An author narration is often more successful when the author, or one of them, is an actor. With this book, comparisons to actor/author Gillian Anderson's role as Agent Scully in the "The X-Files" are inevitable. Anderson tackles a range of international characters in this thriller about a strange phenomenon that has gripped the daughter of a woman who is involved in the negotiation of a crucial nuclear treaty. Other teens in various countries all over the world have been affected, as well. Anderson presents the main character, a child psychologist, as a thoughtful, methodical scientist who approaches each incident with a combination of empathy and detachment. She draws upon a store of accents as the psychologist travels to Haiti and Iran seeking answers to what's going on. J.E.M.
Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2014
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781442372948
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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