Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Illuminations  By  cover art

Illuminations

By: T. Kingfisher
Narrated by: Raquel Beattie
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.49

Buy for $17.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From the author of the award-winning book A Wizard's Guide To Defensive Baking . . .

Rosa Mandolini knows in her heart that her family are the greatest painters of magical illuminations in the city. But the eccentric Studio Mandolini has fallen on hard times and the future is no longer certain. While trying to help her family, Rosa discovers a strange magical box protected by a painted crow. But when she finds a way to open the box, she accidentally releases the Scarling, a vicious monster determined to destroy the Mandolini family at any cost.

With the aid of her former best friend and a painted crow named Payne, it's up to Rosa to stop the Scarling before it unmakes the magical paintings that keep the city running, and hopefully save her family in the process!

©2022 T. Kingfisher; Print edition copyright 2022 by Argyll Productions (P)2023 Tantor

What listeners say about Illuminations

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

written for children

I admire Kingfisher tremendously but I wish this book had been labeled as children's.

How do you know it's a children's story? Because the child is the only one that knows the true information. Nobody believes her. So she has to solve it all on her own without adults. So she will discover her true talent.

Actually I do not approve of this theme in children's books. I generally avoid children's books because they have more anxiety than I can tolerate as an adult. I always wonder what kids are supposed to get out of them. Somehow they will discover their true self without involving adults. Wouldn't it be better to teach children how to find an adult that could hear them?

I hate to return a Kingfisher book but might have to for this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

People are complicated

Interesting story, read with excellent clarity. I cannot see why the middle grade publisher found this "too adult".

The story of the young protagonist sneaks up on the fundamental truth of individuals, of peers, of families, of people in every place and time: We are multidimensional.

I like that the more mature reader can find subtle storytelling here about lingering effects of traumatic origins -- and how the antagonist of one POV may, to another person, have been a victim of their own self-sabotage. The many layered viewpoints do not try to excuse or gloss over a wrong choice or harm done. But we can see how to have compassion for a Tybalt Mandolini or a Scarling or a Francis.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter Light

Good story but would have liked more of a darker turn. Light character development

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!