Alan Cumming enthusiastically narrates the continuing airship adventures of Prince Alek, heir to Austria, and Midship(wo)man Deryn/Dylan Sharp as they fly from Istanbul to New York, intent on stopping WWI. Stops in Siberia, Japan, California, and Mexico afford ample opportunity to deploy a range of accents, and Cumming is remarkably skillful at alternating between Deryn's Scots brogue and Alek’s German accent in rapid dialogue. A questionable Transylvanian singsong voice for Nikola Tesla is a comic reminder that these adventures are over the top and the listener should just hang on for the ride. Their time aboard the LEVIATHAN has ended, but Westerfeld hints that it's not the last we’ve seen of the duo. One hopes that the engaging Cumming will continue to soar with them.
Ages 12+Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2011
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781442343856
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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