A beautiful, uplifting tale of adventure.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

There will be no spoilers here but, as the book is very much reliant on the main thread if the tale I will be limited in specific I stances so as to avoid disappointment.

When I was sent his book, I decided I'd listen with my daughter as we like to read books in parts as we travel and play. As usual for such a plan, I planned to listen to the first few chapters myself, just to ensure there's nothing unsuitable for her. After 5 chapters I figured I'd check a few more, just to be sure.... now, 6 days later, I've finished the book, having become so engrossed I couldn't wait!

From the first chapter, I found that it made me feel in a way that I'd not since I was a kid and reading books like Peter Pan, Treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson. There is just something about the way the author has spun this tale and the characters who inhabited it which I really loved, with Japlin being a particular favourite.

Also, I think the way that Jason Born has taken a historic tale and turned it into something so special is amazing and yet he's kept lots of really interesting historical information here and there which made for a brilliantly clever way to learn little bits of new general knowledge I'd never known (the banyan tree for instance).

Special mention does need to be made of Brian T Schultz and his narration as, frankly, it is perfect. With such a vast plethora of characters it would be easy to stick to a neutral voice and allow the listener to follow along but everything, human and animal has a voice and range of emotion of their own making for an incredibly visual performance.

With a sense of Peter Pan, Treasure Island and Neverending Story this book was just what I needed right now with a really warm, positive and encouraging story with plenty of adventure, beautiful narration and fun for everyone.

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