Reviews

This title is the third in Drake's "The Lord of the Isles" series. He provides each of the four principal characters from the earlier books with a quest. Young King GarricÄadvised by the ghost of an ancient king of the IslesÄseeks to build his kingdom's military strength, while his friend Cashel leaves in search of a magic talisman. A magical bridge connecting different dimensions and times allows the king's sister Sharina to be transported into the past by the spirit of a good wizard inhabiting the body of a giant warrior bird in order to help Garric. Meanwhile, Ilna sets off to marry a princess but becomes entangled in a pirate's mutiny. British reader Michael Page brings each character in this fantasy epic to life with marvelous accents and unique voices; he has an excellent sense of pacing and accentuates spoken dialog with authentic emotions. Even those audio fans who normally eschew fantasy sagas may want to take this one out simply for the pleasure of Page's reading and Drake's magnificent storytelling. A musical introduction, occasional sound effects, and both spoken and musical tape breaks enhance this sturdily packaged audiobook. Libraries that already own the first two books in the series will find this an essential purchase; those without may wish to buy all three.ÄLeah Sparks, Bowie P.L., MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.