Enchanted Glass

Gr 7—9—In Diana Wynne Jones's labyrinthine tale (Greenwillow, 2010), Andrew Hope has recently been informed of his grandfather's death and subsequent inheritance of his estate in Melstone. As Andrew comes to take possession of the house and property, he discovers some rather unusual characters both within the grounds and outside in what his grandfather called his "field of care." When a boy named Aidan Cain shows up on his doorstep seeking protection, Andrew finds himself embroiled in a magical mystery involving the great fairy king Oberon, regular village folk of Melstone, and various magical creatures. Andrew must discover everything his grandfather wanted him to remember from his childhood about the "field of care." Steven Crossley's deep, rich voice suits the subtle ironies and complications of the text. While he shows great skill in timing, he is less adept at voicing the many characters in Andrew's world. He gives most of the villagers the same type of accent, except for Andrew's love interest, Stashe, who sounds very different. Andrew believes that Stashe's father, Tarquin, is a leprechaun, and while Crossley sometimes gives him a very slight Irish accent, it is mostly inconsistent. These vocal problems make an already complicated plot even more difficult to follow. With Jones's penchant for assuming her readers will infer many important plot points by careful listening, and Crossley's erratic narration, this is best suited to fans of the author's previous work.—Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MA