I haven't read The Binding or The Betrayals, they are still sitting on my to be read pile, but as soon as I saw this book and read the blurb I was fascinated.

What an extraordinary premise, spider silk that can block out all sound!

The book being split across two timelines, that of Sophia Ashmore-Percy in 1820, and then Henry Latimer decades later, slowly reveals the history of how the spiders were discovered on a remote Greek island and came to be used in a factory in Telverton, like peeling back the layers of an onion.

There are a few surprising twists and turns along the way.
I would love to see a follow up on what happens to Henry in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

I thought I would enjoy the Gothic feel of this book but found it rather hard to get into and enjoy. I found the two timelines confusing and the story a bit slow. I think the premiss was there but the execution was not.

I must say I skipped through a bit and hoped it would get better for me but alas, it did not.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Full of gothic vibes, the story follows Henry, who dreams of a world without noise, until he encounters a mysterious gentleman offering a silk that can drown out all sound. As he delves deeper into the origins of this gift, he becomes entangled in a web of secrets and consequences.

This book was quite difficult to get into, and the dual timelines were a tad confusing. The pace was slow, but I understand why it was necessary - it really added to the vibes.

Though I wasn’t fully invested in the characters, I still appreciated the unique storyline.

If you enjoy gothic fiction with a touch of fantasy, give it a go when it is released in May!

This is a beautifully written book and, if you like historical literary fiction with a bit of a supernatural twist, I am sure you will enjoy this.

If you are at all arachnophobia though, you may want to steer clear!

The novel opens with Sophia leaving a remote Greek island with her husband very reluctantly. He is returning to England with spiders who produce silk that have some significance to the community they have just left.

Later we meet Henry, who is drawn into this history through his association with a member of Sophia's family.

I don't want to give too much away but the two storylines are woven together seamlessly and the book is gothic - very atmospheric.

While I felt sympathy for Sophia, Henry was a little harder for me to connect with. The story pulled me in, although the characters didn't really appeal to me.

If you are looking for an engrossing story you will enjoy this.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I struggled to get into this book. I found the pace a little too slow for my liking but the premise was good. I think I would suggest you listen to this in audio format rather than book.

The Silence Factory, by British author Bridget Collins, has a setting very much like Victorian Britain. The story begins with the writings of Sophia in 1820, who accompanies her husband James Ashmore-Percy to a remote Greek island to search for rare biological specimens.

History tells us that the Victorians were obsessed with science and progress, confident that their exploration and growing knowledge of the natural world could help improve society in the same way as they were advancing technology. It is this confidence – or the arrogance that men are entitled to all of nature's offerings – that casts a terrifying shadow over Sophia's life.

Decades later, audiologist Henry Latimer is sent to the home of industrialist Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy to help cure the man's daughter of her deafness. Here, Henry's encounter with Philomel and her governess Miss Fielding plays a crucial role in his journey of self-discovery. As explained by Miss Fielding:

“[Philomel's] father is determined that she should learn to speak aloud, so that she can participate in society. She cannot be limited to conversations with other people who can sign. Better that she should say a few broken words to the people who matter, than express herself perfectly to those who do not. True speech is what distinguishes us from animals, is it not?”

These words reflect the commonsense of the time, and may cause some distress to readers today who are more informed about the aspirations and strengths of people with disabilities. But the author's illustration of Philomel is empathetic and delightful, capturing the beauty and fearlessness of a young girl full of curiosity and energy. The portrayal of Miss Fielding as a courageous woman full of love and compassion is also endearing.

Meanwhile, as Henry is drawn deeper into Sir Edward's world, he finds himself obsessed with the fascinating nature of the man's business – spinning silk with a rare and magical breed of spiders. The extraordinary silk shields sound, offering respite from the everyday noise in one's surroundings – “the screech of traffic and the cries of street vendors, or the endless rumble of machinery... Not to mention the relentless background groan of the city, monstrous and unending.”

The result is absolute tranquility and soothing calmness. In Henry's words: “Silence is not only silence, sir, it is attention – it is sanity. It is sleep for infants, medicine for invalids, rest for the working man – it is money for the man who must think or starve. We build walls to shelter our bodies from the world, but we leave our minds open to assault on every side.”

Silence is indeed golden, but, as Henry soon finds out, it comes with a price, both personal and collective. The Silence Factory is an intriguing book, its writing stunningly exquisite, its depiction of the mysterious spiders creepy yet memorising, and its detailed examination of the dark and insatiable greed behind the industrialised capital world then – and now – is both captivating and alarming. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC of Bridget Collins latest.
I found myself impatient to finish and it 2as not what I was expecting.
Henry travels to Cathermute to assess a young deaf girl, Philomena, after he meets her father Edward. There is an ancient family secret here and Edward owns a factory that spins spider silk into veils of silence. But there is a very dark element to this amazing product.
With a dual timeline there is a lot of mystery to this tale.
Three and a half stars for me.

Bridgett Collins has done it a gain with this unique story set in the Victorian Industrial Age.
As a Victorian Gothic Horror lover I adored this book.

I do have to state first up if you have a fear of spiders this novel will not be for you! Also trigger warnings should be given for child loss and miscarriage.

The story is split into two timelines , one via diary entries by Sophia Ashmore- Percy in 1820, who writes about her time in the Greek Islands with her husband James.
The story is weaved between both the diary entries and several decades later where Henry, the main character who is grieving the loss of his wife, has an encounter with a gentleman and his mysterious silk.

This is a quant, unique Gothic mystery story that kept me reading through a modest length book with wonderment. I could really feel each of the characters and was finding myself wanting to dive in deeper to each story. I adored the Gothic undertones and the way Collins has written the story with the dark, heavy undertones of the Victorian industrial age and the grunge that the time period had was really felt throughout. It gave me the uneasy feeling I would expect reading about this time period.

You will either love or not love this story depending on taste but if you love Gothic horror/mystery/magic/ folkhorror /historical fiction you will adore this story like myself.
I highly recommend this book, I find it brilliant and can’t wait to add it to my Gothic Library.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for the Arc

Thank you to HarperCollins, The Borough Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this!! Unfortunately, I am DNFing this at 30%.

I liked Henry as a protagonist, and I even enjoyed reading about his infatuation with Sir Edward, until I didn’t. Henry is not just obsessed with Sir Edward, he’s a Sir Edward apologist. Sir Edward is not a nice human being, but that did not stop Henry excusing his behaviour. Sir Edward is quite ableist, even towards his own daughter. The language that Bridget Collins uses to describe the deaf community is (although this is set in the 1800s) outdated and as a reader, quite jarring at times.

I was hoping to push through these issues that I had with the text but once I realised how much Henry, as a protagonist, was infuriating me, I no longer was excited to pick up this story.

Don’t get me wrong, Bridget Collins is an incredible writer. She uses vivid imagery to build her world and the settings of both timelines in this novel were excellent.

I did DNF The Betrayals as well, so I hoped that this may have been a different story. But alas! Perhaps Bridget Collins is just not the author for me, and that’s okay! :)

I really struggled to get into this title. I have enjoyed the authors previous works so was looking forward to this new offering.
It is a gothic story but one that didn’t capture my imagination.
The cover is amazing and the synopsis reads as something I would enjoy but unfortunately I didn’t.
It was a DNF title for me and I am disappointed that it is.

Utterly compelling and completely unexpected…. I was absorbed from start to finish. I can’t tell you what a surprise this book is and what an adventure to read. Like nothing else I’ve ever read!! You just have to read it to find out for yourself.

The Silence Factory follows Henry, who yearns for a world free from noise and chaos. He then comes across a mysterious gentleman who sells a precious silk capable of silencing the world's clamor. Summoned to help cure Sir Edward's daughter's deafness using this silk, Henry becomes entangled in the origins and consequences of this gift. Despite warnings, Henry is drawn deeper into Sir Edward's world, only to discover the true cost of the silence it offers. As he faces this revelation, he must decide whether it's too late to escape the consequences of his choices.

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book however I found the language and writing to be really heavy and hard to read and ultimately it was a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the outset, as you read the first diary entry, you know this story is going to take you down dark holes of the human psyche and that redemption may never occur. Collins has reached deep to bring to the page a gothic novel, that is full of twists, turns, ambiguities and a cast of characters that are complex, flawed and whose morals are cryptic.

There are two threads to the story, the letters composed by Sophia Ashmore-Percy in the 1820s. She writes about her experiences on a Greek Island, her husband James fixation on a scientific discovery with spiders and her interaction with the locals. The second thread is that of Henry Latimer, grieving the loss of his wife, he works with his father-in-law who owns a shop that provides hearing aids, and his life is not going anywhere. Until Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy walks into the shop seeking assistance for his deaf daughter. Sir Edward gifts to Henry a piece of silk cloth, that has magical properties, when you cover your ears, it blocks out all noise. Henry finds himself working with Sir Edward and quickly being enveloped into the machinations of the Telverton Silk factory and realises that not everything is magical.

Collins has created a novel that has strong Gothic overtones. What really grabs you is the oppression that runs through the entire story, and it is deftly done. You have the oppression of atmosphere, that closed in feeling, the restriction of place and time is evident. The way Collins captures these moments really adds to the ominous undertones.

The letter section has Sophia telling you how trapped she is with her husband on a small island home, how he mentally manipulates and abuses her. How she tries to live up to the inherited social expectations of the era as to being dutiful wife. This is wonderfully contrasted by Collins when Sophia expresses the joy and freedom she feels when with Hira.

The Henry Latimer thread brings you to the events that have happened several decades after Sophia and James left the island. Sir Edward is trying to grow the family business of Telverton Silk. Their paths cross when Sir Edward seeks assistance from Henry's employer to resolve his daughter's deafness. As Henry becomes more engaged in Sir Edward's business and home life, he becomes more ensnared in the wonder and dangers of the silk.

Collins does a great job in capturing the emotional manipulation and oppression that is utilised by some of the characters (such as James, Edward and Worsley) to degenerate, control and diminish the people around them. It is balanced through the actions and hope of other characters who can see a better world.

Collins has brought to the page a story with many layers that are all woven together every so finely. She paints a vivid picture of the factory and the conditions of the workers. When you enter the pages, you are transported into a world ever so believable and the starkness between the powerful and powerless. It is not all doom and despair as the ending has hope.

If you love historical fiction, with a splash of Gothic mystery, grab this book and you will not be disappointed.

I struggled with this from the start, I couldn't even get halfway before I had to give up.
The language used was very difficult to stay with, I found myself skimming lines as it was long winded and not eally engaging.
The storyline grabbed me but the reality was very different. I really wanted to like this book but found the writing very archaic.

I’ll be honest, I was ready to DNF this book at 20% and then again at 40% but as it turns out I too was trapped within the web of the pseudonephila spider🕷. I needed to know more about the secrets of the spider silk & characters within this gothic historical fiction.

I had trouble connecting with the characters, the romance felt off and at times I felt completely detached from the plot…but perhaps that is the unexpected allure ? Perhaps the reader truely is supposed to be a helpless observer stuck within the web that Bridget weaves.

“It can inspire divine madness, ecstasy or despair”

Overall this book was an experience, but I sadly won’t be rushing to repeat it.

>Dual POV
>Multiple timelines
>Secrets and betrayal
>FF & MM romance

I was unable to find a list of trigger warnings, child loss & a detailed miscarriage was described.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Every so often you read a novel that is so blinding in its brilliance: uniquely plotted and beautifully written."

The above quote is from my own review of The Binding by Bridget Collins. In The Silence Factory, she has done it again. The end. Only joking! But seriously, this novel is brilliant. I could not put it down and read it in a day, no mean feat for me as it was 380 pages long and that is getting dangerously close to being a ‘big book’, which I’m reading less and less of lately. But in truth, when it comes to Bridget Collins, I would read any length of novel. She is an absolute master of the Victorian era gothic historical fiction niche.

First of all, if you’re afraid of spiders, this novel will terrify you. This is not a warning to take lightly. Many aspects of this story tread the boards of horror, but when it comes to the spiders, I can only imagine that if they terrify you, you will find this an extremely discomforting read.

Bridget Collins captures the Victorian era of industrial progress and social disharmony with perfection. The poverty, the lack of workplace regulations, the dismissal of the poor as having rights, the abuse of children within the workplace. It’s all here, in technicolour sobriety. I absolutely love how she brings this era to life, highlighting the corruption and greed that drove so many on their quest for wealth and status.

Our main character, Henry, is a sad man, He has lost his wife and infant, he works in a job that he doesn’t particularly like for a father-in-law he has nothing in common with and feels like a disappointment to. He is ripe for plucking by a manipulative industrialist driven by greed and corruption. While Henry is dazzled at first, by flattery and desire, he slowly begins to comprehend the horror of what he has been drawn into.

Alongside this storyline is another, the diary of the wife of Sir Edward’s uncle, Sophie. It details a sordid tale of botanical theft and greed, of betrayal and desperation. Sophie’s story just about broke my heart. It’s an example of so many historical instances of colonial theft and entitlement.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this one. A stunning, brilliant novel.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

This has the perfect gothic vibes and was written in a unique and distinct way that the reader knows this is a book by Collins.
However,
There were two timelines in this book; Sophia and Henry. I did get confused with the timeline changes and it did make it hard for me to follow each story.
In saying that, I was more fascinated with Sophia’s story than Henry’s.
I personally wasn’t a fan of the characters and couldn’t connect with them. On top of this, I felt like any relationships between characters were forced and I couldn’t engage with them as well as I wanted to.
I was mostly confused about Henry and Sir Edward as there was no exploration of their feelings, and it felt sudden and born out of a fascination from Henry’s part.
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t hit the mark for me, but I still found elements which I liked.

The Silence Factory was a delightful read from start to finish. The book's premise and principal characters were engaging and I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present with the inclusion of the diary entries. The prose was easy reading yet atmospheric and I always wished I could read a little more as I put the book down each night. I would definitely read further works by this author in the future. I am giving this book 4.5 stars.

DNF
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. It is slow and long-winded, and I had a hard time engaging with both the characters and the story.

While this book is well written I find that I am unable to continue to reading it. I do not often say that about books, but unfortunately it is true of this one. I kept waiting for something to happen and by chapter 4, nothing did. I wish the author well in her promotions, but sadly, this book is not for me.