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
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.
Narrator Tim Treloar does an excellent job juggling a variety of accents, including Russian, in this somewhat dizzying story about murder onboard a starship. The main character is a dogged Russian private investigator named Yuri Gagarin (yes, the first Soviet cosmonaut) in some distant future who is tasked with solving murders in space and discovering the connections to Earth. The story takes place in the author's "Revelation Space universe," which is crucial to understanding what's going on. In spite of Treloar’s skills, listeners initially may be confused about when, where, and why it's happening.
Careful listening will be rewarded when all questions are eventually answered.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668657980
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
