Silver (An OgmiosTeam Adventure) [Hardcover]

Steven Savile (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2010

"There is a plague coming....For forty days and forty nights fear shall savage the streets. Those steeped in sin shall burn. The dying begins now"

With this chilling message a wave of terror unlike anything the world has ever seen sweeps the streets of Europe. Thirteen martyrs burn themselves alive in thirteen major cities simultaneously. And this is just the beginning.

A religious cult calling itself the Disciples of Judas has risen in the Middle East. They twist the words of ancient prophecies to drive home the fear. Everything you believe in will be proved wrong. Everything you hold true will fail.

Day by day the West wakes to increasingly harrowing acts of terror. As fear cripples the capitals of Europe, the only question is where will be the next to fall? London? Rome? Berlin?

In a race against time - believing the terrorists intend to assassinate the Pope - Sir Charles Wyndham's unique Special Ops team, codename Ogmios, track a labyrinthine course through truth, shades of truth and outright lies that takes them from the backstreets of London to the shadow of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and all the way into the heart of the Holy See itself.

"The mix of history, suspense, and action in Silver perfect for those DaVinci Code fans looking for another electrifying read combining Biblical history with modern-day Armageddon."
-- Douglas Preston, NYT Bestselling author of IMPACT and BLASPHEMY

"With Silver, Steven Savile delivers a barn storming tale of action, intrigue and suspense in a plot laced with ancient secrets and modern terror."
-- Matt Hilton, author of the the Joe Hunter thrillers.

"Silver is the best thing since Forsyth's Day of the Jackal."
-- Robert W. Walker, author of the RANSOM and INSTINCT series.

"Silver is a cracker of a thriller. Savile's in a league of his own"
-- Jeremy Duns, author of FREE AGENT and FREE COUNTRY.

"Reminiscent of James Rollins and David Morrell."
-- Joseph Nassise, international bestselling author of the TEMPLAR CHRONICLES.

"Fascinating, gripping, horrific, tragic and compelling."
-- Steve Alten, NYT Bestselling author of MEG and THE SHELL GAME

"SILVER is a wild combination of Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code, and The Omen."
-- Kevin J Anderson, international bestselling author of THE SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS and co-author of PAUL OF DUNE

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Product Details

• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: Variance Publishing LLC; 1 edition (January 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935142054
• ISBN-13: 978-1935142058
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A lifelong genre fan, Steven Savile has written for Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, Stargate, Guild Wars, Warhammer, Slaine, Star Wars and the Jurassic Park series, as well as Fantastic TV, a critical study of 50 years worth of science fiction on television. In 2009 won the International Media Tie-In Writer's Scribe Award for his original novel Primeval: Shadow of the Jaguar. Steven has sold over quarter of a million books worldwide, won multiple awards, including the Writers of the Future and Scribe Award, and is a number one bestseller in the United Kingdom.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrill Ride, February 15, 2010

By 

Sean Ellis (Glendale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silver (An OgmiosTeam Adventure) (Hardcover)

Since this probably isn't the first review for SILVER that you've read, you will by now very likely have the impression that Steven Savile is encroaching on Dan Brown territory. I hope that characterization helps people discover this novel, but it's hardly accurate. Silver is more like Ludlum at his best. It's the story of a deniably secret agency, of dangerously flawed agents facing their worst nightmares, of villains who use money and faith to manipulate innocents like puppets, and of a plot to bring the world to its knees. Comparisons to Brown no doubt arise from the fact that Savile challenges the accepted history of Christianity, but unlike Brown, where the presentation of these unconventional theories is often didactic--where the faith-shaking quasi-history IS the story--in Silver these radical ideas are just the foundation for what most of us really want: a page turning thrill ride.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Meaty Read, January 24, 2010

By 

Michele Lee (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silver (An OgmiosTeam Adventure) (Hardcover)

I was given this book to review.

Silver is a tome, one hell of a book, in scope, complexity and power. Twinning a secret religious cult made up of the descendants of the misunderstood Judas and a handful of highly organized acts of terrorism that begins with 13 people burning themselves alive at the same moment in time across the world, Silver pits a team of secretive investigators against a worldwide religious-political threat.

Move over Dan Brown, Saville threads in more flavor, texture and dimension into a story than most authors dream of. Moving from the U.S. to Israel, Rome and Germany and including a vast cast that will make other international thrillers appear pale in comparison, Silver is a hefty read.

The pace is even, but not always speedy and the layered details might not be intriguing to all readers. The emphasis here is strongly on large scope character and world building. Silver would appeal to readers who enjoy more of a mainstream slant to genre fiction, such as those who find Stephen King and Michael Crichton's detail and character-oriented styles to their taste. Even readers who might find this storytelling method slow will have to admit that Saville backs it up with a lot of plot interest and intrigue and a twist on the Christian theological mythos that's edgy and new.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Savile's Silver is Golden, January 25, 2010

By 

M. HOYT "Lark Neville" (boise) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silver (An OgmiosTeam Adventure) (Hardcover)

In a single moment 13 people across European cities martyr themselves. The only clue accompanying the burnings are cryptic messages in the form of a prophesy by Michel de Nostredame and an excerpt from the third secret of Fatima. The world is promised 40 days and nights of terror that will shatter faith. This is the powerful opening of Steve Savile's thriller Silver.

Sir Charles Wyndham's team of brilliant warriors and technicians, codenamed Ogmios, puzzle together the truth through a journey that takes them to London, Berlin, and the Vatican itself. Behind the bloodshed they discover a plot to kill the Pope.

As they fight to prevent this, the team must take on a fanatical group called the Disciples of Judas, which has risen in the Middle East. The Disciples want the true story of Judas proclaimed to the world. They believe Judas was in a highly volatile relationship with Mary and Jesus that twined love and betrayal. We see Judas mourn the man he could have been, the life he may have had, if he'd not loved so well the man destined to die on the cross.

Love, power, fear, treachery are woven together for the faithful in this novel. Jesus spread a message of religion based on love without fear. He took them out of the temples and back to the earth. But there have always been those who would use religion to control others and spread dread.

Savile expertly composes a tale of how terrorism has changed and now strikes where average citizens expect to feel safe. For the terrorists understand that fear can break even strong people. Fear can take a person to the point where death is a mercy. These terrorists understand that there is power in tragedy on a mass scale. How do even the best of mankind fight against the misdirection, subterfuge and bloodshed of war -- when even the most beautiful things are cloaking betrayal in their finery? The members of the Ogmios must find a way.

Since this is a European religious thriller, it is easy to compare it to The DaVinci Code. But that seriously negates the originality and intelligence of Savile's work. His work demands to to be read on its own terms. This is his first action thriller steeped in history and religion, and he has created a novel worthy of being considered among the best.

Savile weaves complex action throughout Silver involving many characters and time periods. His imagery is vivid, specific, and original. Berlin, Rome, and London come alive on the page. We feel the terror of the public, cook under the sun's heat, and see the grimy buildings. His characters are 3-dimensional, flawed, and entertaining to follow. As with all of us, their imperfections and uniqueness make them stronger. He is able to reveal many character traits through very organic, realistic dialogue and the way the characters experience their surroundings.

Silver deserves to be on everyone's must read list. Savile has written an entertaining, intelligent, enthralling work that leaves readers longing for the next book in Ogmios series titled Gold.