The Return of King Lillian
Written by Suzie Plakson ⎮ Narrated by Suzie Plakson
Author: Suzie Plakson
Narrator: Suzie Plakson
Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes
Publisher: Pilmsthistle & Co.
Released: Aug. 2, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis
THE RETURN OF KING LILLIAN is whimsical and philosophical fairy tale for the modern age, filled with comedy, calamity, and a host of unforgettable characters.
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 to reclaim her stolen birthright.
Written and narrated by multi-media artist Suzie Plakson, THE RETURN OF KING LILLIAN is a story for people who take the road less traveled, people who live outside the box, people who love fantasy, fairy tales, myth, and metaphysics. Reviewers have compared this offbeat debut novel to such classics as THE LAST UNICORN, THE ALCHEMIST, STARDUST, and THE WIZARD OF OZ.
2019 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner
2019 Readers’ Favorite Award Winner
2019 Independent Author Book of the Year Award Winner
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
"The Return of 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 of Parrish Plessis and The Peacemaker series
"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 of Blessed are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives
"With The Return of King Lillian, Suzie Plakson has done the impossible, telling a tale that at once seems both like a timeless classic and something modern, fresh, and entirely new. And her audiobook performance is a joy in its own right. Suzie casts you under her spell as she inhabits the character of Lillian, as well as every other magical creature and person Lillian encounters along her journey. This impeccably-produced recording is guaranteed to brighten your day and lift your spirits!”
— David Briggs, Supervising Sound Editor, Tales of the City, Divorce
"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 of It's All in Your Dreams
Susan's Review
4.75 Stars
This audiobook was provided by its author, Suzie Plakson, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thanks, Suzie!
The Return of King Lillian instantly captured me because Lillian was so charming and bold. She marches down the road ready to greet any adventures she may stumble upon, and stumble she does - more than once. This fantastical tale would be perfect for a long car drive with kids. The imagery and plot are very engaging and Lillian is a character I rooted for throughout the story.
This is a modern Don Quixote tale (minus the 17th century sexism) including a mighty steed (Hank). The Return of King Lillian rambles from one adventure, mishap, magical moment, gifted friend, unsurmountable odds to quiet moments, beautiful vistas, and misunderstood motives. You could easily break this story down into shorter tales, like right before bedtime for the kids.
Lillian goes from lost child, to young adult, to full adult, to powerful justice symbol, to victorious lady, and back to a child again. The story starts off in a great place, grabbing my attention right away with plenty of questions. The timeline stays on track for a good chunk of it, but then decides to jump around a bit - middle, end, beginning, middle, etc. In fact, I felt the story came to a great ending, very satisfying, and then the author flung us all the way back to the very, very beginning with the birth of Lillian (for the last 1.5 hours of the book). For me, that's the only weakness of the tale. I was ready to set the book down, being very happy with how things ended, but then there's this dangly bit of prequel tacked on at the end. Still, it was worth my time to see how things really got started for Lillian.
I loved the peacocks and their beautiful, hidden world. The Western horse thief tale was fun, but sometimes felt like a Howdy Doody episode with all the period phrases. I was glad to be back in the world of magic once Lillian got that all sorted out. The Fae were fun but dangerous (as they should be). And I loved that bit with the monster in the cave near the sea. Lillian learned a lot from that experience - and I adored Hank for returning when he did to help ease Lillian in her grief. Then the big crescendo as Lillian returns to the greatest city of all to set right what once went wrong. That was awesome all around. All told, The Return of King Lillian is a fun, family friendly fairy tale.
Narration Review
Meet the Author/Narrator: Suzie Plakson
Suzie Plakson has been in love with fairy tale and myth ever since she was a young lass growing up in the wilds of suburbia. The idea for "The Return of King Lillian" first came to her when she was a struggling theatre actor in New York City, doing odd jobs, improv comedy, and various off-off-Broadway productions. She eventually landed a lead in a national tour, which dropped her off in Hollywood, and since that time she has appeared in such films and television shows as "Mad About You," "Love and War," "Wag the Dog," "Dinosaurs," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Star Trek." She has also done voiceovers, written short stories and poetry, written and recorded an alternative country album, created an allegorical solo show, and produced sculptures large and small in her otherwise unused oven. "The Return of King Lillian" is her debut novel. Read more at: kinglillian.com and suzieplakson.com