Time-Told Tales, Volume One

By: Janice Cole Hopkins

Narrated by: Richard Smith

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Two classic tales set in the Middle Ages come alive with characters that will steal your heart. The timeless plots become believable and all too real, and will leave listeners captivated until the end.

In Part One, Roslyn's circumstances changed when her father died and her mother fell ill. She doesn't know what would have happened if Asher, the woodcutter, had not helped them, however, the villagers consider him dimwitted. When some rogue knights try to harass Roslyn and her mother forbids her to see Asher again, things look even bleaker, and her trips through the Dark Woods to see Grandmother become even more dangerous.

In Part Two, when the earl’s heir comes to the silver shop to buy a gift, he and Glenda are drawn to each other, but his family will never approve of her. Besides being a common shopkeeper’s daughter, her father is a braggart, and his boasting is bound to cause trouble. As the couple gets more involved, so do their problems. With one dilemma following another and no end in sight, what will become of them?

©2019 Janice Cole Hopkins (P)2019 Janice Cole Hopkins

Great rewrites of old favorites

Two tales retold in a new way to entertain adults again. The author has done a very good job of reimagining these tales to parallel the original stories with a few new twists to make them their own. Telling them through the Middle Ages makes the stories work well.
The reader had an inviting voice making the listening a pleasurable experience. If you love to read retold fables this book will definitely give you a great experience.
These stories are told from a middle age perspective, making some of the comments a bi crude towards the women in the story. Nothing too graphic, but may be more suitable to mid teens through adulthood.

Romantic Retelling of Fairytales

These are two fairy tales that I grew up with. The author did a fantastic job of retelling them in a romantic and believable manner without losing the essence of the original tale. The fairy tales are easily recognizable.

I loved the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Roslyn faces many obstacles at the loss of her father, but she clings to her faith. A kindly woodcutter sees her circumstances and helps her where he can, often in secret. There is a villain who believes he’s entitled to whatever he desires, and he desires Roslyn. He will not take “no” for an answer. This has made any trip away from home a scary venture on our heroine. Roslyn’s sweet grandmother lives on the other side of the dark woods, so Roslyn must walk through them to visit her and see how she’s doing. Whether you are familiar with the fairy tale or not, you will enjoy this romance. It’s realistic and romantic and thoroughly enjoyable.

The second fairy tale is the retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Another delightful tale. Glenna's father is the silversmith of the town and, unfortunately, a braggart. When Keynan sees Glenna, he falls head over heels in love with her. Although Glenna feels the same, she fights those hopeless emotions. He is the heir to the earldom and there is no possibility he can marry a commoner. Sadly, Glenna's father's boasting brings both him and his daughter into desperate trouble. Can Keynan help them before it's too late? I had mostly forgotten this fairy tale, so it felt somewhat mysterious to me. I could not imagine how the author could bring about the happy ending that the fairy tale obviously has. Well, she did it and the story was very entertaining and satisfying. I especially enjoyed the romance and how the characters from the first fairy tale were woven into this one also.

Fairytales and Faith

I really enjoyed this unique twist on the old fairytales and how the author intertwined faith within the storylines. There were two stories in this first volume. The first was a take on Little Red Riding Hood and the second on Rumpelstiltskin. I also enjoyed how the characters in each story knew each other and the ones from the first story were included in the second. This was a very entertaining book and I look forward to the second volume. Richard Smith did a good job with the narration as well. I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook, however I have voluntarily provided this unbiased review.

Different for this author

I'm not sure how to write a review for this book. It is so different than the other books I've listened to by this author. The two stories are sweet and the characters are true to the time period and quite likable. I felt like it moved too slowly at times. However, I did enjoy listening to the book, but it did not pull me in like the other books by Ms. Hopkins.

The narration was very good which always helps to bring out each character and make the listening enjoyable.

I requested this audio book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.