Sam Devereaux and Hope Newhouse share the narration of this lively blend of fantasy, historical fiction, time travel, and mystery. The adventure begins in sixteenth-century Italy, where 11-year-old Federico Gonzaga is a political hostage at the papal palace in Rome. Surrounded by luxury, the pampered boy has everything he needs except a friend. Centuries into the future, a lonely Italian-American girl named Bee is living in modern-day New Jersey. With the help of a peculiar wooden wardrobe, a mysterious cat, and a Raphael drawing, the children are united in a tangle of events that threaten to alter the course of history. Devereaux and Newhouse employ diverse American, English, and Italian accents to distinguish the protagonists and animate an engaging cast that includes iconic Renaissance personalities.
(Historical fantasy. 8-13)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063015289
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The audiobook has the comforting, magical quality of an irresistible bedtime story.
Author/narrator Coelho’s bright, friendly first-person narration brings 12-year-old Relic Hamilton to life. When Relic encounters a dangerous genie in his grandfather’s antique shop, he leaves his ordinary London life behind for a supernatural adventure that transports him through history and around the globe. While the journey has thrills and scary moments, the characters always have hope—a central theme of the audiobook. Coelho brings variety to the voices of his other characters, like Relic’s grandfather’s “Jamaican-teacher voice” and the gravelly rumble of a pirate captain from the Age of Sail who sounds exactly like an archetypal pirate ought to.
The audiobook has the comforting, magical quality of an irresistible bedtime story. (Fantasy. 9-13)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798349162169
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
A magical blending of fantasy and reality.
Narrator Emily Eiden's expressive rendition of Auden "Denny" Greene and her best friend Runa is feminine and childlike, suitable for a tale of girls on the cusp of turning twelve. Denny and Runa manifest their active imaginations in a magical world they call Sorrowfeld, filled with dragons and princesses, but Denny is dismayed to find that Runa seems to be growing out of this world and into a new phase of her life. Denny, however, still needs the escapism of Sorrowfeld to cope with challenging circumstances in her real life—while in Sorrowfeld, Princess Auden struggles against actual dragons.
A magical blending of fantasy and reality. (Fantasy. 8-13)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063348189
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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