[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with STAR WARS: Cloak of Deception.]--As STAR WARS fans await the upcoming EPISODE TWO: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, the time is ripe to catch up on the events that occurred prior to Episode One and between Episodes One and Two. Here are two STAR WARS novels, written by fan favorites Luceno and Foster, and both read by Alexander Adams (aka Golden Voice Grover Gardner). Adams reads expertly and confidently, and his storytelling powers flow with Jedi force. CLOAK OF DECEPTION is the story of political intrigue and economic espionage in which the shadowy Dark Side sets out to destroy Chancellor Valorum, setting the groundwork for the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. THE APPROACHING STORM follows young Anakin Skywalker and his Jedi Master, Obi Wan Kenobi, on an interstellar and interpersonal adventure. The production quality of these audiobooks is clean and professional except for the overuse of canned sound effects--everything from blaster fire and rocket blasts to the belches and flatulent sounds of alien creatures--that will likely annoy most listeners over the age of 10. While good Foley sound work can enhance a full-cast dramatization, overdone sound effects can easily mar a straight reading.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Multiple award winner Card is one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction; here he delivers a history fantasy of the Wabash Valley circa 1800, a world of hexes and folk magic. This is the first book about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, who has remarkable psychic powers. Card is a very good narrator, expressive and well paced. One can hear the excitement of an author as he brings his own well described characters to life. There is one momentary technical glitch, the only slip up in an exemplary presentation. Highly recommended for fiction collections everywhere.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: The Literate Ear
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
