Download Toads and Diamonds Audiobook

" I've always found the original tale of "Toads and Diamonds" to be rather unsettling, since the "good" option always seemed just as horrifying to me as the bad. This retelling does an excellent job of showing the blurred line between blessings and curses. Stepsisters Tana and Diribani are both great characters to read about. When they encounter the goddess Naghali, Diribani wishes for beauty and receives the gift of speaking flowers and gems, while Tana wishes to protect her family and receives the gift of speaking toads and snakes. Their "blessings" take them on separate journeys, told in alternating chapters, and it is interesting to watch them grow as they come to terms with their gifts and with themselves. There is, of course, a touch of romance, but the focus is really on the girls and their own strengths and weaknesses. The new setting for the tale adds further layers to the retelling as the events unfold in a land modeled on the Mughal Empire of India, which provides a rich and colorful backdrop. An excellent spin on a familiar tale. "

" This was a neat book! Two sisters are "blessed" by the goddess. For one of them flowers and jewels fall from her mouth when she speaks. For the other, toads and snakes come out. These blessings lead them on different paths that help them learn what is most important in life. "

" A familiar fairy tale in an unfamiliar setting. Well done overall with decent characters and story-telling. Seems to be mainly a book of self-discovery and coming of age which is what you'd expect from a YA story. Fun reading. "

" A retelling of a Cinderella tale. Two sisters meet a fairy; one is apparently rewarded while the other is punished. But which is which? "

" I really enjoyed reading the book, especially the dynamics of the many relationships throught out the story. Well written, and very original(: One of the best books i have read recently. "

" Was actually Joanne's book.She did some read out loud to me and it intrigued me enough that I read it. Good retelling of a folktale. "

" I loved it! A+ "

" What a lovely fantasy! Set in a world reminiscent of when Islam invaded India, 2 sisters face destitution w/ a plan...until a goddess steps in and gives them each a gift. They must discover the purpose of their gift and true love while remaining true to themselves and their peaceful culture. "

" Excellent fairytale. Different too. "

" I liked this fairy tale re-telling well enough: the setting was great, the characters were likable, and the writing was good. But for some reason, I just couldn't lose myself in it. Still recommended for teens who like a good fairy tale. "

" I liked the twist on the fairy tale and like the India-ish twist "

" Couldn't get past the first three chapters. I didn't care about the characters at all. Interesting setting (India) though. "

" not my cup of tea. "

" Allan Quatermain: inglese, odia la pioggia, ama il caldo africano e difende (a fuciliate) gli indigeni locali dallo sfruttamento di Londra. Curioso... "

" It was a bit wordy, but the story was good. I could have done without all the war parts and descriptions that took up about half of the book. I thought it would be more suspenseful, but it really wasn't. Maybe in it's day, it was more suspenseful, but it was fun to read over all. "

" I really liked this. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's a proper old adventure story and is well worth the read, in my opinion. "

" And I've seen the movie too. "

" Not exactly what I thought it would be. Certainly dated. Curious to see one of the movies that were made to see how they handled the material. "

" I really enjoyed this classic. A great book to escape from the real world with. "

" MMMMMmmm, I can't really decide. It was a good classic, a good story line I guess maybe it was the writing style I didn't like. "

" Great adventure story. Very different from the movie. Haggard keeps the pacing going through the whole book. I will read more Haggard in near future. "

" A great story - kept me gripped all the way through. "