Jeff Woodman bridges time in his portrayal of a villain made infamous in Gabaldon's Outlander series, now a hero of Gabaldon's Lord John Grey novellas. Grey is an eighteenth-century gay military man whose sleuthing seems built from his ability to understand the underbelly of life because of what he hides. Gabaldon's rambling prose, tight in these shorter pieces, still has a colorful cast of characters. They find full realization in Woodman's lively delivery of dialogue. Woodman's narration is vigorous and precise, and he is especially good at the nuances of class. Woodman also takes on a ghost, as well as a queen, as Grey ferrets out treachery at all levels of the military.
Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2007
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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