With the printed novel having been nominated for both Hugo and Nebula Awards, Deepa Samuel has a high bar to reach as narrator of this audiobook, and she fills it. Samuel's youthful timbre and clear pronunciation help to bring this complex space opera to life. In a world in which humans are denigrated and "alloys," or artificially created people, are running the universe, Jayanthi, is a fully human child adopted by alloy parents. She pairs up with an alloy pilot, Vaha, to work toward giving humanity a better place in the universe on the newly discovered Earth-like planet of Meru. Samuel's character voices clearly delineate the different species and characters, allowing the listener to become immersed in the story's world-building.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2023
Duration: 17 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781799799085
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kay’s emotional delivery provides essential characterization in this too-short novella.
This space-opera novella, narrated by Cindy Kay, finds four members of rival navigator clans working together to capture a deadly Tangler, the first ever creature of its kind to have escaped. The politics surrounding the mission, along with its expendable crew of navigators, may be the most dangerous part of all. Kay uses consistent pacing and pronounces names and honorifics with ease. She easily differentiates character voices and adds a layer of intrigue, keeping listeners hooked into a world woefully low on descriptive detail. As two characters slowly come to realize they have feelings for each other despite their clan differences, Kay imbues scenes of Sapphic romance with warmth.
Kay’s emotional delivery provides essential characterization in this too-short novella.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798765056325
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
This demanding audiobook is worth the effort.
Peter Kenny has his work cut out for him giving voice to characters with unpronounceable alien names, including one that starts with a cough. Kenny has a charming, light British accent, and while he reads quickly, listeners will get used to his pace. At the core, the audiobook is about an immortal named Mawukana na-Vdnaze who accidentally becomes a sought-after pilot for ships that travel faster than light as life forms flee the inevitable explosion of their sun. Maw changes both physically and emotionally on his rigorous trips, and the novel juxtaposes the hero's evolving life as he does his job—which will save billions of people.
This demanding audiobook is worth the effort.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668650707
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
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