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The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier
Not yet published
Expected 27 Oct 26Grief and despondency consumes every moment of Ellie's waking hours. Or at least every moment that isn't spent toiling away in the cramped and dark confines of an English coal mine at the turn of the nineteenth century.
She doesn't believe her dreadful existence can get any worse but then a firedamp explosion claims the lives of two young children right before her eyes.
Brise is an air sprite and has never had a single concern in the eons she has had sentience. Playing chase with her sister in a coal mine as they have done thousands of times before, an open trapdoor captures Brise in a stale air full of firedamp. A spark lights it – changing her life forever.
Ellie didn't expect to discover a lone survivor from the explosion. But the woman she rescues from the depths of the pit doesn't quite seem human and her hair and eyes don't match those of the collier who had entered the pit the day before.
Who is Brise Collier? An evil spirit sent to haunt Ellie, or an angel come to guide her towards hope and healing?
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is part of the series of standalone novels in the series Folk With a Disregard for Convention which are set in a fantastical version of historical Britain.
She doesn't believe her dreadful existence can get any worse but then a firedamp explosion claims the lives of two young children right before her eyes.
Brise is an air sprite and has never had a single concern in the eons she has had sentience. Playing chase with her sister in a coal mine as they have done thousands of times before, an open trapdoor captures Brise in a stale air full of firedamp. A spark lights it – changing her life forever.
Ellie didn't expect to discover a lone survivor from the explosion. But the woman she rescues from the depths of the pit doesn't quite seem human and her hair and eyes don't match those of the collier who had entered the pit the day before.
Who is Brise Collier? An evil spirit sent to haunt Ellie, or an angel come to guide her towards hope and healing?
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is part of the series of standalone novels in the series Folk With a Disregard for Convention which are set in a fantastical version of historical Britain.
- GenresFantasy
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 16, 2026
I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
This is another excellent work of historical fantasy that fits seamlessly alongside Reflections of Lilje Damselfly, one of Kelda’s related books. Readers who come for the romance and the fantasy elements will also gain sensitive insights into the lives of coal mining communities in the 1800s. The author presents places and historical periods in such an immersive way, that you don’t even realise how much you’re learning about them.
The characters too are very well rounded. In the early chapters of this book it is made clear that Ellie and her sister’s family don’t take a day together for granted. Death is a regular visitor in their community. It seems everyone they know has lost loved ones to the mine that keeps them all housed and employed. There is both tenderness and a growing sense of forboding in the scenes where we we watch Ellie get ready for work with nieces and nephews who are not protected by child labour laws.
This weighted existence is contrasted starkly with the sense of freedom we then experience with Brise, an air sprite untethered from worldly concerns about provision and survival. Time has no meaning as she rides the winds over the British countryside.
This story doesn’t shy away from the specific difficulties faced by women and queer people of this period. Ellie only ever loved one man, and she has been widowed for a long time. The vicar and possibly a few others know that Ellie likes women too, as she was caught kissing a girl when she was young. She is treated with suspicion because of this, while an influential young man in the village, James, does not face similar scrutiny for his transgressions involving vulnerable women. However, Ellie’s sister and brother-in-law prove to be a safe place for her.
An accident in the mines brings a fresh wave of tragedy into Ellie’s life. It also plucks Brise from her disembodied existence and places her in the body of a dying woman, Brianna.
I really liked the existential questions that came up. Memories of Brianna’s life are stored in her nervous system, but another part of her, her spirit, has left her physical form. Her skills, her emotions and her past become Brise’s inheritance, and we are left to see what she will do with them. I can’t find the quote right now, but I fully identify with Brise bemoaning the inconveniences of human bodies. Weighed down by one, she understands why they make humans grumpy.
While the story depicts nature spirits as real, it also doesn’t present Christian concepts as false (differentiating a human body and spirit, for example). Different views are held respectfully. Ellie has no evidence to offer Brise that her human life won’t simply be extinguished, leaving her body to be buried in the earth. But her faith is a source of strength for her, even if the vicar and others don’t see her as a “moral” woman. She and Brise are different. They gently challenge each other, but each woman also lends the other strength in moments of weakness.
Brise has some supernatural encounters, but is largely left to navigate the human world with only Brianna’s experiences as a map.
The ending came all too quickly for me. Sometimes unresolved subjects are for the best as they leave room for the reader to bring their own interpretations to a story, and this was the kind of story that left a lot of room for interpretation.
Behind the soft romantic elements, is a story about the battle to keep the fear of pain from shutting out your capacity to love again. The injustices of Ellie’s society weren’t solved in her lifetime, but it was lovely to see that she, Brise, and her family could fully embrace moments of joy where they found them.
This is another excellent work of historical fantasy that fits seamlessly alongside Reflections of Lilje Damselfly, one of Kelda’s related books. Readers who come for the romance and the fantasy elements will also gain sensitive insights into the lives of coal mining communities in the 1800s. The author presents places and historical periods in such an immersive way, that you don’t even realise how much you’re learning about them.
The characters too are very well rounded. In the early chapters of this book it is made clear that Ellie and her sister’s family don’t take a day together for granted. Death is a regular visitor in their community. It seems everyone they know has lost loved ones to the mine that keeps them all housed and employed. There is both tenderness and a growing sense of forboding in the scenes where we we watch Ellie get ready for work with nieces and nephews who are not protected by child labour laws.
This weighted existence is contrasted starkly with the sense of freedom we then experience with Brise, an air sprite untethered from worldly concerns about provision and survival. Time has no meaning as she rides the winds over the British countryside.
This story doesn’t shy away from the specific difficulties faced by women and queer people of this period. Ellie only ever loved one man, and she has been widowed for a long time. The vicar and possibly a few others know that Ellie likes women too, as she was caught kissing a girl when she was young. She is treated with suspicion because of this, while an influential young man in the village, James, does not face similar scrutiny for his transgressions involving vulnerable women. However, Ellie’s sister and brother-in-law prove to be a safe place for her.
An accident in the mines brings a fresh wave of tragedy into Ellie’s life. It also plucks Brise from her disembodied existence and places her in the body of a dying woman, Brianna.
I really liked the existential questions that came up. Memories of Brianna’s life are stored in her nervous system, but another part of her, her spirit, has left her physical form. Her skills, her emotions and her past become Brise’s inheritance, and we are left to see what she will do with them. I can’t find the quote right now, but I fully identify with Brise bemoaning the inconveniences of human bodies. Weighed down by one, she understands why they make humans grumpy.
While the story depicts nature spirits as real, it also doesn’t present Christian concepts as false (differentiating a human body and spirit, for example). Different views are held respectfully. Ellie has no evidence to offer Brise that her human life won’t simply be extinguished, leaving her body to be buried in the earth. But her faith is a source of strength for her, even if the vicar and others don’t see her as a “moral” woman. She and Brise are different. They gently challenge each other, but each woman also lends the other strength in moments of weakness.
Brise has some supernatural encounters, but is largely left to navigate the human world with only Brianna’s experiences as a map.
The ending came all too quickly for me. Sometimes unresolved subjects are for the best as they leave room for the reader to bring their own interpretations to a story, and this was the kind of story that left a lot of room for interpretation.
Behind the soft romantic elements, is a story about the battle to keep the fear of pain from shutting out your capacity to love again. The injustices of Ellie’s society weren’t solved in her lifetime, but it was lovely to see that she, Brise, and her family could fully embrace moments of joy where they found them.
August 18, 2026
ARC Review
There is a gentleness to Natalie Kelda’s writing that invites a reader to form deep emotional connections with her characters, and this continues to be a strength that follows through in The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier.
It should be known that Nat she uses this talent for evil, and once you are comfortably situated in the daily lives of these characters that she has made real people for you through their relatability and flaws, she will cause THEM and by extent YOU exponential emotional trauma.
And these characters ARE going through some trauma! Financial, physical, emotional, familial, sexual, and any other trauma you could possibly list. To be fair, they do all inhabit a company town that is owned and operated by the same people who own the mine, which is where they are all forced to work for tokens as payment WHICH THEY CAN SPEND IN THE TOWN ONLY. All I’m saying is, when you are trapped in Company Town Groundhog Day hell…trauma is more of an expected life experience and less of a thing that can be avoided.
BUT because these people are all traumatized within an inch of their lives, it allows something really magical to happen. We are shown the strong and quiet resilience that is hard baked into human nature. That was the whole story for me, being amazed at how Ellie, Annie, John, and Brise manage to hold their lives together and search for happiness after the violent and sudden loss of their family members in a mine explosion. I don’t know if I would have it in me to keep going.
Maybe it’s out of necessity that they survived after their losses? Maybe it’s from not knowing any other way? Whatever kept them from slipping away also allowed them to find strength and hope in family, community, love, art, God and nature. It was compelling to watch them fight for and win their happiness.
I loved this story, and could write a paper on the psychology of repeated loss from a young age, the importance of small moments of joy in a world where people died quickly and unexpectedly, how mining company towns came to be and how families like Ellie’s get stuck in them in perpetuity, and last but not least how sapphic love is written to be inclusive and how important it is to show the diversity of sapphics.
Thank you for the story Nat!
-
The characters and my quick thoughts on them, a little unhinged.
Ellie is a muscle mommy and also a golden retriever.
Brise manages to project ethereal air sprite even in her human flesh prison.
Annie would have loved Benzodiazepines, my girl was (rightfully) stressed.
John is a poster boy for healthy masculinity.
James Honeywell Jr. is a creep who I believe should fall down a mine shaft.
That Water Nymph, smash, next question.
There is a gentleness to Natalie Kelda’s writing that invites a reader to form deep emotional connections with her characters, and this continues to be a strength that follows through in The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier.
It should be known that Nat she uses this talent for evil, and once you are comfortably situated in the daily lives of these characters that she has made real people for you through their relatability and flaws, she will cause THEM and by extent YOU exponential emotional trauma.
And these characters ARE going through some trauma! Financial, physical, emotional, familial, sexual, and any other trauma you could possibly list. To be fair, they do all inhabit a company town that is owned and operated by the same people who own the mine, which is where they are all forced to work for tokens as payment WHICH THEY CAN SPEND IN THE TOWN ONLY. All I’m saying is, when you are trapped in Company Town Groundhog Day hell…trauma is more of an expected life experience and less of a thing that can be avoided.
BUT because these people are all traumatized within an inch of their lives, it allows something really magical to happen. We are shown the strong and quiet resilience that is hard baked into human nature. That was the whole story for me, being amazed at how Ellie, Annie, John, and Brise manage to hold their lives together and search for happiness after the violent and sudden loss of their family members in a mine explosion. I don’t know if I would have it in me to keep going.
Maybe it’s out of necessity that they survived after their losses? Maybe it’s from not knowing any other way? Whatever kept them from slipping away also allowed them to find strength and hope in family, community, love, art, God and nature. It was compelling to watch them fight for and win their happiness.
I loved this story, and could write a paper on the psychology of repeated loss from a young age, the importance of small moments of joy in a world where people died quickly and unexpectedly, how mining company towns came to be and how families like Ellie’s get stuck in them in perpetuity, and last but not least how sapphic love is written to be inclusive and how important it is to show the diversity of sapphics.
Thank you for the story Nat!
-
The characters and my quick thoughts on them, a little unhinged.
Ellie is a muscle mommy and also a golden retriever.
Brise manages to project ethereal air sprite even in her human flesh prison.
Annie would have loved Benzodiazepines, my girl was (rightfully) stressed.
John is a poster boy for healthy masculinity.
James Honeywell Jr. is a creep who I believe should fall down a mine shaft.
That Water Nymph, smash, next question.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
We found love in a hopeless place.
While I remember sprites from old fairy tales, I hadn’t really thought much about them since I was a kid. In ‘Turbulent Appearance…’, the love interest is Brise, a wind sprite, but we also learn about other elements like fire, water, wood, stone. The fact there is a WHOLE other world of elementals to discover really spoke to the kid in me. (And apparently, it’s part of a series, so I went and picked up the previous novel, ‘Lilje Damselfly too.)
The tale of our scrappy heroine, Ellie, rescuing a mercurial being that’s trapped in a human body is rich with historical detail, particularly about coal mining, but also the era and sensory details, which suggests the author either lives in the region or did an amazing amount of research. All of it serves to ground the fantasy lore quite well, and I learned a lot about both the real and magical world.
Though the heart of the story is the satisfying slow burn between Ellie and Brise, the setting has a raw, Dickensian vibe (at least to this American), with all the wretched hard labor and loss, innocent waifs, a classic villain, and a warm-hearted found family. I felt like the subtext was about the pain of being human and how weighed down we are by our corporeal bodies. All the suffering and indignities that we push through just to get on with life. That is what both Ellie and Brise must endure for their love, and that’s how I connected with it. I also appreciate the juxtaposition of Christianity and folk mythology, and how one is no more unbelievable than the other!
Bottom line: wrenching and romantic, The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is a thoroughly unique paranormal tale set in 1800s Yorkshire. Looking forward to the rest of these stories!
(I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.)
While I remember sprites from old fairy tales, I hadn’t really thought much about them since I was a kid. In ‘Turbulent Appearance…’, the love interest is Brise, a wind sprite, but we also learn about other elements like fire, water, wood, stone. The fact there is a WHOLE other world of elementals to discover really spoke to the kid in me. (And apparently, it’s part of a series, so I went and picked up the previous novel, ‘Lilje Damselfly too.)
The tale of our scrappy heroine, Ellie, rescuing a mercurial being that’s trapped in a human body is rich with historical detail, particularly about coal mining, but also the era and sensory details, which suggests the author either lives in the region or did an amazing amount of research. All of it serves to ground the fantasy lore quite well, and I learned a lot about both the real and magical world.
Though the heart of the story is the satisfying slow burn between Ellie and Brise, the setting has a raw, Dickensian vibe (at least to this American), with all the wretched hard labor and loss, innocent waifs, a classic villain, and a warm-hearted found family. I felt like the subtext was about the pain of being human and how weighed down we are by our corporeal bodies. All the suffering and indignities that we push through just to get on with life. That is what both Ellie and Brise must endure for their love, and that’s how I connected with it. I also appreciate the juxtaposition of Christianity and folk mythology, and how one is no more unbelievable than the other!
Bottom line: wrenching and romantic, The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is a thoroughly unique paranormal tale set in 1800s Yorkshire. Looking forward to the rest of these stories!
(I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Since I adore all the works by this author, I knew I was in for a treat and was not disappointed! If you want unique, heartfelt stories, you cant go wrong with any of her works but this one in particular demonstrates love so damn well. In more than one way.
Ellie is such a relatable protagonist. I think we all can relate to the pain that grief leaves on us and it's demonstrated so well. It permeates her entire life. She's not miserable but she isn't exactly living either.
Enter Brise! An air sprite now in the body of a mortal, learning all that comes with it, including the intricacies of love. And of all types--family, partner, community. Seeing her navigate understanding the negatives of mortality while also learning how beautiful the positives are is a masterclass on character development. It's like watching a masterpiece be crafted a piece at a time. Major Last Unicorn vibes in the best way!
The relationships are art. And they're treated with the respect they deserve. Among the rather grim environment (take note of those content warnings!), the relationships are the lantern light.
Love does not make the world go round but it makes the trip worthwhile.
Trust me, you'll want to own this one.
Since I adore all the works by this author, I knew I was in for a treat and was not disappointed! If you want unique, heartfelt stories, you cant go wrong with any of her works but this one in particular demonstrates love so damn well. In more than one way.
Ellie is such a relatable protagonist. I think we all can relate to the pain that grief leaves on us and it's demonstrated so well. It permeates her entire life. She's not miserable but she isn't exactly living either.
Enter Brise! An air sprite now in the body of a mortal, learning all that comes with it, including the intricacies of love. And of all types--family, partner, community. Seeing her navigate understanding the negatives of mortality while also learning how beautiful the positives are is a masterclass on character development. It's like watching a masterpiece be crafted a piece at a time. Major Last Unicorn vibes in the best way!
The relationships are art. And they're treated with the respect they deserve. Among the rather grim environment (take note of those content warnings!), the relationships are the lantern light.
Love does not make the world go round but it makes the trip worthwhile.
Trust me, you'll want to own this one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ellie has already suffered many losses in her life, and witnessing a firedamp explosion take the life of yet another person close to her does not help her mental state. Brise is a carefree air sprite who ends up trapped in the body of a human. A human who lost her father and little brother in that same accident. They are both mourning, but they help each other throughout their healing process all while falling for each other.
This book is not just a cute sapphic romance, though. Grief is a main theme in the story, and the author portrays it in a very deep and powerful way. It's not overbearing, but the sorrow is ever-present. It is so well written that I felt like I was part of the family; their loss was my loss and their hopes were my hopes.
Overall, this is a great book about love (and not just romantic love) helping people overcome grief. It is also about self-acceptance and standing up for yourself and for others. It was deeper than I expected, and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I definitely recommend it.
P.S. Because I know some people want to know if a book has a HEA before reading: .
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy from the author. This is my honest review.
This book is not just a cute sapphic romance, though. Grief is a main theme in the story, and the author portrays it in a very deep and powerful way. It's not overbearing, but the sorrow is ever-present. It is so well written that I felt like I was part of the family; their loss was my loss and their hopes were my hopes.
Overall, this is a great book about love (and not just romantic love) helping people overcome grief. It is also about self-acceptance and standing up for yourself and for others. It was deeper than I expected, and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I definitely recommend it.
P.S. Because I know some people want to know if a book has a HEA before reading: .
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy from the author. This is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
As a fan of Kelda’s prose and style, I already suspected I would fall in love with this book and its characters, and I was right.
When air sprite, Brise, accidently inhabits the body of a coal mine worker, a mourning family will be forever changed my her presence. There is so much to love about this concept, but some highlights for be were the bleak setting punctuated with pops of color and joy, the personalities of the protagonists, and the longing. The longing is delicious.
While the setting has fantastical elements, Kelda also grounds it in historical realism and sentiments of the time are handled with care while crafting a queer story.
Coming up to the conclusion of this book, I found myself on the edge of my seat, sweating, unsure how it would all turn out. This is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric story of loss, love, and the people we become in the space between the two.
When air sprite, Brise, accidently inhabits the body of a coal mine worker, a mourning family will be forever changed my her presence. There is so much to love about this concept, but some highlights for be were the bleak setting punctuated with pops of color and joy, the personalities of the protagonists, and the longing. The longing is delicious.
While the setting has fantastical elements, Kelda also grounds it in historical realism and sentiments of the time are handled with care while crafting a queer story.
Coming up to the conclusion of this book, I found myself on the edge of my seat, sweating, unsure how it would all turn out. This is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric story of loss, love, and the people we become in the space between the two.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Historical novels are usually not my jam, but sprinkle in some fantasy, two amazing main characters, and have it written by Natalie Kelda, and you just know it is good!
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is set in the late 1800s, England, where working in coal mines was inevitable for a lot of people.
This setting was so real and heartbreaking. The harsh reality of working in mines, especially with the kids involved...
This book is on the heavier side compared to her previous book Lilje Damselfly, because of the setting and it being centered around grief.
But it is so wel done! You fully enter the life of a grieving family and I especially loved the way Brise deals with her newly found humanness and the bi4bi sapphic romance (even though I am not a romance girly).
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier will be released on the 27th of October.
I recieved this as an arc from the author, in return for my voluntary and honest opinion.
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is set in the late 1800s, England, where working in coal mines was inevitable for a lot of people.
This setting was so real and heartbreaking. The harsh reality of working in mines, especially with the kids involved...
This book is on the heavier side compared to her previous book Lilje Damselfly, because of the setting and it being centered around grief.
But it is so wel done! You fully enter the life of a grieving family and I especially loved the way Brise deals with her newly found humanness and the bi4bi sapphic romance (even though I am not a romance girly).
The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier will be released on the 27th of October.
I recieved this as an arc from the author, in return for my voluntary and honest opinion.
August 28, 2026
Thank you to Natalie for sharing her work with me as an advanced readers copy.
This was a really cosy historical read with fantasy elements.
It follows Brise and Ellie, a sprite and a human respectively who form a bond that is tested over and over.
I loved Brise, she suffered so much as sprite trapped in a mortal body and I loved that she was able to relieve Breanna’s memories and that we got to learn more about the human Brise inhabited.
Ellie was no nonsense and I loved that about her. She just wants her family to be happy and to be safe and loved but she also wants to be loved herself. She holds on to a lot of trauma and she is finally able to start healing once she meets Brise.
This was a really cosy historical read with fantasy elements.
It follows Brise and Ellie, a sprite and a human respectively who form a bond that is tested over and over.
I loved Brise, she suffered so much as sprite trapped in a mortal body and I loved that she was able to relieve Breanna’s memories and that we got to learn more about the human Brise inhabited.
Ellie was no nonsense and I loved that about her. She just wants her family to be happy and to be safe and loved but she also wants to be loved herself. She holds on to a lot of trauma and she is finally able to start healing once she meets Brise.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Brace yourself!
Coal mining in 1800CE was a horrible, horrible time. Minors were miners, and coal mining is extremely dangerous.
Once such incident brings air sprite Brise into a human body, forcing her to stay solid and heavy compared to her ageless, weightless air sprite form.
Ellie is a mother who has been working through loss after loss, discovering Brise in the mine and helping her.
A horrifying look at a historical tragedy (coal mining) with powerful prose and hopeful sapphic love.
Ensure you know the content warnings because the first few chapters are TOUGH!
Beautifully constructed tale of family and love
Coal mining in 1800CE was a horrible, horrible time. Minors were miners, and coal mining is extremely dangerous.
Once such incident brings air sprite Brise into a human body, forcing her to stay solid and heavy compared to her ageless, weightless air sprite form.
Ellie is a mother who has been working through loss after loss, discovering Brise in the mine and helping her.
A horrifying look at a historical tragedy (coal mining) with powerful prose and hopeful sapphic love.
Ensure you know the content warnings because the first few chapters are TOUGH!
Beautifully constructed tale of family and love
Review of advance copy received from Auteur
Many thanks to Natalie Kelda for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. Those opinions are still my own.
Nathalie Kelda wrote a very sweet and beautiful story, both grim and hopeful. Set in an alternative 1800s, it perfectly captured the tense and bleak atmosphere of a family surrounded by poverty, hard labour and grief. But it also brought a breath of fresh air, a shine of hope and the resilience of humanity.
Ellie and her family work in the mine, with all its dangers and roughness. And that's when Brise appears. Discovering the harshness of our world through her eyes was incredibly sad but it was balanced perfectly with the beauty in it. Witnessing Ellie and Brise slowly falling in love, caring for each other and Ellie's family was really compelling.
I hope many people pick up this book, with its beautiful message of hope and love persevering through the worst.
Nathalie Kelda wrote a very sweet and beautiful story, both grim and hopeful. Set in an alternative 1800s, it perfectly captured the tense and bleak atmosphere of a family surrounded by poverty, hard labour and grief. But it also brought a breath of fresh air, a shine of hope and the resilience of humanity.
Ellie and her family work in the mine, with all its dangers and roughness. And that's when Brise appears. Discovering the harshness of our world through her eyes was incredibly sad but it was balanced perfectly with the beauty in it. Witnessing Ellie and Brise slowly falling in love, caring for each other and Ellie's family was really compelling.
I hope many people pick up this book, with its beautiful message of hope and love persevering through the worst.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews