Narrator Bronson Pinchot expertly gives voice and personality to almost a dozen familiar characters from fairy tales. In this story princes and princesses are on the run for the alleged murder of Snow White's sister, Briar Rose. It's the latest in a series of books set in this weird fairy-tale world. Pinchot opts to give some of the characters bizarre affectations, like California surfer accents. He's particularly good at making ogres sound like monsters and making the book an enjoyable romp. The Princes Charming, all four of them, are trying to save themselves and their famous wives, including Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, from evil forces who want to rule the 13 kingdoms, where all had previously lived happily ever after. The book is silly and quirky but full of adventure and derring-do. M.S. 2015 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
(Fantasy. 8 & up)Pub Date: April 29, 2014
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062329509
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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