Apple Boy: The Quiet Work Book 1, Isobel Starling

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.

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A 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 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!