Jack Swift is a typical 16-year-old in small-town Ohio, hoping to make the soccer team and catch the eye of a cute new girl. But his life is turned upside down when he learns that he is a Weirlind, a warrior possessing magical powers, and that the feuding houses of Roses desire to recruit him for their life-and-death game of warriors. Robert Ramirez portrays Jack's strength with intensity, but his forceful delivery leaves little room for Jack's youthful sensitivity and confusion. Ramirez's awkward British accents are distracting, but his more straightforward voices allow the provocative story line to unfold. The intricate intertwining of magical and everyday worlds provides depth to this worthwhile fantasy.
Pub Date: 2006
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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