Review: Splinterleaf & Hollowfrost by Justin Greer
Blurb:
It’s a pleasant day in the sun, and the world grows in abundance…
Summer has come to Haverdell, bringing warmth, work, beautiful flowers, the joyous songs of birds, the subtle murmur of trees in the high hills, and traveling merchants down the river with gifts to delight the townsfolk. In preparation for the Summer’s Blessing celebration, many in Haverdell have purchased earthwarden leaves from the merchants, finding them delightsome additions to their food and drink: soothing and invigorating and exotic and wonderful. All seems bright and warm and welcoming.
But Derry, the gardener of Haverdell, thinks that something is amiss. He notices a change among the townsfolk, a strangeness, and begins to suspect that the so-called earthwarden plants are not what they seem. Accompanied by his faithful dog Barrow, Derry investigates the matter, studying books of godslore and the meadows and vales of their home for answers.
The more he uncovers, the more he fears for his friends and his own safety. For the fabled splinterleaf plant has come to Haverdell to clutch the town in its grip of longing and hunger and regret; and if Derry doesn’t act swiftly, all he loves will be swallowed in the greedy maw of the ancient forces that underlie this strange new growth.
Summer’s Blessing approaches, and the splinterleaf plants have taken hold of Haverdell.
Return to the beautiful, fantastical, and charming world of The Garden Knight in this new tale of magic, mystery, and the hold of dreams and regrets over the human heart.
Review:
This is the third entry in the Garden Knight series, serving as a novella following the first book, and it is as enjoyable, cozy, and all around fun to dive into as the others.
Derry is enjoying the summer with a few mishaps here and there, namely in the form of strange growths. They just so happen to coincide with the coming of strange merchants and traders, selling to the townsfolk of Haverdell an exotic plant meant for baking, tea, and all manner of creative cooking. Earthwarden, it's called. An ironic name considering that a warden of the earth is exactly what Derry is, and what he needs to be against this new addition to the diet of Haverdell’s denizens.
Something strange has befallen those that consumed earthwarden. They become overly content to bask in the warmth of the summer sun, and to reminisce on what their lives could have been, compared to what they are becoming. Quickly, Derry and one of his friends in town catch on that something is amiss, because people are repeating themselves, repeating the words of others, and just generally acting out of character. All at once.
Derry does what he can to look into this strange plant, to its connections to the past. He comes upon some fallen god of the sun and the summer, who consumed itself in pursuit of greatness, and is going to drag Haverdell’s people down to come back to power. How does Derry stop it? Well, you’re going to have to read the book to find out, but it’s a story that I loved, that wrapped up nicely, and that leaves me waiting patiently for the next installment in the tales of Derry and his faithful hound Barrow.
The characterization, again, is wonderful. Derry is full of concern for his fellow townsfolk, but more importantly, for life in general. We see time and time again the Derry sticks his head out to save others, from plants to people, dogs to deer, he goes above and beyond to preserve life. He is a protagonist we cannot help but love, root for, cheer on, laugh with, smile with… Yeah, you get the idea. Greer has done a fantastic job with his character, his growth. It feels wrong to say growth, because Derry started off great. Perhaps ‘settling in’ is a better way to say it. Derry has hit his stride, and came into his role as protector, friend, and all around great guy with each page. He’s a real treat, and it helps that he has a wonderfully adorable hound at his side, too.
The other characters, really there is only one important one (aside from Barrow), named Jaslyn, play a more minor but still vital role. Jaslyn goes along with Derry and is a great help in repelling and overturning the effects of earthwarden. She is a stalwart companion to Derry, and a friend that we would all want to have.
The cozy setting and atmosphere mixed with the masterful prose of Greer make this another joy to read, as are the rest of his books. Are there high stakes? Yes. Are people in danger? Also yes. But every page reads like a story you’d be read as a kid, or a tale to enjoy by the fire with a nice cup of hot chocolate (or tea, coffee, whiskey, or any other drink of preference). It is a perfect rainy day read, to embrace the seasons, to embrace nature, to embrace life itself. Maybe its unfair to call it cozy when the stakes do get a bit high, but cozy is exactly how I felt when I read this book. Moreover, I’ve compared Greer’s books to other cozy greats like Baldree and Chambers, and I stick by that. This is a masterful cozy series, and one that more people should be giving a shot.
The plot is rather interesting yet different enough from the previous two stories to keep the pages turning one after the other until I’ve finished this book in one sitting without even realizing. The only complaint here is that I want more. 100 odd pages is not nearly enough with Derry, Barrow, Haverdell, and beyond. On the bright side, its complete, well rounded, and very, very enjoyable. What more can you ask for with a story so compact? Nothing, in my opinion.
Splinterleaf & Hollowfrost is a great continuation of Derry and Barrow’s story, their character, and a wonderful ride that more people should come along for.
