FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Anyone who has read Harry Potter knows what a hippogriff is, but what about a hippocamus? In the new audiobook by J.K. Rowling, narrator Eddie Redmayne explains that a hippocamus is a half-horse, half-fish creature not to be messed with. Redmayne gives us descriptions of dozens of creatures, along with warnings when necessary. His delivery is so perfect that I’ll be looking for hinkypunks, nifflers, and doxies when working in the garden. Some of the creatures are pulled directly from mythology, but many come from Rowling's fertile imagination. The writing is crisp, and Redmayne, with his British accent, breezes along, taking the listeners on a wonderful, magical, ride. The audiobook is absolutely nothing like the recent movie of the same name. M.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2017]