The lead singer of the indie folk group The Decemberists has written a complex, sprawling fantasy. It’s a massive undertaking for narrator Amanda Plummer, whose narration is strangely flat and unemotional. Voices for characters are inconsistent and often inappropriate. Sometimes Brandon, leader of the Bandits, seems to have an Irish accent; at other times the accent is gone. Perhaps the most puzzling character of all is Septimus the Rat, whose lilting Southern voice is jarringly inconsistent with his cunning personality. Fans of the Decemberists may be enthralled by this tale, but the target audience of 8-12-year-olds may be flummoxed by this lifeless production of a complicated story.
(Fantasy. 10 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2011
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062047052
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A classic story of high adventure and conflict between good and evil placed in the mythical land of Prydain, The Book of Three is read grippingly and enchantingly by Chris King. Vocal switches are mostly smooth with a few minor pronunciation slips which are quickly corrected. King's voice is clear, easy to understand and memorable, giving the listener a sense of the characters as well as a pronunciation guide to those incredible Gaelic names Alexander uses. Both the characters and the story linger in the mind's eye because of the quality of narration. This is surely a reading that can be listened to again and again and will leave the listeners asking for the entire Prydain series on tape.
AGES 8+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Posy Bates is back, this time with a dog left over from a pet show. Back also are baby Fred and her friend, Sam. But the star of the show is Posy herself, an energetic nine-year-old with a penchant for misadventure. Judy Bennett's rendering of each of the characters in this episodic family story is right on the mark. Her enunciation and impeccable timing clarify the idiomatic text so that its unusual words become another aspect of the book's pleasure. The irrepressible Posy is her greatest challenge, and Bennett gets high marks. She bubbles with enthusiasm, wails and squeals, and dies over and over again. "It's positively brilling!"
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 1 hr
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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