Hidden Worlds

The McGunnegal Chronicles, Volume 4

By: Ben Anderson

Narrated by: Jannie Meisberger

Hidden Worlds is audiobook four of the McGunnegal Chronicles - a fun, clean Irish/Celtic fantasy series that's great for ages eight to 108.

It's 1846 in Ireland. Many months have passed since the McGunnegal family discovered Grandpa had been hiding a secret down in his potato cellar - a relic of a lost age of Ireland that carried them into the world of the Others, where the creatures of Irish legend still live on. But now, Henny has been kidnapped by an insane dwarf, and the McGunnegals are forced to do his bidding to get her back.

They must attempt to recapture the lost mirror of Mor-Fae from the terror that haunts the Dismal Bog and then help the dwarf on a mysterious mission he says will turn all of history upside down and make the Others the masters of the world.

They also discover Professor McPherson has been busy as well. He has partnered with the Grimm brothers to bring certain outcasts and misfits from among the Others to Wales, where he is housing them in the sub-basements of the Ismere School. Strange and mysterious things are bound to happen....

The legends of Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall come together in this fabulously fun adventure that whispers of deep things.

©2017 Ben Anderson (P)2018 Ben Anderson

A Celtic adventure with the McGunnegals...

This is the fourth book in the series - and you should probably read or listen to the first three parts before you delve into this one. I didn't and that's why I had a slight problem following the storyline...

Generally it's a great adventure, with lots of interesting, lively characters, some good, some evil, some quite ambiguous. It has all the elements you want to find in a fantasy tale - dwarves, elves, creatures from Irish and Welsh folk-tales, kidnappings, battles, magical artefacts... There's also an element of reality smartly woven into the story - the background of the Irish Great Famine plays rather an important part in the plot.
The writing itself is excellent, with rich imagery, detailed descriptions of people and places, and some humour added to the mix.

So what was my problem with the book (with the emphasis on MY)? I tended to lose focus a lot at first when I started listening simply because I didn't know earlier adventures of the McGunnegals, and there were constant references to them throughout the book. The sheer number of main characters gave me trouble, too; as each of them had their own adventure to live through, I had to make effort to realize exactly whose plotline I was following at that particular moment. It took me a while to understand all the connections between the characters, too, but when I finally did , the book gave me a lot of pleasure.

As for the narration, Ms Meisberger is fautless - as always. She is a fantastic interpreter both of male and female voices, and is equally good in the narrative parts.

DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

don't start here

I stopped 1/4th of the way through because i really liked the story but was jumping in to the 4th book of the series.

Hidden Worlds

This was a very good story.A mad Goblin kidnaps a child until he gets the artifact that he desires.This is a long quest book with lots of fae.Janine Meisinger was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

New characters, a new direction

This is the fourth book I’ve read/listened to by this author, and I am trying to patiently wait for the next book. These are wonderful, original stories that have captivated me completely.
This book brings a sort of conclusion to one part of the tale and opens things up to the next. We are introduced to many more characters of legends that offer several possibilities as to were this tale could be headed.

This is the fourth book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Jannie Meisberger ) and I would listen to another. She does a fantastic job narrating these books and brings the characters to life and drew me in.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing. These are wonderful stories for kids and adults alike.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Bravo!

I love this great addition to the McGunnegal story. If you are new to the series don't start with this book. For only one credit you can get the trilogy, which is 36+ hours of awesomeness. It is likely to make you laugh out loud, nearly cry and possibly scream with delight. I'm not exaggerating, it is that good.

The family is back in Ireland when a mad dwarf kidnaps Hennie in order to force the family to get the mirror of Mor-Phae and deliver it to Cornwall. How will the McGunnegals get Hennie back and keep the mirror from the dwarf and his evil intentions? Henni's sisters and Fredric end up in the wondrous world of the dwarfs where they make so many new friends but must deal with an extremely dangerous creature. With everything else going on, the family is dealt another blow when Rufus finds a way to take their farm.

I liked the complexity of the new characters in this book. In that respect, I'd say that this is the best book in the series so far. My interest was piqued as the story progressed with so many intriguing and unique subplots. I am anxious to see these subplots play out in future books.

Like the first three books, this one is humorous too. Oracle was my favorite for laughs in the first books, Grandpa was my favorite for laughs in this one. His character was fleshed out more in this book. In the first book, I wondered if he might be off a little, but he is not, he is very wise and an interesting part of the story. Many writers like to portray parents and grandparents as fools. Ben Anderson does not. This is such a good clean series for the young and old.

Jannie Meisberger's narration adds richness and life to the story and the many characters within it. I especially enjoyed her voice for Grandpa as he would botch almost everyone's name. I do not know if those parts would have been as funny without her timing, it is so natural and flawless. She has been a big part of what makes this series so great.

I received a copy of this book per my request in exchange for an honest review and it has been a pure joy.

Fanciful, fun, fantastical fantasy!

great story. drew me in and kept me listening. I will definitely get next book when it comes out. My grandchildren and children have enjoyed the series.