Fairy Tale

Written by:
Stephen King
Narrated by:
Seth Numrich , Stephen King

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
959
Narrator
280
Release Date
September 2022
Duration
24 hours 6 minutes
Summary
Winner of the 2023 Audie Award for Best Male Narrator

A #1 New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice!

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest 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 that 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 seven, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.

Early in the Pandemic, King asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy?”

“As if my imagination had been waiting for the question to be asked, I saw a vast deserted city—deserted but alive. I saw the empty streets, the haunted buildings, a gargoyle head lying overturned in the street. I saw smashed statues (of what I didn’t know, but I eventually found out). I saw a huge, sprawling palace with glass towers so high their tips pierced the clouds. Those images released the story I wanted to tell.”
Reviews
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Crystal M.

Best Stephen King in years!! Fantastic, right to the feels and soul, but still full on on your seat terror and suspense!! YES,YES,YES!

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Jackie B.

Excellent! I’m going to listen to it again! The narration and direction is outstanding! Recommend this read and once again Stephen King has given us a jewel.

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BonAirGirl73

I absolutely loved this book! The narrator made the story come to life! It really put a new spin on all the fairytales I grew up on. I highly recommend it!

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Terri

I loved this book. It kept my interest from page 1. Fast paced and gripping. One of Stephen Kings best.

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Lois B.

This is the best book ever for Stephen king. I loved it. It draws you in right from the start and the narrator is excellent bringing the book to life. Even though it is quite long I'll definitely listen to it again.

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Charles S.

Mr King’s infinite imagination stretched my average one to its limits at times. That being said, it was a very entertaining listen. The narrator, Mr Numrich, did an outstanding job in telling the story.

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Rhonda N.

I loved this book. I always appreciate how S King draws things from the past, present and the Fairy Tales of our youth. I know I will listen again.

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Melissa Z.

great book

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Joi F.

Narrator was fantastic. Brought life to each character brilliantly. This book has kept me thoroughly engaged.

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Anonymous

One of Stephen King’s best. I couldn’t put it down! The narrator was fantastic; he really made the characters come alive

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Leonid K.

It’s should be labeled for kids 5-8yr old if you are adult don’t bother

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Anonymous

I hate to say this, but I found this book so boring. It was like nothing happened to Charlie until the last quarter—by that I mean no challenges other than what life had handed him prior to the story starting. Yeah, he chose to help the old man, but that's not a big deal. I also don't think anyone needs to talk about pissing in stories this much. I don't understand why other people rave about it. I usually love fantasy, but this one wasn't for me. The only reason I finished was because this was my first Stephen King novel and my first audio and I was busy painting without anything else to listen to. The narrator seemed good, but since this is my first experience, I'm not sure—I didn't love the women's voices but what else can a guy do? ***SPOILER ALERT*** DON'T READ THIS NEXT SENTENCE IF YOU WANT EVERYTHING TO BE A SURPRISE. *** And I don't get how Charlie could love one woman so much and jump on another woman the moment he had the chance. That was weird and seemed strange to me because it wasn't like his character the rest of the time.

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Carol G.

This is a really good book. I can see it as a movie. Stephen King delivers again. It’s slightly wordy and feel like many parts could have been condensed, but overall really good. THE GREATNESS OF THIS WORK (audio version) WAS THE NARRATOR! Wow is the only word that can adequately describe Seth Numrich’s reading of the book.Seth does an amazing job and brings to life each and every character including Radar, the dog! Great Job Seth!!!

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Cesili C.

I have read/listened to many many books by Stephen King, but THIS WAS INCREDIBLE. We’re a long way from Salem’s lot, pulp trucks, and town selectmen, but in the absolute best way. The narrator was absolutely incredible as well. I’m not exaggerating when I say my entire body was covered in chill bumps when he read the last sentence of the epilogue.

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Glenn S.

It’s a solid but not super unique fairytale and the narrator is fantastic.

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Christine P.

I enjoyed this most recent release up until the last 6 hours. It certainly wasn’t my most favourite story at the end but it was ok… The narrator is one of my favourites!

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Anonymous

Superb narration. Story fell flat for me. Perhaps read/listened to too many stories with similar themes…

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Matthew R.

It was very enjoyable. A new fairy tale with old roots.

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Jeremy F.

Narration was tiring at times, especially Claudia. I mean most of the "voices" were just different volumes. Also a teen shouldn't know every actors name from a 70 year old man's favorite list of movies, that kinda kills the realism.

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Liad A.

Phenomenal book. Starts slow but boy it gets good

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William C.

Outstanding from start to finish

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cathy beauregard

Steven King has done it again! great listen.

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Rob A.

So far it's been a little excessive with the descriptives , which just makes the book seem to drone on. Definitely not what I consider a typical King book.

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Mindy G.

Hands down one of my absolute favorites!

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Anonymous

Great!

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William M.

Loved it

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Mathew D.

Not what you think of when you hear “Stephen King” but just as gripping and immersing as any of his title. Definitely worth the listen.

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Anonymous

Excellent book. It would not have normally been my choice, but I was shocked at how it kept my interest locked. I was disappointed that it had to end. Highly recommend.

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Marie P.

Amazing. It was difficult to not binge! Perfect narration. Checks all the boxes that make a book worth the read or listen!

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Tammy Berrie

Fantastic! I loved this story. I was charmed. I cried. I was completely engrossed in the episodic adventure! I had so much fun trying to suss out cultural references - Rumpelstiltskin, The Wizard of Oz, Something Wicked, Three Little Pigs, Walking Dead, Psycho, M.A.S.H., The Hunger Games, The Never Ending Story, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Game of Thrones and Jack and the Beanstalk, to name a few. One strange, wonderous and curious encounter after another - just a very enjoyable story. Seth Numrich, the narrator, simply brings the characters to life. Stephen King as the voice of Howard Adrian Bowditch is an absolute treat!

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Peter H.

For me, the most boring Stephen King of all time. Knowing that the story will have a Happy End made all the thrill and danger so unspectacular- and yes, the story has some lengths.

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Teresa K.

Really good book

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Donna J.

Wonderful book. I cried at the end because it had the perfect ending and that my journey with Charlie was over.

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Melissa S.

This is the best he has ever written.

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Anonymous

Just great good old fashioned storytelling. I’m not sure how King still comes up with original storylines…but he does!

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Kassandra P.

Loved this book and really loved the narrator.

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Ian R.

Right up there with The Stand and The Green Mile. Another home run for Mr. King. Can’t wait for the movie.

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paulkim005

My first Stephen King novel and second audiobook. I am a new fan! Loved every minute.

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Anonymous

Surprisingly bad. I love a lot of Stephen King's works. This one reads more like a teen novel. the story takes forever to develop and there are constant disappointments - things made out to be ultra scary turn out to be utterly harmless or weak. the size of the book makes it seem like it would be an epic saga, but really should have been 1/4 the size. story itself is ok. not gripping enough, especially for Stephen King.

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Anonymous

Good but not great, could have been a lot shorter and not lost any any of the storyline. I thought the narration was spot on and made it possible to go on during the slow parts of the story.

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Anonymous

This was an absolutely wonderful adult fairy tale. The narrator nailed it! And, of course, Mr. King wove another superb story. Bravo!

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Dorte Lassen

I just loved this book. It was probably the best audiobook I have listened to so far. And I have collected quite a few over the past years. A very modern fairytale that over and over refers back to the known fairytales of ones childhood. The characters were very likable and distinct. The narrators portrait them so nice. It is a must have, no doubt about it!

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Todd H.

Loved it! The storyline was great

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Alberto

Entertaining but not a masterpiece. Adventures, fantasy and very light horror.

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Jodi L.

Fantastic read, I wish there was a book 2.

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Vicki K.

I always know what I’m getting with a “King” book…very well-defined characters, a solid plot and an immensely entertaining read. I love that that the author always takes his time with a story to develop it fully. The narrator was great -he did a wonderful job with all the quirky characters in the ‘other world.’ And I absolutely loved Radar, too!! I highly recommend this book. You won’t be disappointed!

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Anonymous

The narrator was lovely. However, this novel had flat characters and a painfully uncreative and predictable plot.

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David D.

I loved it. I heard they already have plans for the movie, but seriously, it need to be 10 episode series (at least) to do it justice. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narrator.

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Anonymous

Loved it!! Narrator brought this book life for me. Such a great twist

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Anonymous

Enjoyed this tale very much. I feel listening to it was probably better than reading. The narrator was great. Highly recommend.

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Gary J.

Seventeen-year-old boys, even those as bright as Charlie simply don’t speak like this. Secondly,if your protagonist is a high school football player do a little research and find out what playing high school football is really like. Third, teenage boys simply say things like “yummy for my tummy.” Finally, there was no reason for Charlie to mention kneeling for the national anthem at his games. Great story but unrealistic dialogue.

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Katharine M.

The only 'complaint' I'd have, (just to get it out of the way at the beginning), would be that it takes a bit of time to really get 'rolling'. But, if you liked the Talisman, you'll love this one. Great 'other world' story, with fully fleshed out and, more importantly, (at least to THIS gentle reader), LOVEABLE characters. Honestly didn't want this one to end! Reminiscent of his earlier works

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Candice Wheeler

I am a fan of Stephen King, but I didn't know how is feel about this one. True to style, his storytelling draws you in to stay. I also loved the narrator and how they did the tape recording.

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A.D. Lee

just "ehhh"

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Anonymous

another great story by Steven King!

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BooksTattoosCoffee

I loved this book! I didn’t want it to end!

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John S.

Marvelous story

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Gunslinger

Narrator way great! Finished this book quicker than most. Maybe a week. Story was awesome as most his books are.

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Darlene S.

Great book , enjoyed the storyline and characters... narrator did a fantastic job reading and giving the characters life ...

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Anonymous

Great story! It just keeps giving to the very end!

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Marchell I.

Absolutely of my favorite books by king , Enjoyed every bit of it!

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Herbert W.

Great book enjoyed it all the way through

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Anonymous

I absolutely loved it. amazing story and great character development. it takes a minute to get into the story but once you do you will get lost in this fairy tale world.

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Cheryl Audiobooks

The best of Steven King

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Smileykat

Such a good book. This is the best Stephen King book that I’ve read or listened to. And the narrator was Excellent! I even caught myself going back and mimicking his voices and what he said sometimes because they were so cool.…so we’ll done!

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Tina B.

I loved this book, the narrator was awesome! I truly think he made this great book even better! ( if that’s even possible)

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Namarran

I loved the narrator. The story it self was an easy fantastical listen, but definitely not scary and reminded me of the teen fantasy fiction I used to read with my teenagers. Still a good listen though.

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Glm110

Really enjoyed this book. One of his best in years.

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Anonymous

Very good listen!

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Dena Knight

I really loved the first part of the book, but found the fairy tale part quite mundane.

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Eugene K.

Fun story and brilliantly narrated.

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Stacey F.

Stephen King at his darkest, but with that tiny thread of hope.

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Betsy M.

Not a huge fan of Stephen King, but loved this one! For perspective, I also enjoyed Eyes of the Dragon, IT, 11/22/1963, the Stand. Found the story and the reading of Fairy Tale to be quite fun.

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Anonymous

Absolutely wonderful book! It is a truly complete journey that will keep you engaged and cheering as the tale unfolds.

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Kim S.

Absolutely loved this! The narrator really created character distinction and brought things to life!

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Bonita P.

Excellent read

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Tammy O.

This is one of King's best books! I absolutely loved it. This is the best audio book I have ever listened to. The characterization and narration brought to life the book in a way that made it difficult to put down. I would highly recommend this book and narrator.

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DanielaYJ

No spoilers but first of all, it was a nice change of pace for S.K., secondly, I needed an ending like this right now. Very good book.

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Akjemal M.

Excellent narration and the book itself

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Teresa R.

Great story and wonderful narration

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Misty S.

Excellent read/listen. Love King’s ability to build suspense from the first page. He’s my all time favorite <3

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Anonymous

Brilliant narration brought an already great story to an even higher level.

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Daniel W.

Creative and awesome! The narration made it even better! The 24 hour length does not get boring!

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Angela C.

Once again Stephen King holds your attention and delivers another amazing story!

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Amber N.

I didn’t quite know what to expect with this one. I enjoyed the ride down to another world with the main character. Visually intriguing and mind bending. Lots of touching on classic Fairy tales we grew up with twisted into a dark world. Entertaining, and kept me interested throughout the whole 24 hours of listening

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Bill B.

Your atypical Stephen King read. It did remind me of his other books, The Tailsman, The Dark Tower, and so on. Still a great read. He sort of left it with a possibility of going 'back'.

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Charity M.

Absolutely Amazing!

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Patricia J.

Very much enjoyed this book!

awesome story and the reading was great

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Anonymous

Very enjoyable

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Anonymous

The king never disappoints! If you are a dog lover you will appreciate this one. If you’re an avid SK reader you will find the Easter eggs throughout. A good listen and when able I easily binged through hours while I worked. Would love a sequel for this new potential gun slinger!

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Alicia M.

Really enjoyed this one, he is my favorite author. Finished the 24 hour audiobook in less than a week.

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BAvant

24 hours of ......whatever

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John Rav

King has done it again! He is a master of creating fresh wonderful tales. What a marvelous story. I loved the characters and it helped that the reader’s energy was always at a”10.”

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Anonymous

A masterpiece Mr. King. You are a genius Mr. Numrich. Thanks for 24 wonderful hours

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Linda B.

Excellent!

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Anonymous

love it

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Ric P.

Fun adventure down the rabbit hole, King delivers again. I kept thinking, this should be a movie, a kind of Alice in Wonderland meets Lord of the Rings. Narration was awesome and I loved how the reader incorporated voices and a touch of sarcasm to accentuate the dialogue, adding King into the read was super creative, it felt like the reader was talking to you rather than reading you a story. A++ All Around.

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Shirley M.

AMAZING. I have been a faithful King reader from the beginning and this is one of his best. The narrator was perfect for the read. You lived the life of Charlie. I never wanted it to end. That’s the tell of a good book.

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Tali B.

loved the plot and narration. great listen.

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Dylansdad82

Definitely gonna read again

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Kelly S.

Absolutely amazing! Both the story and the narrators are incredible!

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hadley prevette

This is a bit different then his other books. Usually he has difficulty ending a book and the rest is great. I had a hard time getting into this one but it was a strong finish. Definitely entertaining but not in my top 5 faves of his. I really hope he writes more fantasy though. That part is under-rated.

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Amanda B.

I enjoyed every minute of this book. Not the typical Stephen King material, but such an inventive story so well written. The narration was...AMAZING!! Such great voices, he really developed every single character. I didn't want it to end, but wanted to know the ending all at the same time.

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Nancy K.

Loved the book. Loved all the winks too other novels. I will listen or read again and again.

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Brillagirl

Very good. Enjoyed the story and the tellers of the story

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Anonymous

Meh...Read better. Not your typical King novel. It's sort of like Hansel and Gretel meets Penny wise.....lol...If King's name was not attached to it i don't think i would've read it.

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Cindy

Just hoping there’s a sequel! This is now one of my all time favorites! Of course a fair number of my favorites were written by Stephen King.

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Cindy S.

Excellent book! I didn’t want it to end!

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Margaret C.

encores and many many more this is a really great book I like it when you start talking a little bit about politics in your books doesn't go either way cuz I'm like both parties in some ways but not just open minded. Great book

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Barb White

If you've been like me biting your nails waiting for this new book to come out you will not be disappointed! It was a fantastic story and the narrator was absolutely fabulous! I didn't want it to end and can't wait for the next Stephen King book!

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Susan B.

Totally entertaining! Enjoyed every second!

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Anonymous

Absolutely loved this story! Couldn’t wait for a chance to listen. Not what I expected from SK, but absolutely loved the fun twists and turns. The narrator did such a fantastic job- will listen to this one again sometime.

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Turtle739

Love it so far

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Sherry Palmer

Best Stephen King book ever! Loved the story, characters, narration-awesome book! Would love to see movie of the book!

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Anonymous

I have to say I really enjoyed this one.

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Brad M.

Felt a little of a different book for Steven King, but I liked it. A lot of familiar terminology from his other works. Narration was very good too, which can make or break an audio book for me.

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craig specht

This was an awesome book, great storyline. narrator did a great job.

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April V.

Soo good, interesting all the way through!

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Carolyn R.

Loved it

Fairy Tale
This title is due for release on September 6, 2022.

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This title is due for release on September 6, 2022
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