Editing Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell

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'''''Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell''''' is a [[cosmere]] novella by [[Brandon Sanderson]] set on the planet of [[Threnody]].{{wob ref|5808}} It was originally published in the ''Dangerous Women'' Anthology edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.{{tor ref|george-r-r-martin-to-debut-new-song-of-ice-and-fire-novella/|Tor Announcement|date=2013-01-23}}

The protagonist of the story, [[Silence Montane]], is a dangerous woman, in keeping with the anthology's theme.{{17s ref|post|59630|text=If Hoid does appear, it's an even more minor cameo than in Alloy of Law|date=25 January 2013}}

== Summary ==

{{for|Summary:Shadows for Silence|a chapter by chapter summary}}

The story follows [[Silence Montane]], the proprietress of a [[waystop]] in the Forests of Hell and secret identity of the legendary bounty hunter known as “The White Fox.” Desperate to remain solvent and keep her waystop out of the hands of her creditor [[Theopolis]], she takes on the challenge of hunting down [[Chesterton Divide]], a notorious highwayman, and his crew. The complexity of the job quickly escalates as the night goes on. By the end, there are unexpected consequences for everyone involved.

==Setting==

The story takes place on one of the two major continents on the planet [[Threnody]],{{au ref|Threnody}} in an area known as the [[Forests of Hell]]. The action centers around [[Silence's waystop]] and the forests nearby.{{book ref|sfs}}

Threnody is not considered a "major" [[Cosmere#Planets|planet]] in the overall narrative of the cosmere{{wob ref|3678}} and is not currently inhabited by a Shard,{{wob ref|5808}} but past events in the Threnodite system still hold direct relevance to current events occurring in the universe.{{au ref|Threnody}}{{wob ref|3678}} [[Hoid]] does not appear in the story, though other [[worldhopper]]s may have.{{wob ref|12529}}

== Main Characters ==

{{image|Shadows for Silence Cover by Ben Edwards.jpg|width=350px|side=right}}

'''Other Characters'''

== Series ==

===Potential Sequel===

{{for|The Night Brigade}}

Brandon was pleased with the story and has consistently referred to writing a novel set on Threnody,{{wob ref|9145}}{{sots ref|2019}} partly because he would use the novel to introduce a group with relevance to the overall cosmere.{{wob ref|12635}} It is unlikely that Silence would appear in the story, except as a potential cameo.{{wob ref|8755}}

==Development==

George R.R. Martin approached Brandon about contributing an anthology short story during a book signing at a convention circa 2011.{{bws ref|two-shorts-released/|Two shorts released|date=2013-12-03}}{{au ref|sfs|postscript}} Brandon eagerly accepted, and decided to create a "dangerous woman" that did not adhere to familiar tropes.{{url ref|name=torblog|url=https://www.torforgeblog.com/2013/12/02/unexpected-dangers/|text=Unexpected Dangers|site=Tor/Forge Blog|date=2013-12-02}}{{au ref|sfs|postscript}} He was inspired by the puritan name "Silence", and wanted to make the dangerous part of her character something unexpected.<ref name=torblog /> The [[Simple Rules]] regarding [[Shade]]s are vaguely based in Jewish traditions.{{au ref|sfs|postscript}} [[Isaac Stewart]] came up with the planet name "[[Threnody]]",{{au ref|sfs|postscript}} although the name was not revealed until after publication.{{wob ref|5603}}

The story ended up being around 18,000 words in length.{{17s ref|post|59630|text=If Hoid does appear, it's an even more minor cameo than in Alloy of Law|date=25 January 2013}} An [http://www.tor.com/dangerous-women-brandon-sanderson-excerpt excerpt] was released on Tor's website in July 2013, and the anthology was published on December 3, 2013.{{url ref|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/310198.html|date=Announcement|site=GRRM's blog|text=Announcement post}}<ref name=torblog /> Claudia Black supplied the narration for the audiobook version.{{bws ref|two-shorts-released/|Two shorts released|date=2013-12-03}}

== Publication History ==

''Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'' was bundled with ''[[Perfect State]]'' in a hardcover edition as a 2015 Con Exclusive.{{reddit ref|fantasy|2zs1wn|cpmif23|date=Mar 22nd, 2015|text=Peter on the 2015 Con Exclusive.}}

The story also appears in the cosmere short story omnibus ''[[Arcanum Unbounded]]'', accompanied by an essay on the [[Threnodite system]]{{au ref|Threnody}} and a postscript.{{au ref|sfs|postscript}}

== Cover Gallery ==

{{for|/Covers|a cover gallery of Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell}}

== Statistical Analysis ==

{{for|/Statistical analysis|a full statistical analysis}}

''Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell'' consists of a 940-word intro and a 468-word outro from the PoV of Daggon, while the remainder is written from the PoV of Silence.

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[[es:Sombras por Silencio en los bosques del infierno]]