Overall I think this was a good story, but I listened to the audiobook version and had a hard time following along. The story shifts back and forth between time periods, and two main characters have names that sound very similar so I kept getting confused. I would recommend this book but suggest reading the paper or kindle version over the audiobook.

Secrets. Legends. Memories. Regrets. What is myth and what is truth?

The Fabled Earth is a dual timeline historical fiction novel set on Cumberland Island, Georgia. In 1932, a night of drinking and storytelling at an illustrious estate ends in tragedy. Lives are lost, lives are changed forever.

In 1959, a woman comes to Cumberland Island looking for information about her recently deceased mother and sets in motion a reckoning for that long-ago night.

I was fascinated by the premise of this book. The writing was beautiful and really built a sense of place, time, and atmosphere. In the end, however, the book just didn’t work for me. The author did not do a great job of delineating jumps in time. The writing, while lovely, was extremely slow and got bogged down in unnecessary digressions that didn’t add to the plot. Also, there were so many characters, which made it difficult to follow with only one narrator. This would have worked better in print or as a full cast audiobook.

This definitely wasn’t a bad book, but it didn’t hold my interest through most of it or live up to the potential of its premise. 3 out of 5 stars.

I got about a third of the way into the audio version of this book, but it just didn't grab my attention enough to finish it. It seemed well written, but the coming of age story just didn't resonate with me right now. Maybe for some other readers.

This was a dual timeline between 1959 with flashbacks to 1932 that had back history that influenced the more recent timeline and the characters struggling with shame, guilt, or trying to figure out who they were after losses. It primarily focuses on 3 main female characters, one who is in both timelines.

The book had moments that I engaged with, dealing with the characters trying to navigate class/wealth expectations and disparity between themselves in ‘32, and in ‘59 with civil rights and racism struggles, as well as family issues in a small town, and both with some deaths that influenced the characters.

While the landscape was well described and at times I engaged with the story, most of the time I kept losing the plot and interest. Maybe it was the audio and the printed would have been better as other reviewers considered, but there were so many characters to keep track of I kept getting confused who was who and what role they had, and I honestly just got bored since there wasn’t a ton going on and it was more character driven.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine.

I love reading books with dual time periods or bildungsroman's where we can watch the character grow. However, this audiobook had one reader that didn't seem to change their voice as we traveled from period to period with the same main character. This alone is really my low rating for the ALC, as it was more difficult for me to stay connected since it felt like I was just lost between the transitions. I think this one is best as a read vs listen.
After finishing, I also realized there were many characters to keep in my mind, so stopping the audiobook for work and then trying to get back to listening was more difficult. I was hoping to get the next "Crawdads" but this wasn't it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC copy, all opinions are my own.

The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock tells a story of the legends of Cumberland Island, and the folks who lived and survived all of its storms.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the amazing Cassandra Campbell. Her narration was fantastic and literally took me right into this world of characters and stories. I loved it.
Thank you to the author for this story and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liked it, fun while I was reading it
I liked the historical dual timeline where both were in the past (1932 & 1959). It's a very subtle story with a lot of characters. I sometimes had trouble keeping them all straight but that's pretty typical of myself. I did really like that you get a very good idea and feel for life in and around Cumberland Island.

The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension, and the appropriate accent.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus, NetGalley, and author Kimberly Brock for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Fabled Earth is out October 1, 2024.

The Fabled Earth unfolds as a historical mystery steeped in Southern gothic charm and set on Cumberland Island spanning two timelines—1932 and 1959. The 1932 storyline offers glimpses of a glamorous and dark original gathering, while the 1959 narrative introduces a folklorist seeking answers and a widow who is forced to reckon with her past.

While the plot doesn’t have the gripping pace of a thriller, the intrigue lies in the question: what led this sociable debutante to become a reclusive artist? This central mystery, combined with a dual timeline structure, gradually draws the reader into the secrets that haunt her life. The story has a subtle allure, capturing the faded elegance of old-school photography, Southern folklore, and the weight of carrying the past forward.

“Everyone of us has a library we’re carrying around right inside us. All those stories just waiting…”

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the ARC audiobook.

Just an okay dual historical timeline read by a new to me author if I'm completely honest. I was intrigued by the book's description and its recommendation for fans of Where the crawdads sings but I struggled to fully get invested in the characters and found it just okay on audio. Not one I would go out of my way to recommend unfortunately. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Fabled Earth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my Heavens I didn't want the book to end. It was absolutely 💯 Fantastic! Kimberly is the Queen of the Marsh. You will cheer on & totally fall for Cleo, Francis and Audrey. Kimberly is a master storyteller. I read the book & listened to the Audio. I LOVED both!!
GOOOO run out & buy this book.
Thank you NetGalley!

I put the link to my review on Friends and Fiction below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FriendsandFiction/permalink/1284719222806388/

The AUDIO BOOK of THE FABLED EARTH is narrated by Cassandra Campbell who is a personal favorite and she did another excellent job with this story; evoking Southern drawls and a sense of place, time, and even social class. I highly recommend the audio book version.

THE FABLED EARTH by Kimberly Brock is a work of historical fiction set on Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia. Events in the story take place in two time periods: 1932 when a young debutante (Joanna Burton), an aspiring artist (wonderfully named Cleo Woodbine), and wealthy young men are staying at a Carnegie family retreat named Plum Orchard. One evening, too much alcohol and scary storytelling results in death and transformed lives. The other time period is 1959 amidst the struggle for civil rights and integration. Cleo, now older and reclusive, still lives near the island and is visited by Joanna's daughter, Frances Flood, a folklorist, who forms a friendship with young Audrey Howell, newly widowed and running the local inn. History still resonates, and tensions exist between local families, including questions of class and race. Attraction and romance simmers, too, for all three women, as Brock includes a former railroad man (Tate Walker), a ghost tour guide (Rosey Devane) and an activist with native American roots (Will Tremmons). The publisher describes the book by saying, "Southern mythology and personal reckoning collide in this sweeping story..." – for me, the start was almost too slow (languid, like our stereotypes of the rural South), but I came to appreciate the haunting atmosphere and to care for the varied characters; plus, the audio book is fantastic.

I recently listened to “The Fabled Earth,” and I really enjoyed it. Both the author and narrator did a great job moving between timelines without making it confusing for the listener, which can easily happen in my experience with audiobooks.

One of the things I liked most was how well the book captured life on and around Cumberland Island. Growing up near there, I appreciated the vivid descriptions of the flora, fauna, and local culture. The author made it easy to visualize and feel connected to the setting. The characters are well-developed and interesting.

The narrator’s performance is great. It was easy to follow character transitions. I also listen to audiobooks 1.5-2.0x faster than normal speed and it was still easy to follow and not jarring.

Overall, “The Fabled Earth” is a well crafted audiobook. I recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting storyline with flawed, realistic characters set against the beautiful backdrop which is Cumberland Island.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio copy of “The Fabled Earth” by Kimberly Brock in exchange for a review.

This one was…tough for me. I’ll generally listen to audiobooks when I’m cleaning, walking the dog, doing laundry, etc. This is NOT one of those novels you can multitask through. There were a lot of characters that jumped from past to present, and it was difficult to track.

Overall, I’d give it a 2.5 ⭐️

Rating reasons:
-Too many characters for only one narrator
-Timelines of past and present were not called out and confused me
-I got the gist of the story, but there were a lot of scenes that, while atmospheric and beautifully written, didn’t add to the plot
-I’m not a fan of character driven novels, so unfortunately that didn’t play in my favor either

Full of mystery and folklore, this story set on an island off the coast of Southern Georgia is strongly reminiscent of Kate Morton novels.

I had a hard time following the dual timelines and keeping the female characters straight in my mind while listening to the audiobook. I think I would have enjoyed this more in physical form. I don't fault the author one bit, just wish I had read it instead of listened to it. The narrator was a bit bland, with not enough inflection and emotion.

I might revisit this book at a later date if I can get my hands on it.

Stumbled on this book because of the narrator, Cassandra Campbell. I enjoy her narrations (the drawl in her voice makes the Deep South come alive) and portrayal of all the characters in the story. I particularly enjoy Cleo. How she constantly tried to do the right thing but nobody was listening to her.

The book started out a little slow but once the characters and their stories developed I couldn't put it down. This story tells tales of the monied south 75 years ago; their entitlement. It also brings to the light all the black hate that existed.

I recommend this book if you enjoy Historical Fiction and stories about old time famous families.

I don’t read a lot of southern fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. I connected with the female main characters right away. I enjoyed the multiple POVs. We get the past tense during the Fable chapters, but the majority of the story is told in the ‘present’ (the late 1950’s) with Cleo, Audrey and Frances’ POVs. From the minute Frances comes to Cumberland Island you can get the feeling she belongs there. Audrey and Frances’ friendship is my favorite part of the story. I love how they bond so easily and Frances is ready to have Audrey’s back after such a short time.

I enjoyed the audio of this one. It helped me devour it much faster having both the audio and physical copy. Cassandra did a good job differentiating between characters and helped me feel more connected to the women.

Thank you Harper Collins Focus for my audio copy of this book.

Excellent story and beautiful writing. I was caught up in the womens journey.

I've just finished the copy I purchased, because the audio download was problematic.

Full review to come.

A fascinating story spanning decades, told from the alternating viewpoints of three very different women. First there is Cleo, starting when she first arrives on Cumberland Island in 1932. There, the sheltered Cleo, is immersed in a vastly different world of wealth and men with power. Fast forward years later to the end of the 50s, where Audrey is the new innkeeper in town, escaping a haunting past of her own. And then, as there are threats of a storm of the century, Frances Flood arrives looking for answers about her mother, who once upon a time knew Cleo, the now reclusive artist living on a tiny bit of land called Kingdom Come. These women and their stories intertwine throughout the novel, answering questions and shedding mysteries.

I listened to this on audio and it did not immerse me in the story as much as I would have hoped. Overall, an intriguing premise that fell a bit flat on delivery.

The Fabled Earth ( Audiobook) by Kimberly Brock
In a dual timeline between 1932 and 1959 the opulence of the Guilded Age is celebrated on Cumberland Island by the Carnegies and other islanders. A party of young men from America’s finest families ends in tragedy after a night of revelry and story telling goes wrong in 1932.
In 1959, Cleo Woodbine has lived on a sliver of the island called “Kingdom Come” for decades. Frances Flood shows up looking for identity and answers that Chloe may hold. A double exposure photograph and an old news article change everything they thought they knew. Has Frances raised a ghost from that night in 1932, or are there more secrets to unfold?
I love the Georgia Coast and the author does a beautiful job of taking you there with detailed descriptions of the place and the culture on the island. This book was beautifully written. It is a wonderfully imaginative tale of finding a place to call home and using art and story telling to carry you through the good and the bad. I loved it!

The narrator did an excellent job of telling the story and making the listener a comfortable part of the story. The mellow voice and calm reading style made for an enjoyable experience!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Muse for the pleasure of reviewing the ARC of this audiobook version of the story.
I give it 4.5/5 ⭐️