This was a relatively engaging story full of magic and adventure. The one thing that kept me from rating it higher is that some of the pacing was off. As well, since it was 3rd person's POV, it took a while to connect with the characters, and while I eventually did, I don't think I connected as much as I wanted to.

3.5 stars rounded up

The Story of the Hundred Promises is a fairytale-based fantasy about a trans man who sets out to find the reclusive enchanter who gave him the magic thorn that helped him transition. He does this with the intention of asking em to to help keep his father alive, so that he can have a reckoning about his father's rejection of him.

Darragh makes for an interesting MC, likeable but with understandable anger, and I also really liked a lot of the supporting characters.

However, the best element of this book for me was its world-building, which included excellent inclusion of trans, non-binary and aromantic characters. It's set in a world where different gender indenties have been normalised (though not entirely, as seen by Darragh's father's transphobia) and there are systems to know another person's gender indenty instead of assuming, such as through how they introduce themselves or other makers (like tattoos that denote their gender). However, this world was not always like this, as we see through the enchanter's POV.

Another aspect that worked well was this swap in POV, as we see first the world how it currently is through Darragh's POV, and we also see the tales of the enchanter as told in story books, and then we swap to the enchanter's viewpoint and see eir life from childhood, including how the world used to be and the reality of what the stories were based on.

Speaking of the tales, I always enjoy stories within stories and this was put to good use here, looking at how the same story can be told in different ways.

My only real issue is I thought the pace dragged in the middle and I think this is because this is where Darragh and the enchanter met and (possible spoiler?) the romance between them felt a little forced, which really disconnected me from the last third of the novel.

Overall though, still a good read with interesting characters and fascinating world-building.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sailor Darragh Thorn pulls into port, only to find his sister waiting. His sister wants Darragh to reconcile with his ailing father, but Darragh hasn’t been home, or heard from his family at all, for ten years since his father kicked Darragh out for being transgender. Despite the feelings and emotions this brings up, Darragh heads home. But upon finding his father near death, Darragh sets out on a quest to find the Enchanter. As far as anyone knows, Darragh is the only person to have seen the Enchanter in a century, when the mysterious person gave Darragh the ability to have his body match his gender.

Merrigan experienced a harsh reality at a young age. Even though eir father loved em, e was forced to chose how to present emself. It was not safe for em to live in the village, and so found eir way to the forest. After decades of learning magic, e heads out into the world and begins to make a difference. But the forces of greed turned em against the people, and e has become a recluse, eir magic diminished. The stories of e’s travels have become nothing more than fairytales, one version painting em as a hero, the other a villain.

But with Darragh’s appearance, Merrigan begins to live again. Long conversations and gentle affection bring Merrigan back to life. But the troubles that face both Darragh and Merrigan are many, and it is only together that they can finally come out the other side.

This story is difficult to sum up. There is so much going on in this long novel, and Cochrane has built a complex world. The story has elements of fairytales woven throughout, and Beauty and the Beast is the most prominent theme, though the author does not portray it in the way you might think. The book is filled with queer characters and ends with a happy note. But it is a complex story told in three parts that hits all the beats for the hero’s journey archetype set in a fantasy background.

I will say here that for me, the pacing wasn’t always spot on. In part 1, we follow Darragh as he finds out his father is dying, go through his emotions with him, and then travel on his journey as he seeks answers. He wants closure with his father that he won’t get unless his father lives to explain himself, and so Darragh embarks on a journey to find the Enchanter who helped him thirteen years before. I was fairly well invested in this part of the story and in Darragh. Being a sailor from age fifteen left him a lot of time for introspection, and his wisdom and thoughtfulness added to his character. This part of the story is also interspersed with fairytales of the Enchanter that show em in a positive light.

Part 2 shifts focus to Merrigan, and it becomes quickly apparent that eir life started out hard. With the magic Merrigan possesses, it also is easily noted that e becomes the Enchanter. And as much as I liked seeing things from eir point of view, this is also where I struggled the most, pacing wise. Many of the stories that Darragh read in part 1 are now retold. On the one hand, it was nice to see the “truth” of what really happened before the stories became tales. On the other, this slowed the pacing quite a lot for me, as much of the retelling was rehashed. Merrigan is a fascinating character who has a lot of layers. But I found myself not as invested in the middle third of the book, as the pacing bogged things down at times.

In the third part, things picked up rapidly. This is not a traditional love story in the romantic sense, though there are elements of that. Really, this last part was a conclusion of the hero’s journey with all the drama and action one would expect from such a story. Things move rapidly as lies are told, actions taken, and speed is necessary to save the day. After the slower middle third, it was nice to see things pick up and move the story along.

The romance between the MCs is subtle, which I had no problem with. They definitely had a connection. My one issue is that their romantic love was the catalyst to save the day, but I didn’t feel that love was as big and sweeping it was portrayed. This became a sticking point for me as it seemed like an all too easy solution when I didn’t feel the depth of their emotion from the characters.

This is just an overview of some of the bigger points of the novel. As I said, it is long and complex. There are a lot of elements that are on page that cannot accurately be discussed in this format. But there were a lot of things I liked and that kept me invested moving forward. This is the kind of book that needs to find the right readers. But if you’re looking for a twist on fairytales and magic, and speculative fiction is your jam, then take a chance on this one.

The Story of the Hundred Promises (coming out October 4th!) is absolutely one of my favorite reads of this year, and I've read more than 100 books this year so I do not say that lightly. I dragged my feet finishing this book because I did not want it to end. Absolutely beautiful storytelling and prose. I already miss the world and the characters now that it's over.

Thank you NetGalley, Neil Cochrane, and Forest Avenue Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review!!!

OMG THIS BOOK!!!!!! Feeling so happy rn that I requested it on NetGalley <333333
The Story of the Hundred Promises features trans and enby MCs who each go through wildly different journeys and yet are very similar at the heart of it.
Darragh (he/him) grew up with a father too old-fashioned to actually see him or to let go of his ego and prejudices. He turns to the sea in the aftermath of his father disowning him.
Merrigan (e/em) grew up with a loving father but society's rules were too constricted to let em live eir life the way e wanted to, forcing em to leave eir house and eir loving and devoted father. E turns to the forest and eir birth mother in the aftermath and learns all the nuances of being human.
What ensues is a story full of wonder with love, being true to yourself, expectations of other people, familial dynamics, and storytelling at the heart of it.
The writing style is lyrical, beautiful, and flows smoothly. I loved reading every bit of it. The storytelling and the prose are both immaculate. I think the tales and seeing them intertwine into the present was my favorite part of the book. There is also a healthy part of the book dedicated to aromanticism and arophobia and I loved each and every word on this.
The characters are well-written, and the readers get an obvious idea of who each of them is as a person. I always love when characters are written this well so it was a treat to watch Darragh (in part 1) and Merrigan (in part 2) go on their journeys and then find each other. If I have to select a favorite character, I definitely won't be able to. There is a pretty major side character Frederick who is aromantic and I loved the three of them so much!!

I have made so many annotations, that's how much I loved this book and could relate to all the major characters so I just had to, okay? This book made my enby and aro heart very happy indeed and I'm going to cherish it forever. :')
Highly recommend it to Erin Morgenstern fans, fans of lyrical writing and good storytelling, and ofc fantasy!

Actual rating: 4.5

The characters felt relatable to me and I found the story engaging and told in an original way. I was unfamiliar with the pronoun usage but I found it made sense and was interesting.

One of the most beautifully crafted stories I have ever read. The Story of the Hundred Promises has gorgeous prose, shorter tales woven into the main story and an utterly wonderful cast of characters that make every page of this a joy to read to see what they will do and where they will head next.

Started reading this rather sceptically, but eventually got fully drawn into this cleverly plotted, fairy tale-esque fantasy. The author does a great job of interweaving the stories in the first part into the narrative. I had considered early on of skipping the stories, but what a good thing I didn’t!

There were portions that felt very simplistic, especially the evolution of diverse gender acceptance, but I appreciate the effort it must have taken to build a world history.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Τhank you net galley for providing me with a free copy of the story of the hundred promises in exchange for a honest review.


As another review mentioned this book has the obvious problem of misinforming the reader with the premise of a "loose beauty and the beast" retelling. As in so lose that it's literally non existent. A huge chunk of the book also lacked of action and up until part two I seriously considered dnfing. Overall not a really good read I wouldn't recommend.

This story reminds me of a comfort bedtime story. It’s very much written as storybook fairytales are. However, the book very beautifully handles and covers transgender, non-binary and asexual topics. Throughout the book they also openly and acceptingly uses all forms of pronouns, though a bit different than some of the ones we use today. However, I appreciate the author giving us a break down / reference list in the front of the book that clearly explains each one. After the first two chapters, I no longer had to refer back to it.

This book refers to itself a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. For those going in thinking it will be obvious comparisons, be warned, it is an extremely loose retelling. However, I could see themes throughout the book, the references to roses, the beast and importantly the Enchanter and Belle. The characters, Frederick, Merrigan and Darragh loosely represent these characters. Going in, I would think of this as the background story of the Enchanter who cursed beast in the original Beauty and the Beast. I would also recommend, as you read the book, you consider how tales and narratives change depending on who tells the story.

This book has multiple POVs and alternates between past and present. Another note is mini fairy tales are weaved throughout the book as standalone chapters. I think the author did a good job incorporating these.

This was a beautiful queer fantasy that I didn't know I needed! Darragh is a trans sailor going on a quest to find an enchanter to help cure his estranged father. A sumptuous fantasy that feels like the world is being unfurled around you in a hug. The way the author introduced the characters and pronouns made it seamless to follow; but the fairytales between sometimes had me distracted from being sucked into the story...kind of like an enjoyable commercial I was antsy to get back to the main show. I really enjoyed the multiple point of views, but did not see a very strong correlation to Beauty and the Beast. Overall I really enjoyed this book and appreciate the opportunity to read this in advance. Thank you NetGalley!

I loved the idea of this book reading the summary and i can say it didn't disappoint. it was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters that I came to adore. such an interesting read.

I can’t believe I got to read this lovely story for free! It had wonderful representation, fleshed out characters, and felt very immersive.

The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane

Edition: Ebook, 400 pages, on sale 04. October 2022

Disclaimer: I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

First of all:
This story is advertised as a loose retelling of The Beauty and the Beast but... it is SO MUCH MORE!
I mean, yeah, there is a guy who got turned into a Beast and there are roses but we also get an amazing take on gender, critique on the destruction of the environment, a beautiful told fairy tale in this magical way only fairy tales can be told!

I adore the writing style, the pacing and the overall construction of the story. It is so well built and captured me from the first page on.
The take on gender, how it is addressed and demonstrated by the characters is so wholesome and interesting, I feel very jealous that we don't do that in real life. It would make so many things better.

The characters are very well fleshed out and absolutely amazing. Their struggles are reliable, especially how Merrigan despairs over humans. My heart broke alongside eirs and I just wanted to hug them.

This book plays with the classic components of a fairy tale and gives them a kind of modern spin without taking the magic from it. I adored every page and I will definitely buy this book because it sparked a lot of joy in me as a nonbinary person who grew up with well-loved fairy tale books.

I recommend this book to every person who likes fairy tales and who is interested in broadening their horizon a bit.

5/5 ⭐️

(Note: I was able to read this book for free in exchange for writing a review. However, being required to write a "book report" means that the book has to feel worth it to get more than a couple sentences.)

I'm already missing Darragh, Frederick, Merrigan, Earrin, Sidra, and Amon. These characters were wonderful to meet, get to know at various points in their life, and spend so much time with. I would happily read a follow-up story on a couple of the characters that played a more minor role, just to spend more time with these folks.

The story was written starting in "current" (to the book) time, with flashbacks to previous key moments in characters' lives to explain what has shaped these people into who they are now. What was different and interesting from how this has been done in a few tv series recently, was that some of the flashbacks were provided mildly out of context and in the form of fairytales. It vaguely reminded me of how A.S. Byatt used story-telling to further the plot in The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, though in a far more sprawling format.

I wish I had read this book in a paper format. I think it would have felt much more satisfying to have that tactile nature. It also would have helped give me a concept of how far the book could continue to go in the story. The app I was using only provided percent read if I exited out of the story, and I kept being surprised by how much was still left. I've clearly been reading shorter books lately, so my internal book clock kept expecting the story to wrap up at various points. This "timing" issue is not the fault of the story, in my opinion, but rather of the format and my personal expectations. Know that you have time to sink into the world and enjoy the journey.

The other minor personal mental struggle I had at the beginning was getting used to certain new (but lovely) pronouns and figuring out how welcoming the world was. It took a bit for my brain to just accept that it was still a mix, some people being incredibly open and welcoming, and some folks still "stuck in the old ways." Until I could just accept the built world as it was, I felt unsettled, not knowing whether I could relax or keep my guard up with new characters - this felt a bit more real life than I had hoped for in my escapist reading. I also had a sense early on about how it felt almost like the story was pushing the message of acceptance and gender/sexual freedom more than naturally flowed, but I suspect that is more because we just don't get stories like this nearly enough. And even in "real" life, those on the edges do naturally seek out others similarly excluded, so the clustering of all these folks makes sense from that angle too.

Overall, this book was lovely to just have people be accepted for who they are and how they love or don't. I would and will certainly recommend it to a number of folks for a enjoyable story of being who you are.

The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling in a rich LGBTQ world. Trans sailor Darragh Thorn has found his chosen family in his fellow sailors. Ten years after he was exiled from his childhood home from his father, his sister Vesta begs him to come home to reconcile with their dying father. Darragh then sets out on a journey to find the enchanter that imbued him with the magic to become who he is in order to try to heal his father. 

I do love retellings so when I saw this in the NetGalley Read Now section, I knew I wanted to read it. I found that Part I was a bit slow to get through, but I loved the rest of the parts of the story. I also really liked how there were embedded fairy tales about the enchanter within the story, and the origins were later explained. 
I highly recommend this book if you like fantasy and fairy tale retellings.

This book was such a joy to read. For such a fun, fluffy read it really delved into some deeper subject matter that was beautifully handled. The story explores love in all its forms and the discovery of self. Morality, gender, and environmentalism are major themes as well. It was so well written that it didn’t get bogged down by these heavier themes and topics, which I found really refreshing. It really explored the nuances of gender in a very simple and practical way that I’ve never seen in fiction before. The writing style does feel a bit flowery, which I’m not usually a fan of, but I think that it’s a smart choice in this case because it makes the book feel and read like a fairy tale.

I did struggle to get through part 2 a bit because it was hard to see how Merrigan’s backstory related to Darragh’s journey, but once those connections were made I was sucked back in.

This is a beautifully woven story with a diverse offering of representation. There are many individual but connected stories scattered throughout this novel with Darragh's narrative taking the central place throughout. It is a very very loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast but the comparison is mostly just an echoing suggestion than a true likeness. Only the barest of threads are similar from the original fairytale to this version.

Gender is presented and explored in such a fascinating way in this. It took a beat or two to get used to some of the pronouns but it worked very well within the universe once the story was under way. This is an interesting, unique story with a wealth of representation. I loved the main characters and it was just a really good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane is a beautiful fairytail with a trans and aro representation. This was an emotional read. There were several times where I had to put the book down because of the topics they were discussing. Cochrane's writing is immaculate and immerserive. However, the book presented two major issues. The first issue is the switching between the main story and the legends. It took you out the immerseive experience. The second issue is I thought the Beauty and the Beast elements would be more present, they were not. Overall, I highly recommed checking this book out!!

Ten years after being driven from his home at the age of fifteen for being trans, Darragh Thorn has found a place for himself and people who love him as a sailor abord the Augstania. When his sister seeks him out to reconcile with his dying father, Darragh sets off on a quest to find the mysterious enchanter who helped him become his true self.
A loose retelling of 'The Beauty and the Beast" that centers queer characters and the nature of storytelling, I thought this was one of the more compelling queer fantasies I have read this year. It truly feels like a fairytale, with with Darragh's kind hearted actions towards strangers granting him the strength and resources he needs to succeed in his quest. The world building hits a sweet spot where there is enough magic and difference from the real world that it's interesting, without being so convoluted and bogged down with slang that it alienates readers. Ever character felt necessary and fleshed out. Even characters who only existed for a page or two to give Darragh advice or a conversation that made him think felt real and breathing.
This book isn't going to be for everyone. It is frank about the way being trans can impact people's relationships with their families and incredibly open, painfully at times, about the nature of love, from romantic to platonic to familial. A great read for those who like queer retellings such as Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh or The Witch's Heart. by Genevieve Gornichec.