In the cyber-universe of T’Rain, the world’s most popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), medieval swords and battle-axes are the chosen weapons of combat. But when Richard Forthrast’s Internet gaming empire is attacked by a Chinese computer virus and his niece is kidnapped by the Russian mafia, real weapons are drawn and real blood is spilled. Malcolm Hillgartner narrates Stephenson’s film-like, hyper-detailed descriptions with an American tough-guy feel—urgent with no unnecessary emotion and intelligent without showing off. He also does an admirable job of balancing Russian, Chinese, and Arabic accents with scads of computer terms and a breakneck plot. It’s the Wild West in the globe-trotting 21st century—with resilient, resourceful computer geeks toting the guns. Don’t underestimate how flat-out entertaining that can be.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2011
Duration: 39 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781455830428
Publisher: 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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