A Tale of Two Castles

By: Gail Carson Levine

Narrated by: Sarah Coomes

Elodie journeys to the town of Two Castles to become a mansioner - an actress - but the master of the troupe turns her away. Brilliant dragon Meenore takes her in, then sends her on a dangerous mission within an ogre’s castle. There, disguised as a kitchen maid, she plays the role of a lifetime, pitted against a foe intent on murder.

Black-and-white cats, a handsome cat trainer, a greedy king, a giddy princess, a shape-shifting ogre, a brilliant dragon.... Elodie must discover which of them is kind, which is cruel, and, most of all, which is the one who deserves her trust.

Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine weaves an entrancing tale of a fearsome ogre, a dragon detective, and a remarkable heroine who finds friendship where she least expects it, learns that there are many ways to mansion, and discovers that goodness and evil come in all shapes and sizes.

©2011 Gail Carson Levine (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good Story, Annoying Narrator!

Would you listen to A Tale of Two Castles again? Why?

I will never listen to this book again. I completely agree with the reviewer who said that the narrator's voice is annoying. She gives the main character a mangled, cockney sounding accent. This seriously detracted from the story. She also never quite settled on a single accent. Sometimes she pronounced words one way, then later she would pronounce them differently. It was terrible.

story line

I love Gail Carson Levine's story and creativity. Not your normal fairy tale. I would recommended it for kids ages 8+

A fun listen, quirky performance

I read many of Gail Carson Levine’s novels as a child and have found now as an adult that they are a fun listen. The story was novel and Elodie’s character was interesting and enjoyable. I liked the narration aside from the laughing performed by Sarah Coomes for the dragon, Masteress Meenore. Aside from the dragon’s laugh, I loved the voices she used for each character, including Count Jonty Um. Overall, I think this is a fun listen for older children or even adults like myself who enjoy some light listens and magic!

Easy listening.

Very easy to listen to. The ending was a surprise! I found myself hanging on all the way to the end.

Good story - great listen

What about Sarah Coomes’s performance did you like?

Sarah Coomes narration is imaginative and fun. A good reader can really enhance the enjoyment and Ms. Coomes is one of the best.

Any additional comments?

The story is sweet enough for kids but still OK for adults.