IRONFIRE

Ball's historical saga is set in the 1500s during the last Crusade. After Muslim pirates carry off a Maltese youth, his sister and he begin perilous adventures, the one a helpless maiden in Christendom, the other a slave among the Ottomans. The adventure, danger, and scrupulously researched period minutiae are served up by the ever-reliable George Guidall. His occasional spurts of brilliance are missing here, for he relies throughout on his overflowing bag of tricks. But like fine, old brandy served at peak maturity, he goes down smoothly, providing ample savories and leaving behind a pleasant buzz. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]