Across the Great Barrier

I’ll admit, I approached *Across the Great Barrier* skeptical of yet another ‘magic in the Old West’ premise, but Wrede won me over by treating her world like a *place* rather than a gimmick. Eff isn’t a chosen one—she’s a tired, clever girl using magic the way a blacksmith uses a hammer: as a tool, not a superpower. The plot unfolds like a frontier diary, with stretches of slow-burn tension (negotiating with river spirits, diagnosing a sick mammoth) punctuated by bursts of action. That said, the middle act sags a bit under the weight of its own lore; Wrede’s commitment to realism means some scenes meander into *too* much detail about trade routes or magical bureaucracy. Ronconi’s performance is mostly stellar, though her voice for one minor character—a nasally, whiny settler—grated enough to pull me out of the story briefly. But she nails the emotional beats, especially in Eff’s quieter moments of frustration or loneliness. The production quality is clean, with no distracting edits, though I’d have loved a touch more atmospheric sound design (even subtle ambient noise) to heighten the frontier immersion. Still, this is a standout for listeners who prefer their fantasy grounded in grit and wit over epic battles. If you’ve ever wanted a *Little House on the Prairie* where Laura Ingalls could hex a rattlesnake, this is your audiobook.