Article contributed by Madalena Daleziou
Among the Beasts and Briars is a delightful YA fairytale by Ashley Poston (author of Geekerella) that takes the reader to an enchanting journey into lost kingdoms and cursed forests, with strong and interesting characters.
Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener and best friend to the crown princess, Anwen. In the peaceful kingdom of Aloriya, Cerys does not dare dream of anything but a calm, uneventful life as the next royal gardener. But Cerys has a secret power, a magic in her blood, that makes flowers bloom. This is not treated as an ability to be cherished. Rather, it is deemed a curse, a token of the dark, forbidden woods, inhabited by Ancients and bone-eaters. These dangerous monsters are only kept at bay by the King’s crown, an enchanted artefact, given to the first king of Aloriya by the Lady of the Wilds who rules the forest. Cerys know of the woods’ curse better than anyone in Aloryia: years before, an encounter with the dangers within has left her deeply traumatised. While she managed to escape unharmed, the woods claimed her mother, the crown prince and his squire, and left Cerys with a power she must hide. When the King dies, and the time comes for Anwen to wear the crown and keep the kingdom safe in his stead, it is revealed that the curse will no longer be kept at bay.
In a desperate attempt to break the curse and save the kingdom, Cerys sets out on a quest she had never believed herself capable of; travelling to the mythical city of Voryn, about which she knows nothing but legends, find the Lady of the Wilds and ask for help. In this dangerous journey she is aided by unlikely companions: Vala, a bear that seems to know the way, and the witty, but cowardly Fox, who had been following Cerys around for years, mysteriously transformed into a human boy through her magic, and really misses being a fox.
The writing style is simple and easy to follow, alternating between the viewpoints or Cerys and Fox, illuminating their feelings and complicated relationship. Both are interesting characters, who change and grow together. With the short chapters often ending in cliff-hangers, I would rarely finish a chapter without wanting to pick up the next. There were many interesting twists that I loved, and while an attentive reader might guess some of them early on, this does not detract from the reading experience, as part of the joy comes from reading about Cerys and Fox as they slowly develop, and wondering how these twists are going to affect them once revealed. While the resolution seemed a bit abrupt and easy, this suited the fairytale atmosphere and the themes the book explores, so it felt satisfying throughout.
Among the Beasts and Briars is a fun read, ideal for fans of Uprooted and other books with cursed or sentient forests. While the narrative starts off slow, with some necessary exposition, it soon picks up, and once Fox appears, his constant bickering with Cerys makes it hard to put the book down. On the surface, the book reads as a YA fairytale, using fairytale tropes, such as a main character with a secret magic, a dangerous magical artefact, and a kingdom that must be saved. This, however, is not necessarily negative, as many of these tropes are employed in unique ways or subtly subverted, making this an ideal read for anyone who loves fairytales. At the same time, the story proves fresh, unique and inclusive, with the main characters unlearning narratives they had believed their whole lives, finding out the dark secrets of their prosperous kingdom, and resolving to do better. Most of all, this is a book about characters who know the legends and enchantments they have heard of were not created for them; so, they make their own.
Among the Beasts and Briars is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 20th 2020.
Will you pick up Among the Beasts and Briars? Let us know in the comments!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.
