LOOT

Shawn K. Jain narrates Tania James's fascinating tale of craftsmanship and the tribulations caused by political unrest. In Mysore, India, 1797, Abbas is a 17-year-old woodcarver who is commanded by the sultan to apprentice with Lucien Du Leze, a famous French clockmaker, for the purpose of making a tiger automaton. When Mysore falls in 1799, the sultan is killed, Abbas escapes to France, and the tiger vanishes. Abbas and Du Leze's daughter plot to find it. Jain's delivery reflects youthful, high-strung Abbas's gusto, but his tone rarely changes. While James's writing is bright and witty, with many subtle jabs at authority, there is little subtlety in Jain's characterizations. Nonetheless, his even narration coupled with James's multifaceted plot and well-developed characters makes this worthwhile listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]