Janice Ian's narration of this tale is reminiscent of a traditional storyteller's. The narrator of these 10 short stories is Koriba, a highly educated man of Kikuyu descent who, in the twenty-second century, travels to a planetoid named Kirinyaga to create a utopian community in the image of Kenya before European contact. Koriba becomes the community's MUNDAMUGA, or witch doctor, a position of respect and deference. Ian captures his patience and commitment to being a guardian of the culture. As the story progresses, she calmly and subtly conveys how the community's initial positive attitudes toward their leader turn to resentment and distrust as Koriba tries to maintain the integrity of the culture by guarding against change.
Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Audible Inc./ Brilliance 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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