Tales of the Minivandians

I have been reading the Daddy Bear's Den blog for a couple of years, so I am familiar with some of the stories. There have been some improvements made for the published version, all of which seem positive.

The stories vary from medieval versions of familiar events (a clogged drain, the first time a barbarian's daughter goes to a dance) to epic battles against the forces of the undead. The core of the book, however, is always about love, home, and family--and passing those values on to the next generation.

My wife and I listened to this on a road trip, and while were both laughing at times, she was brought to tears more than once--tears of joy as well as tears of sadness.

The audio performance on this was very good as well. The narrator gives each character a distinctive voice that fits their personality, and he never seems to have trouble with any of the names. The tone of his voice always seemed to match the tone of the story, and that definitely helps one to be immersed in the story.

The book speaks especially loudly to me because, like the author, I have Viking blood and married an Irish lass.

A book with a new take on reality, Tales of the Minivandians is an excellent collection of short and longer tales focused on the Minivandian, DaddyBear, and his family.

Never has the humdrum of modern home repair and modern life been quite so medieval. You'd have to read it to fully understand how funny it is when modern problems are solved in a barbarian context. It's an original and interesting concept that works very well and leaves you smiling.

Well written with lots of wry humor and with a narrator that really captures the spirit of the book, it's well worth your time listening.