Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court

By: Charlie Ward

Narrated by: Kailaan 'The Soliloquy Man' Carter

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The Seelie and Unseelie Courts are at war.

On one side: An obsessive-compulsive knight, a talking tree, and a really cute goblin girl named Golly. On the other: A "Dragon King", phooka assassins, and a mob of angry, bridge-blocking, trolls.

Caught in the middle: A very confused, very lost teenage boy from Indiana.

His name is Frotwoot Crossley. And he's about to find out that, somehow, that's not even the weirdest thing about him.

©2014 Charlie Ward (P)2015 Charlie Ward

Decent story line

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The story was entertaining but the performance didn't sit right with me, this is a personal thing and you may not agree. It could be that I am to old for a YA book…

What was one of the most memorable moments of Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court?

Story line has a nice pace but needed further development.

A taste of good YA Fantasy

What did you love best about Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court?

I loved the sense of humor and light-hearted moments the best. While this book does carry some darker moments through the development of the plot it manages to keep you smiling with some unexpected humor at just the right moments.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Frotwoot, the main character was the easiest to become attached to, but he may not be for others. Frotwoot knows as much about the world he winds up in as the reader and has some wonderfully hilarious incidents as a result.

Did Kailaan 'The Soliloquy Man' Carter do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Kailaan did an adequate job crafting a sense of individuality in each character's voice that provides no confusion in following a conversation when it gets plot heavy and full of characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"It's pronounced: Faerie!"

Any additional comments?

Disclosure, I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review and have done the best to remain unbiased in my review.

Adventurous YA Fantasy

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is fun for younger listeners. The characters are both humanoid and various fantastical beings that engage in mythic adventures to thwart an evil foe. Narrator does a good job expressing the heightened emotions and action scenes.

Good YA urban fairytale

Charlie Ward weaves a tale with a pinch of Piers Anthony, a dash of Roger Zelazny, and a spoonful of Jim Butcher in this buddy cop coming of age story. Kailaan Carter brings emphatic and distinct voices. Frotwoot owes more to the lighthearted fantasies of the 80s and 90s than the darker grittier fair popular today. Looking forward to the next installment.

Starts slow, but really picks up quickly.

Would you consider the audio edition of Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court to be better than the print version?

I don't really read printed books any more so I am not able to comment here.

What other book might you compare Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court to and why?

The Kane Chronicles, The Iron Fey, October Daye Novels, Percy Jackson

What does Kailaan 'The Soliloquy Man' Carter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I don't really read printed books any more so I am not able to comment here.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

no one life is worth more than another

Any additional comments?

*Author provided a copy of the book for review.

I feel like I should leave two different reviews here, one for adult and one for younger listeners.

My nephew was listening to this book on our trip and would get upset when we had to stop when he is usually the one that gets bored and wants to stop at every single rest area so that was a huge positive. He liked the characters and was blown away with the ending which had him cheering and me laughing at how excited he was. There was the perfect amount of build up for the end of the book and enough misdirection to keep him wondering what was going to happen.

For my personal side I was not a fan of the narrator, but I like listening to monotone books which is a personal preference. There was a clear distinction between which character was speaking or performing an action so overall the performance was good.

I like this unique take on the Fay courts and the explanation why some technology is available while others are not.

I dislike some of Frotwoots reaction in the book. I realize he is a kid that is in over his head and dealing with a strange situation, but his actions are not always consistent which does detract from my enjoyment of the story. I would have to go back and re-listen to the book but Frotwoot actions when he is in danger can be drastically different when he is meekly following others and doing what he is told. Frotwoot can risk his very life one minute and then be completely passive the next and it doesn't always suit him or the story.

Overall I would recommend this to any younger reader, people who like to hear an imaginative new twist on the Fay courts, or anyone wanting to listen to an interesting and involved story.

Not great on driving long distance as the narration is a little distracting, which is the majority of the time I listen to audio books.

Interesting take on a old world.

Would you try another book from Charlie Ward and/or Kailaan 'The Soliloquy Man' Carter?

Yes charlie ward can write and kailaan did a good job reading it.

Would you be willing to try another book from Charlie Ward? Why or why not?

Yes I would be willing to try another book by charlie ward the man can write and his version of the Fey is interesting for young readers not your typical tinker bell fey.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

the narrator did well keeping the tempo and feel of the story.

Did Frotwoot's Faerie Tales, Book One: The Unseelie Court inspire you to do anything?

no

Any additional comments?

My only suggestion would be making the characters less emotional I felt like frotwoot was either yelling, being extremely paranoid for no reason, or being intolerant of things he didn't yet understand. He was very rarely just talking.