Quirky, inventive cast of fantasy characters

This is the first in a series and makes a promising start. We are introduced to male and female protagonists with their own agendas and the tale follows the motives and means of several of the characters in turn. The interweaving of plotlines is part of the fascination that makes for compelling listening. There is play on our prejudices and assumptions with role reversals and even a throwback to Queen Victoria's times with a fashion for garden hermits.

Interplay of some shady characters and royalty along with titled families is another device making for interest and amusement. The author demonstrates a good knowledge of poetry and use of language early in the book. I believe it takes a special skill to write bad poetry. I believe this is deliberate because she also includes superior poetry to show us she is capable of discerning the difference. I also liked the amount of showing versus telling which gave a good pace and immersion in the story. There are some twists and some tropes are played out as expected so there is a satisfying ending without leaving you hanging.

I thought the narrator did a good job as she was expressing her own text and invested appropriate character and mood into the characters. I thought the portrayal of the king was excellent and added to the story understanding. Unlike the poetry, I'm unsure if the singing (yes, that too) was deliberately bad as she had the power to write the line to make it so. If included knowing she cannot sing well, then I admire the bravery.

Why not a full five stars if so much to like? Although the author/narrator was able to distinguish male from female voices I found it difficult to differentiate between the two main male protagonists and so needed more frequent reminder of their names. There were also production problems with drop out and poor sound in chapters 39 and 40. This interrupted the story flow and comprehension.** The author/narrator promptly corrected these chapters on reading this review. I listened again and they were fine. I would award four and a half stars if I could. There was humour, but it did not emulate the Terry Pratchett levels - as was the stated desire. There were darker parts to the story, which I felt gave it more drama, so may not be suitable for a younger audience .

I received a free advance review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

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