Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Sin Eater’s Daughter
- Author: Melinda Salisbury
- Narrator: Amy Shiels
- Length: 09:06:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 24/02/2015
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Genre: Kids, Fairy Tales & Folklore
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The Sin Eater’s Daughter unfolds like an intricate tapestry woven from the darkest threads of fairy tales – the kind grandmothers might whisper about when the fire burns low. Melinda Salisbury has created a world that feels both ancient and unsettlingly fresh, where the scent of betrayal hangs as heavy as the perfume of royal gardens.
Listening to Amy Shiels narrate Twylla’s story took me back to those evenings in Oaxaca, where every pause and inflection carried meaning. Shiels masters that same oral tradition quality – her voice shifting effortlessly between Twylla’s fragile strength, the queen’s honeyed menace, and the new guard’s disarming warmth. There’s a particular moment when describing the execution chamber where her voice drops to a whisper that raised goosebumps on my arms, just like when our Oaxacan host described the legend of La Llorona.
The story itself is a feast for those who love folklore’s bitter herbs. Twylla’s predicament – both revered and feared as the embodiment of a deadly goddess – reminds me of the complex saint veneration I’ve witnessed in small Mexican villages. Salisbury builds her world with anthropological precision; you can almost taste the metallic fear in the prison air and feel the weight of Twylla’s embroidered robes.
What struck me most was how the audiobook format amplified the novel’s themes of voice and silence. Twylla’s forced muteness in court politics contrasts beautifully with her rich inner monologue that Shiels delivers with perfect emotional cadence. The romance subplot unfolds with delicious tension, each guarded conversation between Twylla and the guard carrying layers of meaning that Shiels highlights through subtle vocal shifts.
While the pacing lags slightly in world-building sections (a common challenge with fantasy audiobooks), Shiels’ performance keeps you engaged. Her rendition of the queen is particularly masterful – all cultured vowels masking venom, reminding me of certain diplomatic wives I’ve encountered in my travels who could flay you with a smile.
For listeners who enjoyed The Cruel Prince or Uprooted, this offers a similarly lush but more intimate listening experience. The magical system’s limitations create wonderful tension, and Salisbury isn’t afraid to explore the psychological toll of being both weapon and victim.
The production quality is excellent, with clear enunciation perfect for listening while driving (I tested this on winding Andean roads where concentration was divided). At just under 10 hours, it’s substantial enough to immerse you but concise enough to finish on a weekend getaway.
As I write this from a Buenos Aires café, the story’s final moments still echo in my mind like the aftertaste of good maté – complex, lingering, with a pleasant bitterness. If you’re looking for an audiobook that will make your next journey disappear in a haze of court intrigue and star-crossed longing, Twylla’s story awaits. Happy trails and happy listening, Marcus
Marcus Rivera
