Carol Monda's precise performance keeps the listener from figuring out too soon that this is a satire--a very weird satire. She sounds so serious, so professional, even as the story gets more and more absurd, that some listeners may not believe this nonsense is anything more than a fever dream. She keep the listener interested, but in the cold light of day, this is sleazy, bad porn. The overly detailed descriptions of female genitalia and masturbation are the opposite of erotic. Heroine Penny Harrigan, unbelievably, allows herself to become a test subject for a new line of sex toys. The gadgets work so well that millions of women lock themselves away and eventually go crazy and die. Men, for lack of sex, go crazy and attack women. Say it with me-- what??? M.S.
Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2014
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470383909
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A heartwarming listening experience touched by magic.
Geneviève Cocke narrates this fantasy audiobook set in 1920s Montreal. Agnes is desperate to find a new home for her cat shelter and herself after a magical duel in front of her building left only three walls standing. For this and other reasons, Agnes is not a fan of magic, but the only person willing to rent to her and her feline rescues is Havelock, a notorious magician. Cocke endows Havelock with a Quebecois accent, although most other characters have no identifiable accent. Agnes prepares a checklist for most everything, and Cocke makes her organized but not officious. Cocke instills personality in the many secondary characters, including the cats.
A heartwarming listening experience touched by magic.Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217279272
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
Descriptive magical settings, multidimensional characters, and nuanced storytelling.
Listeners will be immediately drawn into the vivid, sweeping world of the Azalea Dynasty. Narrators Katharine Chin and Eric Yang create an immersive fantasy setting for this powerful story about legacy, hierarchy, power, and politics. Primary protagonist Wei Yin is desperate as she watches her family and her village succumb to starvation, and she is willing to do anything to survive. As allegiances are formed and war is imminent, Wei Yin's talent for poetry gives her a voice, and she learns the dangers and advantages of taking her power.
Descriptive magical settings, multidimensional characters, and nuanced storytelling.Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250435576
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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