This grim but richly complicated novel brings listeners back to the dystopian world introduced in THE MARROW THIEVES. Indigenous teenager French has just been reunited with his father when he's separated from his found family and imprisoned in the 21st-century version of residential schools. Narrator Meegwun Fairbrother gives a stirring performance as French. Desperate to stay alive and get back to his family, he's forced to make impossible choices. Fairbrother's voice oscillates between fierce determination, despair, and horror as French navigates an unbearably violent world. Michelle St. John narrates the chapters told from the points of view of French's family. She's especially good at voicing the stubbornness and anger of French's girlfriend, Rose. This is not an easy listen, but it's a worthwhile and ultimately hopeful one.
(Dystopian. 14-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735269699
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Boyle's emotional performance immerses listeners in this world of war and ever flowing water.
Rafe and Jule were destined to kill each other in battle, as their warring factions—the Rogues and the Crowns—have fought over a flooded London for centuries. However, fate has other plans for them. Zoe Boyle brings these characters—and the London of 2425—to life. Her enthusiastic narration perfectly depicts the circumstances that befall them. Boyle imitates the sound of whizzing arrows, the crack of a discharging rifle, the heaving breaths of a desperate swimmer, and more. Her voice cracks after heartbreaking deaths, and it soars when the characters experience love.
Boyle's emotional performance immerses listeners in this world of war and ever flowing water. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 41 mins
DD ISBN: 9798225035815
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
A swashbuckling adventure with lots of heart.
Barnaby Edwards will have listeners hanging onto every word of this action-packed audiobook. This worthy sequel to Thunder City finds the crew of the Fire’s Astonishment helping the university city of Museion. Its inhabitants are willingly joining the city of London in order to preserve their knowledge and artifacts. But in order to do that, they’ll have to travel safely to the rendezvous point without being eaten by another traction city. With his panoply of accents, Edwards is just as skillful narrating close calls and violent skirmishes as he is with quieter moments between characters. Vespertine, the mechanical Revenant, and her relationships with Small Cat and Professor Stanislaus are particular standouts.
A swashbuckling adventure with lots of heart. (Science fiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798225035891
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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