Narrator Emily Lawrence delivers Craig's glittering debut with thoughtful precision, allowing the audio's unsettling atmosphere to come to the forefront. In this reimagining of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," listeners meet Annaleigh, one of 12 sisters whose family has been cursed by a series of mysterious deaths. Lawrence fully inhabits Annaleigh's steely character and communicates her growing fear when more sisters meet their untimely end. She ably captures Annaleigh's warring emotions, including her torment when overcome by ghastly visions, her growing love for a new suitor, and her cautious enjoyment of the enchanting land where her sisters dance with abandon. This moody tale told with a perfect blend of intensity and drama is sure to appeal to lovers of gothic horror, romance, and mystery.
(Fairy tale retelling. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593102916
Publisher: Listening Library
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
Soler's spellbinding voice turns a melancholic fable into an intimate experience listeners will feel long after it ends.
Rebecca Soler narrates this haunting audiobook with a lyrical quality that draws listeners deep into its magical realism and its many-layered story. Her emotional control serves the narrative well, allowing the story's quietest moments to land with weight. Soler voices Lexie and Chester, two teens with heavy pasts and dark secrets who are drawn to each other by an undeniable cosmic pull. On a freezing winter morning, five people, including Chester, go for a swim and wake the next day transformed into birds, their lives forever altered. Measured pacing and tender characterizations give each teen a distinct inner life.
Soler's spellbinding voice turns a melancholic fable into an intimate experience listeners will feel long after it ends. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217351152
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: today
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