Narrator Amy Shiels's light Irish brogue is spellbinding in a performance that captures the wonder of 12-year-old Milla, who goes from servant girl to dragon rider in this middle-grade fantasy. Orphaned Milla is elevated to the level of her wealthy friends when long-lost dragons return to the island of Arcosi and bond with her. Class and immigration struggles are close behind the dragons as the focus of the story, told accessibly enough for the target age but with plot and character arcs that seem beyond it. Shiels's even delivery is sometimes too calm for the action and emotion of the moment. Shortcomings aside, author and narrator serve up characters listeners will want to stick with.
. (Fantasy. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781338567687
Publisher: Scholastic Audiobooks
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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