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...
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
*
I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance copy of The Briarmen from Crescent Swan Publishing in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I saw the blurb, I knew it had the potential to be right up my street. Historical fiction combined with elements of fantasy is something you don't often see, but something that I've found works surprisingly well.
From the first page, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the book is to read. It has a lovely light-hearted feel to it that makes it immediately enjoyable, and the whole feel of the story is fun and a little magical. The backdrop of war gave me real Goodnight Mister Tom vibes, but the little fantasy elements made this a lot more fun and uplifting. I can imagine this would be a great book for younger readers who are ready for something a little more challenging. As an adult, however, I also immensely enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to others.
Rating: ✫✫✫✫
My Thoughts
Using war as a fictional backdrop is something that has been done an awful lot in fiction, and it can either be done incredibly well, or it can be generic and disappointing. I was really hoping The Briarmen wouldn't fall into the latter category! Thankfully, it dealt with the backdrop very well. Rather than being tied down in unnecessary historical detail, the book uses the backdrop to create a story that stands up by itself. The countryside environment really worked well, and I can see why it was chosen as a setting for the story, because it only served to enhance the plot.
The story itself is lively, fun and really enjoyable. I did feel like the two different parts of the plot (the story of the Briarmen, and the story of the German plane) didn't necessarily tie together naturally, and could easily have been separated into different stories. But the more I read, the more I didn't really mind. The Briarmen themselves were interesting and enchanting, and I would really have liked to learn more about them and their history. Surprisingly, they tend to supplement the story rather than feature as the main focus of the plot, although I don't think this was necessarily a bad thing. They add a little something extra to the story that I do think would have been missing otherwise, and I really enjoyed the interactions between them and Hamish and Penny.
The whole of the book was generally very light-hearted, which is a little surprising when we consider the themes that are explored. War, prejudice and spies all feature, yet they're written about in a way that is careful yet relaxed. The easiness of the narrative doesn't feel inappropriate, despite the difficult themes, and I think this is probably why the book was so easy to read.
The Verdict
I wasn't sure when I first picked up this book to read whether or not I would genuinely enjoy it. With the mix of genres and different themes, I felt it could so easily fall down. However, I was really pleasantly surprised, and absolutely devoured it.
The backdrop of war and the events that followed made for a serious plot that is made lively through the elements of fantasy that enhance it. The Briarmen themselves are intriguing and their involvement in the story keeps the tone light and fun. I wasn't expecting to love this book, but I definitely did, and would absolutely recommend it for other readers who are looking for something a little bit different!
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