Victoria Villarreal performs impressive vocal acrobatics as she narrates this reimagined tale of Zorro. Leonora, the illegitimate mestiza daughter of the Viceroy of Mexico, has a reputation to uphold. But she cannot look away and do nothing as Spanish conquerors subjugate the various Indigenous people of Mexico. Harnessing the power of the sun and the Indigenous gods, she fights for justice as "La Pantera." Intrigue and deception keep Leonora--and listeners--on their toes. Villarreal aptly voices characters of both genders and varying ages and backgrounds. Nahuatl and Spanish are present throughout the audiobook, and Villarreal successfully delivers both. Villarreal also shines as she voices action passages, increasing her pacing and tone to match the excitement.
Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063254343
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sanderson’s rich performance enriches the text.
Narrator Charlie Sanderson immerses listeners in the coastal Cornish village of Portscatho from the first sentence of this gothic fairy tale. Sanderson draws listeners into a world of feminine rage, empowerment, and ancient magic. Her vocal characterizations ground the story's folkloric atmosphere. Sanderson voices characters from curious children to elderly witches, each rendered with playful energy and distinct regional British accents that bring the superstitious fishing village to life. Heroine Kensa is being manipulated, putting her community in danger. Kensa's shifting emotions, from loneliness to mounting dread, land with weight, and Sanderson makes a sea god's menacing presence feel genuinely unsettling.
Sanderson’s rich performance enriches the text.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798347956852
Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2026
Hembrough ratchets up the tension while leading listeners through this exploration of belief.
Oliver Hembrough voices an array of fascinating characters in this fantasy audiobook, the first in a planned trilogy. Sister Svangerd, a nun/assassin, and Brother Desiderius, an expert forger/atheist monk, are sent to the Ecumenical Council to assassinate a princess with troublesome views. What follows? The hunters become the hunted; the undead "walkers" formulate their own assassination plans; many deaths ensue. Hembrough’s performance is true to the characters he portrays, from steel-spined nuns and questioning clerics to rage-filled walkers; his narration is replete with dry humor, sarcasm, and a penchant for scoffs and growls in bringing these characters to life.
Hembrough ratchets up the tension while leading listeners through this exploration of belief.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668642269
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
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