Edoardo Ballerini and Imani Parks unevenly narrate this high-fantasy adventure. Father-and-daughter Jeffy and Amity are living a peaceful life when Spooky Ed comes and entrusts Jeffy with a device that allows travel between parallel universes. That's when their lives take a turn for the worse. The various plot threads of this work can be bewildering, but Ballerini's strong voice takes charge and commands attention. In contrast, Parks misfires as Amity by narrating sluggishly and out of sync. Still, listeners who are looking to be enthralled by alternate dimensions and faraway worlds will be swept away. A bonus audio-only short story titled "Parlor Trick," performed by an ensemble of narrators, concludes this high-stakes fantasy audiobook.
Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781713558705
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. McKeever reads rapidly, but he also manages to identify individuals, if minimally, and the main characters are voiced consistently. His voice for the aging professor, in fact, is quite charming. Narrative passages are read competently with appropriate emotional expression. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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