Narrator Karen Chilton gives a riveting performance in this genre-defying masterpiece. Vern, a young Black woman, escapes the religious compound where she was raised and gives birth to twins. In the outside world, she encounters monsters within and outside herself that raise questions about her past and the legacy of American violence. Solomon's prose is lush and alive; Chilton treats every word with care. She voices Vern with a raw honesty that is sometimes painful, full of suffering, ferocity, and loneliness. But she gives equal weight to moments of sensual delight and sharp humor. Her ability to capture the wild freedom and real fear of Vern's young children is particularly impressive. The echoes of Chilton's haunting and beautiful narration will reverberate long after this powerful audiobook is over.
Pub Date: May 4, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250804402
Publisher: Macmillan 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: N/A
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: N/A
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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