Martin's novel about a pre-Civil War riverboat is as powerful and pertinent as when it was written in 1982. Ron Donachie's exquisite performance brings the audiobook to life, masterfully evoking the best of the classic vampire stories—before vampires were all handsome 20-year-olds. Little can be revealed without ruining the carefully balanced plot, but this audiobook should be on everyone's must-listen list. A mysterious gentleman becomes a partner in a new steamboat set to cruise the Mississippi. The “Fevre Dream” ends up the finest steamboat on the river. Through the power of Donachie's skill, listeners will smell the river, taste the gumbo, and get to know characters like mighty “Hairy Mike,” the ex-slave Tobey, and the evil vampires that lurk along the Mighty Mississippi.
Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2012
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385362771
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Multiple award winner Card is one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction; here he delivers a history fantasy of the Wabash Valley circa 1800, a world of hexes and folk magic. This is the first book about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, who has remarkable psychic powers. Card is a very good narrator, expressive and well paced. One can hear the excitement of an author as he brings his own well described characters to life. There is one momentary technical glitch, the only slip up in an exemplary presentation. Highly recommended for fiction collections everywhere.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: The Literate Ear
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
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