The Shadow Wand

Julia Whelan narrates the third audiobook in Forest's ambitious Black Witch fantasy series. Her steady seriousness reflects the many dangers facing Earthia. The intricate, magical world is in the grip of darkness. Whelan conveys the dilemmas characters face as they grapple with commitments impossible to keep, large sacrifices, and unfathomable losses. Whelan continues to meet the challenge of managing increasingly complex storylines and multiple characters, whom she nicely distinguishes through nuances of pitch, pacing and tone. This is a long audiobook in an expansive series, and Whelan takes time to let the characters' struggles and circumstances unfold. While her pace may unsettle fans invested in hearing about Elloren's love interests, Whelan ensures that fans stay tuned for what is to come next. J.C.G. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine