AUDIOBOOK The Wee Free Men – Book 1 of the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett
BLURB: Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle – aka the Wee Free Men – a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds – black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors – before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone…
MINI-REVIEW: Listening to this was a complete joy, particularly with Tony Robinson’s storming performance as narrator. I loved reading this one way back when it first came out, then sharing it with my grandchildren – but hearing this version was every bit as much fun. And I’d thought nothing could beat sitting side by side with the children, laughing together at Pratchett’s humour… Very highly recommended for children of all ages.
10/10
AUDIOBOOK Magnus Chase and The Sword of Summer – Book 1 of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series by Rick Riordan
BLURB: Magnus Chase has seen his share of trouble. Ever since that terrible night two years ago when his mother told him to run, he has lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, staying one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, Magnus learns that someone else is trying to track him down—his uncle Randolph, a man his mother had always warned him about. When Magnus tries to outmaneuver his uncle, he falls right into his clutches. Randolph starts rambling about Norse history and Magnus’s birthright: a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
The more Randolph talks, the more puzzle pieces fall into place. Stories about the gods of Asgard, wolves, and Doomsday bubble up from Magnus’s memory. But he doesn’t have time to consider it all before a fire giant attacks the city, forcing him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents. . .
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.
MINI-REVIEW: I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Christopher Guetig’s excellent narration very ably depicted the cast of colourful characters who Magnus encounters on his adventures with the pantheon of Norse gods and minor deities. This had all the ingredients I enjoy in a fantasy adventure – plenty of testing encounters with all sorts of intriguing characters, high-stakes action, along with regular splashes of humour that didn’t become too heavy-handed. Riordan manages to make this look far easier than it is. I am delighted that I’ve more audiobooks in this series, waiting to sweep me up and into another world…
8/10
This edition was produced by HarperTrophy in 2004, featuring a stunned-looking sheep being swarmed by the Nac Mac Feegles. I really like this one, which earns a gold star from me for ensuring an incident from the book ends up on the cover. I am less thrilled with the very flat rendition of the artwork and rather blocky, charmless title and author font. However, overall I think this is an enjoyable cover that makes you stop and look twice at the book.
Published in April 2004 by Corgi Childrens, this one is my favourite. I love the overall effect of the massed Nac Mac Feegles and the beautiful purple tinge to the cover, along with all sorts of nice additional details that make sense to anyone who has read the book. I also like both fonts, which work really well with the artwork. It’s the most gloriously unfairylike cover of fairies I’ve ever seen.
This edition, published by Corgi Childrens in July 2010, is also a good effort. Again, we have the Nac Mac Feegles, but also Tiffany and Miss Tick. However, the way the artwork fades into the surrounding black makes this one feel a bit oppressive, rather than imbued with the marvellous energetic world created in this corner of the Discworld.
This edition, produced by HarperCollins in 2016 is, I think, the weakest of all the covers. I love that bright red – it really draws the eye and is a good strong colour for a strong, vivid story. But why, oh why did they just opt for a boringly generic shield and weapons, when they could have put a grumpy-looking Rob Anybody on the cover? Not even the addition of the blue butterflies can rescue it from looking far too ordinary.
This edition, published by Doubleday Childrens in July 2017 is a real contender. A fierce-looking Tiffany wielding her frying pan glowers out at us from the stark black background which is prevented from looking too gloomy by the really effective use of that lovely copper-coloured font, along with the stars sprinkling the corners. The contrast with the pale image of Tiffany against the black really pops – but the dealbreaker for me is that nasty round sticker announcing it has won the Carnegie medal. Which is your favourite?
Brainfluff 