Otherland

When best friends Myra and Rohan discover that Rohan's baby sister has been spirited away to a shadowy realm beneath their world, they have no choice but to follow. Otherland is a place of gods, vampires, and fairies, where the rules shift and the powerful play games with those who wander in uninvited. Louie Stowell's 2021 middle-grade fantasy drops two ordinary kids into a darkly comic underworld where survival means competing in three near-impossible challenges set by a capricious Fairy Queen, with the highest possible stakes on the line.

Gemma Whelan brings a sharp, knowing wit to the narration that matches Stowell's tone perfectly. Best known for her screen work, Whelan distinguishes each character with precision, balancing the story's genuine menace against its deadpan humor without letting either undercut the other. At just over four hours, the runtime is lean and propulsive, making it an ideal listen for younger audiences who want their fantasy with real teeth.