The first book of the Chaos Walking trilogy is a wild ride in a new world with some old problems. Patrick Ness built the world, but Nick Podehl pulls the listener into it through the embittered voice of Todd, a droll 13-year-old stuck in a community of men in which everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts. Now and then the book gives a sample of the audible cacophony. Todd and his dog, Manchee (whose thoughts are simple and doggish), find a hole of silence in the swamp—a girl. The trio—boy, girl, and dog—takes off, pursued by angry men, into a world much bigger than Todd imagined. Podehl's voice gradually becomes the safety bar we cling to as this roller coaster of bridge burning, space travel, and, yes, knife fights whips us around unexpected corners. The only problem is that the story ends in the middle of a sharp right angle. But that doesn't make it any less breathtaking.
(Science fiction. YA)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2010
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781441889034
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tyo’s energetic narration adds fuel to this romp of an SF retelling.
“Call me Ishara,” begins this interstellar Moby-Dick retelling, expertly performed by Shannon Tyo. After her previous spaceship is destroyed by a mega-ship called the Ballena, Ishara Ming finds herself the captain of a whaler with a crew of four. Despite the gaps in her memory and other people who doubt what little of the past she can remember, Ishara is determined to find and destroy the Ballena. When ship mech Augustus comes on board, Ishara’s memories start to resurface, and taking on the white whale becomes increasingly risky. Ishara must confront her past if she’s going to survive the future, and Tyo captures this tension fully. Listeners will surely relish Chan’s fast-paced space-opera take on a literary classic.
Tyo’s energetic narration adds fuel to this romp of an SF retelling. (Science fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280797
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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