HOOD

In this adventure-fantasy, we get a Welsh Robin Hood in an enchanted woodland at the time of the Norman conquests. Fans of sword-and-sorcery and alternative-universe fiction will recognize such familiar conventions as unpronounceable names, valiant knights, derring-do, gruesome casualties, pseudo-archaic dialogue, and wenching heroes, in particular a worthy youth overcoming overwhelming odds-in this case, Bran ap Brychan, fugitive son of the late foully ambushed king of Elfael. Reader Adam Verner's light voice and lyricism remind one of the movie troubadour who sang ballads and told stories to Errol Flynn in Sherwood Forest. This Allan-a-Dale quality partially compensates for his mispronunciations, unconvincing accent, and faulty line readings. Y.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]