IGRAINE THE BRAVE

Twelve-year-old Igraine longs to become a knight, but her family of magicians can’t understand her dream. When life at the family castle is threatened by the dastardly Greedy Osmund, Igraine’s skills in horsemanship and swordplay are pressed into action. Narrator Xanthe Elbrick has just the right touch for Igraine, whose courage and determination overshadow her youth and inexperience. Elbrick employs a superb range of accents for Igraine’s various sidekicks. She portrays Igraine’s older brother with a delightful combination of teenage scorn and begrudging pride. Igraine’s parents, who have accidentally turned themselves into pigs, are simultaneously supportive and “piggy.” Elbrick’s effortless-sounding enunciation keeps the action lively but lighthearted. N.M.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]