THE SPLENDID AND EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF BEAUTIMUS POTAMUS by Peggy A. Wheeler Narrator: Kelley Hazen
Published by Dragon Moon Press on 10-25-17
Genres: Fantasy
Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author
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Overal Rating:
The mystical green planet of Rendaz is home to devout goddess worshiper and university professor, middle-aged Beautimus Potamus—who also happens to be a hippo plagued by hot flashes and poor self-esteem. Beautimus forms an alliance with Samuel S. Goodwings, a younger womanizing, atheist praying mantis. When these two are together, life morphs from the mundane into the fantastic. Our unlikely duo solve mysteries, bring a murderer to justice, and even help end a war, while experiencing their own trials, triumphs, and tragedies. Often with humor, their situations and adventures parody Earth culture.
During their exploits, the two interact with a host of characters, including a pair of New Age flamingos, an A.D.H.D. afflicted trout, an orangutan detective, and a 310-year-old blue crane High Priestess. All of these creatures are more “human” in surprising ways than the citizens of the blue planet, Earth, we discover was once a Rendazian Colony.
Beautimus Potamus’ tongue-in-cheek story is a magical fable-stew made with the ingredients of satire, drama, social commentary, and comedy, with jests, puns and wordplay sprinkled throughout. For good measure, a generous pinch of romantic flavoring is thrown into the pot.
I so wanted to love this book, but I couldn’t. I really liked The Raven’s Daughter from Wheeler too, and I thought that the same writing style with some fantasy and whimsical details thrown into it would just be my cup of tea. It was original, it was funny, but after too long it got old. I also think that it touched too many subjects, and it felt kind of chaotic at times.
The characters were quite charming and lovable, and I think I would have appreciated this book much more when I was at a younger age. It’s one of those ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ cases.
Kelley Hazen did an extraordinaire job narrating this book. They were many characters and she managed to make them all sound different and with a unique personality. The only setback for me is that it really sounded like a book for children, overacting at times, which I found a bit tiresome.
I am really sorry that this book wasn’t for me, especially after reading all the rave reviews it received.
I received a copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.| Story (Plot) |
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My name is Elena. Since I was a little child I loved science fiction and fantasy, and I can’t resist a good novel. In 2015, while wait I started to listen to audiobooks and I discovered the pleasure in being able to read while doing my daily tasks, so there’s always an audiobook playing on my phone. If you see me with my Bluetooth headphones on, please be gentle, I get easily startled.
I live with my boyfriend, which I met during my six-year stay in Belgium, four cockatiels, eight lovebirds, and a hamster in Madrid, Spain; and I like to spend my free time knitting and sewing while listening to audiobooks.
