Accompanying this well thought out and charming story were some excellent characters. Penny and Hamish were at the forefront of this story and I loved watching their friendship grow and develop. And of course, I adored The Briarmen, they added such a fun fantastical element, and each brought such a unique personality and perspective to the story. I loved our introduction to them and enjoyed learning more about them through Penny and Hamish. I LOVED this book, such a wonderful story that had me gripped all the way through. We were kindly provided with review copies by the publisher.

The Briarmen | The StoryGraph Reviews - The Briarmen | The StoryGraph

I felt nostalgic and almost like a kid, but the fact that the novel is set during WWII makes it a perfect read even for adults! You see, this book is not childish and I feel like many adults would appreciate it. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted advanced copy of this book to review in exchange for an honest opinion. I also liked the fact that, whilst this is a novel set in wartime, its focus is mostly on the children and those who were left at home during that time. I think it’s an aspect of that time that isn’t represented often in literature and film and it made a nice change. A MASSIVE thank you once again to Crescent Swan Publishing for providing me with a copy of this - it was such a great experience and I haven't enjoyed a novel this much in so long!In Brombury there isn’t much to do, but there is a forbidden woods where no one is allowed to go - and that is of course where Penny and Hamish go! There, they befriend the Briarmen, four magical creatures, and are bound together through a shared secret. Then comes the Blitz, and with it rumours of a German plane crashing into the woods... The writing in the second half seemed a little more developed, with the dialogue flowing better and the descriptions capturing my imagination, so I preferred the second half of the book but I did really like it all. I thought there were a couple of chapters which could have been taken out since they only seemed to be there for filler, however most of the book was really enjoyable and I feel like this book could - and should!! - be read by a variety of ages. This book gave me all the feels I can tell you. It surprised me how brilliant it was as really I didn’t know much about it. The synopsis intrigued me but otherwise I went into this book blind. As for the characters, they were well-developed overall, and felt realistic. I liked the way Penny’s relationship with Hamish, Clemens, her mother and her missing father was written. Clemens, about whom I won’t say much to avoid spoiling anything, was also a pleasant surprise, reminding us that everyday people who did not necessarily approve of their countries’ atrocities, experienced the war as a tragedy, no matter where they came from. This book reminded me a bit of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Book Thief due to its historical elements, particularly the way the war influenced children’s lives. The main character, Hamish, is evacuated early in rural Brombury which is largely untouched by the war; we, therefore, don’t witness gruesome details such as bombings, starvation, and ultimately death. But the shadows of the war are looming over the protagonists’ lives and often influence their actions. Penny’s father, a pilot, has gone missing before the events of The Briarmen even begin. His disappearance and her wish to protect what she has left is a major motivation for her actions, good or bad.

Maldon: Author Joseph Chadwick releases The Briarmen

I actually had the initial idea for this story whilst out for a run down at Beeleigh a couple of years ago. When sitting down to write I find the first few words to be the hardest. There were many occasions in The Briarmen where I really had to force myself to get those lines down. I liken it to running. If you don’t fancy a run, you really have to force yourself to take those first few steps, but once they are out of the way you can easily find yourself running for miles. Writing is the same, more often than not I’m not ‘in the mood’ to write. It’s just about pushing yourself to take those first few steps, or words in this case. It truly was a fairy tale for adults. The whole style of writing and story itself were so full of nostalgic sentiments. It’ll have you reminiscing on the feeling you got when you were a child and you lost yourself in fantasy worlds.I didn’t really think all that much about it, honestly, but I think ‘A fairy tale for adults’ sums it up perfectly. Although the two protagonists are young, I knew it wasn’t a children’s book, but that being said it is my hope that the themes can be appreciated by old and young alike. I’ve seen a lot of reviewers say that they’d recommend it to all ages, and I’d like to think that’s the case. Q: The Briarmen has been received really well with reviewers, especially on ‘bookstagram’. A lot of these reviewers are saying they’d love to see more of the Briarmen. Do you plan on writing a sequel? It has so much charm, and turns into a bit of a mystery with an dramatic conclusion! There's a few strands of storyline that weave together beautifully to give us our ending - and it was simply a joy to read. Words can’t describe how much I loved this book. I’m not sure what I would classify it as but historical fantasy seems to be close enough so let’s go with that! LoveReading exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives.

The Briarmen | Crescent Swan The Briarmen | Crescent Swan

The one character that felt a little flat was Hamish. The first chapters, with his fear of the Gap, his complex feelings regarding his mother and the home he left behind, and his interest in the woods, seemed to be going somewhere, but these elements get a bit lost in the overall plot in in other characters’ development later on. However I enlisted the help of some trusted freelancers with this project, and probably will do the same for future projects, at least whilst it’s early days. Q: There’s an array of vastly different characters in the novel, all with differing motivations. Did you have a favourite to write? gives an insight to the troubles of WW2 and how hard it must have been for everyone involved - from all perspectivesThe novel was cared about: the writing and the attention to the English language was cared about, book production was cared about, the genre was cared about. It was a book that was taken care of, and it paid off – I cared about the story. It made me feel warm and reminded me so much of the books I read as a child whilst being accessible to me now as a woman on my way to 30. Too, it made that woman legitimately emotional, that fully grown woman... Hamish Beasly is evacuated from London to the countryside in 1939 to live with Mrs. Platts and her daughter. Penny is less than happy to share her home with Hamish, but after they dare each other to go into the forbidden Woods Beyond the Railway, they build an unbreakable bond. The pair make a huge discovery in the woods: bush like creatures called The Briarmen who possess magical powers. To keep The Briarmen safe, they must keep their existence secret from the other villagers but when rumours of a German plane crashing into the woods begin, their friends are at more risk than ever.

Publisher Spotlight: Crescent Swan — The Book Network Publisher Spotlight: Crescent Swan — The Book Network

At times I felt I wasn't sure who this book was aimed at, and that stood to be the only thing I put into question occasionally whilst reading, but otherwise, this book stands to be an example of what can be done within indie publishing and what new writers can do. It was a breath of fresh air: the characters were well-rounded, with arcs that made sense; there were clear goals and motivations for the characters; the world was developed, easy to sink into, and based on a deliciously simple and easy to digest concept; and the The Brairmen is a fairytale for those who need magic in their everyday lives. A reminder of the childhood stories of something magical hidden in the deep dark woods. I haven't read Narnia, but from watching the film's I get the same sense of escapism from the terrors of the time - the feeling of leaving behind strife for a time while surrounded by the magical. I would love to meet the Briarmen, and can really picture them hiding out amongst the trees. All the characters are so lovable - and to be honest I'd love more of their lives after the events in this book. Penny is a comparatively more proactive characters, whose choices seriously influence the novel. Sure, she’s often infuriating and profoundly flawed, often making terrible choices, but she’s also been through a lot, and the war often brings the worst out of people; the book is honest about that. She does get some significant character development later on, and overall, it felt like this was her story much more than Hamish’s. I’m not holding this against the book because I wasn’t really annoyed by Hamish. I understand that the one of the most tried ways to introduce a reader to a new world is through the eyes of a newcomer, like Hamish. I just believe the author is doing a better job writing flawed but memorable characters so this would be worth exploiting further in future works, rather than falling on the newcomer convention. MD5 of a better version of this file (if applicable). Fill this in if there is another file that closely matches this file (same edition, same file extension if you can find one), which people should use instead of this file. If you know of a better version of this file outside of Anna’s Archive, then please upload it.I would have loved this a child as much as I loved it now. This is one book I will definitely keep my hands on - I’ve even told my boyfriend he should give it a read, and he is not a reader! It’s definitely a story that a lot of people would enjoy. This book is filled with magic and secrets and is a lovely escape from real life. This is definitely one I’ll be reading with my little boy when he gets older, and I’ll be lending to my mum - so a book for all the ages! A wonderfully wholesome and nostalgic novel. This reminded me of stories I read as a child, of ‘The Secret Seven’, ‘Five Children and It’ and ‘Stig of the Dump’, I really enjoyed the familiar feeling it gave me. Having said that, the story was still new and very interesting, I wasn’t sure where it was going and I enjoyed the little mysteries in the novel too.