The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able

The Peter Able Series #1

by Natalie Grigson

The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able is a fantasy novel - with a twist. You see, Peter is a Boy Wizard. Or rather, Peter is an adult Boy Wizard who lives in the land of Fiction. His Real World author has abruptly concluded his series, and Peter is suddenly free to explore his world, liberated from the almighty Plotline. Of course the transition into free will isn't exactly an easy one, and there are plenty of Twists and Turns to keep our Protagonist guessing along the way. After all, this is Fiction.In the vein of authors like Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, this book will delight fans, not just of fantasy, but of literature in general. There are plenty of familiar faces from Fiction appearing throughout, as well as many new ones, like Peter, the charming Randy, and a ficus tree named Bob - who, let's be honest, doesn't really have a face.This is the first book in the Peter Able series. Book Three - just released!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Humor, Middle Grade, Science Fiction Fantasy, Mystery

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

Natalie Grigson was born and raised in Austin, Texas by a pack of surprisingly well learned wolves. From them, she gained her love of reading, writing, and, of course, shabby chic interior design.

(Just kidding. Wolves are much more partial to modern decorating.)

These days, Grigson works as both a spinner of tales and speaker/facilitator focusing on mindfulness, connection, and the power of play.

She has written such books as the PETER ABLE series, JUST CALL ME IS, CALL ME PERFECT, THE WOODS, and MATTHEW TEMPLETON AND THE ENCHANTED JOURNAL.

Follow her on Twitter @NatalieGrigson.

Learn more at www.NatalieGrigson.com.

Reviews

[Natalie Grigson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, as the author of this book, I can tell you, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It is witty, funny, packed with allusions to other literature! It will improve your health, your wealth, and overall well-being. Ladies, it will make you more beautiful and intelligent, gentlemen, more virile.

Honestly, I am not sure why I was prompted to review my own book, but if it helps, I really did enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. It's certainly a book for people who love to read, and seeing as though you're on Goodreads, you might just be Peter's target audience. Give it a go.

PS - My dog also liked it, so there's that.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read?

It is difficult to describe this book...basically this book is about fictional characters and what they do when they are not in a story. Yep, reading other books, meetings, trying to write their own destiny, etc. A strange story but a good one.

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had such potential. The premise sounded so creative and imaginative, and I had such high hopes. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I slugged through it, and more than once wanted to give up on it. I had zero attachment to the characters, and didn't care whether Peter died or not. I felt there was just TOO much to this book. It's like the author had so many ideas for this world she created, and instead of editing and only using the best ones, she threw everything in. After awhile, I couldn't even tell if the grammar/spelling mistakes were on purpose or just glaring errors. Just really disappointed and wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea here had great potential, but unfortunately the execution was exceedingly poor. I think this would have worked much better as a short-story focused exclusively on the world building. And benefited greatly from an editor. The author started out strong, but quickly fell into an almost stream-of-consciousness idea drop and then never re-read her words to make sure the so, so many ideas worked coherently. It's not so much that she didn't follow her own rules as that she appeared to not even remember them in the first place.

For example, 20% into the book, after much of the world has been described, suddenly - and only at that one time for no given reason - Peter can see words floating in the air from the trees. And those words are so tangible that one even hits him in the face. Peter registers no surprise at this event and then it doesn't happen again, which makes ZERO sense.

There were other sloppy things such as Peter would sometimes know obvious things he shouldn't because he is "new" but his 40 year-old-friend, who has been living in this world for 30 years, would need it explained. Further, what Peter did and did not know was strange. Why would he know how to make a sandwich, but not know how to open a door? Characters in books open doors.

And this is all just to start. There were way too many problems in this 178 page book - not least of which being that it felt too long and the characters/plot have no pull. I honestly could not have cared less by the end and would not even consider reading the rest of this series.

If you're looking for books that actually do an outstanding job of playing on fantasy and book tropes then I would suggest any one of the fantastic Discworld novels, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and/or Dealing with Dragons.

[Garrett Zecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Kindle Scout selection took me by surprise, and was simply my favorite book from the Scout program so far. This YA novel breaks the fourth wall to deliver a post-potter tale musing on the very act of storytelling itself. The new world of Peter Able is one of learning to make it on your own after your author has abandoned her series and left you to fend for yourself in search of learning a new genre. Just like any school, you have to find where you fit best, and that is precisely what happens to Able… That is, until he realizes a new plot devised just for him is brewing in the tingling feelings he is getting from all sides. A fun ride that was great to share with my eight-year-old at bedtime, we looked forward to reading this every night, and will certainly be picking up the sequel (another Scout selection) very soon. Positive, fun, endearing, and a great sendup to the art of fiction itself, this book is truly a remarkable little piece that I encourage any young person, or adult with a potter soft spot, to pick up.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Grigson's clever novel, The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able, Peter Able, boy wizard, whose series was unexpectedly canceled, ventures into Wizards Anonymous where he meets Randy, another former wizard, reeling after the supposed death of his wife, Gail. Randy, however, believes that Gail may still actually be alive, and he enlists Peter's help to find her. Randy and Peter pour over Peter Able's former book series, in search of clues about Gail, and in the process, begin to sense that a writer somewhere has picked them up and is writing about both of them again. As Peter and Randy find themselves drawn into a new and disturbing plot, Peter begins to wonder if, as a fiction character, he has no say over his destiny, or if maybe he can control the plot of his own life.
This was such an intelligent, quirky, and fun read packed full of allusions to famous works of literature and famous authors. I found myself laughing aloud as I read. Anyone who enjoys fiction, the writing process, or just a new take on the boy wizard genre should be sure to get a copy of this quirky read.

[Terri Weitze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun book and perfect for the younger reader (and up). Peter Able boy wizard's series has ended. What happens to the characters of books when they are no longer being written? Read this book and find out! It's a fantasy and detective novel, seen from the inside. Younger readers won't get all the jokes - but like the golden age of cartoons - there are plenty there for the older reader! So appreciation for this book will grow with the reader.

[ShadowGirl818 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious premise, great writing, good story

I found this book on kindle scout after it had been selected for publication, and bought it based on the curious premise.

I've read a few other books with a similar set up-- where the characters know they are part of a book-- and I found this to be a fresh take on that idea.

I loved how Grigson plays on common genres (fantasy, romance, etc), characters (frat boy, nerd, etc.) and plot developments/scenes (the moment, the look, etc) just enough to poke fun without being too satirical that it becomes overbearing.

As far as the writing itself, I thought it was very well written and it was clear to me that the author thought a lot about intent when writing scenes. I enjoyed the precise use of language and the variety of descriptions in the book (you won't see redundant description in this book). I also thought the use of graphics to describe some of the floating words in the story was well done and not overdone.

Though I understood the layout of Fiction and the main plot of this book, I don't really see where this series will be going long term. I also found myself zoning out or taking a break to read another book because there wasn't enough progress in the middle of this book. I thought the ending was wrapped up too nicely (which I can't believe I'm saying because normally I have the opposite response) and wished the next book was teased a little more. As it stands now, I'll probably read a sample of the next book before purchasing just because I have no idea where this series is going. That being said, I think this is a great stand-alone book, even with the slow middle.

Overall I recommend it. It's a refreshing read that takes common book themes to a whole new level.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not awful, but couldn't get into it. An interesting premise with poor execution - too much telling, not enough showing, and far too many background explanations starting with, "See..."

Example: "See, Fiction Academy believed in testing a student’s aptitude in various genres. Rather than simply allowing freshmen to choose the classes we found interesting, we’d have to jump through a few hoops first—which I only hoped were metaphorical. We were starting out in YA with something called 'Rush,' and we had to be there at 4:30 a.m."

Abandoned 9/10/17.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I received for free from Amazon. It was a peppy little story of Peter the Boy Wizard who no longer had a series. As he learns to live without hi author in Fantasy-land fiction, all kinds of excitement comes his way. It is a good YA book, as the younger readers may not catch all of the little innuendoes of other fantasy tales. I enjoyed kicking back with an easy summer read.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this one up because it was free on Kindle and I liked the cover art. The premise is excellent, but the book was honestly pretty hard to get into (world building was solid, but there was a definite lack of relationship building and character development, and the action didn't really get going until about 40% in). I'm a sucker for breaking the fourth wall, though, and really enjoyed the shout-out to other fictional characters and literary tools. Overall cute, funny story.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who's an author can relate to this story. From creating internal dialog to developing romance scenes to all other aspects of writing in the various genres.... this "fable" covers it all. It's humor at its best, and has an engaging plot line--regardless of whether it was plotted out of written as a pantser. A highly enjoyable and creative story.

[Pop Bop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Needs A Plot, (or an author)?

This isn't a book with a plot, exactly, or with characters you "care" about, exactly, or with a moral, message or lesson, exactly. It's a glorious, energetic, witty, sometimes edgy, goof, and I was all for it.

The setup is that there's an entire world populated by fictional characters who have been abandoned because their series ended. (Think of a sort of fictional character Heaven.) Former main characters have some celebrity, but most characters were just minor and supporting players even when their books were in print. They all live in neighborhoods organized and styled by genre, and they while away their time hoping to be picked up in some new or rebooted series. (Think of how the fortunes of characters from Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys must bounce up and down, or how characters out of copyright get recycled.)

Our hero, Peter Able, was once the hero of a wildly successful Boy Wizard series, (wink, wink), but as a newly arrived/awakened citizen he now finds himself on his own. (The book opens with him going to a support group for former Boy Wizards.) There is some mishegoss about someone trying to assassinate Peter, and about Peter and his new pals trying to find the assassin and foil the crime, but that plot is just completely beside the point except as a means to get everyone scurrying around and "investigating".

This is more of a sketch comedy sort of book. The first part takes us through Fiction Land as Peter gets his bearings. Example - Peter, in his stories, has walked through lots of doors but he doesn't actually know how to use a doorknob. Peter has eaten sandwiches, but he's never actually made one. And so on. You get the idea. But it gets better. Once Peter gets outside he enrolls in Fiction University, and starts taking classes in various genres. As you might imagine there is a lot of opportunity here for the author to mock and needle fiction styles and genres, and authors, and she takes every chance she gets. (I especially liked Uk, the chief Uruk-hai from "Lord of the Rings" as a guest lecturer.)

The humor is sly and deadpan for the most part, (or sometimes broad and deadpan, which is trickier than it sounds). There are subtle throwaways and clever observations, and loads of inside digs and genre shoutouts. That's what I mean by sketch comedy - the book is a string of "bits" that may run only a sentence or two, or a paragraph, or a brief chapter. Peter could go to more classes, or fewer, and could meet more characters, or fewer. The bits are just very funny beads on a string, and it could have been longer or shorter depending on the author's whim.

That said, the book does drag somewhat in the second half, mostly because of the demands of that pesky plot that requires some resolution. And the joke does begin to wear out a bit. And, the book starts to go very meta. Even from the beginning Peter was aware that he was in this book even as it was proceeding, and he sometimes addressed the reader directly. So, he's a character in a book that's about the afterlife of a character who once was in a book, and he knows that. You can see how that could get a bit ungainly and hard to wrap up. I like authors who play around with form and structure and break rules and challenge the reader to lighten up and play along, (if just for the one-liners), but if you like your characters to stay flat and well behaved on the page, or to just mind their fictional manners, this book could become a chore. On the other hand, if you like jokes about showing-not-telling, the OSD, (obligatory school dance), internal monologues that are embarrassingly spoken out loud, and all the jokes about a chaste romance between a boy wizard and a girl wizard, then this book is for you.

So, I thought it was a hoot, but that's because I totally bought in to the goof. It's not a fantasy or adventure or mystery book. It's a very funny look at what makes fiction fun, and at what goes on under the covers and behind the scenes of every book. This is one of my favorite kindleunlimited finds.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s tough being a fictional character. Peter, a now adult Boy Wizard, has been abandoned by his writer and left to fend for himself in the land of fiction.

The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able by Natalie Grigson showed up during my Kindle Scout campaign as a previous winner. I enjoy tales of characters left behind so was keen to check this one out. Peter and his pals in this one, the cast of NPCs by Drew Hayes and so on.

I know what you’re thinking: yet another story about a boy wizard. Well, don’t despair; yes Peter is a boy wizard but Harry Potter this is not.

This is an incredibly fun tale of what happens to fictional characters once their writers have abandoned them, or once their series have come to an end. It starts just as Peter realizes he is now free of his writer’s whims and can do what he likes… if he can work out how to open the door.

All his life he’s been told how to do things, so when left to his own devices even the simplest of tasks can be difficult. Everything seems to be going well for Peter until someone tries to murder him.

It’s quick to poke fun at itself and the use of stereotypical characters is genius. Roving groups of Jocks picking on the Nerds, cliques of “Heathers”, fantasy and sci-fi creatures everywhere.

I really enjoyed reading this and will definitely be reading the others in the series.

A fun look at what fictional characters get up to when left to their devices.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was creative

This book took me a bit to get into. I thought it was kind of odd. I still think it was kind of odd but the more I read the more I liked it. It was a relatively quick easy read that I was curious enough about to keep reading. I liked the thoughts it provoked about taking control of your own story and that we can choose how we act and respond to situations. Overall it was entertaining.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a bad book, just not for me.

I found the book a little hard to follow at times. It seemed to jump around and sometimes things that seemed important weren't brought up again or resolved. I know it's a series, but some of the unresolved parts felt forgotten, not like a cliffhanger.

[MystiqueLaLynx · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see the value of the writing and it is engaging but for me a little too much, it had me dreaming as though I was the main character in the book living the life of a fictional character. It became too real. Honestly I didn't finish it.

[Kat Brownell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was absolutely adorable.Very playful and funny and able to laugh at itself. I didn't really care for the Vengeance at the end, hence the four stars. The author also played a little fast and loose with the commas, but that is becoming the norm in American fiction.

[Jon Cotton · Rating 2 out of 5]

As YA fantasy, I'll give this 3 stars. It's fun, well paced and has some clever ideas. But it's definitely young adult.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

   I bought this a couple years ago, when it was on sale for $0.99 probably, as well as its sequel, because it sounded fun. And fun it was! It was light, and was interesting to see how Grigson would interpret Fiction and the characters who make it up once their stories are done, and if they’re really free from the mighty Author or if they can be picked up again, and if so, what effect that has. But that’s not what this book is about, not really!
   It’s about Peter Able, a Boy Wizard, who suddenly finds his series over, his beloved sister dead at the Author’s pen, and not even sure how to get out of his bedroom, let alone out of his bed. And that’s not figurative - his entire existence has been at the direction of an Author, along with his decisions and everything else. So to finally find himself free of a Destiny, or even direction, he will need to find his way around, well, everything. From his neighborhood of Fantasy to the other various neighborhoods (Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Romance, Comedy, etc.), all the way to the academy where he can go to university and try out other genres. He will meet friends and find “family”, as well as find himself tingling as if he’s being written even though his series is over.
   Along the way, he meets Randy, a fellow formerly Boy Wizard who is all grown up, who is searching for clues about his supposedly dead wife in the pages of Peter’s books. There is also Jenny, a formerly Girl Wizard, who seems to actively not like Peter for no reason he can figure out. There is even Bob the ficus tree to round out the group. At the university they get assignments and are assigned, for example, a Conflict that they will have to face and resolve. And that’s where things start to get really strange and maybe just a little too real, even for Fiction.
   It’s light, it’s fun, the way Fiction works doesn’t always make complete sense (like…how do they know how Fiction is like when they’ve only experienced things from their own worlds?), but then, I guess that’s sort of the point. It made for a light read as I chipped away at Too Like the Lightning, and was enjoyable. I wouldn’t necessarily say I am chomping at the bit to read the second one, I think I could take it or leave it, but as I have the second one anyways, I might as well give it a go, too.

Typos:
...complete with towers and a tiny mote. – location 405/2566/16% – “mote” should be “moat”

…skirting the math building and its mote. – location 413/2566/16% – Ibid.

Horror. I shuttered at the memory of the genre… - location 532/2566/21% - “shuttered” should be “shuddered”

   Without conflict, a story … has … nothing!” – location 853/2566/21% - Missing opening quotation marks.

...popping all kinds of seems as… - location 1935/2566/75% - “seems” should be “seams”

…dropped off to several steep cases of stairs. – location 2068/2566/75% - “cases of stairs” I could only find as an album title, as “staircases” is what, a compound(?) word that can’t be separated. So if anything, this sentence should finish: “dropped off to several steep staircases.”

I was not murderer. – location 2084/2566/81% - missing “a”: I was not a murderer.

…the whole my-wife-left my-family-to-become-an-assassin-and-kill-my-best-friend thing. – location 2543/2566/81% - missing the dash to connect “left-my” as well

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know about fantastic but I guess it somewhat qualifies as a fable. The concept of what happens to characters in books after the book was over isn't a new one to me. Since I started reading I would daydream about what went on after the last page. One of the things I loved most, besides the story of course, in the Lord of the Rings was the was the way Tolkien let the reader know what went on with the main characters after the story itself had ended.
This book is something of a mix of the two characters live in a quasimagical land divided into genres, fantasy, YA, thriller, etc. The story becomes somewhat muddled and convoluted in places pulling out fixes for problems from out of nowhere.
I did finish the book and I didn't skip around when it got a little hard to follow. Even though you're told who the good guys are I kept waiting for that famous plot twist and was disappointed when it never came. The ending was a bit flat but all in all? This wasn't a bad read nor was it one I'd race off to share with my friends. The concept is one that's been in my head for more than forty plus years. It could use a little polishing but it's worth a read.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an adventure through the land of Fiction, a place where the streets of Romance and Comedy can intermingle with those of Thriller and Science Fiction. Our story follows the after-written life of Peter Able the boy magician. I say after-written life because we meet Peter shortly after his book series has completed and he is left to fend for himself, learning how to operate life without a written script. That means that he must learn to navigate things like making decisions, holding in his inner dialogue and learning how to communicate without the witty written words of an another with an agenda--All while trying to figure out what is next for his life.
Through our travels with this no longer written about boy we see how life is lived by the characters that we love after their stories have been finished. Some go to school, some get parts in other written works and some change genres.

If you love reading works of fiction you will love the wit and cross overs found in this tale.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some interesting concepts, and some good moments, but overall this story just plodded along despite what was happening. The excitement was not exciting, the twist were not unexpected, and the Hero was not heroic. The characters were kind of stupid, missing clue after clue as to what was going on or who was doing it, even to the point of pretty much saying, 'not going to worry about it right now'. If someone is trying to kill me, I'm going to worry about it, Right Now.
At times the current actions did not seem to fit the previous actions; 'Peter stood up', but I was under the impression that he was standing. When did he get into a position where he had to stand up?
The world was vastly underdeveloped, but that would have added pages and I have never had this much trouble finishing a book with less than 200 pages.
Not going to read the next one.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable romp through a former character no longer needed in his story

I must say it was quite an unusual tale that had many pop culture references and characters intertwined throughout. I've always been a sheer for breaking the forth wall and this story has a new definition for it. The world in which this book is strange yet very clever.The character Peter may not appeal to everyone however i found him not like every character in a hero's story where he's almost perfect. He is not that and intriguingly normal and problematic. The story went fairly quick and was enjoyable to get to the next story.

[Tess Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Able has to be one of the most unique books I’ve ever read.

This isn’t a PERFECT book, by far. If anything, I give it a 3.5 stars (but I like to round up.) I really enjoyed the characters (except for Jenny. If this isn’t the most shoehorned in insta-love I don’t know what is...) and setting. The idea of all the different genres co-existing is really interesting, and I would have enjoyed if there had been more world building for me to explore (but we should see more in the coming books.)

It’s fun and funny, and I will absolutely be checking out the second one!

[J.A. Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

JA Stone, Author

Natalie Grigson has done what most writers only dream of. The concept of 'Fiction' as an actual reality is brilliantly conceived and gifted to us, the readers, with talented hands. This book was a pure pleasure to read. Stories such as this are rare, and I am certain that this book and its sequels will one day be classics.
Oh, and if you are still reading reviews, what are you doing gooberhead? The buy with one click button is at the top!

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this book left me feeling nothing. The characters are all stereotypes and very boring. The repetition was annoying; I get it, the tingling means he's being written! I felt like the author was trying to reach a word count so she kept adding that detail. Peter is moronic and part of me wanted Gail to succeed, but I knew that wouldn't be the case because the book is insanely predictable. The only way I would read the rest of the series was if I was desparate and they were free.

[Caroline Deacon-Desautels · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly Quick Read

This book does have a lot of funny one-liners and the concept is really interesting. However, I feel like the author could have done a lot more to create a well developed story. I don’t feel like I know much about any of the characters and the story was completely nonsensical. Originally I was planning on reading the rest of the series but I think I will pass. Too many other good books to read.

[Diane Lupton · Rating 1 out of 5]

read for the theme - has more than twenty letters in the title

I was not a fan of this book. I couldn't wait for it to end and it just kept on going. I think the storyline was very original but the execution fell short for me. I got so tired of hearing about your internal dialog and the ridiculously over stated characteristics of books, not to mention the complicated description of the neighborhoods depicting the different genres. Not my cup of tea.

[Kristina Trawick]

Too inane for me

It is rare for me to not finish a book, even if I have to slog through it. This book? Just can't do it. It was written for kids, seemed like written by a kid. I didn't find one piece of dialog funny, barely entertaining. Then I discovered it is part of a trilogy. Yikes. Two more of this to complete Peter's story? Maybe one day I will try again and get a different perspective.