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Marla Himeda is an award-winning author and lifelong musician who has taught piano and clarinet for eighteen years at Punahou Schools and for over half a century in her own studio. She teaches theory and composition courses, coaches ensemble groups, and is a prolific arranger of chamber music for winds. She has performed in the Seattle Opera House, the Seattle Art Museum, and many concert venues in Hawaii, where she has lived for the past fifty years near Mount Olomana, whose twin peaks sparked the birth of Bardic Mountain. She is a member of the National Music Teachers Association, Opus 5 Winds, and is principal clarinetist for the Honolulu Wind Ensemble.
Master of Music, Book One of The Bardic Isles Series, was the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Audiobook Gold Medal Winner, the 2024 IP Awards Outstanding Audiobook Winner, the 2023 IAN Fantasy Book of the Year Winner, a B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner, a Fiction and Audiobook Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Awards, and a Young Adult Finalist in the IAN Awards. The Bardic Isles Series is a merging of her two passions—music and writing—and portrays a world that she unabashedly admits loving to escape to. The Bardic Isles Series began 35 years ago as a bedtime story she told to her four children. It is now an epic fantasy series featuring music as the sole magical element, and the audiobooks include the music of the Bardic Isles, all of which was composed by the author.
Reviewed by Olga Markova for Readers' Favorite
Master of Music by Marla Himeda is a remarkable fantasy that takes us to the imaginary Bardic Isles. We meet Kaelin, an eleven-year-old orphan. Kaelin has a magical musical gift, but he is scared that his compositions will harm other people. So, he only plays to himself, hiding in the woods. One day Kaelin hears a visiting Master Bard playing Kaelin’s composition in the village. Kaelin dares to follow the Master Bard and ask him to accept Kaelin as an apprentice. The Master Bard instantly recognizes Kaelin’s unique musical talent and takes Kaelin on a trial basis. What is special about Kaelin’s musical gift? Why is he afraid of harming others with his music? What will Kaelin learn under the Master’s tutelage, and will he pass the trial?
I am delighted to have discovered Marla Himeda’s Master of Music. It is one of the best fantasies I came across recently, and it reminded me of my favorite Harry Potter novels. Even though I am four decades older than the eleven-year-old Kaelin around whom the story revolves, I enjoyed every moment of this entertaining and educational story. I liked that every episode had wisdom to impart. Some educational messages were given by the Master Bard, and others could be gleaned from Kaelin’s actions and their consequences. I also liked how the story portrayed Kaelin’s dilemmas, fears, vulnerabilities, and achievements. In addition, I liked how, through Kaelin, Marla explored the themes important for both adults and children, such as honesty, ambition, humility, affection, and courage.
But what made this story special for me was the audiobook production. Unlike other audiobooks that won my heart with perfect storytelling, Master of Music offers much more than pure voice acting. The flawless narration by the talented Will Hahn was interlaced with awesome musical compositions. What started as shy and short flute, harp, and pipe melodies culminated in amazing, fully-fledged songs, all composed by Marla Himeda. It is the first audiobook of this kind I have listened to, and it made me feel as if I were watching an exhilarating stage play. All in all, this is a brilliant fantasy that offers both children and adults a lot to enjoy and learn and will appeal to everyone who likes fantasy and music. Any chance for a sequel, Marla? I would very much like to hear about Kaelin’s new adventures and achievements.
