June 1, 2024
Castle's atmospheric debut, vibrantly narrated by Cloud Quinn, follows Bront� "Bron" Ellis, a gender-fluid young man who has accepted a position as a live-in tutor at Greenwood Manor, an estate near Cambridge University. Having failed to get into university, Bron feels this is as close as he may ever get to his dream of living out his literary fantasies at a grand English estate. Narrator Quinn captures Bron's infectious personality, including his love of literature and all things Austen and Bront�. There are also generational secrets and intrigues that seem to manifest as events at the manor come to pass. But as with all great fiction, not all is as it seems, and Bron's imagination runs wild with dramatic scenarios. With a suspicious fire, a brooding prodigal son named Darcy, and secrets that threaten to destroy Bron's desperate need to be loved and accepted, the story has all of the makings of a classic. And just as Bron thinks he knows where every character fits into the literary narrative, he finds that he might have misjudged and, perhaps, lost his chance at a happily-ever-after. VERDICT A captivating debut for listeners interested in a reimagining of literary classics from an LGBTQIA+ perspective.--Laura Brosie
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