Narrator Rebecca Yeo brings this YA fantasy to life with deft characterizations. Ren is a near-immortal being who collects the souls of the dead and walks among the living and the magical creatures of the world as she travels from England to Japan in search of her mother. The story includes characters from all around the globe, and Yeo delivers their accents and occasionally speaks in their languages with ease. In this way, she makes the novel feel real despite its fantasy premise. When the characters meet gods and demons, Yeo whispers and growls in all the right places. Yeo's narration is so good that listeners may be willing to overlook some aspects of the problematic plot.
Ages 12+Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666522976
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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