LAMENTATION The Psalms of Isaak, Vol. 1

Reading an epic fantasy is like getting dumped into a foreign country with no knowledge of its language, culture, and history. Listening to one is even harder, because you can't turn the pages back or consult the glossary. But it's well worth the shock of acculturation to take in this first of a five-volume series, an intricately political tale of what follows the deliberate destruction of Windwir, a city that stockpiled what magical and scientific knowledge remained of a vanished civilization. Four voice actors help the listener keep track of the many overlapping third-person perspectives narrating the story; they also introduce some confusion, as each reader has a different take on what pitch, accent, and pacing are appropriate for a particular character. A.B.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]