LORD VALENTINE'S CASTLE

The first installment of Silverberg’s celebrated Majipoor Cycle makes for relaxing listening. In an unhurried bass voice, Stefan Rudnicki calmly escorts the listener through the expansively descriptive world of Majipoor, an ancient and fantastical kingdom which, having forgotten conflict, is, nonetheless, on the brink of civil war. Particularly difficult vocal challenges include a bureaucratic two-headed alien, who is achieved though vocal skill rather than special effects. Although Rudnicki ably performs a myriad of characters, most notably the whimsical Lord Valentine, his expressive voice resonates better in prose than in his brief performances of the romantic love interest's singing. A.M.W. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]