A NEW LGBT FANTASY SERIES FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR ISOBEL STARLINGA lost lordling, a farm boy, and a tale of mystery, magic, and murder! After a traumatic event, Winter Aeling finds himself destitute and penniless in the backwater town of Mallowick. He needs to travel to the city of Serein and impart grave news that will bring war to the Empire, but without a horse, money, and with not a soul … without a horse, money, and with not a soul willing to help him, he has no choice but to line up with the common folk seeking paid work on the harvest.
As wagons roll into the market square and farmers choose day laborers, Winter is singled out for abuse by a brute of a farmer. The only man who stands up for him is the farmer’s beguiling son, Adam, and on locking eyes with the swarthy young man Winter feels the immediate spark of attraction.
Winter soon realizes there is a reason he has been drawn to Blackdown Farm. The farmer possesses a precious item that was stolen long ago from Winter’s family, and he determines to retrieve it. He also cannot take his eyes off Adam, and as the young man opens up Winter can’t help wondering if Adam is just kind or his kind!
Wordcount: 103,600 words, 556 pages
FYI- “Apple Boy” has an M/M couple, graphic gay sexual activity and a cliffhanger ending.
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The story building this book has is sooo good. I found I could see the details being described, and I was not mad about it. Sometimes I could care less, but this world I wanted all the details. Both MC’s in this story are everything and really connect you to the story and their lives. I wanted to know more, and by the end I was left wanting their story to continue only to see it is a different MC for the next book. Well I am a bit disappointed, as I would love to read about Adam and Win. Win is a Lord of a prestigious land whereas Adam is a farmer’s song. Together they are everything and there is fantasy and magic and just all around happenings going on that cannot be missed. Great audio done by Gary Furlong as well.
For all you mm fantasy lovers out there, you have to try this one!
Audio Review
Performance 5
Story 5
Overall 5
Not my usual type of book but I loved it!
I don’t read a lot of what I would call fantasy stories and even though I love this author’s work I avoided reading this one for two reasons – it has a cliffhanger (but kudos to Isobel Starling for disclosing that in the story’s blurb) and it was a fantasy. So, what changed my mind? I freely admit that it was the offer of a free Audible code and Gary Furlong doing the audio performance (sigh, I love his voice!).
While this story does have a cliffhanger, and I definitely want to listen to the next one, The Apple Boy was so compelling and such a rich and detailed story, that I didn’t feel like I was totally left hanging. That may not make much sense because there definitely is much more to come but I was left feeling pretty satisfied with what I had just listened to.
The world building that Ms. Starling has done is fantastic. I honestly am not sure what to say in this review because I don’t want to give anything away. The blurb tells of “mystery, magic and murder” and there sure all of that. There’s also a fantastic love story between Winter and his “Apple Boy,” Adam.
Let me just say that both Winter and Adam learn things about themselves that they had no clue about and they are able to do great things together.
I can’t say enough good things about Gary Furlong’s performance of the story. While I’m sure I would have liked the story well enough if I had read it first, Gary’s performance is so perfect and compelling; he really is the main reason I wanted to listen to this.
I am truly hooked on this series now and look forward to the next one.
This is one of the best lines I’ve heard in a long time: “You, Winter Aeling have been running around Serein like a boy who has just discovered his cock and wants to show everyone what it does!”
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
Apple Boy is the first book in The Quiet Work series by Isobel Starling. This story is filled with adventure, magic, danger and of course, romance.
The main characters are Winter and Adam. They have great chemistry and are exciting to read about their journey. The characters are well developed, the story well written and the plot interesting. Overall an enjoyable book.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
Epic fantasy, gripping mystery, erotic romance… YES! Apple Boy, the first book in Isobel Starling’s latest series The Quiet Work, is a non-stop adventure and thoroughly entrancing. I’ve never read anything that wasn’t excellent by this talented author, but Ms. Starling has definitely raised the bar with this one! I’m recommending it to everybody, because it’s just that good.
As fans of Isobel Starling’s audiobooks can attest, no one can do her stories justice like Gary Furlong. His performances elevate the experience, and bring everything to life in the most wonderful way. It’s like listening to a Broadway play.
Mr. Furlong’s vocal style and accents are truly limitless and he continues to come up with new and inspired ways to add expression and uniqueness to every character. Who but Gary Furlong could make two elderly solicitors (who just happen to be birds) voices fit them so perfectly they actually come alive?
Told as a narrative, Winter Aeling’s story unfolds gradually. What appears to be a simple smuggling scheme turns out to run far deeper, and Winter’s unwitting discovery is the start to his incredible journey. Destiny, magic, and luck play equal parts in his quest to deliver his news to the political center of this empire, and without giving too much away I can say that his stopover at the apple orchard is no fluke.
The chemistry that sparks between Winter and Adam, the orchard owner’s son, evolves into a deep and true friendship. A delicious slow-burn, it’s a pleasure to watch as their unresolved sexual tension reaches astronomical proportions. Trust me when I say it’s definitely worth the wait. Isobel Starling is a master of erotic love scenes, and she hasn’t let her readers down yet.
Apple Boy is an emotional story and flows from playful humor to dark and tragic events with far reaching consequences. The deeply passionate connections of lovers are just as important as the poignant moments between family members and each contribute to the overall flavor of the tale. The world Isobel Starling builds is filled with olde tyme charm and colorful characters.
The happy-for-now ending is wonderful for Winter and Adam, and I’m looking forward to catching up with them later in the series. I know we’ve just scratched the surface of this incredible world, and I can’t wait to see what the next book in this marvelous new series will bring. There’s no doubt, with Isobel Starling’s imagination, the sky’s the limit!
5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
Narration: 5
So good!
This story is a mysterious adventure into a new world of magic, mages, mysteries, and murder. It has a unique historical undertone that makes it that much more enjoyable as you follow Winter and Adam, as they discover the truth of the world they live in and the special connection they share.
The book does end on a cliffhanger that’ll leave you dying for more but the story itself is a thrilling adventure I couldn’t put down!! I loved the attention to detail, here and there and the world Isobel has created is incredible. I love a good mystery and this has that in the bag! I look forward to the next book and can’t wait to see were Isobel will take us next!
I thought the connection between Winter and Adam was wonderful. They are drawn together and while there are situations beyond their control I found their connection very organic and their chemistry electric. I love the historical undertones were some town forbid Winter and Adam’s connection and that adds to the thriller and mystery of their bond and the magic they spark together.
A great creation by Isobel and I highly recommend giving it a listen. Gary does a fantastic job, gives each character a voice and draws you into the mystery and adventure! 5 stars from me!!!
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In an unfamiliar land with only the clothes on his back, Winter Aeling finds himself at the harsh mercies of a hard-fisted master. What he also finds is the abusive man’s son, a beautiful young man who seems to have only kindness in his heart. Their journey is long and definitely arduous, but what they grow between them is full of magic, exploration, discovery, and heartfelt promise.
Win and Adam have a connection that began as very basic and juvenile in their age and inexperience, but it grew to something that I felt would become quite strong. While I wasn’t a fan of the constant comparisons or frequent thoughts of Win’s past conquests, the passion shared between them was both tender and exciting. They both appreciated as much as they aroused one another and all their passionate encounters were based on both of those things.
This was quite a long story. There were just so many words! With fewer words the story would probably have worked just as well, though I learned to appreciate the detail and a lot of the minutiae because all that came in handy when other things were revealed. The overall feel, though, was that the story just felt so long instead of just feeling like a super descriptive, exciting journey. And being from only Win’s point of view, there wasn’t really a break in the voice to get a different perspective or picture of what they experience along the way. Despite all those descriptions the world-building remained quite confusing for a while. I had a list of questions that just got longer as the story progressed. Some of them are great points to draw interest for the continuation of the series, but I still ended the story feeling confused about many things.
Once I got past the many mental observations and connections made by Win that seemed more for the reader than the characters themselves I really did become invested in the story. The magic elements remain a mystery that I’m really intrigued about and will more than likely continue the series to learn more about it. As the series will follow different characters connected with Win and Adam I’m eager to see how the bonded pair fare in the relative periphery of the group as the turmoil and revelations continue to rock their world.