Moonbird

By: Grania Davis

Narrated by: David Pickering

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Journey to the exotic South Sea island of Bali, a magical land of dark jungles, of ancient gods, and terrifying demons!

Madai lives in Bali and dreams of life beyond his island paradise. Yet, his wildest dream could not prepare him for the odyssey that lies ahead after he finds a moonstone amulet that introduces him to the spirit world.

©1986 Seth Davis (P)2020 Seth Davis

Unexpectedly lovely

I began listening to this to make sure it would be something my nine-year-old daughter would enjoy. I didn’t expect to fall in love with it the way I did myself! I loved the story and the characters. It carried me along the whole way. I can’t wait to share it with my daughter!

Wow!

Grania Davis should be mainstream. Great unique story! If you like Fantasy you will love this. If you like fantasy and East Asian mythology you will fall in love! David Pickering is an amazing narrator. What a treat! Someone should make a movie!

An absolute delight!

I’ve eagerly awaited reading Grania Davis’ work for years, and at the suggestion of a friend, dove in at last with this audio version of Moonbird. Davis, a gifted storyteller, takes us on a magical adventure with Madai, beginning with him as a young boy, to other lands, times and beings - all told with beautiful language and a generous spirit. The story offers a juxtaposition of the modern with the ancient, East with West, as our hero wages epic battles with fantastical creatures from Balinese mythology - and realms far beyond, even within the human body. Deftly read by David Pickering, his soothing voice brings to life the rhythm of Davis’ thoughtfully crafted sentences - making for a heartfelt telling, like the best of bedtime stories read by a beloved grandpa. The compelling tale, full of vividly described detail, will help younger readers develop their powers of visualization.

Yet, as with the best of fables, adult readers may appreciate the book even more. Filled with incredible imagination, wisdom and moments of humor, the plot and characters are well worth one’s time, following Madai’s intriguing quest as he grapples with the complex choices of life - love, temptations, serving the self versus others, discerning one’s truth and ultimately carving one’s own path.

Moonbird satisfies on all levels. And I agree with an earlier reviewer, this would make a fantastic movie!

Moonbird Flies Where Needed - a Fantastic Listen!

Moonbird is a delightful story of Madai, a young boy, and his journey into adulthood. It is written in the style of a fable with several instances of Madai having to make decisions when offered riches and power as well as during times of severe loss and grief.

Moonbird takes place on an island near Bali. The people are simple and caring. Madai discovers his ability to heal at an early age; riding on the back of the Moonbird, he can fight disease and illness curing people of cancer, snake bites, and more. The battles that Madai engages in is colorful and creative.

The author, Grania Davis, provides a vibrant rich story with descriptions that make each word come alive in one’s mind. Taking realistic emotions and situations creating a fable like lesson, Davis teaches the listeners that forgiveness, love and compassion are necessary.

The story flows smoothly and the artifact which is a Moonbird is a wonderful and imaginative piece of the story. Each character is thoroughly developed, and we watch their growth and purpose in the story unfold.

The narrator, David Pickering performs the story perfectly. His voice is soothing yet intense when needed. His rhythm is solid and well-paced. He captures the child-like persona and innocence of Madai and moves the story along. Pickering brings out the true nature of Madai in his performance.

This is a book that I highly recommend to anyone, any age. It is powerful and full of meaning plus is a genuine pleasant listen.

The audio production of this book was clear and high quality.


Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Wonderful story and performance

Grania Davis masterfully captures the magic of Balinese and Hindu mythology in this charming tale of a boy and his moonbird.

Highly Recommend Moonbird

We were planning to travel to Indonesia but Covid ruined our trip. This book was recommended and it's magical. It is my placeholder journey to Indonesia until we can take our trip. I love that it was dedicated to Philip K. Dick. After some research into the author I learned that she used to date him. Too bad she passed away. I hope to see more books by her!

Enjoyable and Nostalgic

Moonbird reminded me of reading stories to my sons when they were younger. The story is full of details and experiences that it draws a picture clearly as if you were in the story. My son who enjoys mythology and similar themes will enjoy this as well. I'm not a big audio book listener but the narrator David Pickering has changed my mind and I really enjoyed his cadence, tone and speed of which he spoke. After listening to this I purchased Grania Davis novel Dr. Grass, looking forward to enjoying this as well.

What fun!!

What a surprise. Wonderful story and fantastic narrator. Thank you David Pickering and Grania Davis for taking me on a wonderful adventure! The is one of my new favorites!