Picking up two years after the adventures in THE APOTHECARY, 16-year-old Janie Scott reconnects with Benjamin Burrows and the magical world inhabited by the apothecary and his son. Cristin Milioti, who continues her narration in the sequel, has a flair for reading in a way that fully separates the regular everyday world from the adventures of the apothecary and the ongoing threat of nuclear weapons. Milioti delivers Janie's narration and dialogue in an even American accent and is also adept at using other accents to differentiate characters. And as the characters' adventures span the globe, Milioti shows her skill with place and people names as she seamlessly delivers scenes, points of view, and even foreign languages.
(Historical fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Penguin 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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