The Lore of Silver is the second book in the historical inspired fantasy series The Feral Gods, written by Ruth Frances Long, published by Hodderscape. An instalment that takes us back to Amberes after the events of the Book of Gold, a return to this richly crafted world where Lyta will need to find a stolen relic and understand what's happening with the Blacksmiths' Guild; an adventure with a darker tone than the previous one and that continues fleshing the world of the series.

Lyta is trying her best to stay out of trouble; but when Kit asks her to help the temple to recover its stolen relics, she's forced to jump into it. But meddling with relics also implies meddling with gods, and her search takes her to the Blacksmiths' Guild, discovering the new project that has been absorbing Ben; a project whose implications might go further, with something ancient and vast clawing its way to Amberes.
At the same time, Kit is contacted by Lord Alderton: the desperation to find his lost sister will make Kit dive into the shadowy world of Amberes, pointing to a conspiracy that goes further than a disappeared girl.

Lyta continues supporting most of the narrative weight, being the character that takes the spotlight; her relationship with Sylvain and how she's trying to avoid him is still a complicated theme that fuels part of the mayhem of this plot. Kit's arc is a glad surprise, as he passes to be a more fleshed out character, especially as we see the struggles in his relationship with Ben, how he's experiencing grief and pain, and how that drives his personal growth.
Sylvain is between the stone and the wall, trying to balance his obligations as Queen's guard and how he really feels; he's suffering because of his feelings for Lyta, but his duty sense ties him to Annika. His arc is a bit more secondary until all escalates, but he still plays an important role.

The worldbuilding continues being one highlight of this series: not only for how detailed is Amberes, almost transporting the reader to its streets, but also the richness of the lore behind it. The stakes are higher, building over the events of book one, but there's still the same feeling of found family among the characters.
The pacing is well balanced, slower at the start, building the sense of mystery and myth to eventually let it all explode.

The Lore of Silver is a great second instalment in the Feral Gods series, a proposal that I recommend if you are looking for a historical inspired fantasy with a dash of romance and a focus on its atmosphere. Can't wait to see how Ruth Frances Long wraps the trilogy!