Storm and Silence: Volume 1 (Storm and Silence Saga) Paperback – 18 Mar. 2016

This book follows young, intelligent feminist Lilly Linton as she acquires a job as secretary of the silent and broading Mr. Ambrose, the manliest of men, who has his mind set on getting rid of her, because women aren't fit for working outside their own house. But obviously, Miss Linton can not allow such things to happen!At first, I feared this book would start of with two characters who dispise each other and end with both of them incredibly in love.But I couldn't have been more wrong. There's so much more to the story. It portrayes the position of women in Victorian London, the irrationality of humans, the way we always want something we can't have and how we fool ourselves into thinking we have some sort of control over our lives. The writing's splendid, the characters have a depth to them that makes them so intriguing and the author has a wonderfull sense of humor. You're captured from the first chapter to the last word of the book, that keeps you hanging on for more! Luckily for us, the second book is being written this very moment!So, to round this up, spend the money, but gain something that is worth so much more!And last but not least, remember: Time is power is knowledge is money!

WHAT I LIKED:- The main characters are simply delightful:Rikkard Ambrose only cares about two things in life: money and...well, money. Being an employee of Mr. Ambrose requires that you always arrive on time (everyone knows Mr. Ambrose doesn’t tolerate tardiness), that you’re efficient and good at your job if you want to see a single penny from him. Oh, and yes, you have to be a man. Mr. Ambrose, or Mr. Stone Ambrose as Lilly often calls him, it’s a man that shows no emotion. You won’t even see an eyebrow lift on that man. He suffered a lot when he was young and he fought hard to build his empire and will destroy anyone who stands against him and his business. He’s a very difficult character to read but that is part of the story.Lillian Linton is one of my favourite female characters ever. She’s strong and fierce and very protective of her sister Ella. Society expected Lilly to stay home, clean and take care of her children but Lilly is not having it. She’s a suffragette that fights for the rights of women to vote, to work. The story starts with Lilly dressed up like a man in order to cast her vote at the Polling Station. Unfortunately she’s caught but before that she helps Mr. Ambrose with a dubious business and he’s really impressed and hires her as his secretary. The problem is, he thinks she’s a man. Imagine his surprise when he sees she’s not and when she appears that his doorstep demanding the working position he promised her. She’s really smart and always gets her way. I really admire her strength and stubbornness.Karim is a big and intimidating Mohammedan and he’s Mr. Ambrose’s bodyguard.Karim is socially awkward and it’s so funny to see his interactions with Lilly who he calls ‘Woman that is worse than Ifrit’. Karim is very loyal and doesn’t think twice before acting to protect his employer. Also, you wouldn’t want to confront him and his sabers.- The banter between the main characters is to laugh out loud. Mr. Ambrose is a man who is used to instill fear in people just with his icy stare but Lilly is not having it. She always have an answer for him to the point where he just orders her to shut up because he has no more arguments. Also her relationship with Karim is so funny. She can drive the bodyguard mad.- Not the typical romance novel. If you want a romance novel where the characters flirt from the beginning forget it. There is romance obviously but is not the main aspect of the book. The book focus more on the mystery and danger that is Mr. Ambrose’s business and Lilly’s effort to maintain her position as his private secretary since he’s trying so hard to find a way into her quitting her job. Although Lilly is attracted to Mr. Ambrose since the beginning because he’s a very charming man, she quickly turns off her feelings since he is so against her beliefs. Also, Lilly doesn’t want to marry at all.WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:- Too much Ella and Edmund romance. I know most women from that period of time were exactly like Ella but having a book with a main character as fierce as Lilly and then having to endure chapters with her younger sister and her forbidden love with Edmund make my eyes roll.CONCLUSION:I first read it on Wattpad and I simply had to buy the book. This is an author who truly deserves the support! He’s so talented.This is a book I have to reread every year because it really puts a smile on my face. Also is my go-to-book when I’m in a reading slump.

Robert Thier's book is a marvelous piece of work, that mixes history and romance to perfection. He presents the Victorian era in a different light. A woman working dressed as a man during the Victorian period, would have been the biggest scandal ever. It would have been unimaginable. Even if today, someone comes and tell me that someone like Lilian Linton had indeed existed, I would still not have been convinced of such a thing. But, the author almost makes it persuasive in the minds of his readers that Lilian must have existed at some point in time through the different character traits that he attributes to her. Mr. Rikkard Ambrose on the other hand, is one mysterious character. He is not gentry, neither member of the Houses of Parliament. The source of his wealth is unknown. We only know that he has been to the colonies. There are no indication of his family either, which makes the reader more curious about him. It seems like Ambrose could be those self made men, who has a rags to riches story of his. This is what would explain his lifestyle of living with the strict minimum and not indulge in extravagant and futile expenses. Ambrose also represents those classes of people in Britain that grew to ascension in status through wealth from the colonies, when the gentry was slowly getting impoverished or was under debts. Robert Thier paints a world in which it is a pleasure for the reader to indulge in. Storm and Silence is a book that you must have on your book shelf.

I never thought I would find a book that made me care so much about what happened to the characters as if they were real. The storyline has a lot of ingredients - action, historical knowledge, original witty humour (which made me burst into giggles many times!) and a feisty female lead - but the cherry on the cake is seeing the love/hate relationship unfold between Mr Ambrose and 'Mr' Lilly Linton - I first read this story a while ago on the website Wattpad, and finished it within a matter of hours, it was that good. When I found out that the published book had new material showing Mr Ambrose's perspective, I just had to order it. The book arrived yesterday, and I've already finished reading it for the second time around! Although I have one complaint - there needs to be more bonus material from Mr Ambrose's point of view! So Sir Robert Thier, please get a move on with another book, because I have fallen in love with your work - not only the Storm and Silence series, but also your 'Robber Knight' trilogy. I wish I had the talent to create a book that has such a powerful, complex, and yet simply endearing storyline.

It’s a really good book with a very nice historical touch. It came in really good condition and arrived really early.