specimens. In the Island they meet Hira, and enigmatic local woman that has the ability to cure and that knows all the secrets of the islanders. Hira and Sophia form a special bond that gives Sophia access to the Island best kept secret: a very rare species of spider with magical powers.
Many years later we meet Henry, an audiologist that is sent to the home of an industrialist to find the right hearing aid device for the man’s daughter. Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy runs a silk factory. But the silk has a very unique quality: it is able to shield sound completely and create an environment of absolute silence. This is due to the origin of the silk. This silk doesn’t come from silk worm but from a spider that can only be found on a a Greek island. As the plot progresses, the drama increases and the intrigue takes over the story, because of course, nothing is what it seems.
This book is so magical and the language is almost mesmerizing. It is so dark and gothic and summarizes the beauty and complexity of a genre in which Collins is a true expert.

Not being a stranger to Collins work, The Silence Factory hit every note I've come to expect from her. It's a wonderful historical fiction book about, well, the titular factory and Henry Latimer's introduction to it.

In alternating viewpoints, we began with Sophia Ashmore-Percy's journal in the 1920s, accompanying her husband to a Greek island because he's heard about some spiders that spin some silk that has a profound impact on the world. Her journal is heartbreaking and tragic because it's still relevant today.

Henry works with his father-in-law selling hearing aids, and happens to the be in the shop one day when Edward Ashton-Percy comes in requesting something for his daughter. A chance encounter between the two, Edward giving Henry a piece of the silk from the titular factory, spurs feelings in Henry. Henry's father-in-law declines to go to Ashton-Percy's place to actually see Philomel and her condition, so Henry goes in his stead.

Once there, Henry is introduced to Ashton-Percy's world and the factory, including the effect it's had on Telverton, the Echoes. (It was really cool seeing what I assumed was the working title for this book dropped every so often!) As Henry becomes more involved with Ashton-Percy, he learns exactly what the factory, and silk, is capable of doing.

I loved this, of course, but one thing that frustrated me was Henry's refusal to see what everyone was telling him about Edward, but I understood why it was played that way.

I am so excited to see more of Collins works because this was beautiful and haunting.

The Silence Factory is my first Bridget Collins read and I'm proud to say it's made me a fan! This book is so great! It's a gothic fantasy, with a very unique and captivating premise. Bridget has done a wonderful job creating a realistic fantasy world, where she adds fantasy but doesn't venture too far out, allowing the story to feel more believable.

In this book, we follow two timelines. We have Sophia Ashmore-Percy, who, in the 1820s, travels to a Greek island with her husband, James, in search of a rare specimen that can possibly change the world. We also follow Henry Latimer, who, decades later, encounters Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, Sophia's grandnephew, while working at his father-in-law's shop. Henry is an audiologist who is still grieving his wife's death and the loss of his daughter. During this encounter, Sir Edward gifts Henry with a rare piece of spider silk, which silences out the world around him but can also cause psychological disturbances ("turbulence", as Sir Edward calls it). Sir Edward creates this unique silk at his factory and claims it provides instant peace and tranquility, but it's way more than that.

Henry finds himself venturing to Sir Edward's estate, determined to help his deaf daughter, Philomel. There, he learns of this spider silk and surprisingly, of the madness it causes- headache, drowsiness, hallucinations, and even death.

This story is very unique and original, and the story-telling is outstanding! I loved everything about this book, except for Henry's sudden love/obsession with Sir Edward. It seemed too sudden and a bit unnecessary. It did add to the story, however, becoming the reason Henry is blinded to the fact that Sir Edward is not a good man.

4.5 stars overall!

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Bridget Collins for this phenomenal ARC!

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and HarperCollins Publishers, the book cover is a piece of art.

"The Silence Factory" by Bridget Collins entwines two timelines, offering readers a tale of mystery and intrigue set against the backdrop of exotic locales and familial legacies. Sophia Ashmore-Percy's journey in 1820 on a remote Greek island, and Henry Latimer's exploration of the Ashmore-Percy family's secrets decades later, promise an intriguing narrative rich with potential.

"The Silence Factory" has some problems that prevent the reader from fully appreciating its lyrical prose and ambient beauty, despite the book's potential. Some people may find the long chapters intimidating because they tend to drag the story out and cause times of boredom. Furthermore, the overabundance of superfluous descriptions hinders the story's general flow and makes readers yearn for a plot that is more succinct and narrowly focused.

Despite its shortcomings, "The Silence Factory" does offer glimpses of enjoyment for those willing to traverse its winding paths. Amidst the chaos, there are moments of genuine beauty and intrigue, where the reader is transported to captivating settings and immersed in the ethereal atmosphere.

THIS IS ART! This is the perfect amount of creepy and fascinating! This story was BEYOND addicting! The title is amazing too. The writing was great, I loved the dual POV. If you enjoy gothic, historical writing, with a splash of fantasy this is for you! Absolutely loved it and want more

There is a visceral elegance to Collins's writing that drags her readers into deep waters with neither apology nor remorse. I can't think of a better way to go, personally.

The Silence Factory was a very satisfying Gothic fantasy with lots of eerie vibes, romantic yearning, and creeping dread. I loved how well Collins developed the base concept into a fascinating world with a lot of potential for drama and horror. The book did start dragging a little around 60% of the way through, when we basically just watch Henry ramble about marketing for hours, and I felt like Philomel and her governess' characters had a lot of unrealized potential, but the finale was enjoyable enough to make up for the slower pacing.