THE SERPENT'S SECRET Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond, Book 1

A tale full of magic, demons, and inter-dimensional travels, this middle-grade audiobook is narrated by the author, Sayantani DasGupta. Kiranmala has always been told she's an Indian princess, but she believes she's just a regular New Jersey middle-school student. On her twelfth birthday, the truth is revealed, and Kiran is forced into a quest to save her parents. DasGupta's narration is frequently overdramatic, even for the scenes that are full of drama. With the unwarranted intensity of the performance, the listener is more annoyed than sympathetic with Kiran's plight. Also, DasGupta does not always follow her own in-text cues, most notably chanting when characters are supposedly singing. A disappointing production of what could have been a great tale. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2018]