Set in the same world as Bear's Eternal Sky series, this second audiobook in her latest trilogy tells the tale of the Lotus Kingdoms--a place as culturally vibrant and elegant as its name indicates. Rendah Heywood narrates multiple points of view, elevating the characters Mrithuri and Sayeh with her flawless performance. Heywood's voice is a beautifully accented flow of sound, with proper diction that fits the pedigree of the main character to perfection. It's lovely. And it gives the story an elegance that wraps around the lyrical prose like fine silk. Fantasy listeners who appreciate cultural immersion, beautiful writing, and a soothing narration won't want to miss this audiobook.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 14 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501903274
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This highly emotional audiobook won’t leave listeners dry-eyed.
Kirt Graves tenderly narrates this audiobook about the end of the world. Don and Rodney, married for the last 40 years, have one month left to live as a black hole approaches Earth. They hit the road on a desperate trip across the country to fulfill one last promise. Graves easily distinguishes a variety of characters as they grapple with their impending deaths. He shows remarkable emotional versatility in his depictions of hope, desperation, apathy, and acceptance. Graves gives Rodney a low, gruff, and tough voice, while sentimental Don sounds gentler. Graves’ performance is leisurely paced, letting listeners linger in the stories of the people Don and Rodney meet along their journey.
This highly emotional audiobook won’t leave listeners dry-eyed.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 25 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250435606
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Smith’s absorbing performance makes each story unforgettable.
This thoughtfully curated collection of the author’s previously published work, smartly narrated by Rachel Elizabeth Smith, highlights the indelible power of language—written and spoken—to release, transform, heal, divide, and connect. Dream-crafters and dreamers, celestial acolytes, imprisoned beings, and the magically transformed are among those who inhabit these tales. A man’s transgressions are carved from his body in “John Hollowback and the Witch”; a woman marked for service to the sun follows a new path in “And Their Lips Rang with the Sun”; a wife is shaped into being against her will in “Florilegia; or, Some Lies About Flowers.” All provide wonderful examples of Smith’s deft pacing and quietly impactful characterizations. Between stories, Smith beautifully conveys poems in English and Arabic.
Smith’s absorbing performance makes each story unforgettable.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 58 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250436061
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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