Book Review: Close Your Eyes by Chris Tomasini

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Close your eyes”

In the year 1435, Samuel, the court jester of the prosperous European kingdom of Gora attempts to reconstruct the events that led to the fateful day in 1431 that the court storyteller Tycho and the cook Agnieszka fled the kingdom. Samuel takes us through the history of Gora and how it prospered and flourished under Pawel’s’ rule as well as the individual circumstances that led the characters – himself, Tycho, Agnieszka, Ahab the astronomer and Bishop Tonnelli to Gora and King Pawel who “was one of those strange few for whom the truth was more fantastic than the fiction”.

King Pawel of Gora married his 19-year-old bride Kristina only to lose her in childbirth after five years of marriage leaving him with his children Princess Alexandra and Prince Krysztoff. Kristina’s death causes him to spiral into the depths of grief and madness, awaiting his beloved’s spirit, who is believed to haunt the premises of the castle, every night. Tycho the storyteller, Samuel the jester and Agnieszka the cook are all in the employ of the King but unbeknownst to them, once they have been found to satisfactorily perform their duties, they are not free to leave the kingdom and those who have attempted to do so in the past have lost their lives in the process.
When Agnieszka learns of this, her hopes of returning to her husband after the completion of one year of service (as had been the contracted terms of her employment) are shattered. Desperate to leave she turns to Tycho, who has always had feelings for her, to help. What follows is a take of bravery, sacrifice, friendship and most importantly love.

Chris Tomasini’s “Close Your Eyes” is a beautifully woven fantastical tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were engaging, and the backstories of the characters and their interactions are exceptionally well written. The narrative flows easily and draws you in with its characters, stories within the stories and perfect combination of wit, wisdom, fantasy, and humor. Though the larger part of the narrative is presented from Samuel’s perspective based on his memories of past events and each character’s past, we also get parts of the story from Tycho’s scrolls (journal entries), Ahab’s written records of the stories Tycho told, and letters written by Bishop Tonnelli. The pace is a bit uneven, especially in the first half of the novel, but not so much that it detracts from the overall reading experience.
Overall, this is a well-written story perfect for those who are interested in fairy tales for mature audiences or those who would like a light enchanting read in between more serious reading. This is quite different from my usual picks, but I am glad I picked it up.

Many thanks to author Chris Tomasini and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this engaging fantastical story. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

"I hope by then that Tycho’s name is legend not only as a teller of stories, but as the founder of a movement. My friend may work miracles, but he is, after all, one boy, and love, it would seem, requires a crusade-a crusade fought with kindness and generosity, and acclaimed by the joyous bells of a thousand city squares: bells which ring out across blue horizons, telling a continent to close its eyes, to dream beautifully and to wake with hope."