Farview (Greynox by the Sea #2) by Kim Fielding (audiobook) – Narrated by Joel Leslie

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Ravaged by a horrific experience, Oliver Webb flees the smog-bound city of Greynox for a quiet seaside village and the inheritance he’s never seen: a cottage called Farview. He discovers clear skies, friendly imps, and a charming storyteller named Felix Corbyn.

With help from Felix’s tales, Oliver learns surprising secrets about his family history and discovers what home really means. But, with Felix cursed, Oliver growing deathly ill, and an obligation in Greynox hanging heavy around his neck, it seems that not even wizards can save the day.

Still, as Felix knows, stories are the best truths and the most powerful magic. Perhaps the right words might yet conjure a chance for happiness.

Rating: Narration – A; Content – B+

You know how, sometimes, you finish a book, sit back with a sigh and think “what a lovely story!”? I did just that after listening to Kim Fielding’s Farview (book two in her Greynox to the Sea series), a charming, whimsical romance set in a kind of fantasy/AU Victorian England where dragons pull carriages, imps, chatty ghosts, and winged people live side-by side and magic is a part of everyday life. Although it’s the second book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone – and I liked it sufficiently to want to backtrack and listen to book one, Treasure.

When the story begins, Oliver Webb has left the colourless, grime-filled streets of the city of Greynox, where he’s lived his entire life, to settle in the small fishing village of Croftwell , planning to live at Farview Cottage, a property that’s been in his family for generations and which he’s inherited from the mother who died when he was a child. Tired from the long journey, he ventures into one of the village taverns, The Merman, for a drink and a meal, and is somewhat surprised – and maybe a teeny bit irritated – at the friendliness of the locals; he’s not in Croftwell to make friends and he just wants to be left to his own devices. But not long after he sits down, he’s approached by a cheerful (and very attractive) young man called Felix who offers to tell him a story in return for a pint. Intrigued despite himself, Oliver agrees, and Felix tells him the ages old tale of Farview Cottage and the legendary Lyra Moon. Oliver finds himself completely caught up in the story and maybe just a little bit captivated by the storyteller.

Although it’s late by the time he leaves the pub, Oliver makes his way to the remote cottage, dismayed to find it in a bit of a mess. He beds down for the night, and is awoken the next morning by Felix, who has brought food and offers to help get the place tidied up. Following a tasty picnic breakfast, Oliver and Felix begin the work of cleaning and tidying, and Oliver has to admit to himself that he doesn’t exactly hate Felix’s company. The man’s good mood is almost infectious, and much as Oliver tries to avoid looking at him, at something he can never have, he finds that harder and harder to do. But by the end of the day, the cottage is clean at least, and they’re about to prepare a meal when Felix suddenly cries out – the fire in the hearth is out of control and he just about manages to escape being badly burned.

Oliver acts quickly to douse the flames and is surprised when Felix turns down the offer of some magical healing salve for his hands. Then Felix tells his story, explaining how he’s allergic to magic, how it goes badly wrong whenever he’s around, and how it’s made him pretty much an outcast in the community. He’s well-liked, but in a world in which magic-use is the norm, he can’t even have a permanent job or home and has ended up doing odd jobs and couch surfing, moving around every couple of days because having him under one roof for too long could lead to disaster. Oliver is angry on his behalf, but Felix isn’t ground down by or bitter about any of it; he’s wistful and a bit sad sometimes, but mostly he just gets on with life, his naturally upbeat and sunny outlook carrying him through. Oliver is deeply affected by his story, all at once feeling an affinity born of always feeling like an outsider, too, and he decides to help Felix however he can. Over the next few days and weeks, he and Felix become closer, and watching these two damaged men fall for each other is an absolute delight. But it’s clear, right from the beginning, that all is not well with Oliver (not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb) and it soon becomes impossible for him to hide the fact that he’s seriously ill from Felix – or deny that his purpose in coming to Croftwell and to Farview was to live out his remaining days quietly and alone. But that plan has to be set aside when the reason for Oliver’s departure from Greynox – the thing he was running from – resurfaces and he realises he has the ability to set things right. To do so he’ll need to return to the city, which means sacrificing his remaining time with Felix – but the stakes are too high and lives hang in the balance… and Oliver needs to do the right thing even though it will probably be the last thing he does.

(If you’re worried at this point, don’t be – it all works out, I promise.)

Farview is, as I said at the beginning, a lovely story, a fairy tale cleverly woven of stories within stories, featuring two truly endearing characters, complete opposites whose differences complement each other and who bring out the best in one another. The world-building is subtle, full of small day-to-day details that are both magical and mundane, and there’s a well-drawn secondary cast that adds vibrancy to the story.

The only criticism I can really level at the book is that the ending, while it is foreshadowed, feels rather rushed and overly convenient, removing the agency from both leads in favour of a bit of magical hand-waving. The epilogue is swoony, though.

Joel Leslie is a narrator I listen to and review frequently, and it can be difficult to find things to say about a performer who is so consistently good! He has a way of getting into the heads and under the skins of the characters he portrays, and of really getting to the emotional heart of a story; he absolutely nails those things here, navigating the gentle humour, the whimsicality and the moments of heartbreak with effortless skill. His interpretations of Oliver and Felix are excellent, Felix’s softly accented speech full of warmth and good-humour while Oliver’ initial cantankerous standoffishness slowly evaporates as he comes to love Felix and feel a sense of belonging for the first time in his life. Mr. Leslie brings his considerable versatility to bear when it comes to the various secondary characters – who include the ghost of an elderly wizard with more than a hint of the valleys in his voice and cameo appearances from the couple from Treasure – who are all distinctly portrayed and clearly differentiated.

A magical, tender and sweetly sensual story coupled with a warmly perceptiveperformance from Joel Leslie, Farview is a delightful listen and one I can recommend wholeheartedly.

This review originally appeared at AudioGals.