This had a very lyrical feel to it, and did indeed feel like a fairytale.

The prose had an oral traditional feel to it; Samuel is after all recanting a story about his past but it feels like you’re in the room listening to his version of events. A lot happens in the story, but it never feels rushed. It’s immersive, cozy and enticing, wrapped around life in the kingdom of Gora.

It's a story that pits what it means to be human and to feel real, unwelcome emotion against moments of hope and the bonds between people.

The setting was also interesting, as this takes place in Medieval Europe. It hints at rich history such as Teutonic Knights and battles of religion. It inspires images of fantastic German castles, glistening knights and political matches.

There were plenty of characters with different stories, yet they all were intrinsically connected, from the storyteller Tycho and his ability to humble thousands with his stories, to the vile and lecherous Bishop Tonnelli. At some points, there were moments of uncertainty to who was telling the story due to the way the chapters were headed, but it was quickly clear from whose point of view the story was being told.

I thought that was very unique, and an original, beautifully written take on a fairytale.

This is an unusual novel, one that is a little hard to describe. But I really like it. Samuel, a dwarf who is in the service of the King of Gora, is telling the history of Tycho, the storyteller who is also in service to Pawel of Gora. Samuel, the jester, and Tycho the storyteller, are employed in the service of the king’s children, Alexandra and Krysztoff. Alexandra is something of an advisor to Samuel who is writing a history of Tycho, now gone from the palace, but with his stories lingering.

Chris Tomasini is a man with an imagination both deep and broad. Don't let it fool you that the subtitle is “A Fairy Tale”. The elements of fantasy are wonderfully executed, but this is really a study of character. Samuel the dwarf, Tycho the storyteller, Alexandra the princess all possess a complexity of character that makes this tale, set in the 15th century, a refreshing read. It's my pleasure to recommend it.

My thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This novel is part fairy tale, part adventure, and part historical fiction. The parts work amazingly well together.

First we have Sam, the court jester, and Tycho, the story-teller who live in the castle of Gora, a medieval country that has been made up for our pleasure. Agnieszka, a young bride, comes to Gora as a cook. Her contract stipulates that one year of service will provide her with the money she and her husband need. Tycho immediately falls in love with her, but she is married and loves her husband. She is unavailable to him.

The king's children love Agnieszka. As the story unfolds, she learns that servants that keep the children happy can NEVER leave the castle! Will Tycho's love for Agnieszka help her escape her servitude?

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story set in medieval times. I was enchanted by the characters and could not wait to learn how Sam tells the readers the details of the adventure.

Chris Tomasini's "Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale" lures readers into a realm where history and the mystical merge to create a story that is bewitching and profound. Set within the early 1400s in Europe, this enchanting novel blends love, longing, and the pull of destiny.

The story unfolds through the eyes of Samuel, the clever and charismatic court jester. As Samuel yearns to untangle the departure of his friends, Agnieszka the cook and Tycho the story-teller, from the service of the King of Gora, he discovers a trove of secrets, each intricately connected to the unfathomable power of love.

Tomasini's composition, while maintaining a delightful and light-hearted tone, carries a sense of profound sincerity. As we roam the mysterious hallways of the medieval castle, we discover that love is the beating heart behind every riddle, every twist of fate, and every midnight whisper in the corridors.

Amidst the castle's stone walls, more than just living souls are awakened. Ghosts of the past wander the halls, creating an intoxicating atmosphere of mystique. Among these apparitions is the mysterious spirit of Jeanne d'Arc. Her spectral presence slides into the bed of Tycho, the story-teller, inviting him towards a journey that transcends the bounds of the castle and sets him upon the cold roads of Europe, where destiny beckons.

"Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale" captivates the heart and mind. Tomasini guides readers through a world where the magic of love and the allure of destiny are palpable on every page. The characters are complex, and their relationships are relatable.

This novel is a treasure that transports readers to a vivid and captivating historical setting while simultaneously blurring the lines between reality and the mystical. With a narrative that is as light as a fairy's wings yet as substantial as a king's decree, "Close Your Eyes" reminds us that in the pages of a book, love and destiny can transcend the boundaries of time and space, inviting us to close our eyes and dream.

"A spellbinding journey through history, love, and destiny."

"Chris Tomasini's lyrical prose transports you to a world where magic meets reality."

"A captivating blend of enchantment and historical intrigue."

"Love, longing, and the unseen forces of fate."

"A whimsical tale that will make your heart and imagination soar."

"Tomasini conjures a world where love's magic defies time and space."

"An irresistible blend of medieval Europe and mystical storytelling."

"Prepare to be enchanted, entertained, and enlightened."

"An unforgettable fusion of history, romance, and the supernatural."

"A fairy tale for grown ups, where love's spell knows no boundaries."

This is a unique and beautifully written fantasy set in the 1400's. I've read a lot of fantasy, but never anything like it, nor characters as unforgettable. Tycho the wanderer and story-teller and Samuel the court jester are my favorites.

My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a review copy of this book. It was my pleasure to voluntarily read and reviewed it.

In "Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale" by Chris Tomasini, readers are transported to a mesmerizing world of enchantment and imagination. With lyrical prose and captivating storytelling, the book weaves a spellbinding tale of love, magic, and self-discovery. Tomasini's unique narrative style and rich character development create a literary masterpiece that draws you in, leaving you entranced from beginning to end. A modern fairy tale with an enduring, timeless charm.

Close Your Eyes is a different sort of fairy tale, but a very good one! It is told through the eyes of Sam, the court jester in 15th century Europe in imaginary Gora. Sam and other members of the castle are charged with watching the king's children after his wife dies. In addition to Sam's point of view, the tale is told through journal entries, letters and the tales told to the children. This was a beautiful fantasy/ historical fiction. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales and fantasy and a great story.

This was a beautiful read in a time most of us can only wonder about. The dwarf jester records the life of Tycho, the storyteller for the court. Tycho tells remarkable stories of things and places far beyond his knowledge and life experience.

“Close your Eyes” is set in the Middle Ages, complete with kings, princesses, knights, storytellers and fools. But despite the title, it is not really a fairy tale, so much as a tribute to love. Yet it is not a Romance. The narrator of the tale is the court fool who tells the history of the many loves at the Castle in Gora. He tells the stories of a King’s lost-love and his selfish love for his children; a woman’s love for her distant husband, the philanderer who cannot truly love, and the man who cannot ever hope to find any. Chris Tomasini employs descriptive imagery that will transport the reader to the cold, damp castle in centuries past. He weaves the story from the viewpoint of the fool who attempts to tell the story of his friend the storyteller and from the diary and letters that are now in his possession. He manages to weave together three points of view and two timelines in a clear easy to follow fashion.

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of the publishers and Netgalley, but that did not influence my opinions. I recommend this fantastic novel to lovers of historic fiction.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this novel.
Tomasini’s enthralling “fairy tale” unfolds in the fictive kingdom of Gora, the only remaining autonomous kingdom in fifteenth-century Central Europe. The author’s fascination with medieval and renaissance history is revealed in the historical details, while he imaginatively sketches in the full contours of the tale told by the King’s dwarf, Samuel. This is really a “tale within a tale,” in that Samuel is the ostensible storyteller, but most of the story he tells has to do with the most celebrated storyteller in the kingdom, young Tycho.
Pawel, King of Gora, was not born to the throne. His story is also the stuff of fairy tales, where one man possessed with military skill, a talent for strategy, fortitude and sheer will, ends centuries of conflict between warring tribes that no longer even remember the purpose of their warring. This is Gora. The King marries his beloved Kristina, and they are soon blessed with two children, Princess Alexandra, and the Crown Prince Krysztoff. Both children possess the beauty and intelligence of their parents.
The King, an unusually open-minded and progressive monarch, wants his children to grow up safe, especially against the Crusaders slaughtering “heathens,” which he and his subjects avowedly are, and so makes Gora’s boundaries impenetrable from any who would enter or leave without his sanction. Samuel, part of a renowned traveling comic duo visiting Gora, accepts the King’s offer to become an official court jester. His job is not to entertain the courtiers, however, but solely to amuse and thereby educate the King’s children. The poor orphan boy Tycho, another itinerant, a famous storyteller in a time when talented storytellers were revered, joins him to that end. The King also hires the skillful and infinitely caring cook Agnieszka, on the promise of a year’s service in return for great wealth and permission to go back to her village and the man she had only just married after a year has elapsed. The interaction between these three, who become the closest of friends (with romantic and sexual tensions barely contained), is the center of the story that Samuel recounts, though Tycho is the professional storyteller.
As in all fairy tales, the King’s attempts to “seal” his domain cannot permanently keep out suffering. Kristina dies, and Pawel is so wrecked by grief and yearning that he spends more time imagining her presence—she visits his dreams every night—and stalking the palace halls in search of her ghost, than attending to his kingdom and his children. Much loved by the Queen, Samuel also grieves terribly at her death, and as Pawel becomes increasingly distanced and depressed, he functions more as the royal children’s father figure and mentor than their personal clown.
The irrepressible, mischievous, and promiscuous Tycho, meanwhile, often acts the part of the court jester, as the lonely, grieving, and heart-sick Samuel becomes increasingly serious and reflective. Agnieszka, with her unbounded loyalty to her friends and the children given to her care, represents the power of steadfast love. When the King reneges on his promise to release her, her love for her husband and home, and her friends’ love for her, initiate a dangerous plan for her escape.
This fairy tale captures the very real pangs of loneliness and love both within reach and beyond reach, of the thin veils that separate dreams and realities, and of the very human need for connection. Tomasini’s writing is lyrical, exactly as a fairy tale should be, his characters are carefully configured, and the setting and narrative are at once whimsical and historically-based. I didn’t know what to expect from the title, but this story really drew me in. A novel that is all about stories, storytelling, and storytellers really deserves to be “heard” as well as read. We need an audiobook version immediately!

I couldn’t get on with this book at all. I loved the idea of it but would have liked more life and dialogue to make it more engaging

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. It’s an unusual love story, told from the POV of Samuel, a court jester and a dwarf who has never experienced love. Although initially presented as the story of Tycho, Samuel’s best friend the official storyteller of the castle in Gora, it soon becomes apparent it’s about so much more than that. Tycho is always referred to as “the boy” even though most of his actions prove he is not. Tycho, who has slept with almost every woman in the city, claims not to know what love is, but through his actions, he shows that his heart is full of it. In fact, he is searching for something that he carries within himself. The stories he tells, which Samuel relates to the reader, are initially love stories with morose endings. Over time, his stories morph into happy love stories. And although most believe his stories are divinely inspired, you can’t help but wonder how his stories manage to reflect some of his inner turmoil.

The story is packed with a variety of different love stories—love lost through death, unrequited love, desperation, sacrifice, and loyalty. Samuel relates all of this, in honor of his friend the storyteller, as one who has never experienced love but longs for it. He uses scrolls from Tycho himself and the bishop, a detestable man who plays a role in the crux of the story—when Tycho and the cook escape from the castle and leave the city. As we learn over the course of the story, Pawel the king has forbidden anyone to leave because he wants to ensure his children’s happiness.

Early on, Samuel describes the struggle involved in writing. “This business of writing, it is like being cast into a blackened dungeon, with your arms bound behind your back, and then ordered to sound out the dimensions of the room by bashing your head against the walls.”

Pawel is a tragic figure who features heavily in the story. Originally a warrior of great acclaim who takes over the city and rebuilds it, he enters an arranged marriage and they fall in love. Then he loses his wife after only five years of marriage and spends the rest of his life in misery. Samuel observes, “Of all the accomplishments of Pawel of Gora, a man who had created a city and a Kingdom, it was this creation of a world to house his love, erected upon a foundation of utter sorrow, that I most admire.” Samuel has already been affected by the grief felt by Pawel, and further states, “While Pawel lost his wife, I lost my hope. I felt that love had been discredited, and I collapsed as though deprived of breath, my heart feebly gasping in a hollow void from which it would never rise.”

Since the events take place in the 1400s, it reflects the superstitions of the people at that time. I loved Samuel’s description of his breath as if it were his spirit: “...as I shuffled my feet cold in the snow, my arms wrapped about my body, the ghost of my being escaping my lips with each breath…”

Tycho’s final words reflect his mature understanding of the nature of love: “I know that love can be a blessing, or a curse, and that this inherent gamble of love is one that no one will refuse to play, for the alternative, as Sam and I can attest, is to be empty, to have a void in the center of your chest, to feel as though the greatest story of your life is plucked from your soul before it has a chance to be told.” Win or lose, love is taking a chance of something uncertain, realizing it can destroy you, yet if you find it and keep it, it will enrich your life in ways that exceed your expectations.

The storytelling is engaging and includes memorable, fully-formed characters who enact the tragedies wholeheartedly. Although it would seem that few achieve the ultimate goal of lasting romantic love, they realize the value of the friendships they have and the love they feel for one another. Sometimes, that’s the best one can hope for.

True to its name, it definitely is an adult fairytale. A book so easy to get lost in. Perfect to escape the real world. I loved how it had all the comforting elements of a fairytale yet didnt feel like a childish whimsical story too hard to believe in.
Usually when books have a story broken into many parts for all the many timelines it leaves me a little confused and overall makes the book feel tiresome. But i didnt have that problem reading this one. The story flows so smoothly. The characters were so charming that i actually wanted to somehow be a part of this story. Live in this world. Get to know tycho and samuel more. Celebrate festivals with these people. Be a part of the traditions and the ways of the land of gora. Ive never read a story as charming as this one. The correct word to describe this book is 'charming'. It has some irresistible charm. One cant help but fall in love with everthing and everyone in this tale.
Complex well developed characters. I loved how the characters were so different from each other, how they each had a role to play and did so in their own way but none of them really ever felt like side characters. They had a story of their own going on. A destiny of their own that i as a reader got to witness. I really liked that i ended up feeling connected to even the side characters.
The writing style kinda reminded me of wilkie collins. The justification of how the story came into existence. One of the reasons it didnt just feel like a story one reads like any other and forgets is because that justification gave the story a stern reason to exist and be told which made it way more memorable. The story almost felt important. Like it is something one must not miss out on. Sad that i dont usually get to read a lot of books nowadays where the writing of the story is justified and explained within the story because i love how well rounded it feels when authors do that.
Ive read many classics and good books this year but this one tops all of them. Ill prolly end up re-reading this book every year. Maybe its too soon to say but i think this is gonna be one of my all time favourite books. And im definitely gonna be eargerly waiting for any other book chris tomasini writes.
10/5 stars!!!!!

3.9. A very engaging tale set in Eastern Europe in the 1400s. A motley of well defined characters contribute to this tale including a dwarf, who is a court jester, a rowdy womanizing but fabulous storyteller, a king who was a masterful and success strategist in making his kingdom successful but tortured upon the early death of his wife, his beautiful but short-lived queen and their two children, a cook, an astronomer, a lascivious and mildly cunning bishop, and many others. A funny yet also heartbreaking tale of love (in many different forms),, sorrow, loss, and redemption. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

e-ARC review via NetGalley; all opinions expressed are my own.

Chris Tomasini’s “Close Your Eyes” is the sort of book I began reading with no expectations and, really, no idea what the tale was even supposed to be about. Very shortly after beginning the book, I found myself easily pulled into the story and the character’s lives.

The tale takes place, broadly, in 1400s Europe. The author creatively uses the lens of Samuel and others to tell the story of Tycho.

While set in a time centuries ago, the heartaches and triumphs detailed within the tale are all too familiar to this current day and age. Grand romantic gestures, dark and creepy innermost thoughts, youthful joy, old age, love and loss are main characters along with the “family” the reader is formally introduced to. The author uses exceptional prose to create a world that feels mirrored and magical compared to our own, yet also entirely relatable.


I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romanticism, historical fiction, and tales about growth and morality. It is always a wonderful feeling when, after finishing a book, I research the author only to learn they have another published book I can soon read next.

A charming fairy tale. The kingdom of Gora is ruled by King Pawal and his beautiful wife Kristina. Samuel, a dwarf, become the court jester and Tycho, a beautiful storyteller, entertains the children with enchanting stories. The tale is told by Samuel who relates a story of love of all kinds—live that led to great sorrow, love that leads to great heroism, and love that binds very different people together.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Recommended for all readers of general, literary fiction.

It's tough to categorize CLOSE YOUR EYES by Chris Tomasini. Described as "a fairy tale," the story offers so much more than dragons, magic, and princes saving damsels in distress. Told mainly from the point of view of Samuel, destined for a hard life in the 1400s with dwarfism and yet, with pluck, courage, and fantastic intelligence, Samuel makes a fascinating and rewarding life for himself, full of ups and downs in the mythic area called "Gora" with ghosts, wandering kings, and princesses offering advice on storytelling. Vividly told and studded with memorable moments, the story was engaging, enjoyable escape. My journey with Samuel was not an easy one, for his life is not easy, but it was a pleasure to read. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale follows Samuel, a dwarf and court jester in the kingdom of Gora in the 15th century, as he tries to write the tale of Tycho, the court's talented storyteller who fled Gora.

The story is beautifully written and Chris Tomasini has a incredible way with words. However, I felt very disconnected from the characters. Perhaps because so much of the story was simply Samuel recounting things that happen, there is a distance between myself and the characters. It didn't feel like I was watching the story develop or connecting the characters. I also found it difficult to care about any of the characters. Particularly in the beginning, Tycho simply wasn't compelling enough for me to care about Samuel's attempt to write his story. Other characters, such as Alexandra, are mentioned, yet I didn't feel as though I truly knew her as she mostly appeared in Samuel telling the reader what happened.

The writing was beautiful and the story was mildly interesting, but I lacked a reason to care and the book relied too heavily on telling rather than showing.

I found the story to be very evocative of a fairytale, however the format provided much more room for detail which was appreciated. The one major place in which it does deviate from a traditional fairytale is that it feels like a truly character driven story. At times some characters feel limited by the main perspective we get, but at others they do possess self assurance and profundity that I would encourage the author to really hone in on for whatever they choose to write next. It wasn't the easiest book to get through but very enjoyable on the whole!

Historical fiction and fairy tales are two of my favorite stories. Close Your Eyes: A Fairy Tale weaves a fascinating tale through the use of an assortment of characters whose daily lives intermingle. The story is told by a court jester who recounts the events as they happened using two diaries to aid his memory. There is love, deceit, lust, friendship and a whole gamut of emotions expressed by a King, prince, princess, a bishop, cook, and more in the mythical country of Gora in the fifteenth century. I enjoyed the story although my attention was not grasped fully during some parts of the book. This is the reason for a 4 star and not a 5. However, it is a delightful story and I am glad that I was granted permission to enjoy the fable.