I listened to the audiobook of The Spiral of Life, and it was quite enjoyable. The story is the first in a YA series, Eilean in the Otherworld, about a Scottish teenager who is pulled into a world of folklore, along the same lines as Percy Jackson but queer and Celtic which is totally my jam.

I really liked Eilean as a character, I found myself empathizing with her experiences and self-doubt. She cares a lot about her family, particularly her Mamó (grandmother), and has regret about an event that’s greatly affected her present view of herself. I also really liked Freya and her blossoming friendship with Eilean, and all of the supporting characters. Rebecca Daltry did a great job giving them all distinct voices, her narration was smooth, and this American loved her accents.

There were some sound effects that were added throughout, and some effects added to the voices here and there. I don’t know if this was done because it was a YA book and the intent was to make it more interesting for a teenage listener, but I found a bit distracting. It was still a nice production, though, and I’ll definitely check out future installments of the series.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.