Alright! I admit it! I wrote more or less a zillion characters into SWORD IN THE STACKS. Even Jim Dale might have blanched at the dramatic personae list, but narrator Laurel Merlington was more than up to the challenge. If you haven't yet had a chance to read SWORD IN THE STACKS, you can let Ms. Merlington bring it to life on your next long family drive....you know, like when you're traveling over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house or to Great Uncle Felix's or wherever you go for turkey....or turducken....or cranberry-stuffed tofu balls...
*Jen Swann Downey. Sword in The Stacks. The Ninja Librarians. Read by Laural Merlington. 8 CDs. 9 hrs. Dreamscape. 2016. 978-1-52000-369-6. Ages 10-13.
This complicated tale of time traveling librarians who are determined to save the world from those who hope to rid it of all things written is certain to entertain fans of fantasy. Based in Petrarch’s Library during present times, young and old travel through magical archways in hopes of finding the powerful missing vials and Petrarch’s precious star. If they don’t, the future will be altered and countless lives will be lost. Popular travel locations in this tome include 1912AD England and 339BC Athens.
There are a myriad of characters in Jen Swann Downey’s book Sword in the Stacks, the second in her The Ninja Librarians series. The youngest character is in her single digits, while the oldest is nearing 100. The vast number of characters would intimidate most narrators, but this reviewer suspects narrator Laurel Merlington thought nothing of the challenge. Her ability to quickly personify each character, regardless of age or dialect, in this ever-changing cast was superb. British, American, and Grecian accents soared, as did appropriate emotional portrayals of both genders. The librarians’ time traveling exploits didn’t slow Merlington down, either. Merlington, an Audie Award nominee, has narrated more than 200 audiobooks for listeners of all ages. Lisa Arnold
Reviewer Lisa Arnold spends her days teaching English to middle school students, her evenings working as a library clerk, and her nights reading under the covers.
http://soundcommentary.com/issue-printer/november-2016
This complicated tale of time traveling librarians who are determined to save the world from those who hope to rid it of all things written is certain to entertain fans of fantasy. Based in Petrarch’s Library during present times, young and old travel through magical archways in hopes of finding the powerful missing vials and Petrarch’s precious star. If they don’t, the future will be altered and countless lives will be lost. Popular travel locations in this tome include 1912AD England and 339BC Athens.
There are a myriad of characters in Jen Swann Downey’s book Sword in the Stacks, the second in her The Ninja Librarians series. The youngest character is in her single digits, while the oldest is nearing 100. The vast number of characters would intimidate most narrators, but this reviewer suspects narrator Laurel Merlington thought nothing of the challenge. Her ability to quickly personify each character, regardless of age or dialect, in this ever-changing cast was superb. British, American, and Grecian accents soared, as did appropriate emotional portrayals of both genders. The librarians’ time traveling exploits didn’t slow Merlington down, either. Merlington, an Audie Award nominee, has narrated more than 200 audiobooks for listeners of all ages. Lisa Arnold
Reviewer Lisa Arnold spends her days teaching English to middle school students, her evenings working as a library clerk, and her nights reading under the covers.
http://soundcommentary.com/issue-printer/november-2016
