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Fairy Tale

the number one bestseller from the ultimate storyteller

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Fairy Tale

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Seth Numrich, Stephen King
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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 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 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 about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy - and his dog - must lead the battle.

(P)2022 Simon & Schuster Ltd Fantasy Fiction Horror Thriller & Suspense Scary Exciting Heartfelt Magic Sports
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Critic reviews

I read (in one long, long sitting) Stephen King's fabulous Fairy Tale and it was just such a trip! A trip to a magical, terrifying land where wonders and horrors are one. But also a trip back home- to that prose that lulled me into nightmares in my teens. The voice of the King (Guillermo del Toro)
Stephen King has all the daring, enchantment and even romance of a classic bedtime story, but King's signature unsettling style will keep you sitting up straight and wide-eyed rather than drifting off to dreamland
There is a splendid climactic battle . . . King's delight in the world he has created is infectious and there's much to revel in here
With ogres and castles, maidens and pots of gold, this is a fairy story through-and-through. Because it's Stephen King's, it's a Once-Upon-A-Time tale like no other
Fairy Tale is a multiverse-traversing, genre-hopping intertextual mash-up, with plenty of Easter eggs for regular King devotees . . . allusions and homages abound . . . a page-turner driven by memorably strange encounters and well-rendered, often thrilling action
Fairy Tale is vintage, timeless King, a transporting, terrifying treat born from multiple lockdowns which, in true King style, puts its finger right on that tender point which is the threshold between childhood and growing up
The latest addictive thriller from King
King's reputation precedes him, and his spellbinding new novel is magnificent and terrifying
The hailed King of masterful writing has pierced the page with mighty words once again, releasing a whopping fantasy novel, reminiscent of the haunting magnificence of those Brothers Grimms . . . Fairy Tale soars, allowing you to bask happily ever after in its unforgettable spell
A blazing flash of creativity . . . King's best book in over a decade
A really enjoyable and enthralling read, both exciting and enchanting, and yet another captivating tale from the pen of Stephen King
A fantasy gem . . . King tells this wonderfully fantastical tale with such effortless skill that the reader cannot help but fully invest in Charlie and all the characters, his evocation of late 20th-century small-town USA and its people pitch perfect, and his descriptions of the parallel world of Empis . . . vividly terrifying
Some brilliantly written escapism . . . featuring a loyal dog, a grieving hero and childhood fears and dreams made real . . . King at his finest
A spellbinding tale that bursts with imagination
Stephen King is the world's greatest storyteller. Fairy Tale had me enchanted from page one. I remain in total awe at his genius
Magnificent . . . a doorstop chronicle of small-town America, and the battle between good and evil. Classic King, and clearly written with joy . . . He is one of the best writers on childhood and teenagers, which continues in Fairy Tale
All stars
Most relevant
A book of two halves as everyone says. Charlie is very likeable. I thought he was aged about 12 for ages so had a shock to learn he was 17 part way through. Well written and extremely well read. Loved the Rumplestiltskin- like characters. I’m familiar with all the old fairy stories and it was like stepping into one. My favourite Stephen King book and one of my favourite audio books to date.

Enjoyable from start to finish.

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I have never been so disappointed to reach the end of an audio book as I was with fairytale. The narrator became a friend to me whilst out walking my dog. I have read and listened to many Stephen king’s books and this is one of the best. You become so invested in all the characters and want to know more about them, I still want to know how they’re all doing. Like many Grimm fairytales it also became quite dark. This is an audible I’ll listen to many times

Excellent storytelling as usual never disappoints

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I Loved it,
Not traditional Stephen king but very good,
The narration is brilliant,
I hope there is a sequel

Excellent book.

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Outstanding from start to finish. Simply Marvelous....hahaha listen and it will all make sense.

Do not, not listen to this one!

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Absolutely amazing story. Narration was perfect. Gripped me from start to finish. I finished it in 2 days. Couldn’t recommend more.

Gripping classic king

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