From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-In Shadow of the Minotaur, the first title in Alan Gibbons Legendeer trilogy, the 13-year-old hero, Phoenix, is drawn into the virtual reality computer game of Greek mythology created by his father. The descriptive passages come alive and create a visual landscape of ancient Greece. The gritty, realistic images are a result of Gibbon's writing and British narrator Jamie Glover's inflections. As Phoenix winds his way through the labyrinth to face the Minotaur, his fear is palpable. Glover's dramatic reading is so enthusiastic that listeners are immediately drawn into the urgency of the storyline. American listeners may be momentary puzzled by the meaning of a few British expressions, such as "wasteland," and "not a dickey-bird," but the suspenseful story makes this a minor drawback. The graphic description of Theseus as he comes upon victims of the Minotaur and vocalizations for Medusa and her sisters when Perseus battles with them are intense. This excellent audiobook will entice those who enjoy Greek mythology or computer gaming.
Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MDCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Know any computer-enthralled teenaged boys? Can't get them to read a thing? Here's a recording that's more than rad, more than awesome: a computer game based on the two Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and Perseus and Medusa. More than a game, this computer program ensnares players in another universe, one of fear and evil. Jamie Glover captures the impetuosity of young Phoenix Graves and urges the listener beyond the realm of his boring school and dreary backwater into the blazing sun of Greece and monsters. Though there's a savvy girl in the narrative, the author gives her little scope, so this really is a boy's book. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
