Lucy Rayner

"I can’t say enough good things about Lucy Rayner’s narration. The Firebird is a book that couldn’t have been easy to narrate as there are so many dissimilar characters to voice. Her accents are amazing. She’s British, but she manages to perform marvelous Irish, Scottish, Russian, and East coast American accents effortlessly. Each character has his or her own manner of speaking, separate from their accent. We first meet Anna when she is a child of seven or eight, and Rayner gives us the impression of a child speaking without making herself sound shrill. By the same token, she gives Rob an outstanding Scottish burr, Nicola a clipped English accent, and the Empress Catherine is clearly Russian.

I also enjoyed the fact that Rayner took her time with the pacing. She slowed down certain scenes to show their importance. As I listened, I got the distinct impression that she really loved what she was reading, and wanted me to do the same. She is not a speed reader – it’s obvious that her goal isn’t just to finish the book. Instead, she savors it, and encourages the listener to follow her lead which I did ever-so-willingly.

Listening to her performance made me wonder if Rayner might have a background in theater. She is capable of delivering the author’s words with emotion without causing me to roll my eyes. When Anna is alone and afraid, we know it. When Nicola is proud of an accomplishment, I sensed it, and, when Rob and Nicola finally let themselves give in to the love that has never really left either of them, we hear an incredible warmth in Rayner’s voice that tells us that this is exactly what was meant to happen.

If you like history, romance, and a touch of the paranormal, I highly recommend The Firebird, and I definitely recommend Rayner’s narration. I know another company produced the book with a different narrator, but Rayner impressed me greatly. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more of her narrations, and I doubt this will be the last Kearsley book I read."

Full review:
http://www.audiogals.net/2013/12/the-firebird-by-susanna-kearsley/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Audiogals+%28AudioGals%29#.VqJywmDOURb