英文小说跟中文小说，在表达手法上是一致的。作家常用的表现手法之一，就是“夹叙夹议”，叙述中带有评论，表明自己的观点。还有，文中经常出现“直接引语”，引用角色的对话，即加引号的部分。这就出现了所谓时态上的“不一致”。例如你问题中的句子，都是直接引语：

1. Silas continued, in his voice like velvet, “You had parents. An older sister. They were killed. I believe that you were to have been killed as well, and that you were not was due to chance, and the intervention of the Owenses.”

2. Silas said, “No one is trying to kill you. Not right now. There are a lot of things they are not going to be doing, not any longer. So, yes. What would you like to eat?”

第一句，I believe that you were to have been killed as well...：说话人在当时表达自己的看法或观点，用一般现在时，其从句时态的时态可以不受影响：“我（现在）认为，你当时本也会丧命的...”。第二句更是没有问题的，都是现在时间范畴。would like to 不表示过去，而是指一个人现在想要做什么。

1. 关于时态的时间范畴问题

(1) 属于现在时间范畴的时态：一般现在时，现在进行时，现在完成时，一般将来时，等等。

这几种时态表达的概念与现在时间有关。

(2) 属于过去时间范畴的时态：一般过去时，过去进行时，过去完成时，过去将来时，等等。

这几种时态表达的概念与过去时间有关。

2. 关于时态的呼应

▲ 如果主句谓语动词是过去时，那么宾语从句的时态也要用过去时间的时态，这种现象叫 “时态呼应”。例如：

He said he understood it. 他说他懂了。

She wasn’t sure whether you were watching TV. 她不敢肯定你是否在看电视。

He told me he had graduated from middle school two years before. 他告诉我他两年前就中学毕业了。

The boy said he would do anything for his own country. 小孩说他为自己的祖国愿做任何事。

Tom saw a girl come to him when he was sitting there. 汤姆正坐在那儿时，看见一个女孩向他走来。

▲ 当主句的谓语动词是现在时，宾语从句的时态可以不受限制，根据需要使用不同的时态。例如：

I believe I was very lucky to get that job. 我想我很幸运得到这件工作。

We wonder who built that old bridge. 我们不知道是谁建造的那座古桥。

I remember that she was crying when I got home. 我记得当我回家时她正在哭。

You will notice that this word has several meanings. 你会注意到那个单词有几种意义。

I know that she will regret for her mistake. 我知道她将为她的错误而后悔。