<i><b>Many thanks to Netgalley, along with Lore and Lyre, for this audiobook ARC!</i></b>

True Loaf is a delightful micro-story about a baker, Riley, who is sent on a quest to find yarrow to make bread for a mysterious client. To do so, she must venture into the forest, and there, she meets an interesting character. The audiobook is short and sweet, its narrative inspired by Balkan folklore with unexpected twists and turns.

I enjoyed the modern touch to the story and how it does not distract from the distinctly folklore-esque plot. Johnson weaves these two interposing elements seamlessly together. The modern-day aspects bring humor and reliability while the mystical, uncanny details from folklore lend whimsical suspension of belief. I like how descriptive the writing is - it sets the tone and atmosphere beautifully, especially in the format of an audiobook. Penny Scott-Andrew has done an excellent job in bringing Johnson's word to life.

The depiction of Riley is very charming. I quite like her narrator voice and how vibrant it is. Especially considering the fact that the story is influenced by folklore, where characters are often presented more or less as dull chesspieces to be moved to the narrative's whims and fancies, I appreciate how Johnson opted for a more distinct and dynamic personality for her main character.

However, one issue I took with the story was its ending. Without giving too much away, I think it is left open-endedly vague in a way that feels more unsatisfactory than intriguing. I was also unsure if my ignorance of the specific lore the story was referencing was detrimental to my enjoyment or not. For one, I got to take in the narrative with fresh eyes, but I also felt a little at loss from not being able to pick up the nuances and borrowed elements from the folklore, which may have added more to the narrative.

Overall, this was an easy and light-hearted read. I highly recommend the audiobook version - it definitely contributed to the general reading experience.

A Short Story Inspired by Balkan Folklore

When a strange man puts in a strange request at the bakery where she works, Riley must go on a mini-adventure to find one unusual ingredient. Along the way, she realizes that things are not always what they seem.

This short story had the potential to be very cute and whimsical but I unfortunately felt just okay about it. The narrator’s choices didn’t always make sense to me nor did they align with the tone of the words being said which didn’t help with the experience.

I really enjoyed the small glimpse into this world but I didn’t feel like I was IN the world you know, I feel like this mixed with the pacing led to a short story that didn’t make me want more but i also didn't feel satisfied with what i was given.

I Listened to this audiobook of True Loaf by L. Austen Johnson thanks to #NetGalley in exchange fir an honest review ☺️

Narrator's voice clearly enjoyed their job. Whilst I understand this is a ya audiobook. However, the voice could be almost patronising at times. I would go even as far as to say this could have been mistaken for a children's book if it weren't for words like "pissed" or "arse" 😂

The story itself was quite interesting I love folklore inspired stories and this one ended too soon for me 😪 I wanted more!

Really nice short story and a great introduction to traditional folk tales. True Loaf is a modernised story and I would enjoy a full collection of short stories like this.
The narrator had a warm and whimsical tone perfect for this bakery based yarn.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

This was a gorgeously performed short story based on Balkan folklore. It’s not a genre I usually go for, so I wasn’t certain what to expect, but I appreciated Riley (the lead heroine) and her fearlessness in the face of very bizarre occurrences and the descriptions in the writing were vivid and achieved a lot in a short amount of words/time. I’m not 100% sure about the ending, as it doesn’t explain much about what being bound by the loaves meant or the strange impact of the yarrow on the client - but it’s whimsy was appealing and I was just happy to listen along for the tale.
The narrator performed it brilliantly and it almost reads like an ideal story to listen to, so you can unwind before bed. Thanks to Austen Johnson for writing it and for an advance review of this audio read. 4*

<i>True Loaf</i> is a short story based on Balkan folklore.

Riley works in a bakery in a small village when one day a stranger comes in to ask for bread with a special ingredient and off Riley goes to make the costumer happy.

With how short this story is, it’s hard to talk much beyond that. Listening to this twice, I tried to make sure that I didn’t miss anything and though it seems like I didn’t, I feel as if I did.

It’s so short I don’t feel like I’ve gotten the whole story of what is going on and supposed to be happening. I think a few more details would have really rounded out the story.

But, the audiobook was beautifully done. The narration was spectacular.

Short stories are always difficult for me to rate. There is no character development and little time to build tension and a storyline.
But this book does have tension and action and danger. Even romance, of a sort.
It is fantasy. In a fairytale vein,
The narration was very well done. 5 stars for that.
Dark and disturbing in places, it was an enjoyable listen.

This was such an adorable short story! I loved the narrator as well. So perfect. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to it.

I really enjoyed this short story about a woman called Riley who works in a bakery and is asked to fetch a specific plant to make bread with. The story is magical fantasy and it really interested me. The audiobook narrator was very good. The story was very short, but I will look to see what else I can read from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this audiobook in exhange for an honest review.

A nice short story to introduce Balkan folklore. Since it's so short, I had no time to immerse myself in the story and character. Overall it's a nice story to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lore and Lyre for the eARC of the audiobook!

Riley works at a local bakery where a strange man enters and asks for yarrow bread. This sends Riley into the dark woods at night and into a small adventure. I really enjoyed the story telling and set up. The narrator did a fantastic job of setting the scene and making it feel real. I wish it were longer so the story arc would not have been as rushed. But overall I really enjoyed it!

The link to my full blog post is below:

Captured my interest straight away, and I would definitely enjoy reading more in set in the same world. I did want a little more context however, for the fae lands and the twins aims, although I appreciate it is a “micro story”

This short story is just the perfect length to leave you wanting more however, unfortunately for the reader, we are not granted this. The language and imagery is beautiful, with the Balkan folklore introduced and woven throughout in a way that intrigues and mystifies the reader.

However, thanks to it being so short, it is near impossible to fully immerse yourself in the story and, as a result, it is difficult to rate highly as it is left feeling unfinished.

The narration and writing style, however, cannot be faulted.

A really nice, short, and lovely little short story. It was a little too short, but I enjoyed the read overall. I could probably summarize it in two or three sentence and I don't want to spoil anything. However, the plot was pretty decent, albeit, if a stranger asked me to head to the forest at night to fetch an ingredient, and the stranger was already a little strange, I probably wouldn't...go to forest. But it's a fairytale so who am I to question motives and reasoning. I thought that the end was pretty cool and leaves off with a bit of a headscratcher.

Still, for a short story, it was still enjoyable. The cover is stunning and the narrator did a fantastic job as well.

This was the perfect audiobook for me. I find I lose focus very quickly with audiobooks and as this was just 15 minutes long I was able to concentrate fully on it the whole time. This short stand-alone story was whimsical and a great representation of Balkan folklore.

The cover is what 100% drew me in. I love the art style and I think it is a perfect representation of what the story is about and the type of story it is. The characters look very much like ones you would find in a ‘fairytale’ setting and I like that even though you do not know them for very long you are able to visualise them fully.

There isn’t really a lot I can say about the plot without giving away the entire story so I will just say that it was fun, interesting and one that I would actually have liked to see in a longer format. I love folklore and fairytales so this was right up my street.

If you are looking to get into audiobooks then this is definitely a great place to start. With its short length, you are able to get a good idea of where you stand with audiobooks. I’m personally not the biggest fan of audiobooks, however, I really enjoyed this one.

This was such a sweet and enchanting fairytale, inspired by a Balkan folklore.
It was incredibly short and it left me wanting more. I was disappointed when it ended.
I really enjoyed listening to it, the narrator was great and made the story even more enchanting.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fairytale/folklore.
All in all a fun short read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Short stories are often too short for me but this one was a great length to keep me on the edge of my seat for the entire thing. I have never heard the original story but this version was certainly entertaining.
The audio version adds an extra layer of folklore feeling to the story as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

True Loaf is a short story where we meet Riley, a baker who is asked to produce an interesting ingredient for a loaf of bread. What tricks or treats await her if she fulfills this order?

What a cute short story! I was surprised that so much was packed into such a short and sweet package, but I really enjoyed it! A quick and delightful read that makes me want to learn more about the folklore that inspired it.

Of all the stories I’ve read and listened to this year, L. Austen Johnson’s True Loaf is truly unique. A short tale based on Baltic folklore, True Loaf follows a young woman named Riley working at a bakery. She’s approached by a mysterious customer asking for tea and bread made with a very specific ingredient and vows to pay her handsomely. On Riley’s journey into the forest, she gets lost before meeting another stranger who asks for some of whatever she makes with it.

This stranger in the woods tells her how to get the yarrow, but she finds both white and yellow. She takes both, hoping that she can make both loaves look similar enough. When the strangers both arrive at the bakery she realizes they are twins and decides to give the first man the loaf made with the yellow yarrow, transforming him into something malevolent. Only when she gives the white yarrow bread to the other brother does he defeat his brother, claiming a bond with Riley that places her under his protection. He gives her only his name, Aiden, and tells her of his world yet he names no other names.

I don’t know much about Baltic folklore. It’s an area of folklore that I haven’t much explored, but I’m interested after reading True Loaf. I know of a concept where the fae do not offer their true names, or any at all, because names have power. However, that’s as far as my knowledge on the subject extends and I’m unaware of where that knowledge might’ve come from. I want to find the original tale so I can understand the material on which this story is based. As of now, I enjoyed this quick little jaunt, but I can’t help feel like I’m missing something.

The cover and the description caught my attention, and I liked the wordplay in the title. However, the story is too rushed. I felt like I am missing something. What is the difference between both types of Yarrow? What was the reason behind/ indication of the mysterious request and the assistance she received from the other guy?
The story had potential and I found it interesting, but it would have been much better had it been a bit longer.