Cherise Boothe and Landon Woodson give exceptional performances that evoke a sense of mystery laced with sadness and hope in this wildly imaginative futuristic tale of humanity's survival on a new planet. Boothe's pacing and tone capture the innocence, fear, and power of a girl who is stolen from her village and forced into the service of a warlord. In contrast, Woodson embraces a gritty style that is especially well suited to the twin brothers from the underbelly of society who have agreed to use their gifts to help find a missing boy. The narrators' contrasting vocal choices work beautifully together, enhancing the tension within the intertwined stories as the characters come together to stop an impending alien invasion that could destroy them all.
Pub Date: 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250824868
Publisher: Macmillan 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:
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:
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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