Review: Island of Legends

Island of Legends by Lisa McMann


I will admit that I never really finished The Unwanteds, Book 3, Island of Fire. I knew it was going to end and I couldn't stand the cliffhanger, so I stopped on the last track of the last disc. That worked well for me. I was looking forward to this new installment, but I wasn't crushed waiting for the release. Now books four and five of The Unwanteds books are out, so I didn't feel the panic of stopping the final track of book four, Island of Legends. I finished the entire story and now wait on pins and needles for the next book. (I need to finish some other titles before delving into book five.)

Each installment of The Unwanteds begins where the previous title left off. It's like one giant book and I'm on the edge of my seat! There were some unexpected twists as always, but I didn't find myself mouthing a moment with the reader as a scene unfolded. That was neat. I'm not going to share too much of the story, because I don't want to give away any spoilers. It's captivating and creative. Each book opens the world of the Unwanteds wider and wider, but still leaving mystery in its wake. If you're a fantasy fan, I would highly recommend this series. I would suggest middler schoolers and up.

Steve West returned to narrate the fourth Unwanteds book! He's originally from London and his British accent adds a bit of other worldliness to the Unwanteds series. Every once in a great while, his pronunciations of certain words tickle my funny bone, but it's not a negative to the narration. Each character has their own voice which is appreciated. From the last title (Island of Fire), I think Mr. West maintained his characters voices very well. The next installment of the Unwanteds - Island of Shipwrecks - is out now and I'm looking forward to hearing Mr. West's voice again.

The audiobook did have beginning and ending music. Each CD picked up the story from the previous disc without another narrator sharing the disc number or to ask to change discs. It's a smooth story from one disc to the next. The last CD only had a few minutes of story on it before it went into the credits. I wish the whole story could have fit onto 8 discs, but working with media, I understand that it doesn't always fit. If the quality is better on 9 CDs instead of 8 CDs, the product should be on 9 discs.

Reviewed from a library copy.

Audio Book Details...
Island of Legends by Lisa McMann
Series: Book 4, The Unwanteds
Read by Steve West
Produced by Simon & Schustler Audio
Number of Discs: 9
Total Time: 10 hours .25 minutes
ISBN: 9781442375260