Narrator Bahni Turpin brings to life the barely restrained sarcasm of Jane McKeene, the bold heroine of the first in this alternate history series. Jane was born to and educated by the white mistress of a Kentucky plantation. When the dead of the Civil War rise from the battlefields and become a threat, Jane, like all blacks and Native Americans, must train in weaponry to protect the whites. Turpin's rendition of Jane's first-person voice illuminates her pluck, resilience, and wit. These traits are as crucial to Jane's discovery of sinister secrets in a survivalist camp as they are to her comments on oppression and racism. Turpin moves easily between the emotions and accents of the many characters. She highlights the tension in the plot and clearly expresses the prejudices of some of the characters.
(Historical fiction/horror. 14-adult)Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062822956
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Amanda Stribling's Southern accent evokes the Ozarks background of 17-year-old Dove Warner. Stribling also captures the horror Dove faces when she--like others affected by her family's curse--hears the bones of murdered people calling out for her to discover their burial places. Stribling's tone becomes calmer when Dove spends time with her best friend, Lo, until he expresses his own feelings of being haunted by those who have been killed. Dove manages to disregard the lurid tales of townsfolk until the killing increases. Stribling adds tension as Dove and Lo become more determined to learn who--or what--is responsible. Stribling's narration maximizes the atmospheric setting, lyrical writing, and many twists and turns of this audiobook.
(Paranormal thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217017010
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ell Potter narrates this YA novel, inspired by the legend of the Zikmund bell in Prague. The Strauss family has been tasked for generations with caring for their sentient city's bell towers in order to contain a great evil that lies sleeping within. When teenager Mina's bell rings 13 times on her patrol, it's up to her to prevent the ensuing destruction. Potter's sophisticated British accent gives a sense of importance to Mina and her legacy. However, more often than not, Potter's tone leans toward the melodramatic and woeful, sometimes even taking on a warble. This over-the-top delivery lends a sense of urgency to the narrative, and, while somewhat tiresome, matches the gothic fantasy atmosphere of the story.
(Fantasy. 13-17)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250411891
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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