Magdalene Nox (The Headmistress #2) by Milena McKay, narrated by Abby Craden

On white sheets, an iPhone with the audiobook of Magdalene Nox by Milena McKay, narrated by Abby Craden.

I know this story so well—having read and listened to The Headmistress several times and then read Magdalene Nox more than once as well, even as Milena McKay was writing it—I found myself in a very unfamiliar situation when this audiobook hit my ears. I’m so used to forgetting things that my attention is usually divided between listening to the words and experiencing the narration. Which is fine, I also listen to books I haven’t read before, and I love discovering stories, characters, details, through a narrator’s performance. That said, being able to focus almost solely on Abby Craden‘s narration was wonderful too.

I was so happy to hear Magdalene again. I already knew what she sounds like when she delivers the iconic words The Headmistress is known for (“My name is Magdalene Nox. I am the new Headmistress of Three Dragons. And you are all fired.”), and the anticipation was delicious. There’s so much more to delight in, however. Being able to actively listen allowed me to enjoy every nuance of the narration, tiny things that I would normally feel without identifying them, without noticing them. One example that blew my mind: in the prologue, Magdalene is a teenager, and Craden’s voice for her is very much Magdalene’s voice but younger. There’s a quality to it that makes it still innocent, not jaded by life yet, even if she’s well on her way to it. And yet it’s unmistakably the voice of the adult she’ll become and to whom readers were first introduced.

Everything I wrote in my review of the book, I felt even more with the audiobook. From the wonder that is Candace—for the reader/listener, if not for Magdalene—to Willoughby’s ultimate catness (and no, I didn’t remember him meowing and so didn’t expect Craden to either), to the absolute joy of experiencing Magdalene’s fall for Sam from within. Milena McKay’s beautiful words and ability to convey emotions are, once more, perfectly served by Abby Craden’s narration.

Read my review of Magdalene Nox, the book.