With The Slave and the Sheriff releasing on June 1st, I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog post introducing the Song of Silver trilogy. I’ll be discussing what my next three novels will be about, where they fit into the Book of Roses series, and what to expect from the characters. There won’t be any spoilers in this post, but I will be giving some vague details about characters and storylines, so you may want to hold off on reading if you’d prefer to dive in completely blind!
The new trilogy will be one ongoing story spread across three books. A character-driven medieval drama in the same vein as The Pillars of the Earth, The Song of Silver follows in the footsteps of The Book of Roses to begin a new chapter in the generation-spanning saga that began with Elizabeth of Rosepath. The main narrative picks up shortly after the events of Calia’s Needle, following four new characters whose lives intersect in the lawless frontiers of a newly established county.
Wilful and ambitious, Livy’s aspirations of becoming a successful merchant lead her to pursue new trade opportunities in the area, where she soon learns the price of doing business on a road plagued by cut-throat traders and opportunistic bandits.
Fen, a kind-hearted young man raised by outlaws, struggles to break away from his gang to pursue dreams of becoming a minstrel, yet with a family of murderers and thieves surrounding him, the law stands at odds with his hopeful yearning.
Christian, a newly appointed sheriff, has his heart set on ridding the county of violence and brutality, yet his goals face constant opposition from the corrupt guildsmen and criminals who perpetuate the status quo.
Elisaria, a nun raised in the convent of Saint Caridwen’s, sets out at the behest of the mother superior to protect the priory’s business assets, yearning for a life free from the self-denial forced on her by the church.
Much like the Book of Roses trilogy, these will be longer novels focusing on an ensemble cast of characters with a plot that spans multiple years. The first novel, The Slave and the Sheriff, will mirror Elizabeth of Rosepath in introducing the characters, establishing the setting, and ramping up the plot. The second novel, The Price of the Wind, will see our characters maturing as they grow older, settling into their life choices as their relationships deepen and the consequences of book one catch up to them. The third novel, The Aria of Tomorrow, will conclude the trilogy with the characters reaching the heights of their potential (assuming they all live that long!). Book two is planned to release in early 2026, with book three expected late 2026. These are tentative dates at the moment, but I do want to try and finish the trilogy before 2027.
This will be a loose sequel to The Book of Roses. I say “loose” because we won’t be following the same main characters, but there will be many old faces reappearing, and some story threads will build upon the events of The Book of Roses, Lavender’s Wolf, Calia’s Needle, and Mender of Monsters. We’ll be seeing characters like Elizabeth, Isaac, Kaylein, Sir Roger, and a few others again, though they’ll be in smaller supporting roles this time. Our heroes from the last trilogy have had their adventures; The Song of Silver is about passing the torch to the next generation.
That being said, you can still enjoy The Song of Silver without having read previous books in the series. While certain parts might not be as impactful without the context of their backstory, the new trilogy is its own narrative, and I’ve done my best to ensure newcomers (and people who skipped the Tales novels) won’t be confused by anything.
So, who exactly are our new cast of protagonists in this trilogy? Once again we’ll be returning to an ensemble of four main viewpoint characters, though the first novel will primarily focus on Livy, Fen, and Christian (Elisaria has much more planned for book two!).
Livy is our merchant princess, a girl raised in relative comfort and wealth during a time of peace, unused to the hardships her parents had to deal with when war ravaged the kingdom. Somewhat naïve and wilful, she nonetheless has a sharp mind for figures and the charisma of a merchant who knows how to strike a good deal. Having grown up in the trade, she possesses all the skills necessary to set her on the path to success–yet the kingdom’s merchants are less than eager to work with a woman in a field dominated by men.
With Livy, I wanted to write a character who shared many of Elizabeth’s sharp-minded traits, yet without the hard-nosed common sense Elizabeth grew up with. While Livy is far more educated and worldly than Elizabeth was at her age, she has a rebellious streak and an ambitious lust for success that stems from her Cairnford blood. She is more prone to mistakes and bold to a fault. While the strengths of her character are more pronounced than Elizabeth’s, so too are her weaknesses.
Fen is our charming outlaw with light fingers that turn their talents to thievery as easily as music. Outlawry is an area of medieval life I’ve always wanted to explore in my books, and Fen is our window into that world. He’s no villain (though his actions may sometimes be antagonistic), yet he’s caught in a life of violence and lawlessness that stands at odds with his gentle nature.
Fen is quite a different character from any of my previous protagonists, a blend of mischief and wholesomeness couched in harrowingly dark life circumstances. Perhaps he’ll achieve his dreams of becoming a minstrel someday, but with the odds stacked against him, it doesn’t seem hopeful.
Christian, our titular sheriff, is the representative of the noble hierarchy in this novel. With a strong sense of purpose and a desire to do good, he’s a little older than the rest of the cast, boasting a level of competence and experience that makes him a natural leader. Standing on the other side of the outlaw plot, Christian is the lawman who’ll be hunting for evidence, organising trials, and picking up his sword to deliver justice. There’s a definite element of a medieval crime procedural in this novel, and Christian is at the forefront of that storyline.
Elisaria is our final character, the (at this point almost obligatory!) nun on the cast. Unlike many of my previous nuns, however, Elisaria isn’t happy about her life in the church. Despite having risen to a senior position in Mother Kaylein’s convent at a relatively young age, she detests the rules and restrictions of monastic life. Yet with few prospects outside the nunnery, Elisaria is bound to a calling she feels no affection for. Cynical, blunt, and level-headed, she possesses a maturity that Livy and Fen lack, acting as a compass for the other characters despite her inner turmoil.
For those who recall the character Elspeth from The Book of Roses, Elisaria is a little like the crass old brothel mistress if she’d been raised in a convent and taught to mind (some of) her language.
I’m very excited for everyone to meet the new cast as they embark on the first leg of their journey. They’re very much a mixture of the old and new, bearing a few similar traits to the Book of Roses characters while bringing in plenty more of their own. If there’s one part of The Song of Silver that I’ve been especially eager to share with readers, it’s these four new protagonists. Their stories are very much interlinked in volume one, with all four contributing to a tightly interwoven plot that brings Livy’s merchant enterprise together with the business interests of Elisaria’s convent–both of which are at risk from the machinations of Fen’s gang. And with outlaws stirring trouble, Christian won’t be far behind.
As for romance? I think readers eager for some juicy relationship dynamics and character chemistry will have a great time with this one! Unlike the slow-burn romance of The Book of Roses, things kick off at a faster pace this time around. I can’t say much more without spoiling anything, but there’ll be plenty to sink your teeth into. Who will wind up with who, what problems will it cause, and will it even last? We still have two more books to go, after all.
That’ll probably be all from me until launch day. I hope this post has whetted a few appetites for the upcoming series. The Slave and the Sheriff will be releasing in ebook and paperback on June 1st, available for preorder now. Please do leave a review if you’re able, and if you have any questions about the upcoming trilogy, you can always drop me an ask on my Goodreads page!
Happy reading,
Kelly River
Kelly River 