First Test

Tamora Pierce's new series, set in her medieval kingdom of Tortall, features 10-year-old Keladry as heroine. As the first girl to take advantage of a decree allowing females to train for knighthood, Kel must prove herself in a male-dominated world. Bernadette Dunne's pleasant, well-paced voice allows listeners to absorb Pierce's richly detailed settings while coming to know the story's many characters. Dunne also brings a wry sense of humor to the challenges Kel faces and endows the feisty heroine with a believable, likable personality. Kel is brave, hard-working, and fair-minded--a great character for young female listeners to admire. Dunne draws out all the magic in Pierce's intricately imagined, fantastical Tortall while simultaneously grounding it as a believable, sometimes grittily real, place. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine