The Shattering

Words take flight in this fifth installment in the Ga'Hoole series. Eglantine the barn owl falls under the spell of the Pure Ones, and her best friend, Primrose, rescues her. Pamela Garelick captures the essential qualities of owls with fluttery, quavering tones. Balancing the high voices of the female owls, Garelick portrays Ezylryb in a craggy voice and Nyra with a terrifyingly cruel menace. One can imagine the echoing owl voices filling the night air with eerie sounds. Numerous characters and owl vocabulary create a challenging text, but Garelick compensates with a slow, explanatory pace. The story will mainly appeal to those familiar with the series. Scenes of action and the final battle scene make for a dramatic audiobook animated by an able narrator. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine