Narrator Frankie Corzo conjures equal parts beauty and terror in this thrilling tale of magical realism. Orquidea Divina has always been surrounded by strange luck and odd circumstances. But when she calls her estranged family home to receive their inheritance, they begin to discover the roots of a curse that stretches back over decades. Corzo matches her dreamy tones to the story's lush imagery of magical gardens, fantastical circuses, and monsters both human and otherworldly. She deftly handles the dialogue of Orquidea's sprawling generations of ancestors and descendants, giving them an air of connection while making each character distinct. Corzo also keeps the listener grounded in the story despite the constant shifts in time and place as its short chapters unfold.
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781797131351
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. McKeever reads rapidly, but he also manages to identify individuals, if minimally, and the main characters are voiced consistently. His voice for the aging professor, in fact, is quite charming. Narrative passages are read competently with appropriate emotional expression. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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