Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Briar's Book

This is the closer for the Circle of Magic series, and is my second favorite of the series. I love the interaction between Briar and Rosethorn. The sudden epidemic they are dealing with feels very real (especially in the wake of the one we all recently dealt with), as well as the way it is treated. The moments Briar has with his friend Flick are sweet. The depth of Briars dive into what his magic is is so interesting and neat. I just love this series.

I don't really have many dislikes. This is a great series, and is appropriate for most ages.

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charm0nix's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious sad fast-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? Yes

4.25

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story_goblin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ladydisdain's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious sad slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If I could give infinite stars to this book, I would. While the connections between the quartet and their teachers are emphasized throughout, the bond between Briar and Rosethorn is consistently highlighted as unique and necessary to both characters. While the magical take on epidemiology hits different in The During Times (writing this review at the dawning of 2021), the incorporation of known scientific method rather than an easy magical cure heightens this story above an easier Quest for the Cure (i.e. 40% of the Redwall books). Ultimately, this story roots (eh? ehhhhh?) itself in humanity, the best of it and the worst of it and the great equalizer of death and disease. But the centerpiece is always, always the love between Rosethorn and her boy. I thought I would read this aloud to my wife and

took an extra 10 minutes to make it through the final chapter because I simply cannot read it without crying

. A fitting, cathartic end to the series founding the first family of all found families.

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frantic_vampire's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was the book I was most worried about rereading in this series. Mostly because I thought it would be triggering given that it’s about a pandemic. But it wasn’t. Or at least it wasn’t for me. In fact it was almost comforting in a way? I appreciated Briar’s willingness to jump into caring for the sick, his helplessness and anger when things were out of his control, and his determination to find a cure. This is might be my favorite book in this series. Briar’s Book is getting five stars.

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