Review: Taro by Blue Spruell, narrated by Steve Marvel
Award-winning and extremely talented author Blue Spruell invites adults young and older to this historical fantasy adventure of warlords, swords, and mythical beasts from old Japan. Taro is a lovingly written coming-of-age story featuring a lively cast of characters and fantastic adventures.
The author expertly combines and reimagines three old Japanese folk tales into this captivating story about Samurai, life, betrayal, war, bravery, friendship and love.
I am absolutely fascinated by adventures set in Japan, no matter the format. From books like Shogun, Musashi or the more recently released Detective Hiroshi series of mysteries by award-winning author Michael Pronko, or his essays about Tokyo titled Beauty and Chaos, to video games such as the Yakuza series or the PlayStation exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, I’m thrilled by the exotic culture, by the people and by their stories.
4-time Voice Arts Award Finalist, Audible Narration Contest Winner, classically-trained stage actor, fully-equipped producer, and waffle chef Steve Marvel does an absolute fantastic job of bringing to life all the characters and the events in Taro.
He delivers a perfectly balanced performance, reading swiftly, switching seamlessly between the characters and assigning each of them unmistakable voices or accents. The narrative experience is elevated thanks to the great way in which Steve Marvel handles specific Japanese words.
So, I can tell you that I absolutely loved Taro and I hope to see more such novels released by Blue Spruell! Well written, imaginative, easy to follow and immediately immersive, I highly recommend this award winning adventure of epic proportions to anyone and everyone who loves Japan or wants to fall in love with it!
If you like this review, please consider sharing it with your friends on Social Media. Thank you!
I also post reviews or articles at the author, narrator, or publisher’s request, so, if you are in need of assistance in finding the perfect narrator for your book or just want to have a review on my blog, do get in touch.
If you want to support my work here, please consider subscribing to one of the services highlighted below. Each of them comes with a 30 Days Free Trial and offer great advantages in the entertainment area.
- Audible Free Trial – one Free Audiobook, plus Free Audible Originals every month
- Amazon Prime – Free Delivery, Exclusive Deals, Prime Video and Prime Music included
- Kindle Unlimited – enjoy unlimited access to over a million titles on any device, Exclusive Deals, plus upgrades to Audiobook versions at great prices
- Prime Video – Award-winning Amazon Studios Original series like Bosch, The Man in the High Castle, and many others
- Prime Music – Unlimited Access to 60 million songs
Victor Dima
Latest posts by Victor Dima (see all)
- Review: Toxic Minds, written and performed by Anthony Lee - July 7, 2025
- Review: Shadow of the Dragon, written by Amy Daniels, narrated by Phillip Nathaniel Freeman and a full cast - July 4, 2025
- Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman, performed by Marin Ireland – Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Entertainment - July 3, 2025
