Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Seth Numrich and author Stephen King, Fairy Tale shares a dark fantasy as a young man named Charlie Reade traverses to a world filled with danger and despair. A stunning masterpiece that hooked me from the start.

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.

Stephen King introduces us to Charlie Reade, a young high school student whose life has been filled with hardship. He is genuinely a good kid. When he comes across Howard Bowditch, he step into help. Howard’s injured and Charlie calls an ambulance. Before they take Howard to the hospital, Charlie agrees to look after Radar, the recluse’s dog. Howard lives in the house at the top of the hill from Charlie and so he travels back and forth to care for the dog and eventually help the old man himself.

In Howard’s yard, you’ll find an old shed with a padlock. If you open the door, you’ll find a hole with stairs that take you to another world filled with large bugs, strange people, and a fallen kingdom. The story that unfolds held me spellbound. The tale is narrated by Seth Numrich as the voice of Charlie, our protagonist and Stephen King himself, narrates parts.

The tale is fantasy with an underlying horror. The world found in the shed is dark and the people their strange and oppressed. Some are kind and others are only looking out for themselves. Here you will find banished royalty, twisted rulers and dark, dank dungeons. Only travel by day because when the two moons race across the sky, danger will find you. You’ll find magic here as well. There is a sundial that will turn back time and more. It was horrifying and yet fascinating. Think original Grimm fairytales. Much of the book is spent in this alternate world.

Weaved with fairy tales from my youth, we travel with Charlie and Radar into the portal. We see character growth, sacrifices and witness the birth of a hero.

King fleshes out his characters and takes his time building the back story as he gives readers/listeners a panoramic view of the world. Each character is developed from the main characters to the guard serving food. They are flawed and realistic. I soon found myself fully invested. The detail and prose are rich, allowing me to see and experience things right along with Charlie. If I closed my eyes, I could see it all.

Fans will love the Easter eggs as we explore this dark fairy tale. When an audiobook is twenty-four hours long and you lose track of time, you’ll understand the magic of this author’s storytelling.

I highly recommend listening. Seth Numrich has narrated previous novels for King. He did a fantastic job with this tale. His tone, pacing and unique voices pulled me in. Parts are narrated by King and I appreciated how it was done.

Amazon | Audible

About Stephen King

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

About Seth Numrich

Seth Numrich is an American stage, television, film actor and voice-over artist.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

Related Posts

• By Stephen King
• Same Genre