Michael Kramer and Kate Reading have been the masters of the Wheel of Time series from the very first book to this fourteenth, and final, book. Their stores of voices and characterizations are extensively drawn upon as Rand al’Thor gathers warriors from all corners to join the final battle against the Dark One, who seeks to escape his prison and remove all light from this world. Understanding the complex relationships of men and women in this society is aided by having Reading narrate the sections told from the perspectives of the female characters and Kramer, the sections told from the perspectives of the male characters. They present the unfolding of the many themes with infinite patience and consistent tones of engagement with the characters and events.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 42 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427210258
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This highly emotional audiobook won’t leave listeners dry-eyed.
Kirt Graves tenderly narrates this audiobook about the end of the world. Don and Rodney, married for the last 40 years, have one month left to live as a black hole approaches Earth. They hit the road on a desperate trip across the country to fulfill one last promise. Graves easily distinguishes a variety of characters as they grapple with their impending deaths. He shows remarkable emotional versatility in his depictions of hope, desperation, apathy, and acceptance. Graves gives Rodney a low, gruff, and tough voice, while sentimental Don sounds gentler. Graves’ performance is leisurely paced, letting listeners linger in the stories of the people Don and Rodney meet along their journey.
This highly emotional audiobook won’t leave listeners dry-eyed.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 25 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250435606
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Smith’s absorbing performance makes each story unforgettable.
This thoughtfully curated collection of the author’s previously published work, smartly narrated by Rachel Elizabeth Smith, highlights the indelible power of language—written and spoken—to release, transform, heal, divide, and connect. Dream-crafters and dreamers, celestial acolytes, imprisoned beings, and the magically transformed are among those who inhabit these tales. A man’s transgressions are carved from his body in “John Hollowback and the Witch”; a woman marked for service to the sun follows a new path in “And Their Lips Rang with the Sun”; a wife is shaped into being against her will in “Florilegia; or, Some Lies About Flowers.” All provide wonderful examples of Smith’s deft pacing and quietly impactful characterizations. Between stories, Smith beautifully conveys poems in English and Arabic.
Smith’s absorbing performance makes each story unforgettable.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 58 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250436061
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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