While Jennifer Strange has the lowly status of a foundling in the Ununited Kingdoms, in the Great Zambini's absence she runs the powerful magic company Kazam. Narrator Elizabeth Jasicki imbues Jennifer's character with the strength and briskness appropriate for a 16-year-old who is entrusted with the financial security of Kazam and the welfare of the world's most powerful wizards. With an accent and surety reminiscent of Emma Watson's Hermione Granger, Jasicki rallies the team of eccentrics against rival company iMagic. She creates charming and earnest voices for Kazam's young assistant and wizard-in-training, as well as an array of fittingly peculiar voices for its wizards. The king and the plotting staff of iMagic are presented with a heavy dose of sanctimony and bravado. The quarkbeast utters only "quark" but endears himself nonetheless.
(Fantasy. 12 & up)Pub Date: March 11, 2014
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audible Inc./ Brilliance 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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