The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart (Brockhampton, 1971) Mary Stewart’s magical middle-grade adventure remains undiminished nearly fifty years after its first publication—less sweeping in scale than Harry Potter or the like, yet with tighter, more accomplished prose and a creeping story that stands independent of the need for sequels.
Tag Archive for Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling (Bloomsbury, 1997); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC Audio, 1999) Enid Blyton for the new millennium. After a slow start—and notwithstanding some exaggerated stock characters—Rowling unleashes her fearsome imagination to bring us Hogwarts and Hagrid, Quidditch and quiddities. Stephen Fry’s narration brings welcome verve whenever the text loses its magic.…
Spellslinger
Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell (Hot Key Books, 2017); audiobook read by Joe Jameson (Bolinda, 2017) Sebastien de Castell delivers a fully realised magical world with perils and pitfalls aplenty, an unobtrusive moral, and a quick-thinking young protagonist. Joe Jameson’s audiobook reading gives excellent voice to the characters. With all due respect, this leaves Harry Potter for dead.