Narrator Dion Graham's superb performance helps to create a weird and wonderful fantasy world based around Goetia, a town full of demon- and angel-type characters with a Western feel. When Goetian slum resident Mariel is accused of murder, her sister, Celeste, sets out to prove her innocence, using every method open to her. Graham's narration is the perfect match to this tale. As he skillfully brings alive the broad cast of characters, his voicing of Celeste is particularly notable. His pitch-perfect timing keeps the listener engaged, and his authentic-sounding pronunciation of the evocative names gives a sense of reality to this otherwise alternative world.
Pub Date: 2022
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797148618
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
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:
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
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. McKeever reads rapidly, but he also manages to identify individuals, if minimally, and the main characters are voiced consistently. His voice for the aging professor, in fact, is quite charming. Narrative passages are read competently with appropriate emotional expression. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date:
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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