THE WINTER KNIGHT

This queer fantasy, primarily narrated by Gail Shalan and Dylan Kiedman, features the Knights of the Round Table reborn in present-day Vancouver. Hildie, voiced gently by Shalan, is a Valkyrie who is assigned to investigate the murder of a knight. Shalan's reserved tone and breathy timbre complement the slow pace of the narrative as clues to the killer unfold. Kiedman portrays the reincarnation of the knight Sir Gawain, now a college student on the autism spectrum who is believed to have committed the murder. His chapters are narrated with passion, but sometimes the story's high action flattens its emotional content. Nicky Endres, Lee Osorio, and Gabra Zackman join the ensemble toward the end with perspectives and stories that help listeners keep everything straight. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]