Narrator Nancy Peterson impeccably delivers the multiple accents required for this novel covering the years leading up to the Russian Revolution. Set in St. Petersburg, in 1903, the fictional account follows Prince Dimitri Markhov; his vindictive wife, Lara; Czar Nicholas II, and Czarina Alexandra. The plot illuminates Prince Dimitri's awakening to the filth and poverty of the Russian lower classes and the horrors of state-supported pogroms against the Jews. Peterson's dusky, mellow voice is a gift for the ear as she offers descriptions of fabulous Fabergé eggs, casual infidelities, and lavish royal extravagances. As Dimitri wrestles between his loyalty to his friend, Czar Nicholas, and his conscience, which urges him to join those bent on revolution, Peterson makes this well-researched historical fiction fascinating listening.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Dreamscape
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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