After they grew too powerful, the Janissaries, an elite palace guard and "the soul of the Empire," were crushed by the Ottoman sultan in 1826. Ten years later they seem to be reemerging, vengeful and dangerous. First, a harem girl is found strangled. Then, men in the sultan's new guard are horribly murdered. The clever eunuch, Yashim, uses his wit and wile to investigate. Stephen Hoye is energetic when interpreting the assortment of eccentric characters, but his overall narration doesn't balance the well-researched historical mystery. When not doing character voices, Hoye's reading is frequently flat, humorless, even ominous when situations don't call for menace. Still, Goodwin offers a vivid conjuring of exotic Turkey and, in Yashim, an original addition to the annals of sleuthing.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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