Title: Brute
Author: Kim Fielding
Genre: Fantasy
Length: Novel (270 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 3, 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Brute leads a lonely life in a world where magic is commonplace. He is seven and a half feet of ugly, and of disreputable descent. No one, including Brute, expects him to be more than a laborer. But heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and when he is maimed while rescuing a prince, Brute’s life changes abruptly. He is summoned to serve at the palace in Tellomer as a guard for a single prisoner. It sounds easy but turns out to be the challenge of his life.
Rumors say the prisoner, Gray Leynham, is a witch and a traitor. What is certain is that he has spent years in misery: blind, chained, and rendered nearly mute by an extreme stutter. And he dreams of people’s deaths—dreams that come true.
As Brute becomes accustomed to palace life and gets to know Gray, he discovers his own worth, first as a friend and a man and then as a lover. But Brute also learns heroes sometimes face difficult choices and that doing what is right can bring danger of its own.
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3443
Reviewer: Showme
Review: I don’t know if I can write a review to do Brute justice, but I will try. This is one of those special books you would see the cover on your shelf, pick it up to read a few pages, end up finishing the entire thing in one sitting, and fall in love with it. Brute is a beautiful compelling story about a damaged hero, and his road to happiness. It’s told though Brute’s POV, and I think that’s what makes it so amazing. Reading this fabulously created fantasy world through his eyes was unique, and gave it a voice that could only be brought to us by the wonderful, gentle giant that is Brute. He’s not a big, stupid oaf like so many people seem to think, but he does have a different way of looking at things.
Brute hasn’t had a great life. He was orphaned under a dark cloud of shame, and dumped on an abusive uncle’s doorstep. Most people would look at this and think ‘how horrible’, but Brute accepts this is all he’s worth, and that some people have less than him. He lives a very simple life once he’s grown and on his own. The only thing that he has going for him is his strength and size, that gets him a laboring job, which sets up his monotonous life of working, eating, and sleeping. He knows he’s freakishly huge and ugly, and that he also prefers men. The only physical contact he knows is from saving up all year to pay a male prostitute double the usual fee for sex. Then everything changes for him, the day he saves the prince after a terrible fall. Brute loses his hand in the rescue, and a man who’s only worth is his physical strength needs his hand. Instead of a reward, the prince offers to find a job if Brute comes to the palace once he’s healed. Brute has no other options, and is quite excited about a chance at a different life, so he sets off to find out what life has in store for him now.
Once at the palace, he learns his job is to watch a single prisoner in a secluded tower. Brute is paid better than ever for his duty, fed the most wonderful food he’s ever tasted, bought a wardrobe, and his room next to the prisoner is much nicer than the one he used to rent. But he doesn’t understand why all that is provided to watch one man? He is instructed to report anything the man says at night, right away, to the guard on duty. Seems easy enough to Brute, but he soon learns why so many men have quit after a short time on the job. The truth terrifies Brute, but it’s important, and he likes having a purpose. Brute’s tender heart can’t stand the way the man is treated, so he feeds him some of his good food, bathes him, gives him blankets, and talks to him. He shows the man a kindness that has been so long missing. To the prisoner, Brute is his savior, and the two fall in love despite their bleak chance at a happy ending. It’s enough to be touched and treated like someone truly cares, for Brute, but at the same time, he can’t stand to see the man he loves spend the rest of his life in that cell. Will he give up his new life and friends and face possible death to set the man he loves free? Or will he just be happy for what he has, like always?
There are so many wonderful things about this book; I can’t possibly put them all in this review. The love story was slow but beautiful. The world building was wonderful. Everyday things seen through Brute’s eyes seemed so much more interesting, and I enjoyed every minute of this book. Immediately after finishing this book I marked three more of Kim Fielding’s book to read. If I love them half as much as I love this book, I’ll be thrilled. I highly recommend this book. One of my favorite reads of 2012.