The Princess and the Peacock: Birds of Fae Book 1


C. S.Johnson

Narrator: Spencer A. Klavan

Genre: 
Audiobooks

INSPIRATIONAL/FAIRYTALE:  Kaipo’s skin is scarred from an attempted rescue of his mother from a fire that burned his home down.  Because of this fire, Kaipo and his brother, Raj, are now treated as outcasts in their island village.  This makes him believe he is unworthy of love as he is.  He and Raj climb to the top of the Forbidden Mountain to ask Jaya, the Fae Queen, to grant him a wish.  Kaipo wishes to wed beautiful Princess Mele, but he believes that he isn’t worthy because of his scarred skin.  He wishes to be handsome, so he can match Princess Mele’s beauty.  Jaya grants him his wish, but in a much different way than he expects.  

This is an original and creative audiobook that explores the common themes of self-acceptance, forgiveness, pride, and inner- versus outer-beauty.  There is a mistake in the story when Raj has his hands tied up and is thrown in the back of a wagon heading to visit the princess.  When the wagon arrives, Raj is no longer tied up.  Nevertheless, the author does a wonderful job of getting the point across without sounding ‘preachy.’ There are some tense moments in this story, along with some wonderful scenes that are a delight to hear.  The pacing is somewhat uneven in a couple of places, but steady for the remainder of the audiobook.  

Spencer Klavan does a good job with the narration; unfortunately, the quality of the production is below average.  The recording sounds ‘tinny’ and has a slight echo.  His voice is fine, and his presentation of the material is well-done, yet some of those details get lost in the lower quality of the overall production.  Nevertheless, there are enough good aspects of the story to make it enjoyable and worth hearing.

Carey Sullivan