Ariel

By: Steven R. Boyett

Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

It's been five years since the lights went out, cars stopped in the streets, and magical creatures began roaming Earth. Pete Garey survived the Change, trusting no one but himself until the day he met Ariel - a unicorn who brought new meaning and adventure to his life.

Note: This updated version corrects a rendering error that did not allow sufficient silence between narrative sections.

©2009 Penguin Audio (P)2009 Steven R. Boyett

Bittersweet

My childhood favorite. And bittersweet. The ending still manages to put a lump in my throat.

High Hopes, A Letdown

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Ending was both predictable and unfortunate.

Would you recommend Ariel to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, with hesitation. Interesting concept, world and people. But never gives any answers and the ending is hard to take.

Which character – as performed by Ramon De Ocampo – was your favorite?

Malachai Lee

Do you think Ariel needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It has one I think.

Gritty Fantasy

I enjoyed this book when it came out and it has held up well. Not too pleased with the end, yet looking forward to the sequel.

A Unique Love Story in a Fantasy Novel

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book. My wife read this book when she was 18 and fell in love with it. I made the mistake of giving the paperback to a friend to read and never got it back bringing upon myself the wrath of wife. So it was great to find it on audible.

What I found after listening to the story is that is really a young adult read for the high school crowd. I would also say that I think women will generally like the book more then men, but men will still enjoy it. The story is at its heart a unique love story.

The story fits in well with the current stream of young adult dystopian fiction.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was a good ending. I am looking forward to the new, second book in this universe.

Have you listened to any of Ramon De Ocampo’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I have listened to his work, and he did a fine job.

Do you think Ariel needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

While the book is self-contained with a good beginning and end, I found I wanted to know what happened to the main character as he matured in age. The environment was very unique as well, and I would love to explore the world more.

Any additional comments?

I used to read a great deal of fantasy, but I haven't read any in over a decade. This was a fun read in the fantasy realm that was interesting to both me and my wife. It is worth the credit in my opinion.

awesome

If you could sum up Ariel in three words, what would they be?

magical vulgar(humor) adventure

What does Ramon de Ocampo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

tone and timing of jokes

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

a couple but to each his own. Though the end is slightly tragic, even though without it, the sequel could never have been.

Any additional comments?

I read Elegy Beach a while ago, the sequel, knowing nothing of Ariel. I loved it. It didn't really hint that it was a sequel but maybe if I'd already read Ariel I may have caught something of the sort. When I hit the about the author bit afterword or paid attention to the "from the author of Ariel" on the cover I decided to put it on my list of books to get to. I should have put it right to the top. It's a great story, though sometimes predictable. But usually surprising and almost always hilarious. Get this book and you want to listen to it again. If you're the type, you might even want a paper copy too.

Good read.........bad ending.

I listened to this book while working on a project that didn't require me to use my brain, I couldn't wait to hear more, each time I had to stop listening I looked forward to hearing more.............was a really good story for my first fantasy book....I hated the end...men are so stereotypical!

I LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY.

I discovered this Jewel of a tale in a used book store over two decades ago. It captivated then, and has captivated me each and every additional time I take my well-worn copy down from my storied bookshelves to experience once more. Escaping into Pete and Ariel’s Post-Apocalyptic World is simplicity itself; the author, Steven Boyett, has woven a story that flows and is absolutely timeless. Listening to the audio version has been a relaxing and inspirational experience; as I was able to share this with my beautiful Wife, who isn’t really into reading books. She is now hooked on ‘Ariel’ as well, by the way… Which forces the question: how could she not be?

Terrible reader

I did not like the voice of the narrator. I'd prefer someone with a better voice

This Review Needs a Title

After Fata Morgana, I thought that more of this author might be a fun read--not so fast! This one starts with a guy who's bathing in a pool and a unicorn comes along. Should I continue to read a book about a Unicorn? Nope!

Not worth the effort

I'm a fan of alternate reality tales and enjoy writers such as Knight, Butcher, Stirling and others. Ariel appears to predate Stirling's 'things don't work any longer' premise but the book is simply not worth the effort. The characters are flat, reactions are unrealistic, and the storyline is both predictable and redundant. In addition the book is full of teenage sexual angst, almost as if the author was a 15 year old when it was written which was back in the early 80s. I had intended to also buy Elegy Beach, his new book, which continues this story. I won't be doing that any time soon. If this genre interests you I strongly suggest you exhaust all other options offered by better writers before turning to this book.