A sharp ensemble brings this witty, steamy romantasy adventure to life.
Marissa Clay and a full cast narrate a thrilling romantasy about a bookseller who is kidnapped and enrolled in an elite spy academy. The fey have invaded Europe, but the story focuses on Nia, who is abducted by the devilishly handsome Raphael in the hope that she can help defeat an evil king. Clay shoulders the bulk of the performance, capturing Nia’s razor-sharp banter with aplomb. A talented cast of actors performs the other characters. Layered ambient sounds, from the score to subtle sound effects, including echoing voices and hurried footsteps, imbue the production with a cinematic feel. Clay and a few of the actors play with accents—some playfully exaggerated and others purposefully bad—to inject some comedy.
A sharp ensemble brings this witty, steamy romantasy adventure to life.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2025
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798896520917
Publisher: GraphicAudio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
This highly satisfying quest brims with humor and friendship courtesy of Church.
During a magical adventure set in a traveling bookshop, narrator Imogen Church ensures that each conversation is a dramatic experience. Listeners meet failed book witch Louella Twig, whose strident tones mask her loneliness. She encounters former thief Everett Sharp who, intrigued, parries Louella's defenses with his deep, rolling voice. When Louella's former mentor, Feralorn, asks for her help finding pages from his grimoire, Louella accepts the quest. Church's voice for Feralorn is that of a creaky trumpet—highly distinctive, occasionally overwhelming. Church gives each character their own voice and mannerisms, including gnomes and a European wizard. Pacing, phrasing, and inflection are deployed skillfully to denote emotion, especially between Louella and Everett.
This highly satisfying quest brims with humor and friendship courtesy of Church.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898856663
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
You’ll never think about fungus the same way again.
Andrew Fallaize’s committed performance makes this twisty, creepy fantasy-mystery hard to turn off. Imperial investigators Din and Ana have traveled to the agricultural center of the Khanum Empire to dig into a disturbing death. It lands them in the middle of a feud between two powerful families, and Fallaize puts listeners squarely in Din’s point of view as he uses his biological enhancements to perfectly commit every suspect and clue to memory while managing the eccentric Ana. Fallaize breaks out a wide variety of British accents to believably portray each character, and he expertly enhances every moment of suspense, danger, and horror in this satisfying third installment in the series.
You’ll never think about fungus the same way again.Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 7 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217279296
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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