Ice goblin magic, an enchanted prince, and a peasant girl with nothing but courage and compassion
Life in the North Lands has always been hard, but this winter is the most desperate Gytha has ever seen. Her family is desperate for any help.
Even from the enormous white bear.
Alexander offers food and kind words in his deep, growly voice, and Gytha cannot help but trust him. Even if he does have long, white teeth and claws.
But what he asks in return for his help will test Gytha’s very soul. For a year and a day, she must endure loneliness and isolation in the prison of the ice goblin queen, without letting the queen’s twisted words or the uncanny, silent goblin servants break her determination or her faith in Alexander.
What if Gytha’s courage and compassion are not enough to overcome the ice goblin queen’s magic?
What will it take to free the bear prince? Gytha, and the friends she has made in the frozen North, will not rest until they find out. Courage is not real until it is tested.
What will come will test them all.
Although Snow Bound is part of the All That Glitters multi-author series, it is set in the same world as The Silent Prince.
“Of all the East of the Moon West of the Sun retellings that I’ve read, this one is by far the most unique. It has the elements of the original, but then the author went in new directions that breathed new life into the story. I thought Gytha was a wonderful and human character. Alexander started out the mysterious and incredible Bear Prince, but then we got to know him and his story is much deeper.” – Leah
“This was such a lovely book. The world today would benefit from so much integrity, honor and kindness. I really loved it and smiled through the entire book.” – Bud9875
“Magical and tender, Snow Bound swept me into a frozen world full of heart, sacrifice, and quiet strength. Even without being familiar with the original fairy tale (East of the Sun, West of the Moon), I found this retelling to be engaging and beautifully written. C.J. Brightley’s prose is elegant and immersive, with just enough intrigue and warmth to keep the pages turning. …this one definitely delivered. I was invested in Gytha’s journey from the start. She’s compassionate and quietly brave—exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for. Her dynamic with Alexander (the enchanted prince) was tender and layered, and the “friends to lovers” element paired with the forced proximity made their slow connection feel earned and genuine. …That line alone still sits with me.” – Erin Carney
A voiceless prince. A desperate princess. A sham romance that turns heart-breakingly real.
When cocky Mer prince Kaerius impulsively saves the human princess from drowning, he doesn’t expect to fall in love with her. Yet her human fragility is so unexpectedly sweet that he is soon head over tails. So he bargains his voice to the Lord of the Deep for a chance to court her on land. He’s confident that he can win her affection–he’s irresistible, after all.
But he is a fish out of water in the human world. He didn’t expect it to be so difficult to make Marin appreciate his charms. Her father is ailing, her kingdom is threatened from multiple directions, and she must choose from among several foreign suitors to keep her people free. Thinking Kaerius no more than a mute stranger, she asks him to pose as her suitor to give her leverage with the foreign lords vying for her hand. But not all of them are so easily deterred, and they won’t take no for an answer.
Kaerius will have to show the princess that his love is not just an act, but how can he win her, much less save her, without a word?
The Silent Prince, a gender-swapped retelling of The Little Mermaid, is part of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after.
“This was such a fun and engaging read—once I started I couldn’t put it down! Brightley has composed a tale of courage, humility, and true love in this wonderfully unique twist on the Little Mermaid. I loved the hilarious (and sometimes precarious) situations the proud Kaerius stumbled into as a literal fish out of water. His growth through the story was such a delight to read! I utterly adored Marin, and her dignity, intelligence, and strength solidified her as one of my favorite female leads.” – Constance S.
“Oh man did I dislike Kaerius at the beginning. I mean, I really disliked him. I was thankful for a different review letting me know that it would be worth it to push through. The amount of dislike I had for him made it all the more glorious when his pride crumbled and his humility took the lead. I Love that Kaerius never once lied about who he was, he kept telling everyone he was the prince of the Mer…. They just didn’t understand him or believe him! I also loved all the culture clashes that Kai had to learn because of him being “raised by fish” 😆 Even without a voice, he made his messages known pretty well, and even when he didn’t, it was chuckle-worthy as the reader to get the entire message and for those around him to get half of it. I loved the bromance level friendship that developed. I also particularly appreciated the fact that the princess was a brilliant strategist which progressed the plot line of the story in a way more interesting way than the typical Little Mermaid storyline. The romance was absolutely devastatingly swoony! Kai’s arrogance at the beginning made it so much sweeter. The Lord of the Deep was friggin epic. Absolutely epic.” – Amanda
The Fair Folk are stealing children.
One man is stealing them back.
When Miss Lilybeth Rose Hathaway and her family arrive in Ardmond for the season, Lily can’t help but be charmed by wealthy, popular Theo Overton’s lovely manners and genuine affection. The Hathaways are soon elevated far beyond what they might have imagined, and like everyone else, they are captivated by rumors of the national hero known as the Wraith, who is saving human children from the terrors of the Fair Court.
The arrival of the Special Envoy of the Fair Court tasked with capturing the Wraith frightens everyone. But the Wraith is far too clever to be captured… until the stakes become personal.
The Wraith and the Rose is a delightful reimagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel in a Victorian-inspired setting with dangerous Fair Folk and a love worth dying for.
“…Between debutante balls ruined by a grumpy Fairy, stolen children, a Scarlet Pimpernel-esque masked magical hero and the pending destruction of the magical world, the sweet charm and handsome manners will delight and uplift.” – Jessica
“It is utterly delightful. Brightley, as always, does a magnificent job with her creation of the fae and their land.
My abso-freaking-lute most favorite part of this book is Theo, one of the main characters. He is vibrant, funny, kind, and just… the very best person. I want a Theo friend. Everyone should have a Theo friend. …
I loved the ending, but I can’t say more because I don’t do spoiler reviews. I’ll just say it was clever and satisfying and leave it at that. The attention to detail made this world feel perfectly regency/Victorian-esque. It is a charming story, and the perfect comfort read.” – Constance
When a fairy king grants a human wish, there’s more at stake than dreams.
Claire Delaney has a good life, despite her adolescent angst. But she wants more. In a moment of frustration, she wishes to be “the hero.”
What she actually wants is to be the center of attention, but what she gets is a terrifying Fae king demanding that she rescue an imprisoned fairy, facing fantastical dangers and hardships she could not have imagined.
Yet the dreams–and the rescue–are only the beginning of her journey. She is at the center of the king’s audacious gamble to end the war that has raged in Faerie for half a century.
“The Lord of Dreams is a gorgeously written tale about a girl who finds herself transported into Fairyland, tasked with rescuing a prisoner hidden deep in the sparkling, dangerous world of the Fae.
Unlike so many books where the fae are very human, in Brightley’s book they are foreign, magical creatures that live in a world that is so different than our own – a world where time and distance isn’t quite as important as things like intentions and dreams. The story is filled with wonder, beautiful but menacing creatures, and always shadowed by the mesmerizing Lord of Dreams.”
“Brightley surprised me by writing a book that is both intensely masculine and deeply introspective. Sendoa is the consummate warrior and takes great physical delight in his own exercises, which Brightley describes so well you feel as if you are living in the man’s skin. … We discover that the war hero has his own issues, even as he helps the prince overcome his.
Brightley’s prose is unpretentious, direct and often understated, which lends it the power of simplicity and perfectly suits the temperament of the narrator. … He has thoughts worth listening to. … There is genuine nobility of character here, without pretension.”
“Brightley has done it not only again, but even better.”
“isn’t just about fantasy world building or high adventure, though it certainly has those. What holds it together at its core is a strong sense of relationship development and appreciation of the differences between people.”
“C. J. Brightley has created a world and characters so real that the end of the third book in the trilogy felt like losing good friends. Her imagination knows no bounds. The Erdemen Honor trilogy belongs on every fiction reader’s bookshelf, and if you are a writer, you should do it like this.”
“I truly enjoyed all three books in this series. I could not put them down. I wish there were a dozen more! Well written stories like these with characters that have traits like honor, courage, and commitment are absolutely the best to read. Well done”
“A gripping tale, it has well-drawn characters and a believable plot even in these few short pages. Unputdownable!”
“I’m about to read this series over again rather than have to do without – oh PLEASE keep writing!!!”
“…by turns, captivating and heartbreaking. An excellent story with twists and turns aplenty.”
“It has been a long time since I’ve read a fantasy novel in which the magical element seems legitimately alien and marvelous. But this book has it, and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.”
“… beautifully blends in a strong discussion of God’s sovereignty and apologetics with a fast moving plot and deep, relatable characters.”
“… That was fantastic.”
“What an incredible journey this has been! Aria is a heroine that is easily related to and the rest of the characters are so realistic, then add in love, pain, growth, and redemption, to make a book hard to put down. Leaves me with a good feeling.”
“Touching and intensely romantic…”
“It is a gentle tale that pulls at the heart strings without being twee. The love story part of this is where the true magic lies. Brightley’s prose makes me want to wax poetic but I know that I cannot do her justice.”
“The talent of C.J. Brightley is in creating worlds and characters that invite you, draw you in. Traveling between our world and a world of Fairy kings and subjects is magic. Add love, true deep honorable love, and you are transported to a land wished for but not seen since Camelot. There is wonder and joy, fear and betrayal, wisdom and strength.”
“More fun with the 12 Days of Christmas than I’ve ever had!
Brightley delivers again with a magical, funny sweet romance that’s peppered with the literal gifts of the twelve days of Christmas, leaving Charlotte with enough enchanted birds to fill her apartment.
Charlotte and the mysterious Ronan have twelve days to figure out what is going on, before one – or both- of them is destroyed by a love curse.
Funny, charming, and full of magical Christmas birds, this short novel is the perfect way to enjoy Christmas any time of year!”
Phoenix Crate – noblebright fantasy books delivered quarterly!
I started Phoenix Crate as a way to share some of my favorite noblebright fantasy books.
