Full Cast Audio works closely with Pierce to transfer her novels to audio productions. So it's no wonder that this audiobook is a superb result of this partnership. The four characters from the Circle of Magic series, Sandry, Tris, Briar, and Daja, have lost their magical connection, and only through a diplomatic junket to the Empress Berinene's court do they reforge their friendship. At first, one questions the choice of Pierce to narrate since she has a slightly sibilant sound and speaks too slowly, but listeners soon realize that her pace differentiates dialogue from description. The young actors portraying the friends are well cast, and the empress is convincing as a charming yet controlling ruler. M.M.O. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine