Deerskin Audiobook By Robin McKinley cover art

Deerskin

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Deerskin

By: Robin McKinley
Narrated by: Xe Sands
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The only daughter of a beloved king and queen, Princess Lissar has grown up in the shadow of her parents' infinite adoration for each other - an infatuation so great that it could only be broken by the queen's unexpected passing. As Lissar reaches womanhood, it becomes clear to everyone in the kingdom that she has inherited her late mother's breathtaking beauty. But on the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Lissar's exquisite looks become a curse....

Betrayed and abused, Lissar is forced to flee her home to escape her father's madness. With her loyal dog Ash at her side, Lissar finds refuge in the mountains, where she has the chance to heal and start anew. As she unlocks a door to a world of magic, Lissar finds the key to her survival and begins an adventure beyond her wildest dreams.

©1993 Robin McKinley (P)2018 Tantor Classics Epic Epic Fantasy Fairy Tales Fantasy Fiction Magic Royalty Heartfelt Scary Dream Tearjerking
Beautiful Storytelling • Emotional Journey • Captivating Narration • Effective Trauma Description • Healing Message
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I first read this back in high school and it always stuck with me. Robin McKinley has a way with words, with a very strong layer of whimsy for this novel. And the narration in the audiobook shines! The delivery of such whimsy is perfect, and you really feel the essence of the scenes come through Xe Sands' voice.
That being said, major content warning for r*pe and incest. I will say though the subject matter is so dark, that this is the most effective description of the aftermath of something so brutal that I have ever encountered and I really love the amount of care McKinley takes with Lissar's dissociation afterwards.

stellar story and narration

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Classic McKinley beautifully written and read. One of my favorite adult fairy tale books read the way I’ve always heard it in my mind.

Classic McKinley beautifully read

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There is an episode of rape / incest that is intense.
If you can get past the sexual content then the story was very good.

Warning!

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Xe Sands is my new favorite narrator! she did a perfect job of telling this story!! The story was lovely and haunting. I loved it, but wish for a bit more in the ending. Still totally enjoyed the experience!

Magical

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I cannot say enough for the beauty in this book. I felt that at first the narration was a little slow, but it only added to the quality of the book by the end. Masterfully written, and the feeling and emotions brought forth will stay with you long after the book as finished.

This book is breathtaking

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A strange and beautiful story, lovingly read. Though perhaps better read than to have read to you, regardless of the accomplished reading.

Lovingly read

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This is now one of my favorite stories. It’s an original, rich, beautiful, and triumphant fairy tale.

My one complaint is with the performance. The narrator has a very nice normal speaking voice with an American accent, which she uses for the narrative. However, the “character” voices she uses for dialogue are mumbly, inconsistent, weirdly lilting, and sometimes incoherent.

It’s distractingly bad. Each character has a heavy, seemingly-arbitrary fake accent that is inconsistent and difficult to understand. A single character’s accent often changes multiple times throughout the book without apparent reason. This happens repeatedly with the main character and several of the side characters. Fortunately, you can tell by the context who’s talking. However, the fake accents are so thick and strange and mumbly, they can be nearly incomprehensible. There are entire sections where I had to rewind repeatedly to understand the words.

It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it interrupted and detracted from the listening experience.

Gorgeous story

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Deeply poetic new fairytale
Bonus points for good animal companion
A bit of a soft magic system but nonetheless or perhaps moreso because of it beautiful

A quiet new Fairytale

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fantastic story about a broken woman and dogs. was very happy will definitely read more of the same author

great book

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Tough, tough subject that makes for an uneasy read in the beginning. I love the love story though, both between Lissa and Prince Ossin and Lissa and her dog Ash. Ossin is so real and just what she needs. The big showdown at the end is melodramatic in an old fashioned fairytale way when she calls out her father in such a public way and holds him accountable. For me, the most powerful scene follows between her and Ossin.

I think this book appeals to me because I was raped as a child, not by my father but by a trusted family friend. The feeling of betrayal is real, along with the sense of being damaged. It was something I struggled with for many years and still struggle with even all these years later. I love the empowerment Lissa reaches while she still recognizing the scars she carries.

Xe Sands did a wonderful job with the narration.

Hard story to read with a beautiful love story

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