THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE

This prequel to the Black Magician Trilogy provides background but also stands on its own. Tessia assists her father as a healer, but becoming a full-fledged practitioner is closed to her because she’s a girl. Still, she’s allowed to train in magic because she’s a natural whose untrained power would be a danger to her and others. Richard Aspel is an engaging narrator who shows empathy for the characters, particularly Tessia. His range of accents, tone, and pace is effective in denoting status, class, and personality. Making the glossary available online would be helpful for the audio format rather than just reciting it at the end of the narration. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]