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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Really lovely, with grief and kindness running deeply through the story. I thought both the magical elements and the romance were very well done. Roy and Cecily were so sweet and so good for each other.
Austin Chant has done it again and created a badass, emotional, and captivating story in less than 100 pages! There's so much going on in this book. There's Roy, the wayward cowboy who has no real home or ambitions other than just getting my. There's Cecily, the witch both feared for her aloofness and cold attitude and respected for helping the injured in her village. Then of course there's Caroline, a lost love whose memory has lived on, probably for longer than it should...
How a novella has complete world building and a slow-burn romance in 98 pages, I don't know, but it really does. The magic of the world is cool. Cecily, a witch, can do basic spells like summoning items or teleporting across a room. But the main thing she does is create artificial limbs for injured people. There's not much explanation beyond that, but for the length of the story, the physics of the world sit perfectly and make sense for the forwarding of the plot.
Roy and Cecily were also fantastic leads. Roy, while private and closed off from others, has such a warm heart that everyone seems drawn to him. And Cecily, while extremely prickly, shows her goodness in the righteousness of her actions.
Like all of Chant's work, this is a trans romance - this time with both MCs. This plot works so beautifully as there's so much richness to the metaphors of being at conflict with your own physical body. It's also a blended fantasy and western historical fiction, so well the word "trans" is never used, it has some great exploration about the characters' identities without being a soapbox.
It reminds me of a sort of trans Howl's Moving Castle with a little Fullmetal Alchemist twist Definitely dark in places, but a really beautiful story of some memorable characters.
--
"That's not how I am. It's no disguise for me. And I can't tell you how or why, but when I said I considered myself a man, that's what I meant."
"I had a very queer childhood. I was a girl and witch and I wasn't supposed to be either, according to my family."
"I sort of figured I was the only one who ever--the only one God ever made a mess of."
How a novella has complete world building and a slow-burn romance in 98 pages, I don't know, but it really does. The magic of the world is cool. Cecily, a witch, can do basic spells like summoning items or teleporting across a room. But the main thing she does is create artificial limbs for injured people. There's not much explanation beyond that, but for the length of the story, the physics of the world sit perfectly and make sense for the forwarding of the plot.
Roy and Cecily were also fantastic leads. Roy, while private and closed off from others, has such a warm heart that everyone seems drawn to him. And Cecily, while extremely prickly, shows her goodness in the righteousness of her actions.
Like all of Chant's work, this is a trans romance - this time with both MCs. This plot works so beautifully as there's so much richness to the metaphors of being at conflict with your own physical body. It's also a blended fantasy and western historical fiction, so well the word "trans" is never used, it has some great exploration about the characters' identities without being a soapbox.
It reminds me of a sort of trans Howl's Moving Castle with a little Fullmetal Alchemist twist
Spoiler
(Don't try to resurrect the dead, y'all!)--
"That's not how I am. It's no disguise for me. And I can't tell you how or why, but when I said I considered myself a man, that's what I meant."
"I had a very queer childhood. I was a girl and witch and I wasn't supposed to be either, according to my family."
"I sort of figured I was the only one who ever--the only one God ever made a mess of."
Love this story! Gentle and sweet. All sorts of hopeful.
fast-paced
Found myself wanting more at the end. I grew to really like the characters. The plot felt unique enough for a sequel!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Caroline’s Heart tells the story of a trans cowboy named Roy who is unexpectedly twisted up in the life of a witch named Cecily.
This is positively DELIGHTFUL and ticks ALL my boxes! Both protagonists are trans and bi/pan, one’s a cowboy, one’s a witch, there’s a slow burning romance, and a magic system and atmosphere that has all the delightful whimsy of Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle! IT IS EVERYTHING I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED AND I ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE.
This is my first foray into Austin Chant’s writing, and as soon as I finished it I immediately bought Peter Darling because I needed more Chant in my life. There’s no way to describe this other than perfect and delightful, and you neeeeeed to read it!
This is positively DELIGHTFUL and ticks ALL my boxes! Both protagonists are trans and bi/pan, one’s a cowboy, one’s a witch, there’s a slow burning romance, and a magic system and atmosphere that has all the delightful whimsy of Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle! IT IS EVERYTHING I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED AND I ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE.
This is my first foray into Austin Chant’s writing, and as soon as I finished it I immediately bought Peter Darling because I needed more Chant in my life. There’s no way to describe this other than perfect and delightful, and you neeeeeed to read it!
I could read books by Austin Chant every single day of my life and be ridiculously happy. This is the third of Austin's novellas that I have read this year, and I want to tentatively say this one is my favorite of the bunch? Seriously, let me gush a little here.
The main character and love interest of this novella are both trans. While this is in a historical setting, and the words trans/transgender are never used, the novella is still super clear about identities, in regards to both both gender and sexuality which was fantastic. This book was phenomenally queer and I absolutely ate it up.
Roy, the main character, is a cowboy who set out on his own to make a life for himself away from his family. He is quiet, charming, and sometimes a bit stubborn, and I love him so very much. Cecily, the love interest, is a witch. She uses her magic mostly to create prosthetics, though of course it can also be helpful to conjure food whenever you're hungry, and has closed herself off from the people around her after she lost her love, Caroline. The romance is fantastic, and I loved how these characters interacted. Austin has never failed to make me swoon over a couple.
And!! This is so very up my alley setting-wise. It's set in the 1800s, and starts out in Texas, but then there's also witchcraft. If you know anything about me at all, the phrase "there's also witchcraft" is my favorite phrase of all time. It immediately improves upon every idea, and it was really used well in this particular story.
This is spooky, sweet, and wonderful in all the best ways. Please, please, please check it out, and give Austin's other work a read too.
*I received an early copy of Caroline's Heart from the author but that in no way influences my review*
The main character and love interest of this novella are both trans. While this is in a historical setting, and the words trans/transgender are never used, the novella is still super clear about identities, in regards to both both gender and sexuality which was fantastic. This book was phenomenally queer and I absolutely ate it up.
Roy, the main character, is a cowboy who set out on his own to make a life for himself away from his family. He is quiet, charming, and sometimes a bit stubborn, and I love him so very much. Cecily, the love interest, is a witch. She uses her magic mostly to create prosthetics, though of course it can also be helpful to conjure food whenever you're hungry, and has closed herself off from the people around her after she lost her love, Caroline. The romance is fantastic, and I loved how these characters interacted. Austin has never failed to make me swoon over a couple.
And!! This is so very up my alley setting-wise. It's set in the 1800s, and starts out in Texas, but then there's also witchcraft. If you know anything about me at all, the phrase "there's also witchcraft" is my favorite phrase of all time. It immediately improves upon every idea, and it was really used well in this particular story.
This is spooky, sweet, and wonderful in all the best ways. Please, please, please check it out, and give Austin's other work a read too.
*I received an early copy of Caroline's Heart from the author but that in no way influences my review*
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Emotional, sweet, and thoroughly enjoyable. Also I'm always here for Howl's Moving Castle references.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence