Emma Ladji's narration ensures that this romantasy has engaging moments. Violet has spent her entire life carrying out the evil deeds of a dark sorcerer. Now that he's dead, she's determined to use her powers for good, so she reinvents herself as the owner of a flower shop. But reinvention is more difficult than she imagined. She must share her greenhouse with her prickly landlord, Nathaniel, and no amount of flowers can change his cantankerous attitude toward her. A distracting clunk that can be heard at the beginnings of chapters as Violet and Nathaniel set up their daily chalkboard signs sounds authentic but is unpleasant. Also, occasional long pauses between words are distracting. Unpolished editing leaves much to be desired in this production. A.K.R © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217163090
Publisher: Penguin 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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