Sophie Aldred's limpid English accent and crisp pacing entice listeners into award-winning Adrian Tchaikovsky's novel of first contact and interspecies misunderstanding. Set in inhospitable space, the survival thriller is also a stinging commentary on corporate exploitation. When Juna and Mai, members of a commercial mission, become trapped on a vaporous, poisonous star nicknamed Shroud, they race through danger toward a possible rescue site. But the Shroud's terrifying "weather" and "landscapes" are actually intelligent life-forms with their own plans. Aldred embodies the two distinct women--one spiky, one people pleasing--and delivers a haunting, moody voice for Shroud as it ponders the inexplicable and stupid alien invaders. Her tight rendition of the women's desperate trek amps up the tension, making this an addictive listen.
Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668648209
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.
Narrator Tim Treloar does an excellent job juggling a variety of accents, including Russian, in this somewhat dizzying story about murder onboard a starship. The main character is a dogged Russian private investigator named Yuri Gagarin (yes, the first Soviet cosmonaut) in some distant future who is tasked with solving murders in space and discovering the connections to Earth. The story takes place in the author's "Revelation Space universe," which is crucial to understanding what's going on. In spite of Treloar’s skills, listeners initially may be confused about when, where, and why it's happening.
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657980
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
Kay’s emotional delivery provides essential characterization in this too-short novella.
This space-opera novella, narrated by Cindy Kay, finds four members of rival navigator clans working together to capture a deadly Tangler, the first ever creature of its kind to have escaped. The politics surrounding the mission, along with its expendable crew of navigators, may be the most dangerous part of all. Kay uses consistent pacing and pronounces names and honorifics with ease. She easily differentiates character voices and adds a layer of intrigue, keeping listeners hooked into a world woefully low on descriptive detail. As two characters slowly come to realize they have feelings for each other despite their clan differences, Kay imbues scenes of Sapphic romance with warmth.
Kay’s emotional delivery provides essential characterization in this too-short novella.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798765056325
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
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