SEASPARROW Graceling Realm, Book 5

Narrator Xanthe Elbrick delivers the first-person perspective of prickly Hava in the fifth installment of this complex and compelling fantasy series. Twenty-one-year-old Hava is young Queen Bitterblue's half sister and spy; she has the ability to disguise herself as objects and deflect people's attention, and she's a survivor of childhood trauma. Elbrick distinguishes between Hava's constant internal dialogue and the words that she chooses to speak aloud, and she keeps us close to Hava's wildly swinging emotions. As the queen's ship sails home through stormy winter waters, Hava discovers that she loves life onboard, but she also uncovers treachery. Vocally, the true stars of the audiobook are the telepathic blue foxes. Listeners will fall as much in love with them as Hava does. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2022]