This stark, shining work is powerfully told by Steve West, whose character portrayals and command of accents are mind-boggling. One minute he's the hard-as-nails police detective who is transferred to the hellish town of Purgatory, on the dark side of the moon. Next, he is a dysfunctional, serial-killing android that speaks in a polite British accent when he's not wiping out those in his path. Then, he's the boorish Fletcher Brass, the billionaire who runs the town, which is a place of last resort for killers, perverts, war criminals, and brave tourists. There are so many incredible events, observations, and details in this novel that listeners will find themselves stopping and pondering their ramifications even as the characters take them for granted.
Pub Date: June 28, 2016
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442386969
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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
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