A magnificent journey with a magnificent character.

There is a seductive majesty in Deborah J Lightfoot’s writing that always keeps me coming back for more. The world-building in her Waterspell series was so vivid, so fascinating that I was sad to have to leave that world behind when I finished reading them. I was delighted, then, to be afforded another opportunity to spend time in this world, and with her characters, with the publication of The Karenina Chronicles. In this work, readers follow the adventures of Karenina, known simply as Nina, the daughter of Verek and Carin who were the central characters in the Waterspell series. Listening to an audiobook always opens a new door to a story and it was wonderful to be conducted through that odyssey through the agency of Hannah Eggleton, whose narration is exquisite in this context. I found her voicing of Nina to be entirely convincing. When first hearing the voice of a character we have never previously heard, except in our own imagination, it can be an anxious moment. One fears that the voice will grate or clash with our own expectations of it. With Hannah’s voicing of Nina, I felt instantly at home. She sounded exactly as I had imagined her. This was a great starting point for embarking on Nina’s epic journey, with her, following her progress through a harsh and often beautiful landscape. Nina is a powerful character, both in terms of her magical endowments but also in terms of her personal qualities. She is a living, breathing, human-being, moulded by her heritage and by her various experiences of life, experiences that equip her to rise magnificently to every challenge that comes her way. The story is very much a physical and a spiritual journey, always a favourite format of mine, and the vividly described landscapes Nina passes through mould that story as much as the characters that people it.
Returning from a long sojourn on earth, bearing a burden of sadness from her experiences there, Nina seeks out her siblings in these lands and her fascinating relationship with these are at the core of the developing story. In addition, Nina finds emotional and physical comfort with one of those she meets along the way. Their developing relationship was a powerful theme within the story and one that was written exceptionally well.
In conclusion, Hannah Eggleton’s skilled narration and the versatility of her voice, are perfectly suited to the task of adding a new dimension to the enjoyment of Deborah J Lightfoot’s excellent writing. Listening to the Karenina Chronicles was a most satisfying and uplifting experience.

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