I wasn't able to listen to "True Loaf" when I initially requested it through NetGalley. As the download period to listen to the audiobook timed out. I instead borrowed the audiobook from my local library. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Her voice pulls you into the story quite immediately. Even though, without prior knowledge of the origin story this was based upon, I felt a bit out of my depth - yet, combined with her narration and the story as it evolved forward, I felt I could find my footing. I have read several stories of Mythological and Folklore origins - from various retellings across different voices therein of this unique subgenre of Fantasy. By contrast to those other stories, I've read, I found this one to be a bit harder to invest inside due to the fact it was limited in scope, focus and depth. It is a very telling story about good vs evil and about how some tasks which are assigned by strangers should be met with hesitation than immediate acceptance. There were some other elements of the story which were nuanced but weren't overly described, too. I felt there could have been more descriptive sequencing - especially on behalf of the characters of Riley, Aiden and the stranger who turnt out to be related to Aiden himself.

This was plotted as a Quest storyline but took a few left turns for me as a listener. I wasn't quite prepared for the ending sequencing either as it turnt a bit too horrific for me as a reader. I enjoy cosier stories when it comes to Fantasy and Folklore and this one was a bit more intensive than it was enjoyable. Also, I couldn't quite fathom why there were so many loose threads and lost connections within the story itself. Overall, I enjoyed the narrator's voice but despite the explanations about how the story was built and structured and why certain choices were made within the story itself surrounding "True Loaf", I must admit it was simply a miss for me as a listener and reader. Especially considering that more time was spent 'explaining' "True Loaf" than actually writing a story to befit the title. Whilst as the same time, I was most disappointed this wasn't a retold tale but rather an original to mimic a specific type of folkore which sadly just fell short of its goal.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG!!! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

This was such a cute, whimsical short story. I enjoyed every bit of it and loved how it is inspired by Balkan Folklore, and the cover design is definitely a plus for me, it gives off warm cozy vibes, perfect for the story.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to review the audiobook version of this short story.

Super quick little audiobook, based around folklore.
Loved it in concept but not so much when it comes to the reality.
I feel like this had so much potential but just didn't quite get there, I think the short length of this was meant to mimic that of folktales but in this case actually just meant that the story lacked quite a lot of depth. There was no time for development with this only being 15 minutes long (the equivalent of less than 16 pages on a kindle) so in the end it just felt like the author wrote down their first draft of the main points and then kind of left it be at that without filling it out.

This book just left me with far too many questions at the end and not enough positives for it to be worth going back to. It wasn't a waste of my time or anything but I really don't think I will be reading/listening to it again.

This was cute, but I would suggest going into it with very little expectations. I made the mistake of having high hopes for True Loaf, because of how adorable the cover looks (yes, I judge books by their cover), but I was still kind of disappointed by the wasted potential.

This is a sweet story but ends too soon, as is often the case with short stories. I enjoyed the narration, the fairy tale rules/tropes and the atmosphere that the author evokes.

<i>True Loaf</i> is a fun short story that leaves you wanting way more out of it.
It’s described as a “micro-story” in its Goodreads description, which is accurate. Inspired by Balkan folklore, <i>True Loaf</i> includes turns of phrase, atmosphere, and that little bit of mystery that I love about fairy tales and folklore.
My only complaint is that it doesn’t feel complete. I’d love to hear more little vignettes of the same characters, more in the world, or even better, a fully fleshed novel with the story as its core.
I was confused but what the audience was for the story. The cover gives off middle grade novel vibes, but it’s about adults. It wasn’t a major thing, but it wasn’t quite what I expected based on the cover.
<b>Audiobook Review</b>: The narrator has a unique voice, which I wasn’t sure about initially but ultimately decided it was a good fit for the story.
<i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This review would have been very different had it not been for the author's commentary at the end.

I listened to this as an audiobook and although VERY short, it gave me the atmospheric vibes it (I think) wanted to convey in a fascinatingly fast manner fitting for a quick folktale such as this one. I especially stopped and reflected upon the phrase: You should not promise your bread to more than one man (or something along those lines.) and I found it very creepy, disturbing; though obviously important to talk about it even in 2022 given the situation in the US and the new laws regarding the human body and how men believe their entitled to our choices and bodies. Incredible...

The audio narrator made it extra special and I am thankful for those kind of stories being written and shared with the world. Thank you Netgalley for this audio copy.

Though I appreciated getting to know a bit of Balkan folklore tales, this audiobook was just too short for me to fully enjoy it.
Especially when nearly half of it is spent analyzing the original story and how to interpret folklore stories, no matter their origin.
I did appreciate the author giving us that insight and analysis.

However, I think this was one that would have worked better for me in physical format, and maybe just a little bit more expanded.

Nonetheless, I liked to hear about this Balkan Folklore inspired tale, as it is, as it’s core, a cautionary tale.


Thank you kindly to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

To be honest I had a hard time understanding this one. The narrator was very good but the story was confusing to me. This may be one instance where it would have been better to read a physical copy instead of listening.

Thanks for the chance to listen to the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced copy

A beautiful short story, would listen to again

I really wish this book had been longer, I got really invested in the world and could have read much more. It made me feel nostalgic for childhood fairy tales

A great short story, I loved the modernised take on a classic folk tale. My only complaint is that it left a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

Thank you Netgalley and Lore and Lyre, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun short story. I really enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of Little Red Riding Hood. It was extremely short, but a fun listen. I would recommend it. There isn't much more I can say about it without retelling the whole story.

Four stars. The narrator was fantastic!

Beautiful and heartwarming, It is a really short story, but it was almost like hearing a lullaby. Loved every second of it, although at first it was a little hard to get really into the story. This mainly due to the fact that I’m used to books being intense from the very beginning. But this one was a beautiful warming surprise.

A very nice and enjoyable short story that really pulls the readers in and makes them excited to continue listening. Honestly less than an hour and you will be wanting more.
Great read / Listen.

When this said it was a short story, it wasn't kidding. As an audiobook, it was only 24 minutes long, and more than half of that was analyzation of the story itself. I did enjoy that it broke things down and encouraged the reader to think about how to examine folktales.

I will say that a folktale short story as an audiobook was really challenging for me, and I wish I would've read it instead as written word. I just feel that I wasn't able to actually absorb the nuances of the story that I would've been able to get by reading the story instead of listening to it.

I thought this story was very charming and I loved that it was a read I could indulge in in one sitting. Very nice.

This Balkan Folklore inspired short story was a genuine joy to read/listen to.

Riley starts by stating 'nothing exciting ever happened here', so you know something good is about to happen! Riley has an annoying customer come into the bakery she works, who has a strange request and is not willing to let her say no. Off Riley goes on an adventure to find the elusive Yarrow tree she needs for the strange request. Luckily she has a couple of people to help her along the way.

True Loaf is a Balkan-folklore-inspired short story that's just a joy. It's incredibly short, but it feels just right.

Also included is some bonus material that talks about the folklore in the background of the story.