Listeners are transported back to a mysterious India of 1837, which is almost wholly governed by the East India Company. The recently arrived and indebted Company officer William Avery finds himself paired with the unconventional Jeremiah Blake on a mission to discover the fate of the acclaimed writer Xavier Mountstuart. Their uneasy partnership and small band of native soldiers are given authentic voice through the judicious narration of Alex Wyndham. His narration highlights the bright enthusiasm of Avery, which contrasts sharply with the world-weariness of Blake, a man who has seen too much and feels greater comfort in the company of locals. Wyndham immerses the listener in their quest and developing relationship, while convincingly delivering both native and British accents. K.J.P. 2016 ALA Media Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: March 31, 2015
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781622316359
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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