S.J. Himes - The Solstice Prince

Rescued from slavers, healer novice Jaime Buchanan finds himself alone and free in Pyrderi, a kingdom of magic, mythical creatures, and a culture as open and kind as his homeland was cruel and close-minded.
Despite his rescue, Jaime is not left without scars, both mental and physical. Traumatized by his experience and hiding his gift, Jaime struggles to earn his place in the kitchens of Angharad Palace, the heart of Taliesin City. His former life as a student of the healing arts leaves him at a disadvantage in the kitchens, and his damaged state is becoming more apparent by the day.
One day, when necessity and fate intervene, Jaime meets someone unexpected—Prince Maxim, youngest son of the Pyrderian king, a sword master and a devastatingly kind man. Unaccustomed to powerful people with compassion and heart, Jaime flees. A cascade of events reveals Jaime’s hidden talents of healing, and he finds himself not in chains, but at the beginning of a new life.
This swift change of fortune opens Jaime up to new possibilities, including a smitten prince who cautiously courts Jaime, easing him away from his fears and reminding him that compassion and love can make him strong. The winter solstice is quickly approaching, and Prince Maxim shows Jaime the enjoyment and excitement to be found in a land that embraces the ice and cold, and the mysteries of all things magical. He learns to see the man under the royal mantle, and Maxim is more than even Jaime suspected.
The winter solstice is nigh when tragedy strikes, and Jaime learns that his past of grief and sorrow can be a pillar of strength for his solstice prince. If there is one thing that Jaime believes above all else, it is in the healing power of love.

Comment: I've added this book to my TBR after seeing a positive review and the recommendation of the person who liked it that much.

This is a sweet novella featuring Jamie Buchanan, who was recently rescued from slavers and now, with the impossibility to go back home and having nothing there anyway waiting for him, he is working as a kitchen apprentice in the castle of the country that saved him. Now, there are laws that forbid slavery and so many other things which were norm in his own country and he hopes he can have a quiet life, not being the center of attention, even if that means he might not be the healer he was studying for. However, a lucky task to take something for prince Maxim to eat changes, once more, the course of his life...

It is certainly true this novella was a sweet one and I'd go a step further to say it is actually more sugary than sweet, sometimes exaggeratedly so. It is the first time I've tried a book by the author and I knew this would be fantasy, would have romance and that was very low in angst but I confess I still hoped it would be a bit more challenging to read.

I've felt this was too simplistic and never really got to any specific point, meaning the plot is non existing, basically the story is about how Jamie and Maxim supposedly fall in love because this new realm is like an utopia and perfect whereas the one Jamie lived in was almost all negative, to the point he could become a slave to pay debts left by his father. I can see why the author wanted to write something which would contrast so heavily two antagonist realities, but it feels as if there wasn't truly any layering or development to what was being presented. Everything was too easy, too bland.

Jamie was studying to become a healer, which in this universe is a good thing, since there is magic and there is the possibility of helping others this way, but his life took a turn for the worst when he was sold and now he has the physical marks because of that. I can understand the justification of why he is shy and wants to be left alone but since he is young (17 or 18) he still has this sense of innocence about him. I think a quiet but steady evolution for him would be good and would match his past experiences but I'm afraid his change from kitchen boy to being in love with the prince, while satisfying in a romantic point of view, lacked emotional depth.

I don't have much to say about Maxim, he is the other protagonist but he clearly doesn't take the same center stage as Jamie. He is, pretty much, a sweet young man, who has had privilege to live in an accepting and fair realm and that shows in his personality. I can also accept why he was attracted to Jamie physically but the type of interactions he had with Jamie are so juvenile, the situations they go through along with their age makes this a YA type of story which I ended up feeling was a bit too boring.

The cover is very realistic to the type of story we have here, one only needs to see the youth countenance of the facial expressions to see this wasn't going to be very challenging but the premise isn't a bad one... perhaps if they had been older and the world building more complex...the author could have certainly developed everything to include more information on the world.

I feel this meant to be a cute but quick introduction to this world but it didn't really hit the mark for me. It's great we can read about nice people and how deserving they are but there still has to exist some kind of conflict, even if only internal. I feel we don't have that here, at all.

Grade: 5/10