Cadibara (Capybara): A Complete Guide to the World’s Largest Rodent
If you’ve ever come across a calm, chunky animal relaxing near water and wondered what it was, chances are you were looking at a Cadibara (Capybara). These fascinating creatures are often described as the most relaxed animals in the wild—and there’s a good reason why.
Despite being rodents, capybaras are nothing like the small animals most people imagine.
What Is a Cadibara (Capybara)?
The Cadibara, more widely known as the capybara, is the largest living rodent on Earth. Native to South America, it usually lives near rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Capybaras are semi-aquatic animals, meaning water plays a big role in their daily life.
They can grow as large as a medium-sized dog, which often surprises people encountering them for the first time.
Why Capybaras Are Known for Being So Calm
One of the most interesting things about the Cadibara (Capybara) is its gentle and social personality. Capybaras live in groups and are known for getting along with many other animal species.
They’re often seen:
Resting together in groups
Sharing space peacefully with birds or other animals
Staying relaxed even in noisy environments
This calm behavior has made them especially popular among wildlife lovers online.
Habitat and Daily Life
Capybaras prefer warm climates and areas close to fresh water. Their bodies are well adapted for swimming, with webbed feet and eyes positioned high on their heads so they can stay alert while partially submerged.
Their daily routine usually includes grazing on grasses, cooling off in water, and resting during the hottest parts of the day.
Why People Are So Curious About the Cadibara
The Cadibara (Capybara) stands out because it doesn’t fit the typical image of a wild rodent. Its peaceful nature and social intelligence make it unique among mammals.
For readers who want a clearer and more detailed explanation of capybara behavior, habitat, and lifestyle, this well-structured guide offers helpful insights in an easy-to-understand way: https://globalpressly.com/cadibara-capybara-guide/
The guide focuses on education rather than hype, which makes it useful for casual readers and animal enthusiasts alike.
Final Thoughts
The Cadibara (Capybara) is a great example of how nature doesn’t need to be aggressive or dramatic to be fascinating. Its calm lifestyle, social behavior, and adaptability make it one of the most interesting animals in the wild.
Learning about animals like the capybara helps us better understand the ecosystems they live in—and why protecting them matters.
Hello, it's me, lambroseforlife, finally posting after a while. This topic seems to be widely debated and it can be put to rest after seeing how Storm of Bells gives the final clue needed to piece together Mr Ambrose’s age throughout the series. It’s not stated outright but with the info given and some math, Mr Ambrose’s age can be figured out:
Storm and Silence, In the Eye of the Storm: 24 years old
Silence is Golden: 25 years old
Storm of Bells: 26 years old
Explanation:
Storm of Bells, Chapter 34 reveals that Mr Ambrose left home when he was 15 years old:
In the Eye of the Storm, Chapter 4 reveals that Mr Ambrose hasn’t been home for about 9.5 years since he ran away from home:
This means that Mr Ambrose is 24 years old during In the Eye of the Storm. Since Lilly doesn’t get her first paycheck until chapter 8 for working a full month as his secretary, this means that Storm and Silence spans for less than a month. So Mr Ambrose is also 24 years old in Storm and Silence.
In Silence is Golden, Chapter 14, Lady Samantha tells Lilly that she hasnt seen Mr Ambrose for 10 years:
This makes Mr Ambrose 25 years old during Silence is Golden.
Silence Breaking and Hunting for Silence are a bit murky on the timeline since the exact date of Mr Ambrose’s birthday is never given but it is assumed he turns 26 years old sometime those books.
However, it is not confirmed that he is 26 years old until Storm of Bells, Chapter 1, where Lilly says that she has been working for him for over two years:
So yea, hopefully this should pretty much clear this up. Not outwardly obvious but the hints are scattered throughout the books subtly and just require extra attention to detail to pick up on.
The details do become a bit murkier in the side stories, Before the Storm and Silent Night. In Before the Storm, he’s either 23 or 24 years old since it takes place right before Storm and Silence does. In Silent Night, he’s either 24 or 25 years old since it takes place in between In the Eye of the Storm and Silence is Golden.
This is a post long overdue that many of you wanted from my link compilation post a while back so here it is! A master post that compiles information from the interviews/informative pages that Sir Rob has done in the past about himself and his works. It took me much longer to make than I expected because I stumbled upon more links that revealed more information about him and I wanted to include those to be as thorough as possible. Plus, this was a lot of information to sift through, type up and organize.
Disclaimer: A few of these interviews are from as early as 4-7 years ago so some of the information may be outdated and not completely accurate. Regardless, hopefully our rather elusive and seemingly mysterious author seems LESS elusive and more familiar to you all after reading this post.
NOTE: This post will be updated everytime more information is revealed. If you find any interviews that are not included on here, PM them to me and I will add the information here.
NOTE: (#) = correlates to the number of the source listed on the Link Compilation post
Quick Facts:
Name: Robert Thier (Thier is pronounced as ‘tear’, like the one that runs down your face when you cry) (20)
Birthdate: August 13, 1988 (Age: 29 -when this post was made) (21)
Height: 6′2 (1.88m) (4)
Hair color: Blond (4, 15)
Location: Waldstetten (in between the Drei Kaiserberge), Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany (20, 27)
Education: Gmünder Parler-Gymnasium, Open University in Milton Keynes, Northern England for History (BA) and English Literature (PhD) (14, 28, 30)
Hobbies: Writing, listening to music (especially classical) or audiobooks, taking long walks in the country, painting, composing music, doing historical research, playing videogames, etc (1, 7, 8, 11, 12)
Skills: Writing cliffhangers (and writing in general), having a wicked sense of humor, fast typing, artist, composer, computer programming, etc (7, 14, 15, 28, 30)
Favorite…
food: German dishes such as Maultaschen and Spätzle (12)
book: Jingo by Terry Pratchett (1)
authors: Terry Pratchett, Roald Dahl, Meg Cabot (2)
genre: humor, fantasy, historical fiction (4)
Least Favorite…
food: cucumber salad or cucumbers (he described it as the most disgusting thing he’s ever eaten) (13, 16)
genre: horror (for both writing and reading since he said it doesn’t manage to make him scared) (4)
Sir Rob on himself:
A picture of Sir Rob above, back in 2011, displaying one of his German novels, Dämonenturm (English translation: Demon Tower). (30)
Sir Rob said that he has a short beard that he forgets to shave when he’s busy writing and that he wears a helmet to protect his skull since he was born with a bone missing from his head. He described himself as a cheerful person personality-wise but when he is writing, he warns people to not approach him “with a ten foot pole” (basically, stay away!) He said he loves classical music from composers like Beethoven and more obscure ones such as Alkan and Scharwenka. When going for long walks in the countryside, he mentioned that he gets stared at by other people because of his helmet and because he wildly gestures while imagining scenes to write for his stories. He stated that his greatest strength is his brain that is crazily stuffed with much information and that his greatest weakness is his memory for everyday events which apparently “has more holes than a Swiss cheese.” (4)
Sir Rob on growing up:
Favorite books growing up: He said there’s too many to name and the names would probably not say much since they’re all in German. (8)
Books that have influenced him the most: His schoolbooks in elementary school since he learned how to read from them. (8)
Dream job when he was a kid: He changed his mind once a week. (8)
When he first became interested in history: “History lessons in school, actually. I must have been the only kid in school who wasn’t snoring during the lesson :-)” Also, he would listen to audio documentaries as a kid and became fascinated by how people made history come alive as a story. (13, 14)
Educational experience: Sir Rob said that for his primary education, he attended the Parler-Gymnasium in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd until he was in middle school. However, due to various health problems (including the reason he has to wear a helmet), he was not allowed to attend school for secondary education. Thus, he chose to study history and literature at the Open University in Milton Keynes, Northern England, a public distance university that does not require a high school diploma. (30)
Sir Rob on how he got his nickname:
When he was writing one of his novels The Robber Knight, one of his readers mistook the title as ‘The Robert Knight’ and started addressing him as “Sir Rob.” The nickname grew in popularity and ever since then, Sir Rob graciously accepted the title that his fans are quite familiar with from reading his works. (20)
Sir Rob on writing:
The when: Sir Rob started writing when he was really young, around 10 or 11 years old, after reading a poorly written story and decided that he could do it better. He explained that he tried and the attempt didn’t go so well, but ever since then he has kept practicing and says that he’s now “a bit better at writing.” (4, 11, 12)
The why: He decided to start writing after he kept getting pelted with ideas in his head which wouldn’t go away until he put them down on paper. (3, 8)
The how: In preparation for writing, he has mountains of disorganized notes that he uses. Sir Rob said that he writes using both logic and intuition, using intuition first then checking for logic in his work. When writing every chapter, he goes with the flow but overall for the story, he usually has a general outline of the plot. However if he gets sudden inspiration, he’s also open to making changes. (3, 8, 13)
The what (inspires him to write): He said he doesn’t really need an inspiration since he’s always had a need to express himself be it through drawing, composing music or writing. Nowadays, he focuses mostly on writing but his drive has never gone away. (7)
The where: His ideas for his stories come to him out of nowhere and he has no idea why they keep popping up in his brain. (1)
Favorite place to write: In his writing dungeon aka the cellar, a cool place for him so his brain won’t overheat. (12)
What he loves the most about writing and what made him fall in love with it: Being able to play around with crazy ideas. (11)
Authors that have influenced Sir Rob’s writing style: He listed the top four as Terry Pratchett, Meg Cabot, Roald Dahl and Jane Austen. Even though it’s a varied collection of works, the one thing that they all have in common is humor, something he has tried to incorporate into his own writing. (24)
Easiest part of writing a book: Getting an idea for the story. (8)
Hardest part of writing a book: Having the stamina needed to finish it since he gets new ideas trying to distract him. (8)
Hardest part to write in a book: Lengthy descriptions since it is difficult for him to keep them from getting boring. (9)
The first story he’s ever written: He couldn’t remember the name since it was many years ago but did remember that it was inspired by Ralf Isau’s Neschan-Trilogy. (11)
What he learned from writing books: How to type faster. He said he taught himself how to type with 10 fingers in order to write his stories quicker. (8)
How much he feels he has improved on his writing: Immensely, especially after starting out on Wattpad due to the feedback he has received on his works. (11)
When asked what caused him to switch from writing books in German to English and whether he intends to ever write in German again: He said he switched languages since Wattpad was primarily an English-speaking platform back then. He always had a liking for English so he thought to himself “Why not try to write a book in English?” It worked out very well for him and currently, he has no plans to switch back to writing in German. (7)
How being a historian affects the way Sir Rob writes his stories: He said that it has made him a stickler for accuracy and that he does a lot of research for his stories even if they are contemporary ones. He wants to make sure that his characters behave realistically and he added that the research makes writing even more interesting because of learning new things. (24)
Whether it’s easier for him to write from a historical POV or a different time period: He said he finds it the easiest to write fantasy, science fiction or dystopian stories where he can make up everything and that he doesn’t feel a difference between historical and contemporary stories since they’re both from the real world, just set at different times. (13)
Writing from a female character’s POV: At first it was hard for him but after reading many stories from a female’s perspective, he said it became much easier for him. (3)
Why he tends to write from female characters POVs: “I like to write about underdog characters who have to prove themselves and struggle against difficult circumstances, and during most of history, with sexism rife everywhere, women were definitely in such a position. That’s why they hold such an attraction for me as main characters. Plus, playing with the differences between the male and female psyche is great fun! :)” (14)
Strong female character role models: Granny Weatherwax from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld book series, Keladry of Mindelan from Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small book series. (3)
On creating romance interests: He said he finds it easy to make them interesting but difficult to make them different from each other. (4)
When asked if he’s ever been afflicted with “Mary Sue Syndrome” (creating an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character): He stated that he doesn’t think he’s ever had that problem. (4)
How he incorporates humor smoothly into his more serious works without disrupting the stories’ flow: He said he doesn’t do it consciously and that it most likely developed naturally from his reading habits since he’s only been able to stand books that have a pinch of humor in them and from that, it influenced his writing style. (7)
How he chooses names for his characters: Depends on the genre. When writing historical or contemporary stories where the names have to be real, he shared that he picks them out of name databases. For fantasy or science fiction stories, he lets his imagination run very, very, very wild. (11)
Whether he considers the meaning of the name when naming characters:He stated that he considers the way the name sounds more than the meaning. He says the name aloud while imagining the name of the character in his head and if it fits, he takes the name. (8)
When asked if he hides any secrets in his books that only a few people will find: “Not yet. But I plan to put some in the not-too-distant future. Happy searching! :)” (NOTE: This is from an interview that took place sometime during Silence is Golden was being written) (10)
When asked if he tries to be more original or deliver to readers what they want: He explained that he tries to start out with something people want in order to catch their attention then develops it into something new and unexpected. In his opinion, that’s the best of both worlds. (10)
If he could be the original author of any book, what it would be and why: Maybe the author of one or two of the worst books so he could write parodies about them without being sued. As to what those books are, he said he would keep their titles a secret. (10)
Most fun book to write so far: (NOTE: His answer changed over time) While writing Storm and Silence: Whatever book he is writing at the moment. While writing Silence is Golden: Warning! Fairy Tales since every chapter has had brand new ideas. (2, 9)
Funniest scenes that he considers himself to have written: The robbery scene in The Robber Knight, the bathroom scene from Storm and Silence and the torture scene in Chapter 21 of Silence is Golden. (7, 11)
Whether the funny scenes in his stories are made up or come from personal experience: “I make it up. I make it all up, absolutely. My life is not that funny ;)” (7)
Funniest character ever written: A lot to choose from for him, but ultimately it’s a tie between Fye, a little girl from The Robber Knight series and Coal Black, from WARNING! Fairy Tales. (7)
Favorite book genre and how it was developed: Comical fantasy closely followed by historical fiction. In the recent years, he’s concentrated on writing historical fiction and put the most effort into trying to make the genre more accessible to the general audience of readers. He said that since most people think of historical fiction as “stuffy, old-fashioned stories”, he wanted to make the genre more open to younger readers by making it more fun. He added that history gives an unlimited supply of interesting, crazy and funny ideas. (9, 25)
Favorite book he has written: He stated he has the disposition that whichever book he is currently writing is his favorite. (9)
Favorite character from his books: (NOTE: His answer changed over time in different interviews) While writing Storm and Silence: Lilly Linton from Storm and Silence –he said he has a thing for “underdogs with a bite”. While writing Silence is Golden: A tie between Fye from The Robber Knight and Coal Black from WARNING! Fairy Tales since he says he thinks bloodthirsty little girls are cool. (10, 11)
Which character he’s written resembles him the most (NOTE: okay, this one was a bit confusing for me to figure out): In one interview he said none of them since most of his main characters are females and he doesn’t imagine himself as a girl (contrary to what people may think). He also added that most of his characters are influenced by his sense of humor but other than that, they dont resemble him. However, on multiple occasions from other interviews, he said that he resembles his villains (NOTE: I’m guessing that this is a half-joking, half-serious answer?) (4, 8, 25)
On any rough patches experienced while writing: Said he can’t remember any rough patches. He added he has never suffered from writer’s block either and he hopes that it stays that way. (7, 8)
Who makes Sir Rob’s book covers and what programs are used: He makes them himself and says he uses all kinds of programs such as Bryce, paint.net, Gimp, Photoshop. (8)
Whether Sir Rob has an editor: Yes. (6)
Whether publishing his first book changed his process of writing: He said not really. (10)
Opinion on self-publishing: Has the advantage of more freedom but the disadvantages of less exposure and more work. (3)
eBooks vs printed books: Both have valid places for readers. (3)
Best accomplishment: His latest book, every time he finishes writing one. (3)
Most shocking achievement: Being able to turn his writing professional. Sir Rob didn’t think it was possible for him to do so before discovering Wattpad. (7)
Whether he has ideas for other books: “Ideas? Oh yes, I have those! In fact, I have way too many. I’ve got so many book ideas stored away in notebooks and folders spread in a creative chaos all over my desk that I could probably write for ten years non-stop without having to come up with a single new idea.” (13)
Advice to new writers: To start writing and to write about something that they love so that they wont give up. Also, write about what they love in a way that so people will find it interesting. He said that’s what he tried with history and it worked for him. (2, 7, 8)
Advice to writers that want to write storylines as interesting as the ones that Sir Rob writes: “Create characters that make you laugh, cry or faint just at the idea of locking them into a fictional room together. If you manage to do that, odds are you have a good recipe for a story.” (23)
Desired impact on readers: Sir Rob aims to write stories that will make people laugh and reread many times. He said he loves when people tell him that his stories have helped them through tough times as his favorite books have done the same for him. He also wants to encourage his readers to think for themselves and be strong through his stories. (3, 4)
Whether he reads his books reviews and how he deals with the good/bad ones: He said he does and that for the bad ones, if they make valid points he tries to implement the constructive criticism in future books and if they don’t, then he ignores them. (10)
When asked if it amazes him how dedicated and engaged his readers are with his words and if there’s anything he would like to say to them (Note: this is a list of quotes): “Yes, definitely. I regularly read the comments of my readers to get feedback on my stories, and it is spiffing how I get new information on improved translations, local history, and many other subjects that help me improve my books. Also, some of the comments are nearly more funny than my own writing. So thank you all for your wonderful support! :)” (7)
“You’re awesome! Your feedback and support have helped me to improve enormously as a writer. Thank you! :)” (8)
“Thank you so much for your unerring support! You’re awesome! :)” (11)
Sir Rob on Wattpad:
Why Wattpad: Sir Rob chose Wattpad as his writing platform after trying other ways to get his work out: self publishing and sending manuscripts to publishers only to be turned down. Then he found Wattpad after a Google search and chose it as his main writing platform to publish his stories. (2)
Favorite authors on Wattpad: ironkite, Maya_2011 (4, 9)
A name for readers/fans: He usually addresses them as “my dear Lords, Ladies and Gentleman.” (4)
What it’s like being on Wattpad, where the majority of readers are teenagers or kids: An interesting experience for him, especially trying to get people’s attention. (4)
When asked what he would like to say to give a speech for his fans and all of the Wattpad community: “ ‘That I’m really, really, really not good at giving speeches. So I’ll just continue writing and hope you enjoy it.’ **bows, and hurries off the podium blushing**” (4)
When asked about his plans after winning the Wattys: Continuing to write more books since it’s his favorite hobby and dream job. (5)
Proudest moment on Wattpad: Winning the People’s Choice Award and Story of the Year award for Storm and Silence all thanks to his fans. (2)
On his success on Wattpad: Definitely unexpected on his part and he still is dumbfounded sometimes as to how many people like his stories. Every time he sees how many readers and fans he has, he thinks “Oh my God, did that really happen?” He found it hard to get recognition as a writer outside of Wattpad but because of the platform, it made it possible for him. (7, 12)
On whether he considers himself a Wattpad celebrity: “No I wouldn’t really describe myself as a celebrity. After all, no one has really tried stalking me yet ;-)” (8)
The best things about Wattpad: His awesome fans, the support of his awesome fans, the awesome community that helps out when he needs it, the fact that Wattpad is free and anyone can read and write on there as much as they want to and “…well, just damn everything! :-)” (4)
The worst things about Wattpad: Spam from sites trying to sell medical equipment and the occasions when Wattpad goes offline. (4)
Any bumps on Wattpad: None really except for the one time when he went on Wattpad and saw he had suddenly lost all of his followers which caused him to panic. However, it turned out to be a small bug in the system and was fixed the next day. (7)
Advice to aspiring fans that are writing their own books on Wattpad and wish to be as successful in the future: “Don’t give up! Patience is definitely a virtue on Wattpad. It took me nearly two years to get a breakthrough, so keep hanging in there and don’t give up on your dreams!” (7)
Sir Rob on his works:
Storm and Silence Saga:
Inspiration for Storm and Silence: Sir Rob said it was hard for him to pinpoint exactly when he got the idea but believes it began sometime during his university studies of Imperialism and Suffragism. During one of his courses, he had to read about Victorian era adventure novels as well as the Suffragist and Chartist movement in the 19th century. The Chartists were a movement during the Victorian Era that fought for better conditions for factory workers and voting rights. During one of their demonstrations, over 300 people were killed by the police. Sir Rob thought, “God, if this is what happened to men who were fighting for their right to vote, how much worse must it have been for women?” During that time, there were no feminist organizations fighting for women’s rights and it was up to brave individuals. It was this type of scenario where a lone underdog fights for her freedom that inspired him to write Storm and Silence. He then added as an afterthought, “Thus I was convinced that school is good for something after all ;-)” (7, 13, 23)
Inspiration for Lillian Linton: In one of the interviews, he stated, “I don’t really know where she came from. She just- Wham!- appeared out of nothing and threatened to hit me with her parasol if I didn’t write a book about her.” In another interview, he elaborated that she developed as a mix of his favorite female fictional characters and a few historical leading feminists and suffragists. (13, 24)
Inspiration for Rikkard Ambrose: He was partly inspired by fictional characters such as Mr Darcy, Ebenezer Scrooge (from Charles Dickens) and Uncle Scrooge (from Carl Barks/ Don Rosa), partly by different historical figures such as Victorian entrepreneurs and adventurers from the British Empire, and partly by Sir Rob’s imagination. (10, 13, 23)
If both main characters were inspired from anyone Sir Rob knows personally: No, he said he has never taken inspiration or characters from people that he knows. Most of the people that he does know in real life are much more harmless and he added that he also doesn’t personally know anyone to be as rich and arrogant as Mr Ambrose is. (13, 19, 23)
Why he chose to write Lilly as a Victorian feminist and Mr Ambrose as someone that opposes it entirely: During the Victorian age, feminism wasn’t as widespread but it was when the suffragist movement began. The era was known to be a time of both social upheaval and social rigidity simultaneously. Sir Rob said he likes underdog characters, so writing about a girl rebelling during those restrictive circumstances appealed to him and thus, Lilly was created. As for Mr Ambrose, he’s supposed to represent the prevalent position during the 19th century. Sir Rob explained that he found many historical novels depict their characters with more modernized attitudes than the time period that they are in, so he wanted to avoid that in order to make a more believable story. In addition, having the two main characters have opposing attitudes allows more opportunities for sparks between them, something Sir Rob said that he enjoys to no end. A “hero” that’s a ruthless, chauvinistic, stingy Victorian industrialist-financier contrasted well enough to his strong, determined and quirky heroine. (17, 23, 24)
What drew Sir Rob to write about the period of the suffragist movement:It was the first historically accurate time period that a female feminist character could be depicted as fighting for her rights. Yes, there were singular female figures earlier such as Joan of Arc, but many famous women tended to be distinguished in fields associated with the stereotypical gender role. Sir Rob said that what fascinated him about the Victorian Era was that it was an era of great change, as women began to speak out against their injustices in bigger numbers for the first time. (24)
The amount of research done for Storm and Silence: A lot. An example includes the numbers and letters on the files that Lilly had to fetch at work refer to real historical events and technological inventions that took place during the Victorian era. (13)
How he was able to create an atmospheric and detailed London setting: Mostly through much long and boring research in older books and archives with occasionally checking the internet. (17)
Where Sir Rob learned Victorian English: From reading lots of Sherlock Holmes, Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling. (14)
Some of the challenges faced while writing Storm and Silence: Getting the two stubborn main leads to comply and grow closer to each other. He also said that doing a subject on English history while being Germany made it tough to give historically accurate descriptions of some of the areas in 19thcentury London, but ultimately, it was worth it. (24)
A reason for the first person narrative from Lilly in the Storm and Silence series: One of the most intriguing things about the story and Mr Ambrose is his stubborn silence. (23)
How the plot for Storm and Silence transpired mentally and why post it on Wattpad: The same way it transpired on paper and he chose Wattpad since he already posted other books there prior to Storm and Silence. (7)
If the storm was planned from the start in Storm and Silence? “Yes, indeed. That was part of the reason I chose the title.” (9)
When asked about his reaction and thoughts to Storm and Silencewinning Story of the Year back in 2015: “Yess! Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!”, so definitely unexpected on his part. (7)
What Lilly did with the wedding ring from In the Eye of the Storm: Sir Rob said that he didn’t think about it too much at the time and then added that Mr Ambrose, being Mr Ambrose, probably demanded it back and pawned it. (19)
What was the process of development of the main characters for Silence is Golden: There wasn’t really one as he explained that he just gets an idea and starts writing. “You can call it randomness or literary genius, depending on how generous you feel ;)” (10)
What is Mr Ambrose’s age: Early to mid 20s. (14)
Whether Mr Ambrose would prefer savoury or sweet food to eat: Neither, he would rather have something cheap, nourishing and hard to chew. (14)
Whether Mr Ambrose’s personality was always the way that it currently is or if something caused him to turn out like that: “I don’t think anyone could be like this from birth – or his parents would probably strangle him before his second birthday. ;) No, there are very good reasons why Mr. Ambrose grew up to be the man he is…” (19)
When asked if Sir Rob himself would rather work for Mr Ambrose for a week or be shouted at by Patsy for two weeks: The latter since he could stuff his fingers in his ears. (13)
If Wattpad will receive more of Mr Ambrose’s POV chapters in the near future: Sir Rob said that he doesn’t plan to publish any more of his POVS on there at the moment. (10)
How many chapters are planned for the entire series: In regards to the complete number of chapters of all books in the series, he doesn’t know. (10)
The Robber Knight Saga:
A reason for the narrative in third person and switches between the two main characters, Reuben and Ayla, in The Robber Knight series: Unlike the main male protagonist from Storm and Silence, the most interesting aspect about Reuben is “the mischievous, evil ideas sprouting in his head.” (23)
Advice from fans: Sir Rob explained that he used fan feedback when writing some of the scenes in the story. An equine expert told him what horse hoof trails could tell and for one of the battle scenes, a Canadian reader advised him that the characters should dip the arrows in pork fat as it would make them burn better as fire arrows, something that the reader herself had experimented. (29)
Inspiration for The Robber Knight’s Love: Too many to count. They range from Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe to historical non-fiction books to Goethe’s German play Götz von Berlichingen. (6)
Whether Sir Rob made the book cover for The Robber Knight’s Love:Yes. (6)
If he could be any character in The Robber Knight’s Love , who would he choose to be: One of the villains since he feels like “they always get to do the fun stuff. ;)” (6)
Why he chose to create a Historical Fiction book: Sir Rob said that he has always been interested in history. To him, it’s the ideal material for stories since he sees history as the combination of funny, interesting and crazy things that humans have done. (6)
If there was anything he could have changed about the The Robber Knight’s Love, what would it have been and why: He said he doesn’t want to change anything and if he did, he already would have changed it. (6)
Black Diaries:
What kind of book is Black Diaries: A mystery-romance-action-satire that deals with both martial and marital arts, assassinations, dark humor and steamy scenes. (18)
The inspiration behind it: Sir Rob wasn’t too sure of it himself. He said the original inspiration was Jane Austen’s “A Letter from a Young Lady” but in addition lists classical British comedy, hot romance novels and dark mysteries as other sources. (18)
Sir Rob on Miscellaneous Topics:
A picture above of Sir Rob posing with his frequently mentioned helmet. (29)
Whether he has to wear his helmet for the rest of his life: Yes, unless he has an operation. (14)
Any musical instruments he plays: The piano a bit and the guitar. (14)
If he ever plans to share his music or paintings: “I’m keeping them back for an occasion. Who knows, maybe I’ll one day provide the music to my own movie ;-)” (14)
If Sir Rob could have a movie deal for his works, who he would want in his cast: “Ghosts, mostly. I’m a huge fan of old movies, and most of my favorite actors are long dead ;) But if I had to choose a few living ones, I’d say Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese and David Suchet.” (25)
If he has seen his fans in real life: Not yet. (12)
When asked if he will ever do a signing event and if he ever plans to travel to see them: He said he hopes to but says his health problems prevent him from traveling far which makes it difficult to see fans who live far away from Germany. (10)
Where he would want to travel: Anywhere that has many medieval and antique ruins. (14)
When asked if he would prefer to live during the Medieval Times: No, he would feel lost since there were no typewriters or computers back then. (3)
When asked by multiple people if he was single and if they would marry him: He said he was and “as to the marriage proposal- I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I’m already hopelessly in love with various of my fictional characters ;)” (10, 19)
Sir Rob’s opinion on Feminism and the male perspective on it: “If by Feminism you mean women’s fight for gender equality, I’m 100% for it. Everyone should have the same chances, regardless of sex, ethnicity, or, as in my own particular case, disability. And I also think all men should be 100% behind gender equality: just imagine that you’re on a sinking ship—if there’s no gender equality, the women can get off first, and all the silly, gentlemanly males will drown ;-)” (23)
When asked if he believes in witchcraft and other supernatural creatures: He said definitely not. While he believes that they make for interesting stories, he identifies as a naturalist from a philosphical perspective. (NOTE: Naturalism is the belief that only natural forces/laws exist in the world and that supernatural and spiritual forces do not.) He said that he believes in only what can be proven and that everyone should think for themselves. He recommended looking at the writings of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris or Christopher Hitchens for arguments against supernatural sources. (4)
The most pressing issue of his generation: The decreased influence of naturalism. (4)
Favorite under-appreciated novel: The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris which retells the Arthurian Saga in a humorous manner. (10)
The most complicated character he has seen: Lu-Tze from Terry Pratchett’s Thief of Time. (4)
If given the power to create a new species, how would they be like: A lot nicer than human beings, a lot more logical and without an appendix. (4)
If he could time travel: He would travel back in time to some primitive time period so he could conquer the world. (4)
If he could switch bodies with someone: “Then I would probably look a lot more handsome. ;-)” (4)
If he could eat or destroy anything: He would eat Beethoven’s 9th symphony since he’s always wondered what music would taste like. (4)
What he likes the most about his homeland, Germany: The food. (9)
Five characters he would switch bodies with: Marvin the Paranoid Android (from The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Sir Gawain (from the Arthurian legends), the Borg (from Star Trek), Batman and Lex Luthor (both from DC Comics). (4)
Yes/no to Hawaiian pizza/pineapple on pizza: Yes but only with tuna fish. (13)
If he could be anyone in the world for one day (past or present), who he would be: A billionaire on his deathbed so he could leave the money to his real self that he would revert back to the next day. (13)
If he would rather have the power to turn everything into pizza or have every song he listens to be the Macarena: The former as long as he could choose the type of pizza. (13)
If the world was ending and he could only save one animal species (excluding humans) which one he would save: Worms, since he has heard that they are very important for agriculture from informed sources. (13)
Video Interview Transcript (where Sir Rob answers questions from Twitter) (16):
Daniel E Dalgliesh: Am I going to die?
Sir Rob: “Well, you do not need to fear for your life quite yet, Your Lordship. As the main villain, you are a central figure to the story. And if you should perish in the end, it will be [waves hands] in a gloriously dramatic manner which will immortalize you forever in the annals of literature.”
Fan: Have you ever been in love?
Sir Rob: [grins] “You mean besides with my own writing? No seriously, there may have been a crush or two back in school but the last few years of my life, I’ve more or less spent in a hermit cell working to improve my literary skills. There hasn’t been really anybody to fall in love with.”
Fan: Have you ever gotten recognized in public by a fan? If so, what was it like?
Sir Rob: “Not yet I’m afraid. It’s not really surprising considering that most of my fans are native English speakers and I live in Germany, where native English speakers are rather scarce.”
Uncle Bufford: Will Edmund ever grow a pair and ask me for Ella’s hand in marriage rather than continue with their illicit meetings in the garden?
Sir Rob: [nods and clicks tongue] “Yes, I think one day he will, unless of course Lilly beats him to it. She can be quite forthright as we all know.”
Fan: What’s the craziest DM you’ve ever received from a fan?
Sir Rob: [sighs] “Hmm, I think the award for craziest fan message- or messages really, will have to go to the three dozen or so messages I received, not counting comments and notes on my message board which ask whether I was really a girl and my name was Roberta despite the beard [rubs beard and smiles] I wear on most of my profile pictures. Apparently, [gestures with hands] male writers are so rare these days that we have become a sort of supernatural species that we just don’t really believe in.”
Any message for your fans?
Sir Rob: “Thanks so much to everyone for tweeting their questions. I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity of getting in touch with you. You are the best fandom any writer could want. [waves] Bye!”
Sources:
ALL of the information in this post comes from the Compilation Links post I made a few months back. The direct link for that is provided at the bottom of this post, below this paragraph at the “Source: lambroseforlife” (right above the tags), just click/tap on it to open that post. I made this post with the purpose of it serving as a cohesive picture of how Sir Rob is like as a person since the information from these interviews was disorganized and scattered all over the place. Most of the content in this post is paraphrased for efficiency and there is a bunch of extra information from the links not included on here. Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend you check the Compilation Links post out and read the sources provided yourself. Plus, I personally believe it’s better to directly read what Sir Rob has said. Kudos to you if you made it all the way here to the end, I hope you enjoyed reading this post!
Hey guys, I thought I would talk about the meanings of the title for each of the books in the series so far. At first glance, it appears that the titles are chosen randomly but after some analysis, each book title seems to have its own significance that represents an aspect of the story. Originally, I was planning to only discuss the significance of the title of the most recent book, Silence Breaking, but after some encouragement from @blog-a-la-ambrose , I figured it would be better to discuss the meanings as they all tie together.
NOTE: This post will be updated everytime a book in the series is finished.
DISCLAIMER: This just my perspective of the book titles, I personally like to believe that they have a deeper meaning to them. However, for all we know Sir Rob could just choose these titles arbitrarily because they sound catchy. Feel free to comment and add your own interpretations.
Before I focus on each book title individually, I wanted to point out that all of them use two styles of fonts: cursive and block. The fonts are used to represent our two main characters of the story. Lilly Linton is the cursive lettering, representing her fiery and free-spirited personality while Rikkard Ambrose is the block lettering, representing his stoic and controlled character.
Book 1:
Probably the easiest title to interpret in this series, Storm and Silence represents our two characters, Lillian Linton and Rikkard Ambrose. The Storm and refers to our female lead, Lilly Linton, and how the story is told from her point of view hence her appearance in the title first (otherwise the story would be called Silence and Storm instead.) The Silence refers to our altruistic and talkative male lead of the story, Mr Rikkard Ambrose.
Interestingly, I wanted to point out that this title parallels to the title of another famous story that was written in the same century that the Storm and Silence series takes place in. If you have been able to deduce it already, I’m referring to Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen where the two main characters are quite similar to the two main characters in this series. Sir Rob himself said that Pride and Prejudice was one of the sources of inspiration for Storm and Silence and it can be deduced that it also inspired the title of this book and series. For Pride and Prejudice, the title also represents the two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, with Lizzy representing Prejudice and Mr Darcy representing Pride.
In the overall series, the title Storm and Silence represents the introduction of our two main characters, seemingly complete opposites, and them being forced to get to know and eventually trust each other after a rather rocky introduction and unfortunate adventures centering on a missing file.
Book 2:
This book’s title can have multiple interpretations (Sir Rob back at it again with the double entendres.) Meteorologically speaking, the phrase “ the eye of the storm” is used to denote the calmest region of a hurricane which is circular and also happens to be in the center. Using the font styles, Rick is considered to be the calm region, the In the Eye, while Lilly is denoted as of the Storm. Taking into account the events of this book and how these two indulge in their feelings for each other while pretending to be married, we can see that Rick becomes Lilly’s calming point (especially when trapped in an actual sandstorm.) Putting this into more romantic terms, Rick becomes the center of Lilly’s world and by the end of this book, we can see that he has her heart even though she refuses to willingly acknowledge it.
Another possible interpretation is based on how the phrase of the book title is used in literature. Figuratively, it is used to denote the center of where the most conflict occurs. It usually represents a period of disruption and turbulence and brings about much change in a story. In the overall series, we can see that Book 2 does indeed bring much change to Lilly’s and Rick’s relationship with each other as their professional boundary as employer and employee becomes blurred into something else. The aftermath of this book’s stormy events emotionally pushes their relationship and feelings past the point of no return.
Book 2.5:
As short story consisting of only 2 chapters, it doesn’t add much meaning to the overall series but I thought it would be cool to include this one since it also has a double meaning. The first interpretation would be how Rick and Lilly end up meeting outside office hours in secret during nighttime. The second meaning reemphasizes the first as the title Silent Night is also the name of a famous Christmas hymn, which represents how Rick gives Lilly a gift on Christmas.
Book 3:
The title of this book especially fits the theme of the plot as our two main characters decide to temporarily escape their problems in England by deciding to go on a treasure hunt for gold in South America. However, the title has a deeper meaning as it represents how Lilly and Rick perceive each other and the stage of their relationship. From Lilly’s perspective she acknowledges that Silence, or Rick in this case, is Golden to her. He is her treasure, more precious to her than gold could ever be. This is shown at the end of the book when she admits to herself and acknowledges that she has romantic feelings for him. She finally accepts how she values his presence in her life and what he means to her.
In addition, the phrase Silence is Golden has another meaning overall. It’s another way to state that not speaking is the best course of action to take which basically becomes the status quo of this book. Lilly and Rick express their feelings for each other, not through words but mostly their actions as their stubborn pride prevents them from doing otherwise. In regards to the overall series, this book represents and explores the more “physical” aspect of their relationship as summarized by its title.
Book 4:
As the most controversial book of the series currently, the implications behind the title certainly have a bigger impact. Taking the title at face level, the hush-hush status of Lilly and Rick’s relationship changed, as they both became more vocal about their feelings for each other. Lilly resolved to go after Rick and claim him as hers by appearing as her female form in his childhood estate and telling him that she wants a future with him. They also became more affectionate towards each other and while the previous book centered around their lust for each other, this one focuses more on their love.
When analyzing the meaning of the title at a deeper level, it can be deduced that Lilly also broke down Rick’s emotional barriers. She was there at his side when he confronted the demons from his mysterious past that he has tried to escape from for the past decade. However, in parcel with that is that she brought out his insecurities that he tries to hide, demonstrated by his jealousy at Carter’s appearance and Lilly’s refusal for his proposal. As a result, this book also breaks down Lilly’s and our perception of Rick as a perfect, flawless person. It becomes apparent that under his cool and stony exterior, he is a damaged, imperfect man. In a sense, the silence being broken can also represent how the peace in their relationship has also, with the arrival of unresolved problems.
Some of you guys (ahem @suffragette-lilly) wanted to know how tall some of the main characters are in the series, so here you go. I put measurements in both feet and meters so it’s easier for everyone to understand. Some of these are estimates (denoted as “~”) given from hints stated in the book.
Rikkard Ambrose: 6′6 (1.98m) -stated in Book 1, Chapter 58
Karim: 7′ (2.13m) -stated in Book 4, Chapter 23
Lillian Linton: ~5′8-5′9 (~1.73-1.75m) -not explicitly stated but she’s implied to be on the taller side considering she only has to tiptoe to kiss her employer and when he hugs her, her face is against his chest
James Carter: 6′0 (1.83m) -stated in Book 2, Chapter 6
Daniel Dalgliesh: ~over 6′ (~ over 1.83m) -not explicitly stated but in Book 1, Chapter 43, Lilly describes him to about as tall as her employer
Adaira Ambrose: ~5′10-6′0 (~1.78-1.83m) -not explicitly stated but described as tall and in Book 4, Chapter 10, Lilly has to tiptoe to look over her shoulder
Samantha Ambrose: shorter than Lilly -briefly described in Book 4, Chapters 6 and 10 as not very tall and has to look up at Lilly when speaking to her
These are the only characters I can remember for now that were described, lemme know if there were any that I missed!
As requested by popular demand, many of you wanted to know more about the rather elusive and seemingly mysterious author of the Storm and Silence series, the one and only Robert Thier. I compiled as many interviews/informative sources I could find that Sir Rob has done about himself and his works from Wattpad, Radish and the internet. Without further ado, enjoy!
Wattpad Interviews:
Labeled by chapter names:
“Interview with Sir Rob Thier” (1)
“@RobThier” (2)
“An Interview with @RobThier” (3)
“@RobThier IN Sir Rob’s Castle!!” (4)
“Robert Thier (@RobThier)” (5)
“Interview with RobThier” (6)
“Rob Thier” (7)
“Interview 26: Rob Thier” (8)
“RobThier Part 1″ (9), “RobThier Part 2″ (10)
“RobThier” (11)
“iv. Interview with @RobThier” (12)
“Storm and Silence - RobThier” (13)
Karim’s Talk Show (I included the entire book for this one since around the end of every chapter, Sir Rob personally answers one question from a fan) (14)
Radish Interviews:
Author trading card (15)
Radish Vlog #1 (interview is halfway in the video) (16)
So a while ago when I was bored, I became curious and decided to search up the definition of the names for the characters in this series. It turns out that Sir Rob does quite extensive research to the smallest detail in this series as most of the character’s names represents something significant about their own personality or role in the story. So I thought I would include a list here so you guys could also see. However, some of the character names, especially the last names, seem to be random. Also the ones that are marked with ‘**’ Im not completely sure on the meaning.
Character Name List:
Ambrose: "Immortal"
Rikkard: "Strong ruler"
Adaira: female form of the name, Adair, meaning "Fortunate/noble"
Samantha: "Listener"
William: "Resolute Protector"
Linton: "from the flax enclosure" (used to indicate family occupation in textile production)
Lillian: Combination of Lily-"Purity/innocence/beauty" and Ann-"Merciful"
Ella: "Beautiful fairy"
Maria+Anne (the twins): "Bitter grace"
Gertrude: "Strong spear"
Lisbeth: "Dedicated to God"
Brank**: refers to a torture device used on women during the middle ages to prevent them from talking
Bufford**: derived from French nickname Bouffard meaning "huffing and puffing" which is used to denote a crabby, self important person
Hester Mahulda**: "star" + "weasel"
Other Notable Characters:
Karim: “noble/generous”
James Carter: "Usurper (one that tries to take the place of another)" + "transporter of goods"
Theory Post: The Complete Tale of the Ambrose/Dalgliesh Feud
Welcome to my first theory post/meta/ramble/whatever you want to call it. I hope this is the first of many to come for the amazing Storm and Silence series. I wanted to thank @ambroseandlinton for encouraging me to post this theory and share it with you all. Just a WARNING to whoever decides to read this, this theory is LONG. To prevent it from taking up too much space on your dashboard, I decided to split it into separate Tumblr posts below. This theory contains both information we have been given so far regarding Mr Ambrose’s past and speculations revolving around the given information.
PART 1: The Evidence (Part 1)
PART 2: The Possibilities: What Happened? (Part 1)
PART 3: The Possibilities: Why? (Part 2)
PART 4: The Evidence (Part 2) (Covers Silence Breaking Chapters 28-30)
UPDATE 1/3/18: I was able to fix all the links so it works on mobile now (in a rather roundabout way but the Tumblr app is just problematic.)
Feedback would be much appreciated as this post took FOREVER to compile so let me know what you guys think and if there’s anything I forgot to cover! Thank you for taking the time to read this post!
