Simon Vance draws listeners into the 110-day war for Malta between the Muslims and the Knights of St. John the Baptist in 1565. As the war rages, Tannhauser, raised by Muslims and now a Christian sword-for-hire, helps Contessa Carla La Penautier find her estranged son, Orlandu, fathered by Ludovico Ludovici, a monk and vicious Inquisitor. Vance uses a variety of accents to distinguish the far-reaching cast of multinationals. The Italians seem a bit off, but the rest of the characters have more subtle accents. Vance deals with this huge cast in a way that differen?tiates individuals yet doesn't overshadow the story. His narration captures every nuance of the battle for religious supremacy.
Pub Date: May 15, 2007
Duration: 25 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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