A Shard of Ice [AUDIO/2010.11.4]

★★★☆☆

  So far, Demon Quest has been superb with the atmospheres of its individual stories. The Demon of Paris in particular had fantastic sound design, bolstered by its location; I really must give praise to director Kate Thomas, who has been crucial to the success of the Nest Cottage Chronicles. Bringing alive the integration of narration and full-cast the way that she did in Hornets' Nest was a huge part of why those stories worked so well, as the sound design and music complement Tom Baker's enticing voice -- almost like how the dialogue of Blade Runner merges with Vangelis' score to create an almost organic thing. I sense that same dynamic between vocal and aural in these audio adventures, and A Shard of Ice carries the flame quite remarkably. 

  Paul Magrs' brand of fairytale fantasy (mixed with science fiction) is truly something else, and this snow-covered landscape -- with atmospheric lodges and hidden ice caves with demons -- fits the subgenre bill completely. Thomas once again brings alive a completely new location with style, with fierce winds and the aura of barely-kept warmth inside the lodge sounding incredibly authentic. Baker and Richard Franklin share a wonderful chemistry that's tried and true at this point (it almost makes you wonder how they never actually met in the television show), and with all these elements playing off of each other like clockwork, it's hard not to find something to enjoy in A Shard of Ice.