Customer Reviews

Prince of Bryanae

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover, thanks to superb world-building, nonstop action and suspense, an imaginative setting, and strong, memorable characters. I read a lot of fantasy, and Prince of Bryanae kept me engaged and intrigued as well as (or better than) anything I've ever read.

Elven Captain Willow lives her life by discipline. She expects nothing less from those around her. Little does anyone realize how fragile that strong surface is beneath.

Childhood terrors are the worst. When people from the horde who'd taken over Willow's birth kingdom come to her new home to wreak havoc, the staunch warrior is paralyzed with fear for the first time in over a hundred years. They kidnap her Prince right before her eyes. Then, the Queen busts Willow down to private.

Devastated, Willow goes AWOL to recover her Prince. With memories from a tortured past haunting her and some dicey friends, including the suave Captain Snyde and far-too-young Tamlevar, the deck is stacked against her. But, Willow's got more than discipline. She's willing to risk everything to stop her new home from being destroyed.

I haven't read a well-written female heroine as strong as this since Elizabeth Moon. What's really surprising is Getzin's ability to write sympathetic and real women. "Prince of Bryanae" is well worth a read for fantasy lovers.

Rebecca Kyle, November 2010

I found it nearly impossible to put this book down. Jeffrey Getzin's "Prince of Bryanae" provides readers with a fascinating journey into a world of adventure, courage, magic and romance. Do yourself a favor, get a copy and discover why so many people are talking about Jeffrey Getzin's debut novel.

PRINCE OF BRYANAE is subtler and more complex than the slaughter-fest cover would have you believe. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of violence and mayhem, so don't read that the protagonist Willow is an elf and expect a Young Adulty type fantasy. This ain't that, and it ain't for the faint of heart. With that disclaimer, I'll say that for those who do read it, you get an interesting look at the hard-ass, anti-social type character prevalent in fantasy fiction as well as many other genres, but her you get an in-depth looks at what sort of back-story a character/person would have to have to end up that character. And rather than being forced to wade through endless introspection like you might in a literary fiction novel, Getzin delivers it in an excellent pacey piece filled with action and plenty of little and big surprises, twists, and betrayals, which are executed properly. Which is to say it makes sense that the character did what they did rather than it suited the author and the plot to have them do something that was out-of-character. Also, Getzin balances the dark with good bits of humor.

I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys action-packed fantasy that is dark and at times disturbing, but mixed with humor and three-dimensional characters.

The Prince of Byranae is a book for the lovers of Fantasy. It finds a great balance by providing characters you love, hate and completely despise , all throughout the book. The main character ( Willow ) has wonderful strengths and flaws that poke you in the eye in the first few chapters. She is a great hero, not the flawless hero that some fantasy novels want you to believe in. The real treat of book , after the characters, are the battle and fight sequences. It is evident that Jeffery has taken his real world experience in fighting martial arts and translated them beautifully into fight sequences that seem both realistic and entertaining. They allow you to visualize and sometime feel, the fights , paragraph after paragraph. This book is a definite read for those looking for a escape and be immersed into another world.

PRINCE OF BRYANAE is about Willow, an Elven soldier and commander who is a consummate fighter and strategist. However, due to some real trouble in her past, she's been unable to form close friendships, much less anything else, with anyone. Her life is all about duty and honor.

Then, something terrible happens to Willow that keeps her from fighting; this allows the Prince of Bryanae, who'd been among those she'd been sworn to protect, to get kidnapped. She sees this happen, can do nothing, and is branded a coward and a traitor despite her many years of meritorious service.

So she decides to go after the kidnappers, even though they have a strange power over her she doesn't really understand; she can't leave the Prince of Bryanae to an undeserved fate no matter how difficult dealing with these people will be.

The rest of the novel is about how Willow comes into her own, how she and the Prince of Bryanae forge a remarkable friendship, and is all about the twain facing down their fears, singly and together.

I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and believe that if you enjoy young adult fantasy or darker fantasies (as some of what Willow's gone through in the past is horrific, and the people she must face down to get the Prince back are just as bad if not worse), you will love PRINCE OF BRYANAE as much as I did.

Five stars, highly recommended.

Barb Caffrey

When you hear the term fantasy and supernatural ? What is the creatures that pop into your mind , Is it witches, angels , vampires, werewolves or even faeries? , With the craze of supernatural genre hitting our bookshelves, it's not suprisingly we have heard or read all there is about these creatures. However, if we think a little deeper about what is classified as a supernatural -it goes even further with goblins and elves. Not many authors have ventured forth in writing about elves, though Jeffrey Getzin's book Prince of Bryanae has done just that and has proved to be an action-packed and fast-paced novel with just the right hint of fantasy and action scenes to make it exciting to the reader.

Prince of Bryanae takes us into the world of Captain Willow - an elf that is protective and disciplined towards the world, a woman who if asked by others what she was like , would describe her as cold and heartless . Though behind this mask , is a woman who has hidden and buried her childhood and the last 150 years of her life that no-one can see it. However , when her and her army are massacred and the Prince of Bryanae is kidnapped before her eyes whilst frozen to the spot. It is up to Willow to bring and return the Prince to his rightful place, but in doing this - Willow must face her past , the one she has tried so hard to forget. In the journey, Willow is reunited with her mother whom she harbours resents against. Armed with her friend Tamlevar , can they rescue the Prince or will their feelings for each other jepordise the rescue and turn them against each other ?.

A novel that will keep all readers entertained and as the journey progresses , The Prince of Bryanae has an ending that will suit readers fine, but also leave them wanting more. Is their a next book in the near-future , hmmm one titled "The Queen of Byanae"

For More information , Check out the authors website http://jeffreygetzin.com

Although I am not a fan of fantasy I agreed to read this work after a brief discussion with the author on a discussion board. I purchased the Kindle version and was impressed with the talent of the author. Fantasy novels often have worlds, languages, and characters I cannot pronounce or even attempt to understand, but Mr. Getzin does not go there. His characters are well developed and his writing style is enjoyable. My only negative is the lengthy dream sequence that reveals Willow's past. I think it could have been a bit shorter, I nearly lost interest in the book several pages into that. Overall, I enjoyed the read. Well done.

I'm a sucker for fantasy -- and the fact that one of my favorite fantasy authors, R. A. Salvatore, had read the book and gave it favorable praise in its treatment of its world development gave me good reason to feel comfortable I knew what I was getting when I purchased the book.

I was not disappointed. Mr. Getzin has built a believable world and populated it with realistic characters. The main character, Willow, has a depth not always common in this genre. She is completely broken inside but with enough steel, literally in the form of her rapier, to withstand a long life spent trying to forget her past.

What struck me most about the book was the insight Getzin seems to have into the bitterness of dysfunctional relationships and the way our past can scar us even into our adulthood. Who Willow is at the beginning of the book, and why she is the way she is becomes glaringly clear at the end. It is painful to read through at times due to its graphic nature but Getzin's treatment of the worst is well done without resorting to gratuitous violence. In the end, Willow grows. How Getzin treats that growth process is innovative, tender and honest.

The only thing that kept me from going over to five stars immediately is that I would have liked to have seen glimpses of Willow's backstory interspersed more throughout the book than it is versus the tell-all section where her full backstory is revealed. That is merely a personal preference.

This book may not be for the casual fantasy reader looking for a light romp into the realm of elves and magic and younger readers may not appreciate the subtleties of Willow's transformation or its cause. The magic is a matter of course, often taking a back seat to the main character's development. But there is no shortage of action with an abundance of description that brings the battles to life and drills home the brutality of the victorious. If you prefer the R. A. Salvatore style, you will like this book. If you like characters with depth, that break the traditional hero mold while retaining their super hero like qualities, you will appreciate Willow and to a lesser degree, Telemvar. For the villain minded, pay special attention to Tee-Ri. She practically eclipses Lord Rackal who holds his own in the anals of the hated.

The Prince of Bryanae was my first venture into the genre and I was captivated. Getzin developed a very dynamic set of characters and quickly indoctrinates you into his world. The twists at the end (don't worry I won't spoil it) left me with a pleasant afterglow.

I thought I would have had difficulties visualizing such a nontraditional world but Getzin gradually immerses you in with vivid color and the right amount of details to keep you the story line moving. There was a pleasant combination of fantasy-rich dialog and down to earth humor that will keep the reader walking the line between Bryanae and the plain old earth.

I had my hesitations with diving into this type of book, but they all quickly vanished. I am looking forward to seeing more from the up and coming author.