New Reviews: Fantasy

Golden Voice January LaVoy has a broad range of characters to give voice to in this Afrofuturist audiobook. Cinnamon Jones has long been a leader in her community. Since the Water Wars, which were triggered by conflicts over climate catastrophes, Cinnamon has been working to provide housing, healthcare and education to refugees. Characters include an 8-year-old girl, who is... Read More

This quest fantasy builds an imaginative world of nightmarish horrors, and Alyssa Appleton's methodical narration keeps listeners putting one foot in front of the other as they journey through it. For Karys Eska, speaking to the dead isn't just a skill that enables her to pay her rent. It's part of a contract that keeps her tethered to Sabaster, an eldritch being with vicious... Read More

Catrin Walker-Booth's performance brings Dr. Greta Helsing to life in this charming novella--part of a series but it can also stand alone. Walker-Booth's skill with pitch, tone, and accents brings each of the characters to life. She beautifully depicts Greta Helsing, a physician who ministers to the undead, with compassion and intelligence. Walker-Booth's vocal range also... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Ikeda reintroduces listeners to power couple Diana and Matthew de Claremont, witch and vampire, and their equally magical children. The couple first appeared in A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. When a black bird brings Diana a message, she heads to Ravenswood, her Aunt Gwyneth's property in Massachusetts, to uncover the dark side of her magic. Ikeda brings every corner... Read More

Ron Butler narrates a fantasy novel set on a magical Caribbean island. Residents of Chynchin have lived undisturbed by the greedy Ymisen for two hundred years, but that is about to change. After a water pipe repair goes awry, Veycosi finds himself embroiled in endless drama. Butler's laidback narration style suits Veycosi's meandering travails: He has lost standing in his... Read More

The fifth volume of Vo's Singing Hills Cycle, which can be listened to as a stand-alone, would be challenging for any narrator. The fantasy begins as a marriage is arranged in ancient China. Then the story takes a turn toward the paranormal. Narrator Cindy Kay voices protagonist Cleric Chih, as well as secondary characters ranging from haughty royalty to lowly estate workers.... Read More

Nicholas Guy Smith evokes the Arthurian legends of old in this tongue-in-cheek Knights of the Round Table-inspired novel. A young man named Collum dreams of joining King Arthur's Round Table, but by the time he arrives in Camelot, King Arthur is dead. Smith's narration captures the epic qualities of the story as Collum and the knights try to keep the kingdom united after the... Read More

Matthew Spencer narrates the story that began in Chupeco's SILVER UNDER NIGHTFALL. Vampire hunter Remy Pendergast has a deep bond with two vampiric royal companions. They travel to the Court of Wanderers to recuperate after a battle with the formidable Night Empress and are thrown into vampire politics. Spencer is a superb storyteller. He keeps the plot moving. His skill at... Read More

This pleasant fantasy is given an appropriately lighthearted narration by Nikki Massoud. The magical Quigley sisters--Anne, Violet and Beatrix--run the Crescent Moon Tearoom, serving enchanted cups of tea and hopeful readings to their satisfied clients. All is serene until the Council of Witches appear, demanding that the Quigleys coach three other witches who haven't properly... Read More

As the voice of this audiobook's main character, Penny, narrator Shannon Tyo's gentle, soothing tone proves effective and engaging. Penny lands her dream job at the Dallergut Dream Department Store. Each floor of the store sells different types of dreams. As Penny learns about the importance of sleep and dreams from the store owner, Mr. Dallergut, she and her kooky co-workers... Read More

Si Chen takes listeners to 1930s Shanghai in this historical fantasy. Cabaret dancer Jingwen has one foot in the world of lavish clubs and wealthy foreigners and the other in Shanghai's black market: Her grandmother is involved with money laundering. Chen's performance is smooth and steady, with little differentiation between characters. Delivering on Lin's vivid portrait of... Read More

Stina Nielsen narrates this alternate feminist history. Sylvie sets out to tell her life's story for her twins whom she gave up at birth because she was unmarried. In 1862 she moved from Kentucky to Nashville in search of her sister. She brought with her a lost play by Aristophanes, which is centered on a cult serving Artemis that seeks chaos to disrupt the patriarchal business... Read More

Lynnette R. Freeman narrates a fantasy featuring assassins and gods. Eveen is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins Guild, and one of the best assassins in the city of Tal Abisi. When her newest commission puts her in an unforeseen quandary, she must use all her wits to survive. Freeman's narration highlights the shifts between drama and the humor in Eveen's story: an... Read More

Helen McAlpine narrates a simple yet powerful story of a lady knight who is seeking to reclaim her honor. To restore her title, Maddileh must retrieve the fireborne blade from a legendary dragon called the White Lady. She also navigates other challenges such as sexism, because she's a female knight, and confusion over whom she can trust. McAlpine's wispy narration is a great... Read More

Shaun Taylor-Corbett delivers this fantasy audiobook with multifaceted voices and consistent pacing. In Bellemontagne, dragons are a nuisance that call for extermination. Robert is exceedingly talented at the job, but his love for dragons makes him detest the task. His empathy for them is so visceral that listeners will feel his pangs of loss. Princess Cerise requires Robert's... Read More

In Violet Sorrengail's intense second year at Basgiath War College, she faces brutal training and a ruthless new vice commandant. She also uncovers dangerous secrets that could change everything. This audiobook is a true delight as it brings the story to life with a full cast and immersive sound effects that pull listeners into the world of dragon riders. Khaya Fraites's... Read More

Expertly narrated by Imani Jade Powers, this speculative fiction enters the mind and motives of Lady Macbeth. While she's reminiscent of Shakespeare's character, many of the events depart from the play's, allowing us to see things through her eyes. Seventeen-year-old Roscille, allegedly cursed by witches, drives men mad after one look into her eyes. Against her will, she's... Read More

Moira Quirk is a virtuoso in narrating all manner of fantasies. Here she delights in turning to the dark side. When a lonely, bookish adolescent is offered a magical deal to hop from a cancer ward to the realms of her favorite fantasy novels, she jumps at the opportunity--with one caveat. She wants to be one of the villains. As this wonderfully campy send-up of bodice-ripping,... Read More

Jorjeana Marie's captivating narration brings this Narnia-inspired gateway fantasy to life. Grieving the recent loss of her mother, vet tech Emilie Wendell vows to find the half-sister she never knew, who disappeared in a West Virginia forest years ago. Desperate for a lead, she enlists the help of Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell--estranged friends who emerged from the same forest... Read More

Shape-shifting lion Curran, voiced by Michael Glenn, growls and purrs, while sword-wielding, magic-imbued Kate Daniels, performed by Nora Sofyan, sounds as gruff and determined as any warrior. Someone or something is destroying magical wards, making them vanish into thin air. Kate; her best friend, Andrea, portrayed by Emlyn McFarland; and 19-year-old shape-shifter and... Read More

Dara Rosenberg employs bright, youthful tones to portray naïve 20-year-old Rose Harkness Beaufont, who suddenly learns she's half mortal and half magician--and the newly recovered heir to the House of Fourteen and Mortal Seven. On that very day, Rose must take up her mission as a warrior and witch hunter to destroy the magic of the Shadow Walker coven of Los Angeles. In this... Read More

Marc Vietor narrates a dark fantasy epic about a family of merchant bankers and the prince who is poised to take over the kingdom. Davico di Regulai, armed with an ancient dragon eye and his own wits, steps up to control a vast banking empire. He soon learns that kindness is a weakness that will get him killed. A slow build follows Davico from childhood to adulthood. As Vietor... Read More

Christopher Walker performs the substantial role of legendary master thief Gideon Sable as he and his friends hunt for the ghost of an alien-possessed man in the Preserve in Bath (Britain's Area 51). Walker's clear, unaccented voice contrasts with that of his partner in crime, the lovely, magically gifted Cockney-accented Melody, aka Annie, portrayed by Jenna Sharpe. Sable and... Read More

In an alternate universe at a time similar to the nineteenth century, revolution and war are the norm. Carlotta Brentan begins the narration of the Tides of Magic series. This sea adventure finds the Marquise Enid d'Tancreville running to the island nation of Albion. At home the Theocratic Revolution is routing out nobles and mages. Her ship is overtaken by a Theocratic warship... Read More

Chris Harper delivers the second adventure in Jasper Fforde's postapocalyptic "Colortocracy." Centuries ago, "Something That Happened" caused Chromatacian society to become a vision-oriented caste system. Governed by National Color, citizens follow rigid rules and suffer harsh penalties for breaking them. Eddie Russett, a Red, is charged with a murder he didn't commit. Eddie... Read More

Tymika Tafari narrates an urban fantasy set in Toronto that is infused with Jamaican history, mythology, and religion. Sent on a quest by the goddess River Mumma to retrieve a stolen object, Alicia and her friends, Heaven and Mars, race against an impossible deadline. Tafari portrays River Mumma as haughty and capricious, but her deep and lasting connection to Alicia and her... Read More

Narrators Yenni Ann and Yasmin Tuazon keep two storylines separate in this audiobook. The two main characters are the snarky, dead-broke ghost whisperer Alexis, portrayed by Yenni Ann, and the obnoxious, all-powerful demigod Kieran, portrayed by Alex Hill Knight. As Alexis struggles to care for her wards, the plucky human, Daisy, portrayed by Lena Lee, and the preteen ailing... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning brings his signature versatility, emotional connection, and perfect comedic timing to the latest in the acclaimed Cerulean Chronicles series. The magical children cared for by Arthur and Linus on Marsyas Island are joined by a new child, the yeti David, who is voiced with a nasally growl. When the children speak, the production layers their voices... Read More

Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens narrate a haunting reimagining of the fairy tale "The Goose Girl." Cordelia lives with her mother, an enchantress, in a house with no doors. When her mother decides to marry the local squire, Cordelia and his sister, Hester, form an unlikely alliance. Pickens's portrayal of Cordelia's developing independence is breathtaking. A victim of both... Read More

Fans of Studio Ghibli's animated films will enjoy the way Caitlin Davies performs this enchanting story. For the past decade, academic librarian Kiela has hidden herself away in the Empire with only a sentient spider plant for company. When the fires of the Revolution burn down the Great Library of Alyssium, she escapes to her secluded childhood home with a few crates of... Read More

A full cast portrays the brave rebels, alliance-switching nobles, and determined anarchists who vie for control of a war-torn community called The Hollows. Nick J. Russo portrays Michael Kingman, who works for the deep-voiced head of Orbis Mercenary Company, portrayed by Keith Richards. The other talented performers add dry humor, charm, and conspiratorial tones, though the... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella brings heaps of charm to her narration of this engaging fantasy romance. Twyla and Frank have been neighbors, then best friends, then partners in the Marshals, where they spent eight years patrolling the dangerous Tanrian world together. Now peril, dragons, and a handsome dracologist with eyes for Twyla have them examining their friendship in a new light.... Read More

In this delightfully strange fantasy, Steve West delivers countless stand-out performances of whimsical characters ranging from owl-headed schoolmasters to animatronic hollow men and enormous eldritch rulers. After the Guardian of the West Passage dies, young Pell takes up the mantle of tower Mother, while Kew strives to become the new Guardian. When the mysterious beast begins... Read More

This audiobook plunges listeners into an enchanting fantasy world in which dragons transform into moons and political intrigue takes center stage. Raeve, a skilled and determined assassin, crosses paths with Kaan, a grieving revolutionary, setting off a tale of love, loss, and rebellion. Sarah Mollo-Christensen's narration is a master class in nuance--her portrayal of Raeve... Read More

Dara Rosenberg delivers another engaging narration in The Undoubtable Rose Beaufont series. For the future of magic to be determined, Rose and her chimera companion, Elvis, must defeat the leader of a coven of evil witches. Rosenberg skillfully adjusts her pitch and cadence to give distinct voices to a diverse cast of characters. A stand-out performance is her portrayal of a... Read More

This is a captivating audiobook narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows, devastating New York City and leading to the creation of the Monster Treaty. Kierse, a talented and fearless thief, shatters this fragile peace by entering the Holly Library, not knowing it's the home of a charming yet terrifying monster. Drawn to her... Read More