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Darkmouth

By: Shane Hegarty
Narrated by: Andrew Scott
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Summary

A monstrously funny debut from the new star of middle-grade adventure. Read by the hugely talented, Andrew Scott.

THEY’RE COMING!

Legends (also known as terrifying, human-eating monsters) have invaded the town of Darkmouth and aim to conquer the world.

But don’t panic! The last remaining Legend Hunter – Finn – will protect us.

Finn: twelve-years-old, loves animals, not a natural fighter, but tries really, really hard, and we all know good intentions are the best weapons against a hungry Minotaur, right?

On second thoughts, panic.

PANIC NOW!

©2015 Shane Hegarty (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
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Critic reviews

“Shane Hegarty explodes into the fantasy universe with Darkmouth. An incredible debut. Hilarious and exciting. Terrifying and heart-stopping. Everything a great fantasy series should be. The next big thing is here.” Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl

“Hegarty writes surely, unpretentiously and amusingly, drawing up beguiling characters and constructing a plot which simply skips along. Great for primary school children studying myths and legends.” The Times

“A cracking debut novel, packed with wonderful characters and imaginative gadgets, and the fast-paced action is underpinned with a dry wit. The first in the series should win an enthusiastic readership impatient for the next title.” Daily Mail

“Hegarty understands the importance of humour for young readers. One of the great pleasures of being scared is the release of laughter that comes afterwards, and Darkmouth is peppered with sly, gentle wit.” The Irish Times

“Believe the hype. The relationship between the young hero and his father is touching and real. There are touches of Ghostbusters, along with some Bond-like gadgets, plus a rather Dickensian setting (the mist-swirling town of Darkmouth). This fantasy adventure is a stunning debut.” Sarah Webb

"A thrilling read, full of quiet wit." Emily Drabble, Guardian Children's Books

What listeners say about Darkmouth

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great for fans of how to train your dragon.

I'd say this is aimed at the young end of 9-12. Great for adventure fans who like a bit of humour. The narrator is fantastic.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Finn is a Legend Hunter, or rather he will be someday... hopefully. However, at the moment Finn is struggling just to get the basics right and his dad is getting frustrated. At the same time, the monster attacks are getting worse, more and more portals are opening up. However, Finn has made his first friend.

A great story that introduces to a very different image of mythical creatures that often gets lots in today's storytelling. They are real, they are very very dangerous and you are tasty. A good story with some self-awareness and growth but they don't make it the biggest part of the story. A lot of action and calamity.

Will admit that the quality is not great for car journey's as often too quiet followed by shouting so often either couldn't hear what was going on or deafened.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Didn't quite live up to the hype

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I was partly testing out this book/series before suggesting it to my son who's approaching the target age group. I saw it being pushed heavily in Waterstones, and with a good number of 5 star reviews on Amazon it seemed worth checking out. I feel rather so-so about it now - not quite my thing perhaps.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator reads with plenty of expression, but I didn't warm to the characters - even Finn and Emmie. I felt this was down to the performance rather than the story itself, but I could be wrong. The recording could have done with some serious volume leveling: turning up the volume to hear whispers (particularly in the car) I'd be deafened by exclamations moments later, then quiet again...

Any additional comments?

Despite my lukewarm reaction to the book I'll admit to being a little intrigued about what happens next...!

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