Synopsis:
In a town full of carpenters, how does an apprentice carve his own path? Buckle down, learn his craft, and hope someone recognises his talent – or look for something more?
Jef could never have guessed that one night’s drinking and a little magical tampering would begin a journey of life-changing proportions!
Tricked into a quest to create a magical jewellery box for a fiancée he isn’t entirely sure he wants to marry, Jef finds himself mixing with demi-gods, a talking badger, and a down-trodden half-elf questioning where she belongs in the world.
If you are waiting for inspiration to strike, or for your life to change, heed this cautionary tale!
Review:
Alright, so this review has been a very long time coming. I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of this novel, way back before it came out. And, only now, am I finally getting around to writing a proper review.
Carpentry in the Elven Forest by Alex French falls somewhere within that realm of cozy fantasy, of which I am no expert on, but as with all genre tags, just calling this a cozy fantasy really does this novel no justice. It’s so much more.
We follow Jef, a carpenter that is perhaps looking for a bit more in life. A night of drunken antics lead him to his quest and the adventure that ensues. Along the way, Jef meets other notable characters, and in all regards French’s skill shines.
One of the many things I loved about this book was definitely that cozy aspect. This book is a rather romping adventure, that was just a ton of fun to read. It was that much needed light in my towering TBR of bleak, dark fantasy. French quickly establishes these characters, chock full of heart and personality, and as I reader, I eagerly followed them along the way, hoping for the best and enjoying every snort of laughter and eyeroll of anger (oh the puns!).
Throughout every aspect of this book, French masterfully interlaces his humor. From the dry snarky bits, to those aforementioned puns, to clever wit. It permeates the prose, the dialogue, the footnotes, and worldbuilding and it does it in such a naturally flowing way.
All the while, that humor is seeping its way through every facet, French manages to craft a vast world and engaging story to encompass it. Along the way he introduces a ton of side characters, often taking common tropes and twisting them in interesting ways.
To reiterate, this book was such a FUN read. But don’t let that cheapen it. Carpentry in the Elven Forest is a gem! Enjoyable on every level, and will leave you smiling. Or irate… seriously, lots of puns. It’s amazing and I can’t wait to read more from Alex French.
Check out Alex’s website here:
https://www.thedeepdarkscave.com
And I feel I’d be remiss to not mention the amazing cover art by Tabitha Marsh. It fits this novel so perfectly. Her website can be found here:
