Simon Vance does it all in Wilbur Smith's latest African adventure. Set in 1913, on the cusp of WWI, the story is filled with sexism, racism, and classism. Vance deftly becomes a Masai warrior; a powerful medicine woman; a German princess with a penchant for pain; a German industrialist hatching a conspiracy; and our hero, ex-soldier and great white hunter Leon Courtney. The first part of the novel is pure adventure—from Courtney's heroic rescue of his friend to his forays into hunting, including an exciting safari with Teddy Roosevelt. But elephants and lions are not the only game in town. Vance ramps up the tension as Germany's growing interest in East Africa becomes more dangerous, and Courtney must single-handedly foil a plot by disgruntled Boers. Great listening.
Pub Date: May 12, 2009
Duration: 17 hrs
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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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