Midnight Magic

Starred review from October 4, 1999
"Taut and suspenseful, this vivid mystery set in an imaginary kingdom of Renaissance Italy is vintage Avi," said PW in a starred review. "With snappy dialogue, nonstop action and lavishly embroidered period backdrops, this will please the author's fans and may well win over some new ones." Ages 10-14.

In the kingdom of Pergamontio, in days of yore, a servant boy named Fabrizio tries to help his master, Magnus the Magician, figure out royal intrigues that could lead to death for both boy and old man. Will the boy's headstrong choices doom them both--or solve the mystery of the haunted castello? Newbery Medal winner Avi gives us another absorbing adventure, and Jeff Woodman is in top form. He provides listeners intimate access to voices young, old, male, female, and, perhaps, even ghostly. In this tale of magic versus reason, Woodman casts a spell, drawing listeners down twisting stairs lit by flickering candle sconces, revealing his characters at every turn. M.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine