With multiple storylines told from different perspectives, this complex novel keeps the listener guessing at every turn. Gabrielle de Cuir opens the narrative with the voices of astronauts Julia, an Australian, and her husband, Victor, a Russian, who have succeeded in creating a life for themselves on Mars. De Cuir succeeds beautifully in keeping both accents distinct and accurate and in giving the characters added dimension. Stefan Rudnicki's rumbling tones seem to convey the majesty and expanse of deep space, which Richard Gilliland echoes with his own low timbre. Susan Hanfield rounds out the cast with a clipped, authoritative voice for Captain Axelrod, who’s leading another ambitious expedition to explore life found on frigid Pluto. This stellar ensemble cohesively enlivens the slower parts of the plot and makes the action sequences positively shine.
Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2015
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781481528962
Publisher: Blackstone Audio/ Skyboat Media
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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