The Return of King Lillian
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner Readers' Favorite Award Winner
Independent Author Book of the Year Award Winner
"A whimsical and philosophical fairy tale for the modern age."
When Lillian, the one-and-only heir to the throne, is cast out of her kingdom by malevolent forces, she accidentally wanders into the Forest of Forgetfullness, where she is rescued by wolves and raised by an eccentric old wise woman. When she comes of age, Lillian is called by Destiny to return home. The trouble is, when she steps out of the Forest, she has no memory of who she is or from whence she hails. Undaunted, the spirited, self-reliant young woman sets off into the unknown, determined to rediscover her long-lost self and reclaim her stolen birthright. Most of the tale is told by Lillian herself, as she chronicles her extraordinary adventures.
This offbeat debut novel, written and narrated by multi-media artist Suzie Plakson, is an allegorical saga full of comedy, calamity, and a host of unforgettable characters. Reviewers have compared this unconventional fairy tale to such classics as The Alchemist, The Princess Bride, Stardust, and The Wizard of Oz.
"The Return of King Lillian is a basket of magic. Echoing Joseph Campbell's feeling that the world needs new storytellers and new myths to help us greet the coming age, I'll say that Suzie Plakson is one of those storytellers, and King Lillian is one of those myths."
- Jacob Nordby, author, Blessed Are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives
"King Lillian is entrancing, audacious, and addictive in the very best way. A splendidly creative allegory told by Suzie Plakson with flair, wit, and passion."
- Marianne de Pierres, author, Parrish Plessis and The Peacemaker series
"To say that King Lillian thoroughly enchanted me and left me spellbound would be the understatement of the century. I've listened to hundreds of audiobooks, and King Lillian is my favorite of all. Suzie Plakson's voice is velvet mixed with grit mixed with enchantment. It takes you into another realm - into the mystic."
- Kelly Sullivan Walden, author, It's All In Your Dreams
www.kinglillian.com
www.suzieplakson.com
Customer Reviews
King Lillian reigns!
Have you ever wondered what happened after the child declared that the Emperor wore no clothes when no one else dared? Who was this brave child, and what happened to the Emperor and his Kingdom? King Lillian answers all those questions and more. A multi-layered fairy tale with a depth that can easily be overlooked; it reminds me of other classics such as The Little Prince that are similar in style and tone as well as providing lessons to learn and discuss.
What I liked:
The tone and style of writing -- diary style that was part prose and part poetry. It took some getting used to, but by the end, I appreciated that an aspiring poet would write this way in their journal - trying out some poetic verses and then going back to the more comfortable prose.
King Lillian comes with a big message; the message of doing what’s right rather than what’s easy. Lillian travels the whirld (world) and is faced time after time with hard decisions. Just as with her decision to tell the King he wasn’t wearing any clothes, she always picks the less popular path of doing and saying the right thing. In a society that likes to shame people into following their world view, this is a critical lesson and one that should be discussed with kids today.
In typical fairy tale fashion, the story left you with the hope that things will be different. As the reader gets closer to the end, it isn’t certain that it will end with hope for a better tomorrow, but ultimately, King Lillian delivers. As the title suggests, Lillian is no ordinary ruler in a less than ordinary land. The fact that she takes in the title “king” rather than the traditional title feminized, piques interest and stimulates the imagination.
What I Wish:
I wish I had been better prepared when I began the book for the journey I was about to embark. There is so much to savor and enjoy about this novel, and I feel like I did not get the full appreciation as I struggled to figure out how to label this book - what category to place it. The fact that the title is King Lillian should have told me to sit back and enjoy the ride as this was not a book that was going to fit into any preconceived category.
I also wish that parents will read this to younger kids and have discussions about Lillian’s choices. This story is a perfect read-aloud book with important lessons to learn - lessons that should start earlier than the books intended audience.
To Read or Not to Read:
This book is worth reading for all - adults and young adults - and I would recommend it to parents as a read-aloud book for younger children along with discussion. It’s a classic fairy tale for the modern age and should not be overlooked! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.