Silver City

Book Name: Silver City
Author: Cliff McNish
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group
Reviewed By: Valli - 9A

Author Information:
My name is Valli and I’m in Grade 9A. I love to read and paint in my leisue time. My hobbies include: painting, cycling, and listening to music.


Silver City is an intriguing sequel to its predecessor the Silver Child written by acclaimed British author Cliff McNish. This captivating tale begins right from where the first book ended, and once again arrests the reader with its unique and gripping story.

In this sequel, we are once more transported back to the imaginary town of Coldharbour, and look back into the lives of the 6 gifted protagonists initially abandoned at Coldharbour. Children from all over the world are travelling to Coldharbour, acting upon a self-summoning to protect Milo, and get shelter from the Roar’s impending attack. Meanwhile, Thomas who is lying on the outskirts of Coldharbour, meets a group of children named the “Unearthers” who have a craving for digging and fascination for rocks. He assists them in their unknown mission by giving as much of his “beauty” to them as possible. Back at Coldharbour, Helen is puzzled by Jenny’s fascination with an eerie doll named Agatha and Emily and Freda’s calling to sea, and tries to unravel these mysteries using her telepathic gift. The way these seemingly parallel plots collide and spiral out of control together make up the rest of an enthralling story.

Though not too many new characters are introduced in this sequel, McNish does go deeper into the roots and essence of each special protagonist and their inexplicable talents. We get so see Milo’s incredible transformation from a sharper angle, and take an askance into the formidable Roar’s thoughts through Helen’s telepathic mind. One gift which stands out though as to be Thomas’s “beauty” which ultimately puts his life in jeopardy as he lets it seep away into the Unearthers. Coming to the Unearthers, the main leaders of this peculiar group are Tanni & Parminder, who will be an absolute delight to any fascinated reader. Overall, all of the characters together manage to sew an engrossing plot, and a befitting continuaton of the story.

The main setting in Silver City is Coldharbour. An abandoned and isolated town in the first book, Coldharbour becomes a lively hub for the youth of the world looking for protection from the Roar. With the new arrivals pouring into the town, there is a shortage of commodities and rationing in Coldharbour begins. The otherwise cold skies and gray landscape is pricked with a slice of life with the thriving population surging in for shelter in this sequel.
As the second book in the Silver Sequence, Silver City makes a worthy attempt at instilling the crux of the plot within the reader once againlike it predecessor did. The story has been woven with the same intricacy and skill that McNish writes all his books with, be it the Doomspell Trilogy or the Silver Child. 

Cliff McNish manages to artfully amalgamate all the key elements of a successful sequel in this book. With a refreshing and riveting storyline, this book proves to be a beguiling escape from the the normal mundane realities of life. This suitable fusion of an au courant writing style and a cutting edge storyline is recommended for the ages of 11 and above, and will surely establish itself as the next literary sensation of this generation.