A Wonderful Day for a Quest

De: Michael Young

Narrado por: Kevin Perkins

The wizard Jackdaw has deciphered the Uppercase Prophecy, a mysterious riddle that foretells the fate of the kingdom. After reading it, he finds out that the kingdom's only hope lies in…someone. With part of the prophecy missing, it's not clear whether the kingdom’s only hope lies in a gallant knight or in a sub-assistant goatherd with a similar name.

To find out, both of them must embark on a quest to decipher the three parts of the Riddle of Ages. Only then will they be able to thwart Elm, a diminutive dark lord with big plans to shake up the kingdom’s harvest of magic beans. But, prophecy or not, neither the knight nor the goat herder have time on their side, and so must rely on a washed-up wizard, an un-distressed damsel, and a rejected evil sidekick to help save the day. If neither of them can do it, magic bean production will cease forever, plunging the kingdom into a new age of darkness without magic or the kingdom’s famous magic-bean burritos.

This is a novelization of the musical A Wonderful Day for a Quest, now with 99 percent more humorous footnotes!

©2020 Michael D. Young (P)2023 Michael D. Young

Humorous Lighthearted Fantasy

This was my first experience with Michael Young's work, and I was very entertained. The story revolved around a prophecy that told the possible fate of the kingdom. The issue was that the interpretation of the prophecy pointed at two very different characters as the possible savior: a powerful knight or a lowly goatherder. The story was funny. The characters were charming and delightful. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Kevin Perkins' narration was excellent, and his performance added to the story's entertainment. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Amusing

Good story.
Amused by the satirical nature.
Webster and Google spells are quite handy.

The narrator was awesome!!!

Silly

This was a silly book that poked fun at fantasy in general, but was still clean and had enough story to keep going. There was a lot of jesting and not as much questing as I expected, but it’s perfect for that young man who finds fairy tales boring.

So much Fun

The story was well written, but the voices performed by Kevin Perkins really brought the story to life. He had to have had so much fun performing the story because of how much fun it is to listen to. I've already listened to it once this week and plan to do so again!

A Magical Melodrama with Footnote Frenzy!

With an enchanting blend of whimsy and wordplay, Michael Young takes readers on an epic adventure filled with prophecies, perplexing riddles, and a dash of absurdity. Kevin Perkins's narration brings the colorful characters to life, capturing the humor and heart of this fantastical tale. A must-read (or listen) for those craving an imaginative journey with a side of delightful footnotes that will leave you giggling and craving magic-bean burritos.

Fun and Fantasy

If you miss waking up on Saturday morning and tuning in to your favorite cartoons, then this book is for you.

Filled with witty puns, fanciful adventures, and lighthearted fun, A Wonderful Day For A Quest strikes a chord of nestalgia that I didn't know I needed.

Along with this whimsical tale, the performance for the audio book sucks you in and breathes life into these soon to be beloved characters. The use of a cast of voices and plethora of sound effects is exactly what this book needed to feel like a complete experience.

Don't sleep on this one, you might find you've missed an unforgettable adventure.

Loads of Fun

The Kingdom needs to be saved from the dark lord who is a tyrant and greedy. He decrees that the magic bean harvesting must be revamped which will throw the kingdom and its people into crippling chaos. The wizard, Jackdaw attempts to decipher the three-part prophecy which will save the kingdom. Unfortunately, he cannot decipher who is to take on the quest – himself, a knight, or a goat herder. So they all go. Thus, the fun begins!

The author, Michael Young creates a fun world and characters. The characters and prophecy clues are simple yet intriguing. It is a light listen with lots of action and adventure. The characters are endearing! The story flows smoothly. The dialogue and riddles are rich and fun.

The narrator, Kevin Perkins speaks clearly, moving the story forward. His unique voices are distinct and fit the personality of each character well. He kept the tone light yet maintained the mystery of the riddles. His thoughtful pauses and tonal inflections were spot-on.

This is a fun listen enhanced by the narrator’s skill. You will come to love the characters and their down-to-earth personalities.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

very Monty Python

The story was very different compared to what I normally listen to. however, it did kind of remind me of Monty Python and what the story was like in the movies.

A Wonderful Day for a Quest

This one was a quick, punchy listen, and it wears its stage play origins proudly. The pacing is snappy, the narrator keeps breaking the fourth wall with asides and commentary, and there’s even a cheeky little intermission partway through. Structurally, it’s more theatre script than traditional audiobook, and that ends up being part of its charm.

The plot follows Roddy Squires, a humble goat herder and would-be hero chasing greatness (or at least mild recognition), who finds himself wrapped up in a prophecy involving magic beans, a damsel in the least amount of distress possible named Bellissimo, and the heroically named Roderick the Really Really Really Good – or Roderick 3RG, because obviously. There’s also Jackdaw, third cousin to the more famous Merlin, with a beard of epic proportions and the narrator of the piece.

With only a partial prophecy to go on that names a “Rod” will be the hero, both Roddy and Roderick take to separate adventures that slowly wind their ways together. Who will actually be the hero? Well, you need to listen for yourself to find out.

The story pokes fun at classic heroic fantasy tropes that make the genre, like the chosen one, the prophecy predicting doom, riddles to be solved, and your random assortment of elves, dwarves, giants and beanstalks, but with a silly, tongue-in-cheek attitude that doesn’t try too hard to be clever. Generally everyone involved are, well, dim-witted would be polite, but charming.

There’s also a lot of fun interjected commentary along the way. I took a peek inside the Kindle version, and they’re presented as footnotes but delivered in the audiobook at times mid-dialogue or mid-narration, wherever there’s a beat to be filled with a bit of extra fantasy context or punchline. It actually works rather well, and something I’d never really considered as I don’t think I’ve had an audiobook with footnotes before.

Speaking of narration, Kevin Perkins delivers a lively, character-filled performance that feels completely suited to the material. He gives everyone a distinct voice, from goofy to melodramatic, all exaggerated in the best way, and he carries the whole thing with an energy that matches the story’s stage roots. The whole thing is played for laughs, and Perkins lands the gags, even when it’s hiding inside a footnote about bean ownership.

Is it deep? Absolutely not. Is it supposed to be? Also no. It’s silly, fast, and self-aware, and doesn’t outstay its welcome. At a little over 3 hours, it gets in and gets the job done. Not rushed exactly, but rockets through the story and wraps up. Given the story’s roots and tone, that fits.

So overall, A Wonderful Day for a Quest is basically a stage comedy disguised as in audiobook, complete with goofy characters, absurd quest logic, and a narrator who seems as amused by the story as the listener. It’s not one for deep world-building or layered subplots, but if you want something short, theatrical, and fun, this one’s a solid pick.

5 stars

Well done. Well narrated. Will be looking forward to the next release from this author. I received this copy free in exchange for an honest review.