JADE PALACE VENDETTA

Mysteries abound in this series set in medieval Japan. Kaze, an honorable "freelance" samurai, becomes embroiled in the hidden life of a merchant he rescues while seeking the kidnapped daughter of his former master. Marosz's narration is emotionless and disconnected from the text, which he reads flawlessly. Initially disturbing, this distanced narration eventually melds with the characters of this tale, all of whom hide who they are, what they feel, and what they seek, behind an emotionless mask. Japanese words and phrases flow easily from Marosz's tongue, each translated into English. The listener wonders distractedly throughout the performance if the written text also translates these phrases into English or if this was done for the aural rendition. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]