Karissa Vacker tackles this intense, unflinching story of murder and revenge with gusto, providing listeners with a compelling performance that is sure to entertain. Frances Mace has survived the destruction of the luxury yacht PERSEPHONE and endured the death of her family and friends. Vacker ensures that her strength and resolve shine through every scene, especially as she learns how the father of her first love has lied to the world about the ship. Though her narration doesn't always emphasize Frances's development as she hatches her complex plot of revenge, Vacker keeps the emotional tension high until the showdown. Her accents and characterizations of the varied supporting cast round out this performance in admirable fashion.
(Thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101915172
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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