Adaptively Radiant

By: Joseph E. Henning

Narrated by: Steve Carlson

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

"[T]he mix of traditional Japanese and Hawaiian folklore with some contemporary sci-fi and fantasy elements makes for a fresh and distinctive read." (Kirkus Reviews)

Adaptively Radiant is a fast paced, adventure packed supernatural tale of discovery and exploration that blends aspects of culture and mythology into a modern fairy-tale.

While on a summer vacation in Japan, Justin Toshi Blackwood attends a birthday party for his cousin Kaito and begins to bond with estranged relatives. The two young men share a great-grandfather and soon realize they have each inherited a mysterious family heirloom with one receiving a folding knife and the other a pocket watch.

After discovering that the knife opens a secret compartment in the old watch containing a tiny hidden map, they hike out it into the forest along a riverbed to locate a jar containing the "Nine Stones". Each grayish-blue river rock has an animal engraved on one side and a location etched in kanji on the other.

So begins an exciting, Pacific-leaping scavenger hunt where the cousins must collaborate their efforts during nine supernatural encounters and recover remarkable objects of grand significance. Along the way, they unite with Justin's loyal sister Melia and new friend Yori as the four companions try to unlock a magical family secret. Will they survive the perilous journey and unravel the mystery?

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PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Joseph E. Henning (P)2019 Joseph E. Henning

Critic reviews

"The story takes twists and thought-provoking turns all of which led to an extremely exciting and unpredictable ending. I simply enjoyed reading this book written by a very creative author." (Team Golfwell)

"Adaptive Radiant is a work of culture and mysterious fiction penned by author Joseph E. Henning. The atmospheric style of writing is truly enchanting, transporting us first to Japan an then into otherworldly sensations that the boys experience with a real sense of cultural knowledge. Overall, Adaptively Radiant is a modern fairy tale work with plenty of heart." (Five star review, K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite)

"Henning expertly depicts the traditional folklore of Japan and Hawaii against a contemporary backdrop but the best of all is his rich portrayal of the Japanese and Hawaiian settings and exploration of the misty Morro Bay in California." (The Prairies Book Review)

An original twist

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this listen. It was an original twist that I really found intriguing. I love how the author brought in realistic history and folklore to give credibility to the fantasy elements of the story. The overall journey was interesting and moved quickly but had plenty of details to give a full picture.

Fantasy with very deep settings

This is a fairy tale type story with extremely detailed settings. Every place they go is described down to the smallest details. You really feel like you're there. Much slower than I prefer, but I can appreciate the storytelling. I would recommend to those that enjoy old mythology, fables, and fairy tales.

Adaptively Radiant Shines!

My daughter and I listened to this story while on the road. The traveling within the story line made it that much more enchanting while we were traveling. The story is broken into three sections, with travels occurring in Japan, Hawaii and California. If you are have traveled to any of these parts or have been wanting to travel to these parts, the author does a wonderful job describing the land features and customs. The characters are fun and we really enjoyed listening to their adventures as they traveled around meeting mythical creatures and solving riddles. Great story to hear while traveling or just for fun when at home! We highly recommend this book!

Not As Radiant As I Hoped

I was looking forward to an exciting adventure story when I listened to this book. The story did not live up to my expectations.
The storyline dragged at times. What was interesting was the different mythologies in the book. The pace of the book is easy going as the young adults search for the meaning of the nine stones that they inherited. It is a cozy mystery with no one getting hurt.
Steve Carlson's narration was very good.
This audio was given to me free and I voluntarily gave this review.

Enjoyable

This was just a relaxing and fun story, the author paints some great scenes to sit back and immerse yourself in. He gives great details even on the tiniest things of no real importance. I enjoyed coming along on the journey to complete the trials, and really liked the details of the travels themselves. They didn't just arrive at the next destination with the start of a chapter, you trudged along with them in kayaks, on foot, or via vehicle. While I'm unfamiliar with the Hawaiian and Japanese lore that was encountered, the author does a good job of keeping you in the loop, it was very interesting. The extra bits of magical sci-fi fit in great. I have listened to Steve Carlson before, and he knocked it out of the park once again.

I received a free copy of this audio book at my request in exchange for a fair and honest review.

scifi fantasy adventure

The book follows the teens through their journey. I did find it slow at times but it is an easy read, with a vivid imagery.

Strange but wonderful

** I received a free copy of this book for review purposes at my request **

The story telling is a bit slow paced, but this seems to be an intentional affectation to try and replicate classic japanese folktales. Like the tradition folktales dealing with yokai and kami in each section there is sort of a lesson about the natural or spiritual world and something of building enlightenment.

The story slowly winds around several spiritual locations and at times seems like it may have been written by a tour guide with the way some of the information about the local is displayed
.
For the most part it is a relaxed tale that is easy to listen to and shows a great deal of respect to the culture and lore that it borrows from to tell it's story

The narration was passably good there only a couple of pronunciation errors, other than that it was a solid performance

Amazing story, amazing message!

I received this book, free, to review.

This book started out like any other- it was just a story. But as the story line progressed- the messages began to unfold! This book really has a beautiful message. It uses the journey of 2 young men to instill values in the reader.

Like, that you actively choose, everyday, to pursue happiness. You decide how you feel, no one else.

And perception is reality. If you perceive it that way- it’s true, regardless of how it was meant.

And love comes in unexpected ways and forms.

And so many other life lessons! It’s really a great story!

A fun and entertaining journey!

I've listened to over 100 audible books and was very entertained. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun and entertaining story.

Entertaining

This is an easy listening book. Characters are easy going and thoughtful individuals. Was interesting to hear how the whole gang of mythologies were played out in the end.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”