Narrated by Anne Flosnik
There are voices that remain with you all your life, voices that speak to you of comfort and of warmth. Narrator Anne Flosnik is one of those voices for me. I became familiar with her narrations when she worked for the Library of Congress. I sought out many books simply because she narrated them. In fact, when I saw that Flosnik was the narrator of Stranger at the Wedding, I knew I had to listen to it.
In an unnamed land, Kyra is learning the art of magic. It has cost her everything but she is devoted to her craft. She lives a secluded life surrounded only by those who are mageborn. A letter from her younger sister pulls Kyra from this peaceful existence at a time when she cannot afford to leave. Something is going wrong with her magic. Someone, or something, is interfering with even the simplest spell she casts. Should she really leave the citadel to attend her sister’s wedding?
As soon as Kyra reaches her family’s home, it is apparent she isn’t welcome. Her father is opposed to magic in any form. In fact, he blames it for everything that has gone wrong over the past six years. At first, I couldn’t understand the reasons behind his hatred but, as the story unfolded, things became clearer. Someone has placed a death curse on Kyra’s sister. Alix is eighteen, pretty, and popular. Their father has arranged a spectacular match to the son of one of the city’s most powerful merchants, but something isn’t right. Someone doesn’t want the wedding to take place, and they will stop at nothing, including death, to keep Alix from marrying.
As always, I found myself spellbound by Anne Flosnik’s narration. She has a wonderful range of pitches and accents that she skillfully applies to the cast of characters Hambly has brought to life. I’ve always thought Flosnik would make a fabulous actress, but I’m really pleased she continues to narrate audiobooks. As I listened, I got the sense that Flosnik really knew each character Hambly had written. Kyra’s father is always angry, and her mother is incredibly timid. The servants look at Kyra with a mixture of reverence and fear. Kyra herself is quirky and self-assured with a wry and sometimes cutting sense of humor. Each of these personality traits is brought to life in Flosnik’s narration. I never had any difficulty differentiating the characters, even when dialogue tags were not in use. Normally, I prefer narrators who read in an understated style. Flosnik is one of the few exceptions to this rule. She is able to imbue each scene with just enough emotion to make it real. She does not go off the deep end as many narrators are wont to do. She seems to want the listener to enjoy the book without being distracted by overdone emotion. This is a fine line, one I find narrators crossing all too often.
If someone asked me to classify Stranger at the Wedding, I would call it fantasy. It has elements of mystery and of romance, but the fantasy is its strongest element. The primary story is Kyra’s attempt to defeat the person who has laid a death curse upon her sister. The listener is aware that Kyra has a romantic interest in someone but it takes a backseat to the struggle between good and evil. You’re probably wondering who our hero is. Unfortunately, this is something I dare not share. Doing so would tread very close to the territory of spoilers, something I try hard to avoid.
What I can say about the romance is that it happens quickly. Passion sparks, and love is born. It’s a little difficult to swallow, but, if you can put skepticism aside, it’s enjoyable to see it come alive for Kyra. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending of this book. I found myself with a few unanswered questions. At first, I hoped there would be a sequel to bring things to a close, but this is a stand-alone novel.
If your preference is for books that wrap things up in a tidy little bow, you won’t find that here. However, you will find magic, intrigue, action, and love. For me, it was a good, if not completely even, trade off.
Shannon
Narration: A
Book Content: B
Steam Factor: You can play it out loud
Violence: Minimal
Genre: Fantasy with a thread of romance
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Stranger at the Wedding was provided to AudioGals for review by the narrator.
Welcome to the AudioGals, Shannon! Thank you so much for your generous words. It’s lovely to hear that you have been “with” me since the very beginning of my career. Wishing you all good things for 2014!