This sweeping historical fiction inspired by the Four Beauties of Ancient China is in Natalie Naudus's more-than-capable hands. Xishi is the most beautiful woman in Yue--perhaps in the world. In military advisor Fanli's eyes, Xishi's beauty has the power to overturn King Fuchai's quest to colonize Yue. When Xishi begins her mission to seduce, spy on, and sabotage the king, she's torn between her love for Fanli and her duty. Like Xishi, Naudus has an enchanting power: the ability to immerse listeners in an emotionally nuanced tale. Her talent is on full display here--and listeners will be as enthralled with it as Fuchai's royal court is with Xishi's great beauty.
Pub Date: 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250366269
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ell Potter makes 1st century CE come alive as she narrates this tale about the warrior queen who tried to drive the Romans from Britain. The Roman tax collector--having no respect for any woman, let alone a queen--attacks Boudicca's stronghold and flogs her when she refuses to bend the knee to Rome and orders soldiers to rape her young daughters. Barely surviving and believing she has the blessing of Andraste, her tribe's patron goddess, Boudicca inspires her people to fight. Potter captures Boudicca as she becomes a force to be reckoned with, leaving no doubt about who's in charge. But Potter is equally adept in exposing Boudicca's softer side as a mother, a lover, and a queen who feels her people's pain.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 18 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063295001
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Su Ling Chan narrates a dark historical fantasy set in 1970s Singapore. It centers on a secret society capable of channeling ancestral gods and a schoolgirl swept up into it. After Adeline's mother dies in a mysterious fire, she tracks down a girl emblazoned with the same butterfly symbol that marked the fire. Chan maintains a fantastic narration that is bright, clear, and almost melodic as she sets the stage for this cinematic listen. She glides between subtle post-colonial accents, while her strong narration commands the ear. Chan's characterizations are consistent, and her characters sound nuanced with careful inflections. The narration and the prose weave together for an intense and emotional fusion of mythology and character drama.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 18 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250417923
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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