The Briarmen: A fairy-tale for adults

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Joseph said: “When I was at university, I ended up taking some creative writing classes to fill out my timetable. I am actually in the early stages of working with two new authors with some very exciting books, which will be the next books we publish,” he added. This story is set in the village of Brombury at the start of the second world war and follows our two main characters; Penny and Hamish, as they discover the secrets of the nearby forest – The Briarmen – and how this experience shapes their understanding of the world and of human behavior. The 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...

The Briarmen (Joseph A. Chadwick) | The Broken Binding The Briarmen (Joseph A. Chadwick) | The Broken Binding

This was definitely a slow burner for me. The story itself is a journey & I took my sweet time reading it. I preferred the first few chapters & then the last third of the book - partly because I’m impatient & partly because I just wanted more to happen in the middle. However keeping true to the village of Bromsbury, a quiet/sleepy village, it would probably be weird if loads of events started occurring - right? 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. I wasn’t sure if I should give it 4 or 5 stars, but there honestly is not a thing I didn’t like about this book.Support authors: If you like this and can afford it, consider buying the original, or supporting the authors directly. I thought the pacing was ideal, it was a nice leisurely pace, but things were always in motion and happening ensuring the story always had me gripped and I sped through it in no time. A lot happened throughout the story and each chapter/ scene added something important for the story. The ending was excellent and felt right, and the addition of the epilogue and prologue giving us an insight into the character decades later was perfect. I couldn’t have left this story without knowing what became of The Briarmen and our two wonderful protagonists.

The Briarmen - Anna’s Archive The Briarmen - Anna’s Archive

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. The only downfall, for me personally, is that it felt a little bit repetitive at times and the story became a little bit flat BUT that doesn’t take away how much on an incredible story this is.Still in its first year of operation, Crescent Swan is certainly one to keep an eye on. If the organisation keeps up the momentum built in its first few months of business then expect to see an exciting, insightful and powerful line up in the near future. 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 novel feels quite unique in the sense that on one side we have this very classical-feeling story set in WW2 where we see the struggles of Britain during that worrying period. And then on the other hand, we get a glimpse at this fantastical fantasy world full of strange bush creatures that love to forage for fruit and nuts and fight with giant catfish. And this just allows you to forget about the war that’s going on around them, and join in with enjoying exploring the strange woods and getting to know the Briarmen. It made me really think about what I could look for in my life that is beautiful and captivating to help me forget about the darker things that are going on in my life. Not to ignore them per say, but just to be able to enjoy something within a dark time. To have something to turn to and appreciate among the anxieties and worries of life. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I finished it with a warm feeling inside and would (as Rhi also suggested) love to read more about the Briarmen! Endearing, is the perfect word to describe this story. Whilst fantasy isn’t usually a genre I gravitate towards, I found it incredibly nostalgic, & it reminded me of stories I used to read at school (think the Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe meets Alice in Wonderland vibes). I found the writing to be sentimental & charming, & loved that the historical fiction element weaved throughout the story.

Joseph A. Chadwick: books, biography, latest update

When Hamish Beasly is evacuated to the quiet countryside village of Brombury he is taken in by Mrs. Platts and her daughter Penny. At first Penny is far from happy with her new house guest, but after she and Hamish discover and befriend the Briarmen, four fantastical creatures living in the forbidden Woods Beyond The Railway, they are bound together through a shared secret. Then comes the Blitz, and with it rumours of a German plane crashing into the woods. This sparks concern from the village and puts Hamish and Penny’s secret at risk, a secret they soon find out is no longer their own…

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Speaking of the characters, we are given two children to follow through the entirety of the story. At first, I was wondering if something like this would work, seeing as this is a “fairy tale for adults” type of book. But the more I read of the story, the more I fell in love with Hamish and Penny’s characters. They had personalities that you were able to really get to know and love. Both Penny and Hamish were very unique from each other and were detailed to the point that you felt as though they were your friends. I found myself wanting the best for these children and excited to see what the two of them got up to within the story. 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. When Hamish Beasly is evacuated to the quiet countryside village of Brombury he is taken in by Mrs Platts and her daughter Penny. 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. It’s 1939 and Hamish is being evacuated from London to the tiny rural town of Brombury. He finds a temporary home with Mrs Platts & her daughter Penny. He also finds the Briarmen deep in the wood next to the sleepy village. And so a tale of childhood adventure and friendship unfolds.

The Briarmen: A Fairy-Tale for Adults - Goodreads The Briarmen: A Fairy-Tale for Adults - Goodreads

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. 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. It was well written, the characters and their relationships well established and developed, and the end of the book was excellent. It had me on the edge of my seat. My only complaint is that I now really want to know more about the Briarmen and their story!I loved the Briarmen! I have long been fascinated with the idea of magical creatures in nature, particularly those that dwell amongst the trees. Walking through dense woods still gives me feelings of magic and I’m sure that will only increase next time I’m out in the forest now! 🌲 Please report metadata errors at the source library. If there are multiple source libraries, know that we pull metadata from top to bottom, so the first one might be sufficient.