Sadie Janson

Okay, first off, yes, I expect there to be some 'magical' aspects to this story. It's about Disney after all. I enjoyed the first Kingdom Keepers book, but perhaps that was partially due to the fact that I read that one, instead of listened to it; this title have only listened to. These are geared towards children/teens, but that does not mean that logic must be ignored, or common sense thrown out the window. One cannot follow how the characters make their conclusions, or why they do half of what they do, which makes it hard to enjoy the story.

To make matters worse, the narration is atrocious. Following what another reviewer said, the valley-girl voice for all female characters is annoying and distracting, nor do the voices even remind one of a woman (or girl) in most cases. I know it is a man reading the story, but most good narrators tend to at least give the impression of femininity. Here, I feel as though I'm listening to a comedy sketch impression. The most irritating part is that many times when 'she' should be spoken, the narration clearly says 'he.' I thought I was going crazy at first - rewinded and replayed multiple times. My thought was confirmed when a girl was described as 'himself.' Not sure if these were typos that were just read in mistake, or what, but it definitely impacted my listening experience negatively.

I love it because it's Star Wars, and you probably will too. However, this abridged version is so different from the original as to be almost a completely different story. All the humour that Aaron Allston included has been removed. The narration, though clear and having the correct pacing and tones, does not click with what one wold expect for the characters. Additionally, the sound effects are so repetitive that it gets tiring. If I had paid full-price for it, I don't think I would have been very happy.

If you're a fan of SoA, you'll be disappointed; waiting patiently for your favourite lines and scenes that never come. But you'll also keep listening because it's Wedge, Tych, Wes and Hobbie.