Stephanie Willis and Abigail Thorn narrate this compelling debut, a promising start to a planned series. In an alternate 2007, a document leaked by famous whistleblower Nils Ortega reveals that the U.S. government is hiding alien life on Earth. Though Nils appears only through his various correspondence, Thorn conveys Nils's callous self-importance, which belies his outwardly altruistic motives. College dropout Cora Sabino wants nothing to do with Nils, her father. Nevertheless, she’s abducted by an alien codenamed Ampersand, whose mission on Earth could threaten humanity’s existence. Willis does marvelous work developing what turns out to be an unlikely friendship between Cora and Ampersand, who communicate using advanced alien technology. Their story goes in unexpected directions that maintain listeners’ engagement. A.T.N. 2021 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: July 21, 2020
Duration: 16 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250753021
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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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