The Briarmen: A fairy-tale for adults

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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. Please do not hesitate to comment below if you liked my review or have any comments about this book😊 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! 🌲

The Briarmen by Joseph. A. Chadwick - Blogger Book review: The Briarmen by Joseph. A. Chadwick - Blogger

The Briarmen is the perfect new novel out there if you are in the market for an engrossing story with a seamless blend of fantasy, mystery and adventure.Q: There’s an array of vastly different characters in the novel, all with differing motivations. Did you have a favourite to write? I've seen this book described as a fairytale for adults, and I would totally agree with that. Its so wonderfully written, full of wistful wanderings of being lost in a fairytale as a child. The story, set in wartime Britain, centres around the friendship that blossoms between Hamish, a wartime evacuee, and Penny, who he goes to live with in the sleepy village of Brombury. However, Brombury doesn’t stay sleepy for long as there are rumours of a German plane coming down in the mysterious Woods Beyond The Railway. And that’s not all that’s hiding in the woods, as Penny and Hamish discover the Briarmen. Adventures in the Woods ensue and relationships are forged between the children and the Briarmen. 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.

Author Interview: Joseph Chadwick — The Book Network

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… 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. Set at the start of the war you follow Hamish as he is evacuated out of London to the countryside. He meets his new family where he and penny become fast yet unlikely friends.I grew up in a village that didn’t really have anything other than a woods - and though it wasn’t forbidden, and not filled with magical creatures as far as I know, I love the idea that it could be 😂 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. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted advanced copy of this book to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

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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. I’m reading a couple of things at the moment: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and I recently started Cows Can’t Jump by Phillip Bowne. Wildly different but I’m enjoying them both! Hamish Beasly is evacuated to a village called Brombury during the WWII bombing of London. He’s taken in by a woman and her daughter - Penny. They decide to go to the Woods Beyond The Railway and there they stumble across the Briarmen - creatures who live in the forest, almost like tree children. 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.

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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. 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. I loved the concept of The Woods Beyond The Railway, an eerie, enchanted place that nobody dares explore (except young evacuee Hamish, in a bid to prove his bravery to his newfound town mates). I related to the protagonists' curiosity and delighted in the giant geese, boy-eating catfish and tiny Briarmen they discover in the Woods. The first few chapters are filled with childhood imagination and wonder, and my inner adventurer was more than satisfied. The younger reader will be enthralled by the fantastic world, in the Woods beyond the Railway, that is discovered by Hamish & Penny, after Hamish is evacuated. The Briarmen are depicted in great detail, not as perfect creatures, but as a group that is determined to survive in a world that is threatening their very existence.

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

The thing is, I could also see my young family members reading it as the advanced young readers that they are, and I can see them seriously enjoying this book. It was just a lovely heart-warming read. As I read the first few chapters I felt like I was reading an old children’s classic with vibes of Narnia, The Railway Children and Five Children and It. The story was so magical and imaginative. The Briarmen are some of the most adorable creatures I have ever read about. The relationships between these and the children was just so wholesome and beautiful. 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.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… Review: 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.