GODDESS OF THE ICE REALM

Garrick, Sharina, Cashel, and Ilna face another threat to the Kingdom of the Isles, this time from a wizard determined to bring on an ice age. The threat turns out to come from surprisingly close to home. Paul Michael gives an energetic reading, without going over the top. His round British baritone is a good match for David Drake's story. Each character's voice conveys a distinct personality--especially the talking axe. Michael avoids sounding like a cartoon, even through the most fantastic parts of the story. The book is abridged mostly by removing whole sections from Ilna and Garrick's points of view. This jars only twice, and not badly. R.G.M. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]