A full cast, sound effects, strong pacing, and thorough characterizations expand as well as anchor this sci-fi adventure. When their planet is attacked, a military ship and a research vessel flee, carrying scientists, military personnel, and civilians, including Kady and Ezra, a recently broken-up couple whose skills become crucial to the survival of the fleet. The voyage is threatened by a pursuing warship, a dangerous virus, and AIDEN, the military ship’s increasingly unstable AI. Told through documents, recorded communications, transcribed footage, and the narrative from AIDEN, this story is a behemoth of a space opera. The cast handles a bevy of moving parts with grace and masterful concentration, combining humor and terror with hope and determination. K.S.B. 2016 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
. (Science fiction. 13 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2015
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101916636
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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