The Hawkman by Jane Rosenberg LaForge is an original and powerfully written reworking of the Grimm's fairy tale Bearskin. The novel departs from the fairy tale in a lot of ways, and not having any prior knowledge of the earlier fable doesn't detract in any way from this novel.

The author is a poet and it shines through in the exquisite use of language. Most of the prose in the book is transcendent and very 'painterly'. It's a fantasy, but grounded in reality. I wouldn't call it magical realism, exactly (with the exception of one passage, which seemed written to indicate that it was metaphorical, not literal).

The book is beautifully written and poignant. I haven't often been touched as deeply or felt as attached as I did to the characters in The Hawkman. It's a book about the casualties (both literal and figurative) of the first world war, so much of the book was brutal and sad. I found the redemptive themes of love and kindness and humanity had even more impact when presented in contrast. It's been several weeks since I finished reading the book and I still find myself thinking about it often.

It's a really beautiful, lush, gorgeously written novel.

Due out 5th June, 2018 from Amberjack publishing. 280 pages in paperback and ebook formats.

Five stars

it is not my kind of books to read, however I did enjoy it and it was beautiful written. The story line was also interesting.

I’d like to thank Netgalley for this copy of The Hawkman in exchange for a fair review.

It’s a bold attempt to link fairytale with historical fiction.

The language is gorgeous and the setting unique ( as The Great War is often over looked). The author braids fairytale with the grit of war.

While that braid doesn’t always seem to fit, I couldn’t fault the author for her creativity. The only sticking point for me was the constant switch between past and present tense.

A beautiful historical fiction book with a tad of fantasy/folklore set post WW1. I enjoyed it quite a bit - the growing relationship between the protagonists, the slight sense of a fairytale and overall well-written prose.

I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book I struggled through. I don't think I care for the popular fairy tale setting of novels dealing with real issues. The imagery is well done and is the book's strong point.

i am still reading it! and the hawkman's past a.k.a. mr. sheehan seems interesting!

also, i love miss williams! she's a such a good, smart and talented lady!

This book, was [for me] honestly all over the place. At times a 2.5, other times a 3.5 verging on a 4-- for its originality (though in Source Material Notes, LaForge says was primarily inspired by a reading of the Grimm Brothers' fairytale, "The Bearskin." Full disclosure: not familiar with this story]. Most reviewers rated this more highly than I--could not.

As advertised: "A great war, a great love, and the mythology that unites them; The Hawkman: A Fairy Tale of the Great War is a lyrical adaptation of a beloved classic." Set in an English village, [Bridgetonne] in late 19th/early 20th century. An American schoolteacher [Eva] at a small college in the town, and an Irish musician [Michael] are thrown together in unusual circumstances. She's a loner, he's even more so--and when first introduced to him, he's a scary figure--the Hawkman. Michael is also damaged--a POW from the Great War, most likely suffering from PTSD. Other characters--the Thorntons--Lord [an earl], Lady, and their son, Christopher, in effect Eva's landlord, play a role, more so in the latter part of the novel.

For the most part, this novel was beautifully written, with descriptive language portraying well-done images. Towards the end, however, some of the prose had me grimacing.

I felt the book could have used a better editor. It was all over the place. Eva--the relationship with her mother, absent father, story about pearls. Michael, his years as a POW, far too much about lice, his love/affinity for music and the piano, and again, a mother story. Back and forth, past and present in no particular semblance of order. Did not enjoy what seemed rambling back and forth.

What I enjoyed: the writing [for the most part], the originality, description of camp life, what is was like to be a POW, the gradual telling of their story--and how Eva took care of Michael. Despite the wrongdoings committed against Michael and Eva, there also is tremendous humanity displayed--between the two of them.

And the ending--no spoiler from me; you'll have to see for yourself if the last 10-15 pages threw you overboard.

First, I have to say the cover of this book is just gorgeous, and I can' deny it drew me to it. I thought the writing was really lovely, and the plot intriguing and unique. The story did occasionally wander a bit, but I didn't really mind. I am not usually into magical realism, but the lyrical language made this special. Recommended!

After the Great War Miss Williams, an American writer, comes to stay in a quaint English village where a tramp (The Hawkman) is outcast and abandoned. Miss Williams asks the man, Mr Sheehan, to come and stay with her but he is an outsider and so is she so how can the local gentry allow it? Then Miss Williams falls ill, and everything must change.

I found some of this novel beautifully written and very easy to read but unfortunately I also found that parts just meandered off into whimsy and nothingness and the story became confused and irrevocably lost.

I don't know the Grimm's tale that this story is based upon (at least I didn't recognise it), but actually I didn't even know it was a fairy story until the very strange ending which totally confused me and left me wondering what had been happening all along.

All in all, this is a lovely novel which needs cutting down into a much better short story with an explanation of it's basis at the beginning. If it was written like that, I am sure it would make a sight more sense!

Unfortunately, the title of this novel will most likely keep it out of the hands of many readers. “The Hawkman” is far more likely to be associated with the DC Action Hero than with the protagonist of a literary novel, even if they have a shared background in fairytales and myths.

Title aside, The Hawkman is a memorable tale of love, loss; heartbreak, and tragedy, set against the turbulent backdrop of the early 20th century. World War 1, the “Great War,” decimated a generation of young men and left survivors maimed in body, spirit, and mind, struggling to find their place in a vastly changed world.

This is not a novel you can race though. Rosenberg frequently shifts character perspectives and timelines as she deftly weaves her plot. Additionally, there are long narrative passages which create the dreamy feeling of a lost fairytale.

Many of the chapters delve into the suffering of soldiers during WW1; trench warfare, German POW camps for British soldiers, discrimination against the Irish, and the anguish of the unknown, untreatable “shell shock.”

Fans of WW1 historical will want to watch for the release of The Hawkman.

Three out of five stars: I liked it.

I loved reading the stories that Miss Williams wrote and learning more about Sheehan's past. The writing is very lyrical, which might be the main reason I did not love this as much as I wanted to. It might not be the best book for me, but I still enjoyed it quiet a bit.

An exquisite jewel of a book - and I don't use that phrase lightly. Yes, there is something of the fairy tale here, but there is also something vaguely magic realist. Yet this book somehow defies description (and thus partially defies reviews): it is also fiercely realist, steeped in the trauma of the trenches of World War 1. This is a very unique tale about love, healing, acceptance, and freedom.

The Hawkman is a lyrical magical realism story that blends historical fiction with fairytale retelling. As such, I thought it worked well. The prose is beautiful, and we get an interesting use of imagery and theme, particularly in relation to sound. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the past and present, and I liked reading of the growing relationship between the two protagonists. However, when I reached the end, I felt there had been something missing. I loved moments in the story, but it didn't quite form a cohesive whole. That said, it was still a delightful read and a creative retelling, and is well worth checking out if you enjoy adapted fairytales and magical realism.

From the first page the book draws you in with its enticing writing and description. The prologue alone invites you straight in to the story of mystery and intrigue. The book then follows a man who seemingly is more scavenger bird than human and it having an unexpected romance alongside it, usually pertains as a typical story, but as this unfurls you see it as a strange and wonderful thing.

The residents of post-WWI Bridgetonne, England, are unnerved by The Hawkman, the town’s most enigmatic indigent. This shabby, filthy recluse is harrassed by the local children and berated by the adults. He doesn’t speak, he bothers no one, and yet, the residents, especially Lord Thornton, want him out.

Miss Eva Williams, an American outsider, has taken a position at the local college under the employ of Lord Thornton. She is challenged by Thornton’s notion that the Hawkman should be gotten rid of in order to ensure the safety of the women of the college; however, her efforts are not what Lord Thornton intended. She shows compassion instead of contempt, and that causes quite an uproar in Bridgetonne.

This book is dreamy and mythical, bordering on magical realism. The backstories of both The Hawkman and Miss Williams are revealed gradually, interwoven with folklore and dark fairy tales to reinforce the motives of the characters.

I enjoyed this book because of its originality and departure from straightforward historical fiction. The atmosphere was believable and yet mysterious. At times the fairy tales arrived unexpectedly, leading to an abrupt change of narrative, and I didn’t understand the purpose or moral of most of them. Regardless, the writing was illusory and fantastical without sacrificing the sober reality of the effects of war.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my review.

A great war, a great love, and the mythology that unites them; The Hawkman: A Fairy Tale of the Great War is a lyrical adaptation of a beloved classic.

Set against the shattering events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the tale’s heart are an American schoolteacher—dynamic and imaginative—and an Irish musician, homeless and hated—who have survived bloodshed, poverty, and sickness to be thrown together in an English village. Together they quietly hide from the world in a small cottage. 

Too soon, reality shatters their serenity, and they must face the parochial community. Unbeknownst to all, a legend is in the making—one that will speak of courage and resilience amidst the forces that brought the couple together even as outside forces threaten to tear them apart.- Goodreads

This book was inspired by the Grimm Brothers’fairy tale "The Bearskin" and although it wasn't a bad read, it was a hard read and mainly because almost nothing really happens and you almost think well what is the author trying to say. I questioned this while I was reading and when I was done with the book and even now as I write the review I wonder what the author was trying to get out. Yes, I can make an assumption but in this regards I don't feel as if it was exactly what the author wanted to portray. 

Here are my issues with this book, it was boring, I heard every voice in monotone, the love in this novel wasn't love but obligation and the magic part of the novel was hard to swallow and a little bit hard to understand. 

Even without prior knowledge of the Grimm Brothers’fairy tale "The Bearskin", you should be able to understand and see the fairy tale within any other novel but it just wasn't clicking with everything. 

I liked the alternative viewpoints presented in the novel and I really like the Hawkman's viewpoints as it told his past but there wasn't a true growth from him. You read this novel and there are some changes within his character and how he reacts to people but its like a child settling to crawl and doesn't try to walk. His link is the school teacher and if it wasn't due to circumstances that is all his link would have been.

But unfortunately, I did feel anything for any of the characters, the plot or even the setting. There wasn't enough emotions, details to the surroundings or enough story to connect the characters and have them build a decent relationship.

I was bored but I finished this book because there was a turning point and I wanted to know how it turned out. Was I disappointed? Yes, mostly in the time wasted because the ending ended exactly how I knew it would. Nothing was gained reading this book and I love me a fairy tale and magical realism but this book needed more time. 

2 Pickles

THE HAWKMAN turned out to be a really good book. I enjoy books about psychological injuries during conflicts early in and prior to the 20th century. I kind of got lost in the fairy tale portion of the story but I liked it anyway. If you enjoy historical fiction I think you should give this one a try.

3.5 Stars. From an E-galley. Interesting book, a “fairy tale of the Great War.” Set in England after WW1 when many men suffered from PTSD, this is a love story that weaves the pasts of two damaged people in their attempts to simply survive. This novel has some lovely prose and great ideas, but it actually lacked a cohesive feel that made it all come together. Some of the character developments and plot points felt forced and unbelievable to me.

"A fairy tale of The Great War" is a tagline that draws you in. Hawkman is the story of a man who returns to WWI with PTSD and meets an equally damaged woman. There are some absolutely great moments and beautiful prose. However I found myself getting bogged down at points. The story seemed a bit forced and I couldn't connect with the characters.