The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming Book Review

Full disclosure: I was given a free audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When reading, I usually form an opinion of the novel that I have in my hand during the first third. But sometimes, that changes after a certain moment, and it would change my beliefs for better or for worse. Luckily, in the case of The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming by Kelvyn Fernandes, that development was for the better.

The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming follows Peter – a bubble mage – and Fi – an orphaned rabbit-eared chimera – as they go on adventures searching for something uniquely special to them within the four kingdoms of their known world. They encounter goblins, pirates, a prissy princess, and fantastical beasts and use biochemistry-based magic to aid in their journey.

As one can see from the title and the summary, the book is not one story. It contains multiple plots that all culminate into one at the very end. Think of it as a season of a television show. It has one main arc and several little ones, which all come together in the finale.

Speaking of television shows, judging by its cover (guilty!), I noticed that it had a very anime-centric style to it. Some readers and reviewers were initially put off by it, claiming that it made them think the book was for kids, yet in my case, it got me excited for the novel due to its similarities with mangas in terms of art style. As a result, while I was reading The Many Adventures, I couldn’t help but to imagine it as an actual anime show. I would definitely subscribe to Crunchyroll to see that!

In addition, the main characters Peter and Fi are very intriguing and distinct. Peter is a no nonsense magician who is helping Fi find her way home despite the fact that he was already on another quest. Fi is an engeratic chimera, whom readers don’t really get to know her backstory until the final chapter. Their relationship is much like the one that siblings have. They argue about certain things, but in the end, they still care about each other.

There are other wonderful characters like Captain Mathers and Abigail the snotty princess, but readers don’t really get to interact with them alot. Maybe they will come back in the next volume.

Unfortunately, my excitement waned when I couldn’t follow what was going on. I didn’t even understand how the world that they inhabited worked a lot of the time. To be fair, I was listening to the audiobook, and the narrator didn’t make the voices distinct enough for me. However, I will give him credit for vocalizing most of the villains like Vegeta from Dragonball Z with a Southern accent (I was waiting for him to say Kakarot to prove my point) and giving the snobby princess a Terry-Jones-as-a-pepperpot voice. On a positive note, his whimsical and relaxed tone was totally suitable to the story and made me keep going. In addition, his narrating became better as the book progressed.

Given all that I have said up till this point, I would have probably said that it’s on the border between okay and good, but it was the final chapter that made everything click and tipped it to being the latter. As I mentioned earlier, readers discover Fi’s backstory in that chapter. All I will say is that it’s extremely heartbreaking, and it reveals her goals as clear as a whistle. Also, like a season finale, it even sets up what potentially might happen in the second one.

Overall, The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Volume I: Homecoming by Kelvyn Fernandes is a pretty good book. Even though I wasn’t able to connect with it as much as I could have, I enjoyed the main characters, and I look forward to reading about them again in Volume II. I would recommend this to teenagers and adults who love fantasy and adventure. Oh, and if it’s picked up for an anime, I’ll find a way to watch it and possibly recommend that too.

Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Also feel free to email me here for any review suggestions, ideas, or new titles!