The Golden Princess (Chronicles of Fu Xi)

This story takes place in the city of Hur-ar, nicknamed the City of Gold, located near the Caucus Mountains. As the tale begins, Sarah is a Princess in the House of Azubehl. She is the daughter of High Princess Meribeph and Prince Azubehl, and her brother is Prince Ezra, second in line to the throne. Her father now has eight wives, the most recent is Princess Ashtoreth, who wishes to replace Sarah’s mother as First Wife. In the course of a day, Sarah’s world is upended, and she ends up fighting for her life and freedom. Sarah is young and hasn’t yet learned of her own power and wisdom, but this day shows her that she has friends in unexpected places, and that there are many people willing to help her. She seems to get unexpected help when she needs it most from The Narim.

Mr. Braden creates a believable world and fills it with vivid images that will cause an eruption of emotions at times. Listeners will experience joy, sadness, anger, amazement, and hope, to name but a few. The tension gets overwhelming at times, and the breakneck pace is unrelenting, as the entire story unfolds over the course of two days. The conflicts are defined clearly for each protagonist, while growth and understanding are foisted on both Sarah and Ezra. Unlikely friendships are created, and multiple secrets are revealed. While this story doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, it is obvious that there is more to this tale, which is continued in later volumes.

Phillip Battley does an amazing job narrating, creating personalities with unique voice characteristics. Listeners will get lost in his performance and enjoy the superb sound quality. There are no unexpected outside noises in the recording. A thoroughly enjoyable story from beginning to end.

Carey Sullivan