Thank you to NetGalley and Lore and Lyre for providing an audiobook copy of this short story in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to the beautiful cover of this audiobook. True Loaf is a modern-day short story inspired by Balkan Folklore. At only 16 minutes long, this is short and sweet, but I just wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt. It left me feeling a little confused and I didn’t really understand the moral of the story.

I would have liked to learn more about the characters and their motives as the story had potential.

The narration by Penny Scott-Andrews was very clear, although I got the impression that she was reading the text like a children’s fairy tale from the tone of her voice.

This also includes bonus content where the author analyses the folklore in True Loaf which I thought was informative.

TRUE LOAF
GENRE: Short story, fantasy, fairy tale
This modern-day short story has been inspired by the Balkan folk lore.
A fancy dressed man one day visits the bakery where Riley works with a strange request. In return for her efforts, he promises to pay her well. On hearing this Riley sets out in search of the strange ingredient. As she enters the forest, darkness falls and her phone stops working. Suddenly she notices a figure lurking in the woods.
This story has a dark yet enchanting fairy tale vibes.
It’s a very short story. Though short it helps to create the magical world for its readers to fantasize in it.
Ratings: 3.8/5

This is an extremely brief short story fairy tale that is based on a lot of Balkan fairy tales. It’s roughly the length of a bed time story and gives the bare minimum details needed to weave the narrative and still give it a fantastical feel. It is vaguely set in the present time, so think urban fantasy fairy tale.
While it is very short, I do wish there was ever so slightly more to the climax and resolution as it felt off from the pacing of the rest of the story. I don’t think it needed a lot more though, just a little bit so the end didn’t feel so abrupt.
However, I did really enjoy the author’s notes at the end talking about how the story was put together and the specific aspects that were drawn from or used symbolism common to Balkan fairytales. It felt like a little history lesson and I enjoyed that almost more than the story itself! It definitely helped me appreciate the story more.
If you just want a very light little fairy tale, a palette cleanser, or a bedtime story, then this would be a good fit for sure!

True Loaf is a delightfully atmospheric modern day folkloric quest narrative for middle grade readers. I've always felt there's something a bit magical about cooking or baking for other people, so I felt the vibes strongly when protagonist Riley's quest involved searching for a particular ingredient.

The first fifteen pages of this story feel like they could be the inciting incident of a middle grade novel, but that isn't what True Loaf is. A second act with Riley amongst the fae is not what Johnson promises or delivers. Rather, Johnson has crafted a modern fairy story in the tradition of Balkan folklore, as she outlines in the bonus article at the end of the ebook. True Loaf succeeds in its purpose.

🍎 TO TEACH?
Before I realised how short it is, I expected True Loaf to perhaps be an addition to my wide reading recommendation list for middle grade students. Having read it though, I predict I will be using it more substantially as a model text for crafting new folklore tales in a creative writing unit. Don't sleep on this one. There is also plenty of scope for creative writing in the fantasy genre, extending the action beyond the story's end.

Thank you to NetGalley and L. Austen Johson for providing a copy for review.

I usually enjoy short stories, but I couldn't connect with this one.

Even though True Loaf has lots of elements of fantasy and folklore, which I usually love, the characters were flat and boring, so I wasn't too invested in the plot because of them. Nonetheless, I think my major problem is that I don't like the narrator's voice, she didn't help me get inside the story.

Thanks Netgalley for offering me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Insightful short story taken from Balkan traditions. When listening to the accompanying essay, the analysis sharpened the story and also picked it apart simultaneously - sections that I felt were a little blurry (even though it is a short story) became clearer. I do think it would’ve benefited from being longer but as it is, it’s a great story !

I would like to thank Austen Johnson, Lore and Lyre and NetGalley for this short audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This inspired Balkan Folklore short story had a magical vibe that I remember from childhood. We have a main heroine, a villain that comes with a request and the boy who bonded with the main character after getting rid of the bad guy. Happy ending!

But it was cute and raw and it made me want to read more books with forests and uneasy quests.

To be honest, wht I disliked the most was the narration of Penny Scott-Andrews. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure she's a lovely person. I just didn't resonated with her way of telling the story.

But all in all, it was great! Just too short for my own taste.

What I loved also was the author describing the meaning and folklore of the story at the end of it so we can undertand things more.

I recommend this one for when you're going to take a relaxing hot bath.

This retelling of a Balkan folk tale grabbed my attention and didn't let go. I enjoyed the lilting accent of the narrator and was drawn into the story. Our main character Riley is sent on a quest to make a special order for a customer and has adventures along the way. The voice acting was lovely and the characters were unique and interesting. The vivid imagery and inner monologue full of snark enhanced the story. I enjoyed my time in the forest with Riley!

True Loaf is a short audiobook about Riley, a baker who has a customer arriving with a special request. To fulfill his request, she has to grab an ingredient which can only be found in the forest at twilight. However, things aren't always what they seem...

It's a well written short tale based on Balkan Folklore. I really enjoyed it and I was left wanting more! It's a perfect story to listen to while enjoying a cup of tea under a blanket or while cooking (which is what I did).

True Loaf is a story about Riley, a baker, who embarks on a quest when she is asked to make a special bread for a man. It's a lovely and intriguing story full of lore and whimsicalness. Would highly recommend; it's a short story but it takes you on a journey full of twists and turns.

What a lovely little story. It has mystery, a determined heroine, and a possible love match? Thoroughly enjoyed it :)

The concept of this recording was interesting. A modern interpretation of a Balkan fairytale and a short discourse on the underlying themes which create this type of story.

Unfortunately the narrator didn't work for me. I found there was too much emphasis in the reading. Initially I thought that perhaps it was geared more towards children who might appreciate a more stylised voice, but then it doesn't match with the section after the fairy tale.

The tale was short but had some good description and highlights of humour. The explanation at the end was interesting.

This is a fun and very quick little story that really just dips the readers (or listeners) toes into the world of Balkan fairy tales. Our main character, Riley, works at a bakery and one day a customer comes in with a special request. He would like her to make him a loaf of bread with an ingredient that can only be found in the forest at twilight. The ensuing quest was was delightful and the ending was truly the icing on top. The audiobook that I listened to was only 16 minutes but Johnson still told a tale full of adventure that left me wanting more. Which is great because she has a Christmas romance novella that is perfect for this upcoming time of year.

Written by Austen Johnson, this story follows Riley, a baker, and is a short story about a strange request she had to bake a special bread for a man.

I LOVED THIS SHORT STORY. And, I really want it in a full book form. Riley goes on a little journey to bake some yarrow bread and runs into another stranger.

The ending was a good, proper twist, and there were hints that there may be other creatures in this little town in the UK. I would discuss the plot more, but it is a short story and I don’t want to ruin it.

Overall, the writing was fantastic, and the narration of this story kept me going in a wonderful way, taking me on a journey with her.

I would highly recommend this short story to anyone, even someone who isn’t normally into short stories. Besides leaving me wanting more, this was just a perfect fairy-tale style story.

I was given a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy fairy tales/fables and are looking for a quick short story, True Loaf is for you. This is an interesting tale involving a woman who leaves her bakery in search of an unusual ingredient to make a custom loaf of bread for a customer. The narrator is just perfect for this story, brining the characters to life. Reading (or rather, listening to) this made me feel like I was a kid again, reading an old Brothers Grimm tale - they were always a little dark and often pretty confusing, at least until the ending when I could usually make out the lesson.

However, in this tale the ending felt a little rushed and left me with questions. I'm not quite sure what I read, or what the lesson is I should be taking away.

From seeing other reviews, it seems the print version has some author's notes that accompany the story. I wish those would have been included in the audio book, I think that would have enhanced my understanding and made the story itself a better reading experience.

The story has a rich and immersive narrative voice. I like the 'magic' but it felt like I was just given a glimpse into what could have been an interesting magic system.

I liked the main character well enough, but the other 'hero' and the 'villain' were not memorable. The story also felt rushed during the final showdown and i had to listen to that part twice to fully understand what was happening.

However I really appreciated the author's insights into the root of the folktale, and her thoughts on plot structure for fairly tales.

Pick up this book if you are looking for a quick, fun and magical read.

I enjoyed the overall story well enough, but the end felt so rushed to wrap up and I was left with so many questions. The narrator of the actual story was very nice and added to the atmosphere, but the narrator of the bonus content was very jarring and sounded like an automated AI voice. I liked the feel of the story, I just wish I understood anything that happened by the end.

Fun short story. Listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator.

Received this book on netgalley for honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* never heard of this folklore story before so this was a really cool little read! would love to own a hard copy!

True Loaf is, at it's core, a wonderfully easy-to-grasp example of what folktales are made of. It's short and sweet but perfectly exemplifies the story structure and plot elements of it's genre. I would mostly recommend this to literature students and an educational tool.
However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as something to listen to for pure joy and entertainment. The story does what it does well, but we don't spend enough time with the characters to be super invested in them, the plot events occur so quickly that it's not exceptionally fun to read, and the moral of the story requires some literary critique to uncover.
Great for literature students, forgettable for the casual reader.