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The Inquisitor's Tale

Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
The bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm takes on medieval times in an exciting and hilarious new adventure about history, religion . . . and farting dragons.
 
1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children: William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Jewish boy who has fled his burning village; and Jeanne, a peasant girl who hides her prophetic visions. They are accompanied by Jeanne's loyal greyhound, Gwenforte . . . recently brought back from the dead.
As the narrator collects their tales, the story of these three unlikely allies begins to come together.
Their adventures take them on a chase through France to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned. They’re taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. And as their quest drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, all will come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints.
Beloved bestselling author Adam Gidwitz makes his long awaited return with his first new world since his hilarious and critically acclaimed Grimm series. Filled with Adam’s trademark style and humor, The Inquisitor's Tale is bold storytelling that’s richly researched and adventure-packed.
Read by Vikas Adam, Mark Bramhall, Jonathan Cowley, Kimberly Farr, Adam Gidwitz, Ann Marie Lee, Bruce Mann, John H. Mayer, and Arthur Morey
Features medieval music performed by Benjamin Bagby of Sequentia
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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      A talented cast enhances a story that combines history, mystery, action, and miracles. In a structure reminiscent of THE CANTERBURY TALES, 10 travelers meet at an inn in medieval France. The eight narrators evocatively portray the characters while adding drama to the cumulative tale of three gifted young heroes. Jeanne, a peasant girl, envisions the future; Jacob, a Jewish boy, has healing powers; and William, a young monk of African descent, has uncommon strength. The narrators use accents to suggest class, with each contributing to an overall tone that is conversational, lively, and engrossing. Together, the narrators enhance the stories as they stress the interplay of humor and darkness, prejudices and beliefs, legend and truth. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 11, 2016
      In 1242 France, weary travelers at an inn trade stories about three miraculous children and their dog, Gwenforte, who has returned from the dead. The children—Jeanne, a peasant girl who has visions of the future; William, an oblate of partial African heritage with uncanny strength; and Jacob, a Jewish boy with the power to heal the sick and injured—are the subject of much rumor and debate. Are they saints, frauds, or in league with the devil? Gidwitz (the Grimm trilogy) continues to toy with narrative in a well-researched and rambunctiously entertaining story that has as much to say about the present as it does the past. Evoking the oral storytelling traditions of the time, multiple characters including a nun, troubadour, and brewer alternately describe their encounters with the children to produce the whole story. Amid mugs upon mugs of ale, the tale that comes into focus is one of religious persecution and faith, friendships that transcend difference, and a dangerously flatulent dragon—Gidwitz continues to have no problem mixing high and low. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 10–up. Author’s agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Company.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 30, 2017
      In 1242 France, weary travelers at an inn exchange stories of their encounters with a group of three children accompanied by their dog who are set to be brought before the king for the threat they pose. The story is framed as an inquisition, with an agent of the king serving as the main narrator and questioning the travelers to discern the true nature of the children, who are rumored to have magical abilities. The structure lends itself clearly to the audio format, with one narrator acting as the interviewer while more than a half-dozen others take up the rest of the characters sharing the tales of these adventurers. It’s more entertaining with multiple voices and it brings the conversational elements of the story to the forefront, but not always seamlessly; there are points in this production when it sounds as if the actors were all recorded separately and the dialogue pieced together later. Still, the variety of voice actors at work plays well with the story and makes for a lively listening experience. Ages 10–up. A Dutton hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:620
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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