The Blacksmith Prince By Beryll Brackhaus
17th century Perigord is a county of sun-drenched villages and dark forests, languid rivers and moonlit lakes. It is a corner of France teeming with spirits, dryads and nymphs, and like everywhere else, witches are burned at the stake.
Born with the second sight, young fisherman Jehan wants nothing but to keep his head down, work hard, and stay out of trouble. Which works well enough until a suspicious string of bad luck befalls the village smith and his wife. Their adoptive son Giraud is everybody’s dashing darling, who behind his sooty smile and swashbuckling manners has buried a painful connection to the supernatural himself. Fearing that some evil is afoot, Giraud turns to the only other man in town who knows about the hidden world around them - Jehan.
Before long, they are embroiled in a quest involving brigands, witches and noble fey, while their friendship and attraction gradually shifts into something deeper. If they manage to survive ancient feuds and everyday prejudice, they might even have a chance to forge a Happily Ever After all of their own...
From Rainbow-Award-winning authors Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus, ‘The Blacksmith Prince’ is an old-fashioned, swoon-worthy historical fantasy romance about tender love in a time when history and fairy-tales were one and the same. The Blacksmith Prince
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A fairy tale kind of story with a light romance. I was happy that the story picked up in the second half and I started to enjoy this more than the first half. So 3 stars it is.
This story is set in the magical country of 17th century France, where magic is feared and witches are burned, but where the Fae and other magical creatures rule the forest.
Jehan is a young fisherman with the ability to do magic. But while his grandmother is telling him to develop these abilities and take over for her when she’s gone, Jehan wants nothing to do with it.
Not everyone is fooled by Jehan and his denial about everything magic, since Giraud, the blacksmith’s son, comes to Jehan for help. Giraud knows Jehan can see all magical creatures, because Giraud can see them too.
Giraud asks Jehan to help him because he feels his parents have been cursed. When Jehan visits Giraud’s parents, he sees it is a very complicated curse and agrees to help Giraud.
And that’s how both of them leave the small village to go on a magical quest, looking for a way to help Giraud’s parents. They encounter all kinds of magical creatures during their journey, as well as some dangerous Fae. And while they are both trying to survive, they are also slowly falling in love…
While this is definitely a colorful book with its descriptions of this beautiful country, one thing bothered me and kept me from truly enjoying this book. I felt as if Jehan had no personality. This story focusses mostly on everything these guys do or see, but not on inner thoughts. Jehan didn’t think about anything it seemed. Yes, he had the occasional thought about Giraud, but that was it. I couldn’t have said if Jehan was bold, shy, easily angered, or what he liked to do when he was not off rescuing people. I don’t like books with too much inner musings, but I would have loved to read about Jehan’s feelings every once in a while. Even Giraud had a personality, while we never even got his POV.
As for the romance, there wasn’t a lot of that. These guys acknowledge their attraction at the beginning of this book and become friends. But readers will just have to do with some kisses. It’s not that this story is entirely unromantic, because there is talk about true love, and I really liked those parts, but I can’t say there really was a lot of relationship development (don't worry, there is a nice HEA and they do end up together).
The second half was a bit more action-packed and definitely more interesting. I loved how badass Jehan got at one point, so that’s what kept my entertained.
I think this book will appeal to people who like fairy tales and magical stories, but don’t really need a lot of romance or sexy times.
While I liked the second half more and ended up enjoying this magical journey, I was missing some real character and relationship development. The ending was nice though.
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An ARC of The Blacksmith Prince was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
290 This is a feel-good fairy tale that'll have you smiling and sighing. It's gorgeous, and the sense of place (Southern France) is described by somebody who was there. This is a short summer break away to the french countryside - balm for the soul. 290 If you're in the mood for something fun and exciting, and at the same time sort of sweet and innocent because of its fairy tale feel, even when it gets more Grimm brothers than Disney, then this is the right book for you. The MCs are so loveable, and both their magical quest and their romance so engaging! Super extra bonus points for the great lore and awesome secondary characters, especially the female ones. 290 Ah, a good old-fashioned fairy tale, set in a world that resembles the Perigord of the 17th century, yet contains some distinctly alternate-reality elements as well. The setting in a dreamy region of France is wonderfully described and pulled me into a world full of charm, traditional values, and hidden dangers from the first page. The supernatural makes a quick entrance, since both main characters have links to a reality their compatriots fervently refuse to acknowledge. If either Jehan, born with the second sight, or Giraud, the village blacksmith’s adoptive son with a similar connection, are caught, they will be burned at the stake. Not to mention they are attracted to each other instead of to the young women in their village. How’s that for an immediate raising of the stakes?
Jehan is a fisherman, and even though his ancestors have all been witches with all sorts of talents, he wants nothing to do with any of it. Yes, he enjoys communicating with all kinds of supernatural beings that nobody else can see, but he knows that nobody can ever find out or he will die a gruesome death. As if that weren’t enough, he is attracted to men, a second reason for the death penalty in those days. Jehan is trying to be unobtrusive, to live a quiet life, but - lucky for me who loves a good fairy tale with a few fantasy elements woven in – this is not meant to be. Bad luck, curses, and some sort of dark threat that even Jehan’s grandmother thinks is very, very serious force Jehan into action.
Giraud may be the adopted son of the village’s blacksmith and everyone’s darling, but he has more than one dark secret as well. His and Jehan’s adventures begin with what they expect to be a short, if slightly dangerous trip, but it soon becomes apparent that lifting the curse is going to be far more difficult than Jehan thought. The quest expands, as does the danger, and one revelation and twist chases the other as Jehan and Giraud discover secrets and truths they never could have imagined.
Woven into the physical journey they take and the physical dangers they overcome, is a hesitant slow-burn romance that has both young men realizing they want to be together. The enemies are plentiful, the obstacles many, and it doesn’t seem possible for them to get what their hearts desire, no matter how much they (and I) want it. All I can say is: expect the unexpected. I take my hat off to the author for coming up with a truly magical solution for creating a happy ever after that is no less than marvelous.
If you like heroic tales of bravery and courage, if you want to see two young men battle for their lives and love in equal measure, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read that is as adventurous and occasionally funny as it is suspenseful and emotionally touching, then you will probably like this imaginative novel as much as I do. I recommend it to anyone in search of a creative fairy tale with all the proverbial trimmings.
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. 290 Rating: 4.75 stars
Review to follow at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
290
I'm utterly charmed by this book.
I bought the paperback at the Euro Pride Con 2017 in Berlin. Let's start with the cover - it's the most fitting cover I've seen in a while ....and soooo lovely and pretty and I want to pet it :D
Seriously though, the cover fits the book. The cover artist very clearly has read the story.
Now - the book - ah, the book. It is described as historical fantasy romance - and while this is not untrue - it's a bit insufficient. It's a fairy tale, it's a journey to another time.
Jehan and Giraud are unusual heroes in their story, serious and tentative, open and bold, and on the first glimpse they don't seem to fit but soon enough it's becoming clear that both are a lot more than they seem to be. The story itself is in huge parts an imaginative fairy tale, there are curses, magical creatures, powers to be and powers to gain and it's entertaining and captivating. If there is a fault in the book, it might be that the slowly growing romance between Jehan and Giraud could have gotten a bit more space on the pages but on the other hand, it's there all the time, in their smiles, in the way they interact and turn to each other. For lovers of slow burn and those who are tired of sex all the - even inappropriate - time, this book doesn't do that. This book concentrates on the story, on the magic.
And that made it magical for me. I've read it in one day and enjoyed it a lot. From time to time you stumble over a jewel that doesn't fit the mould and this is one of them.
290 'The Blacksmith Prince' is available at most major retailers! A list of shopping links will be maintained on our site, here: http://www.brackhaus.com/the-books/bl...
Also, there is a free 25-page reading sample at the link above. As soon as Goodreads allows me to, we will also upload it here.
Reviewers looking for review copies are welcome to contact me directly. 290 The Blacksmith Prince is a genuine fairytale in the tradition of a Hauff, La Motte Fouque or even Tolkien, quirky and imaginative and laceed with a healthy dose of fine, subtle humor. It has just about anything you'd wish for: a damsel in distress and a knight in shining armor (who switch roles now and then)going on a quest together, curses that need lifting and spells which need to be fueled with blood and passion, supernatural beings, witchcraft and sorcery and, on top of all this, not only one, but two love stories. The whole of it combines traditional elements with a more modern narrative in a way that I can only call masterful storytelling.
And what's more, this author duo has really mastered the art of painting pictures with words. I felt like I was really there with Jehan and Giraud during those long ago summer days in circa 17th century Perigord, in a time when wishing still helped as the saying goes, when twists of fate could still be begged, bartered for or bought from the forces of nature. It's a world where magic and mystery are still close to the surface, where ancient, secretive beings dwell in rivers, lakes and trees, where those who take the time and pay attention can call upon the forces of nature at will.
In short, this is a beautiful story and a very delightful way to spend a few hours of escaping reality. Highly recommended. 290 The Blacksmith Prince (Le Prince Forgeron)
By Osiris and Beryll Brackhaus
Published by the authors, 2019
Five stars
“It’s only a disaster while you’re living it. Afterward it becomes an adventure.”
A fairy tale, with real fairies.
I read the French edition of this, which seemed particularly apt, given that the time and place—the Perigord, 17th century—evokes the settings for such classic fairy tales with French roots as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. What’s striking about the Brackhauses’ wryly literal take on a fairy tale is that its atmosphere is carefully built to feel old, without the self-conscious artifice of a historical novel.
Jehan and Giraud are young men, living in a bustling river town in the Perigord called La Morangiasse. They are not peasants, but rather from the artisan class—Jehan being the town’s fishmonger, making his living off the river; while Giraud is the adopted son of the town’s blacksmith. Their family names are linked to the family trade. Upriver a way is the fortified town of Castelfort, where the local noble family presides, living in their medieval castle atop the cliffs that define the topography of this river valley.
Jehan in particular has grown up listening to the fairy tales of the region, knowing that there is more history hidden in those stories of magic and romance than most people understand. He knows this because he has second sight—he is able both to see and to communicate with the fae world and all its many creatures, from the forest sprites who inhabit the trees, to the noble fae who rule unseen, and who have lived in this land since the dawn of civilization.
The trouble is, 17th-century France is a Christian nation, and overt knowledge of the fae world is dangerous, even deadly. (Remember America and its witch-burnings in the 1690s.) The last sorcerer was burned at the stake a century ago. Well, the last known sorcerer. So Jehan tries to minimize his interactions with the magic of the natural world, and has resisted his grandmother’s attempts to educate him in the gifts that are his by tradition and birth. His grandmother is the local midwife—but she is much more, being a healer and having skills with herbs and other things linked to the magic of the land. Jehan only wants to keep his head down and avoid trouble, to live a peaceful life in his little cabin, set on a little hill between a small lake and the life-giving river.
Giraud, outgoing and beautiful, is Jehan’s unrequited crush—because that’s something else that could get him into serious trouble in his world. Although he is his father’s assistant at the forge, Giraud seems to want adventure, and is as outgoing and social as Jehan is quiet and retiring. For all his admiration of the dark-haired Giraud, Jehan avoids him, because he knows trouble when he sees it.
Until, one day, Giraud comes to Jehan with a confession and a request. He, too, has second sight, and can see the magical creatures that Jehan sees and speaks to. He also needs Jehan’s help in a life-or-death problem that affects those he loves most. Against his better judgment, because he is a caring and generous-hearted person, Jehan agrees to help the man he secretly desires. The result is both comical and terrifying, as these young men set out to face the unknown in the name of love.
Jehan is gentle and considerate, and his interactions with the fae world are beautifully depicted. Giraud is dashing and moved to action, making him both heroic and frustrating. The language, the landscape, and the two strikingly different—yet somehow complimentary—personalities of the young men, all combine to create a story that is exciting, romantic, and imbued with with a moral complexity that is far more nuanced than in any of the fairy tales we knew as children. The fact that the entire adventure takes place within a radius of ten miles over the course of a few days makes it no less epic.
Brawn and brain, head and heart, body and soul: together Jehan and Giraud have to solve a problem as ancient as the crumbling ruins of Beronsac Castle on the clifftop outside of town. In doing so, they will either find each other, or lose everything in the attempt.
290 ~ 3.5 Stars ~
This cover. Can we take just a moment to give Anna Sikorska some appreciation for her artwork? This is the second of her more recent covers that has left me in awe, and is again one of the reasons I grabbed this book. It’s the fairy tale in visual that this novel is in word.
The Blacksmith Prince has all the stock elements of a classic fairy tale: fae creatures, witches, earth magic, a dark curse, and a hero’s journey. It is the story of Jehan, a simple fisherman and the grandson of his village’s midwife—a woman whom Jehan will not succeed, despite his talents and aptitude for magic, because he is male. But there are more than just his witchy abilities that set Jehan apart from other citizens of La Morangiasse. There’s also the fact that he’s attracted to the son of the local blacksmith, Giraud Forgeron (what better surname for a blacksmith?), which is something Jehan can’t hide from his all-knowing grand-mère, but can’t afford for it to become general knowledge, either—for those feelings are forbidden.
As with every good fairy tale, there is a quest in The Blacksmith Prince. It seems someone has placed a curse upon Giraud’s parents, a bit of dark sorcery that, if not lifted, will surely be the cause of their untimely demise. Giraud asks for Jehan’s help to not only discover who has cursed his mother and father but for help in lifting the curse too. So, sealed with a kiss, a kiss that Jehan wasn’t at all expecting, they set off in search of the identity of the fae whose magic is strong enough to bring such misery and woe down upon the house of Forgeron, as well as what prompted that wrath.
I loved the fairy tale elements in this novel. In fact, there was a fairy tale within a fairy tale aspect to it that made it even more enjoyable. The authors have created a beautiful setting and show a deft hand at invoking imagery through their descriptions—especially in nature and the elemental magics, as well as in the fae elements that encompass so much of the story’s charm and intrigue. There is a skin-walker scene that was a fantastical addition to Jehan’s many talents and was revealing in that he’s much stronger a witch than perhaps even he suspected. We also learn that Giraud isn’t quite as ordinary a mortal as Jehan had believed, and some of those reveals were exceptional in their detail. Overall, the world building in the book is gorgeous and perfect.
For as pretty as this world is, however, the story is missing what, for me, is a necessary deep point of view to build an emotional link between Jehan, Giraud, and myself. I would have loved for their story to be told in the first person, from Jehan’s point of view, as it might have helped me make that imperative leap from reality, the absorbing connection to the characters I need to commit to a story, and, more specifically, to Jehan and Giraud’s romance, which is sweet and innocent enough that The Blacksmith Prince reads perfectly well as Teen Fiction. There was never a moment where I became so lost in the story that the authors’ voice disappeared to allow Jehan and Giraud to take over, though, which made it difficult to became invested in their budding relationship. But, that in itself is characteristic of the fairy tale--it's about the journey, not the destination--and so, more on me than the story itself.
The writing team of Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus deliver on the fairy tale promise of The Blacksmith Prince with a skill that sent my imagination into overdrive, picturing this magical world and the beings that inhabit it. The setting they’ve created is lush in its conception and diverse in its characters, with an innocence of romance that complements and contrasts the danger these two heroes meet on their quest. If you’re a fan of an old-fashioned fairy tale adventure, you’ll find just that in The Blacksmith Prince.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach 290