Claus

Legend of the Fat Man

By: Tony Bertauski

Narrated by: James Robert Killavey

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Christmas story you never heard.

In the early 1800s, Nicholas, Jessica, and Jon Santa attempt the first human trek to the North Pole and stumble upon an ancient race of people left over from the Ice Age. They are short, fat, and hairy. They slide across the ice on scaly soles and carve their homes in the ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean. The elven are adapted to life in the extreme cold. They are as wise as they are ancient.

Their scientific advancements have yielded great inventions - time-stopping devices and gravitational spheres that build living snowmen and genetically-modified reindeer that leap great distances. They've even unlocked the secrets to aging. For 40,000 years, they have lived in peace.

Until now.

An elven known as The Cold One has divided his people. He's tired of their seclusion and wants to conquer the world. Only one elven stands between The Cold One and total chaos. He's white-bearded and red-coated. The Santa family will help him stop The Cold One. They will come to the aid of a legendary elven known as…Claus.

©2012 Tony Bertauski (P)2012 Tony Bertauski

Wonderful story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Wonderful story and very well read. Love the various character voices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Claus?

The climax but...can't give it away.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any scenes with Claus and Jack

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes but...again...can't give things away.

Any additional comments?

This is not just a kid's but...for the whole family. Very inventive. Destined to be a classic.

Awesome retelling of a classic tale

This is a great look into the Legend of Santa Claus. What a fantastic new take on a story you thought you knew. This is a really intriguing twist. Not my typical genre but it was enchanting to read. While it is classified as Young Adult it is not glue to that age group, most of the characters are adults.

While the story is set in the past it never really feels old fashioned. With all the Elven tech it feels very modern and more than a touch Sci-Fi. Really terrific story telling, it took some time to reveal all the details but once you are hooked it is hard to put down.

All of the characters are great, the warm bloods (humans), Elvens, reindeer, abominables, Jack and Claus. Really well rounded cast of characters. The narrative is mixed and makes the round through many of the leads POV, very smooth transitions from one to another. I never had to wonder who was narrating each section. Really helped that it was third person POV.

Nicholas, Jessica and Jon are all very interesting in their own rights. The love between Nicholas and Jessica is very sweet. I loved the flashbacks of their romance, really heartwarming. You could really feel the strength of their bond. It made several moments in the book especially emotional, yup I ugly cried!

The Elven are very interesting, to have such long lives, the things they have seen. The rift is difficult to gauge, you don't know until later where they all truly stand. I adored Tinsel and the romance with young Jon. Merry and Nog have a really sweet relationship as well.

We get a little of those classic reindeer we all know and love, Rudy is a real bada$$! And another special guest of Frosty as one of the powerful Abominables. Really great to see them as they are just as big a part of the culture of the traditional tales.

The most complex group is Jack, Claus and their mother. Claus is hard to get a handle on, he is kind and generous but has faults where his brother is concerned. Jack is one of those love to hate kind of guys. He is a very colorful guy, literally and figuratively! He is by fart the most entertaining part of the book. Jack has been neglected by his loved ones and it leads to his status as THE COLD ONE. He is very misunderstood and while a villain not completely evil.

Much of the book is about these relationships. It is so interesting to see all the dynamics at work. Such wonderful storytelling at play throughout. As everything unfolds you get to see more of Jack and how he came to be who he is and you also see the other characters evolve.

One of the most important things to me are my memories and the thought of losing them is terrifying, This definitely hit home with me and broke my heart a few times. Enter the ugly crying!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by James Robert Killavey, who is wonderful. He has such a great way of making all the characters come to life and giving each a distinct voice. So many voices to keep track of is a challenge he meets head on. I loved his snarky take on Jack. He has a great pace through the read and it adds just the right amount of urgency to action scenes. I loved his energy and thought he was perfectly suited to the story. I will definitely be looking for more of his reads.

Overall, this was a delightful experience. It is not a typical flashy action packed story but the movement is steady. From the very start I was drawn into the book and loved every minute of this imaginative retelling of the classic Santa Claus. Can not wait to jump into the next book that will update us on Jack.

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

Endless originality and creativity.

Would you listen to Claus again? Why?

Yes...after I've heard the two sequels.

What did you like best about this story?

The author took the classic tales of Santa Claus and Jack Frost, then pushed them aside and created a whole new outlook. I ( and the rest of my family ) loved it!

Which character – as performed by James Robert Killavey – was your favorite?

They were all very good but our two favorites were Claus and Jack.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both...in various places..especially the ending.

Any additional comments?

This tale is humorous, adventurous, and incredibly creative. Just hope the next two in the series measure up to it..no easy task.

The perfect holiday book..a real winner!

What made the experience of listening to Claus the most enjoyable?

Listened with the whole family on a very long car trip and EVERYONE loved it. Nice bonding experience. My kids now want me to get the next one.

What did you like best about this story?

Here you have a great imagining of how Santa Claus actually came to be.
- fantasy at its best.

Which scene was your favorite?

The end but...can't say much more without giving it away.

Any additional comments?

Just a great book to smile about. I’m delighted to see it has not one, but two sequels.
( “Jack: the Tale of Frost” and “Flury” ) Off to order them now.

Great Read...

Great new legend of the origin of Santa Claus.... Very glad I found it... Have read it multiple times over the last couple years....

A Super-Silly Adventure to the North Pole

This is a clever and funny romp with a familiar and not so familiar cast of characters who helped shape the legendary fat man in the big red suit. The Audible narration is told in a perfect tongue-in-cheek style. Appropriate for children, though some humor may be a little crude for the little ones.

Claus

This book was good.It started out slow but James Robert Kliiaveys narration picked up.My biggest complaint was that at the end of every chapter there was a gap in the middle of words.It was very annoying.The story itself was invetive and fun.

Listen to a sample before you buy

I found out about this book after my Dad, who is an avid SciFi reader and occasional fantasy reader suggested to me as an interesting and fun book he had just finished on his Kindle. He said it had elements of Pratchett - who was one of my favorite authors. I had a credit that was about to expire, so I gave the audiobook a shot. The likeness to Terry Pratchett is there, but in making something known (like pyramids, the phantom of the opera, computers) and putting a new spin on it. In this case the Santa Claus story we all grow up with. It doesn’t have Pratchett’s humor, but a fun and clever plot line. It’s entertaining. What really gave me trouble with this audiobook and I’m not sure if it was written this way or just read this way, was the way the reading was delivered. The reader... would place... pauses... in... every passage.... to the point where... I started to keep count... of how many words... were said between... each pause in the... delivery. It averages out to be between 5 and 8 btw. This was distracting at best and infuriating at times and really detracted from the enjoyment of the story. Not having seen the original text, I don’t know if this is just s reflection of how the original book was written. Littered with unnecessary commas or if this is just something of the narrators style. Either way, it became so annoying (to my ears at least) if I hadn’t ‘paid’ for it (used up a monthly credit), I would have just stopped listening and never returned to it. I strongly advise that, if this book sounds like something you might enjoy, listen to a sample and decide if the narrators reading style is something that bothers you or not.

Reader needs

Reader needs a little tutorial on vocal inflections. Also several voices sounded so very similar that it was difficult to realize who (which character) was speaking. I loved his voicing for the most part.
I do not think I could do this type of voice over. One must have so many voices ready to use and must know the story so intimately in order to convey the emotion and flavor of the book. Not only does the storyline need to be enticing but the voice over must also be able to draw the reader/listener in.

I love the way the author takes a beloved tale and expounds and twists and creates a completely different look at it. I loved the Scrooge tale in Humbug and am looking forward to Jack.

My only other complaint is that I bought the trilogy but in order to get the audio sync I had to buy the books again singularly. I need the audio for when working, walking, and driving and since time for sitting to read is seldom . . . . well, it seemed such a rip to have to buy the books twice.

Conclusion: Great writing!!! Decent reader for the audio. Don't buy the trilogy if you want audio-buy them individually.

Not the charming Christmas-themed story I expected

What was most disappointing about Tony Bertauski’s story?

I was expecting something more upbeat and magical. This story had me thinking "will it ever be over?" about half-way through. The sequel may be better, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to risk the time. I was disappointed, since the concept seemed fun.