Narrator Fiona Hardingham deftly balances two plotlines in this second installment of a trilogy. In one, the engineer of a spaceship finds herself alone on her ship with a computer that has become sentient. It doesn't take long for Hardingham to make listeners forget that it's a computer talking, particularly as the computer seemingly grows into adolescence with a desire to dominate her sole companion. As it continues to transform, Hardingham portrays its emotional development and the pseudo mother-daughter relationship that unfolds. In the second storyline, Hardingham depicts a villain who has brought about a revolt against earth. Her performance is nuanced, reflecting the complexities of her character and her obsession with dominating the earth. Hardingham skillfully augments the suspense in both stories.
Pub Date: July 26, 2016
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780451483874
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
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