The third installment of this young adult fantasy series drops the listener right into the middle of the plot and wastes no time. Narrator Jim Dale's timbre has a bright, crisp quality that is immediately engaging. The story follows siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma, who are faced with a dark foe called the Dire Magnus, whom Kate once knew and loved as a boy named Rafe. The wizard, Dr. Pym, who embodies the British "stiff upper lip" even in the face of extreme danger, is given a grandfatherly charm by Dale. But it's the the affable Scots brogue that Dale gives the dwarves that steals the show. Dale's performance, married with top-notch writing, will delight audiences of all ages.
. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: April 7, 2015
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307915160
Publisher: Listening Library
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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