The dependable tone and even pacing of Samuel Roukin's delivery enhance this time-travel mystery. Roukin's melodious voice makes the fascinating details of time travel fun and entertaining. The story begins in the present, but soon the aristocrat, Nick, and his foil--a Russian count, complete with an authentic-sounding accent--return to the year 1815 in pursuit of a talisman. Roukin keeps the action briskly moving as several subplots converge, forming a love story with a thread of revenge. The multiple storylines are brought to a satisfying conclusion by a skilled narrator.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 18 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470361532
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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