Listeners are in Quirk’s confident hands—and her narration makes this a wild ride.
Like the undead king who sits on the throne in the second installment of this metafantasy, narrator Moira Quirk, with her entrancing vocal performance, reaches legendary status. Rae has been pulled into her favorite fantasy series, but the last book didn’t end the way she expected: Her villainous bodyguard has returned from the abyss as the god king, destined to rule the kingdom with a clawed gauntlet. Shane East performs his first-person chapters near the end of the audiobook. With an icy army beating down the gates and evil plots complicating her escape plan, Rae is well and truly trapped. Quirk deftly underscores Rae’s dilemma: Embrace the baddie within herself and become the evil queen, or continue searching for a way out. It’s a fun, flirty look at the inner workings of the fantasy genre, driven by one of today’s best narrators.
Listeners are in Quirk’s confident hands—and her narration makes this a wild ride.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 17 hrs, 53 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668648889
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
A theatrical approach and comedic timing make this a narration win.
Mark Sanderlin narrates this cozy gay romance about two bros on a quest. Juniper loves his life with his strictly platonic best friend, Mo; their cat; and his skincare routine. But when both men land in jail, volunteering to find a dragon is a promising alternative to imprisonment. Sanderlin’s narration perfectly suits the tongue-in-cheek humor. His delivery emphasizes Juniper’s melodramatic personality, while Mo has a deeper voice and a more leisurely pace, befitting a thoughtful character. When Juniper and Mo banter, Sanderlin seamlessly switches between the two. And as both bros warm toward each other, the romantic tension is amplified. Sanderlin’s voice for dragon child Bear is especially adorable.
A theatrical approach and comedic timing make this a narration win.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 48 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217338122
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Tewani’s empathetic narration gives voice to an emotionally complex character, and precise pacing keeps listeners on...
Nikita Tewani narrates this contemporary fantasy about a health care worker who suddenly acquires the power of a demon. Nisha works at one of the few remaining reproductive health centers that still performs abortions, and she faces relentless protesters, hostile legislation, and her own spiraling depression. Her new powers coincide with increasingly bizarre new threats against the clinic and herself from strangers both human and demonic. Tewani conveys Nisha’s inner sadness by delivering her introspection with a cynical edge. She uses tone and a careful balance between American and Indian accents to easily differentiate characters.
Tewani’s empathetic narration gives voice to an emotionally complex character, and precise pacing keeps listeners on edge.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668114865
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2026
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