Incomparable narrator Bill Wallis plus Michael Molloy's delightful adventure-fantasy about White Witches, Black Witches, Sea Witches, and some very smart, brave children equals an audiobook that one wishes would last forever. It's also a children's audio that adults will want to borrow for their own pleasure. This is a story about how Abby Clover and her friend Spike, who live in an unusual seaside village, meet Captain Starlight (a.k.a. The Ancient Mariner) and a giant albatross named Benbow, and how they all set out to save the Light Witches' ice dust and rescue the Sea Witches' children from the truly awful (and smelly) Black Witches. Wallis masters every voice, from that of the American Ancient Mariner to the dramatically British Master of the Light Witches. He also manages to make the children sound authentic and fully realized without being squeaky. In between, his warm, well-paced narration ushers us through the cliff-hanging adventure with nary a moment of panic. A book to treasure.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henry's parents are kidnapped while they travel the world. Henry is confused and lost when he's sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas. His bewilderment increases when the plaster of his bedroom walls cracks to disclose 100 strange cupboards that are portals to odd places. Vivid descriptions of fascinating lands hold listeners' attention through the story's many unexplained facts as does the steady, solid narration by Russell Horton. Horton accurately modulates the characters' up-and-down emotions, adapting his pace quickly to the changes. Listeners are able to keep up with the rapidly introduced characters because of Horton's stand-out portrayals.
Ages 8+Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2007
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739362778
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A cast of narrators shares these stories, each told from the point of view of a supporting character from Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. We hear from Halfborn Gunderson, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex Fierro, and more. In "So's Your Face!" narrator Sile Bermingham gives fiery einherji Mallory Keen an Irish lilt, and in "I Play with Fire," Bahni Turpin gets to pull out the stops creating voices for a meeting of immortals in Muspellheim. Riordan's signature humor is here--Thor makes a guest appearance in each story, running through the nine worlds in his leather short shorts. The characterizations might not quite match what listeners heard in earlier installments, but diehard Magnus Chase fans can still enjoy this collection.
(Fantasy. 8-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525641834
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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