Narrator Eevin Hartsough's youthful voice lends whimsy to the fantasy world of Alorria, where "storm beasts" and their human guardians control the weather. Twelve-year-old introverted Mina can't wait to become a guardian and change the world in her own way, but when her egg hatches and a lightning beast named Pixit emerges, everyone thinks it's a mistake. Lightning guardians are not timid and quiet like Mina. Overcoming her self-doubt, Mina embarks on an adventure no one ever expected. Hartsough conveys the cheerfully noisy chaos of Mina's large family; the bubbly, innocent love for Mina in Pixit's chirpy voice; the brash pushiness of the other lightning guardians; and Mina's own thoughtful courage as she discovers how to use her voice to advocate for others.
(Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501998645
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Simply marvelous.
Samuel West gives a riveting performance of this thrilling, action-packed adventure. When scholar Irian Guinne is kidnapped, Christopher and Anya, along with Jacques the dragon and Ratwin the ratatoska, embark on an odyssey across the Glimouria Archipelago to collect various magical objects and ransom Irian’s release. Christopher is also trying to master his new ability to connect directly to the minds of magical creatures. West doesn’t have a youthful voice, but he’s still completely convincing as the young characters, and he deftly captures every moment of humor, fear, peril, and wonder. In his telling, a dangerous race becomes breathless and impossible to pause, and the themes of love, bravery, and kindness ring true.
Simply marvelous. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593830123
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy.
Mark Sanderlin tells this middle-grade story as the Royal Chronicler, an unnamed adult at an entertaining scholarly remove from the adventures of the main characters. Eleven-year-old Olly leaves his younger sister, Jenny, at home when he reluctantly goes out to find work, a necessity for kids in their struggling community. Their bleak reality becomes more colorful when Olly’s first job ends up being at a secret refuge for endangered dragons, and when Jenny develops magical powers. As they stumble into a quest to save the fantastical species, Olly and Jenny’s dialogue sounds convincingly kidlike, a nice contrast with the chronicler’s news anchor-style delivery of the rest of the prose.
Sanderlin brings gravitas to the story’s most serious scenes while adding humor to its frequent moments of whimsy. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898850296
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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