Brute in Read with Pride Northwest

Jan 29, 2015 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, m-m-fantasy-scifi-pnr-romance, cinnamon-roll-heroes, gentle-giant

7/24/18 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brute-Kim-Fiel... ...more

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Nov 16, 2012 ttg rated it really liked it

Shelves: challenge-read, reviews, m-m

3.5-4 stars – A nice fantasy/fairy tale read about Brute, an “ogre” of a man, over seven feet tall and considered ugly by most, whose life is changed when he saves a prince, and he moves from his poor, laboring existence in the country to a cushy job at the castle. There, he is assigned to guard one prisoner, a mysterious man who is wracked with prophetic nightmares. But that’s just the first of many changes Brute will discover.

What I liked. This is the first book I’ve read by Fielding and her w 3.5-4 stars – A nice fantasy/fairy tale read about Brute, an “ogre” of a man, over seven feet tall and considered ugly by most, whose life is changed when he saves a prince, and he moves from his poor, laboring existence in the country to a cushy job at the castle. There, he is assigned to guard one prisoner, a mysterious man who is wracked with prophetic nightmares. But that’s just the first of many changes Brute will discover.

What I liked. This is the first book I’ve read by Fielding and her writing is pleasant, easy, and smooth. I appreciated how she subverted fairy tale tropes in the story, and made her Disney Princess character a lumbering giant of a man. Brute is mistreated and tormented like poor Cinderella, but slowly and surely rises to his HEA through the power of his innate kindness, love, humility, and willingness for self-sacrifice. (And like a true Disney Princess, he even sings to himself.)

Brute is a very sympathetic character, and his inability to let others suffer, even if they have wronged him, makes him a character to really cheer for. I also appreciated his humanizing journey, and how it’s not just how he feels more human, but how his actions humanizes others. In that way, I think of him as more of the role of “Beauty,” even though his appearance is more “beast-like.”

The only unfortunate thing about Disney Princesses is that they can be dull characters. Kind, sweet, and lovely, but not always rich and complex. If Brute has a character flaw, it’s his over-willingness to sacrifice his own happiness for others. I kind of wanted to shake him at one point, like, “you don’t need to do this! You guys can still be happy without doing this!” But, of course, his actions lead to more epiphanies, and characters later reflect, “Your many acts of prior kindness have not changed my mind before, but with this new act, I have been touched, and will change accordingly.” This is just a personal reaction, but I felt a little over-martyred by the end of this.

For me, the pacing was also a little slow at times, and with a little too much description that was easy to skim and skip over.

But it’s a sweet read, and I was teary at a few moments ((view spoiler)) If you like your m/m with a good fairy tale spin, this may hit all your buttons well. ...more

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Sep 01, 2013 Shelby rated it really liked it

Shelves: angst, sweet-for-the-soul, abuse, deserve-additional-reads, law-enforcement-bodyguard-pi, magic-mage, friends-to-lovers, m-m, vanilla-little-or-no-sex, fantasy

This was a sweet little romp of a fairytale trope. It certainly wasn’t what I expected going in, though I’m not even sure I really knew what that something was, but it was definitely enjoyable. Brute is such a sweet lump of a guy you can’t help but go awwwwwwww at his wonderful good nature. I just kept wanting for everything to turn out alright for him.

Brute grew up in a land with magic and wonder yet found himself to always be the object of scorn. His father was hung as a thief and his mother This was a sweet little romp of a fairytale trope. It certainly wasn’t what I expected going in, though I’m not even sure I really knew what that something was, but it was definitely enjoyable. Brute is such a sweet lump of a guy you can’t help but go awwwwwwww at his wonderful good nature. I just kept wanting for everything to turn out alright for him.

Brute grew up in a land with magic and wonder yet found himself to always be the object of scorn. His father was hung as a thief and his mother committed suicide shortly thereafter leaving Brute all alone in the world. When a abnormal growth spurt puts Brute over seven feet he’s left being taunted his whole life about being ugly and an ogre. Used as a common laborer and told he’d never amount to anything, verbally abused as stupid all it ever did was make Brute kind. Saving the life of a prince was never in Brute’s plan though. He’s never really looked for anything more in his life, but he couldn’t just let the prince fall to his death when it was in his power to save him even when saving him cost Brute one his hands and thus his livelihood. When the prince offers him a job as a guard of just one prisoner Brute has no other real options before him.

Gray Lehman is a witch. One stupid decision done out of pain for love though cost him his freedom and has left him trapped in a tower for years. His dreams reported back to the king via a string of guards who never stay long too creeped out by the blind man nearly mute because of his stutter who dreams of people’s deaths night after night. Dreams which inevitably will come true without some sort of interference. Gray’s been neglected and abused by his past jailors and he expects nothing more when his new caretaker is shown in. But that’s just not in Brute’s makeup.

I just wanted to hug Brute. He’s a dear man and I loved how all his struggles had just made him kind. He’s a man who doesn’t understand how anyone can deny others basic human decency. He doesn’t see how that should in anyway make him a hero. He is so selfless he’s willing to sacrifice himself for a stranger. You can’t help but want some one that true to not find happiness for themselves. Brute deserves to have someone, even if it is just one person, see how truly special he is.

I actually really liked Gray’s character. He’s not as wholly pure as Brute is so it makes him more identifiable even though this story is told from Brute’s perspective. He’s made mistakes in the past. He’s screwed up but royal and he has paid for it. I loved how incredulous he was at the little kindnesses Brute would offer his way. You really got to see the man emerge from the tortured trembling mess that Gray had become while incarcerated.

This story was made more enjoyable for me because these two men weren’t portrayed as perfect specimens of awesomeness. Brute aka Aric is huge, ugly and scarred on the outside but is the most beautiful human in his soul. Gray may have had the pretty exterior, but he’s made his share of mistakes and isn’t quite so pure inside. Together they see the beauty the other has to offer and encourage each other to be better men or to trust that they are amazing because someone else thinks so. I liked the slow burn of this story and while normally I like to actually indulge in reading about the sexy times between my main characters this story would have suffered to have really gone there. Hinting at their physical relationship before essentially fading to black suits the style of this story so much better. I never doubted the love these two had together and how much comfort they found just being near the other.

On a simple side note I loved watching Brute make friends around the castle. I liked seeing him explore the greater world and finally be seen for who he was not what he looked like. Ahhh stories with morals. :D

All in all this was a very well written enjoyable sweet story. It just didn’t somehow have that final zing to make it truly exceptional in my book. I very much enjoyed what I was reading but found myself going “awwwwwwwww” through the whole thing without any real “oh my” moments. Very solid story and well crafted. I will continue to come back to Ms. Fielding for the quality of her books. I enjoy them every time.
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Feb 10, 2013 Abi Walton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, history, a-good-book

This book was incredible!!! Could not put it down this story follows a man called Brute who is always pushed aside because he is "ugly" but inside he is the most incredible man who cares about everyone and has a heart of gold. Brute becomes the guard for Grey who is meant to have betrayed the kingdom. This should be a fairy tale and this story makes you see the world differently. Fielding has created a character who you can't help but fall in love with because he is so incredibly brave and heroi ...more

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Aug 09, 2018 Shelley Chastagner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: have-it, print

Simply one of the best new to me books I've read this year. Kim fielding is an insta-buy for me any more. Brute/Aric is an amazing hero. He gives without thought, cares deeply for everyone and grows to love Gray beyond measure. Gray has lived with his mistake for years, suffering unimaginable things. With Aric he learns true love. Great side characters and fantastic storyline. Go buy it now.
Highly recommended book and author
Adult read ...more

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