Seven stories by fantasy legends, told by seven narrators at the top of their game.
Seven talented narrators depict fantastical creatures and crime-solving sleuths in this magical story anthology. Standouts include author-narrator Baldree, who displays both written and vocal precision in an exciting murder mystery set in a monastery. Joel Froomkin brings humor to a conclave of elite wizards who get embroiled in the murder of one of their own. Will M. Watt perfectly performs a young boy and a grizzled detective as they hunt a giant, villainous monster. Each narrator is exceptional on their own, yet the collection as a whole creates a dynamic synergy. These stories highlight the importance of connection and chosen family as the characters encounter witches, ghosts, and even murderous felines.
Seven stories by fantasy legends, told by seven narrators at the top of their game.Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781522618331
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
Maarleveld’s smooth, dark narration makes this murder mystery hard to pause.
Saskia Maarleveld narrates this dark academia audiobook about five mage healers whose final test is interrupted by the death of their classmate. Ysabel was a talented healer, and despite what others conclude, her cohort is certain she didn’t take her own life—she was murdered. As the healers are put to the test during the five-day exam, they come together despite their differences to solve Ysabel’s murder. Maarleveld masterfully differentiates among the main cast, crafting distinct personalities. Banter between characters shifts as the cohort combats their prejudices, warms up to each other, and even enters into romances. Maarleveld pronounces French names and terminology with a refined air that elevates the setting.
Maarleveld’s smooth, dark narration makes this murder mystery hard to pause.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250472182
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2026
It all makes for absorbing listening.
Narrator Ciaran Saward brings excitement and heart to this compelling fantasy. In a world where powerful entities move castles from one location to another like they’re playing a giant game of chess, it’s the everyday people who suffer the consequences. After 15-year-old Burr’s father is executed by the lord of one of the castles, Burr and two of his sisters, along with a ragtag group of villagers, find themselves inside the castle as it's relocating. Can they claim the castle as their own, and can they survive as rebels? With a variety of mostly British accents, Saward keeps the many characters, both children and adults, distinct, always taking care to make the emotional threads between them clear.
It all makes for absorbing listening. (Fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9798898840914
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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