New Reviews: Fantasy

Natalie Naudus has plenty of opportunity to shine as the narrator of this audiobook. It's the first installment of The War Arts Saga, inspired by martial arts films with magic thrown in for good measure. The Chosen One, Jian, has been raised in luxury with a cadre of warriors to instruct him. Naudus has no trouble making clear that he is a spoiled brat. Eventually, he becomes... Read More

A full cast performs the second book in the Atlas series. Six of the world's most talented young magic wielders are offered a place in the Society, an organization veiled in mystery. When one of the six disappears, the other five must decide whether they will set aside their ambitions to find her or continue on their path to power. The audiobook features a large cast of... Read More

In this debut audiobook, the first in a series, listeners are introduced to a world in which the paranormal is real. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby isn't much of a witch. Having failed to attain his dream career as an auditor in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, he's stuck working at a run-down restaurant and living on ramen noodles. When he's accused of murdering the witch who... Read More

Samuel West and Brian Sibley complement each other perfectly as they narrate these intriguing early sketches, histories, and sagas of the elves and humans who inhabited the Second Age of Middle-earth. These would become elements integral to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Tolkien scholar and editor Sibley delivers the audiobook's introduction and detailed... Read More

Billie Fulford-Brown gives a spirited narration of this retelling of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, complete with dragons, hobgoblins, and other creatures. When Merybourne Manor falls prey to invading gryphons, a band of dragon riders must drive them out. The plot won't hold many surprises for those who have read the Austen novel, but not having read it isn't a problem.... Read More

Seven Amazon Original short stories are collected into one audiobook production, each performed by a different narrator. The unique tales take the listener to worlds full of magical realism, fantasy, and the unknown and span centuries from a seemingly medieval time to contemporary settings. All seven narrators are skilled in their craft; however, as one may expect with such a... Read More

This audiobook includes 23 reimagined tales of the fabled Slavic witch Baba Yaga who can manifest in many forms. Each story is narrated by one of seven performers who carry listeners through a multitude of places and times. Both timely and timeless, the collection is enhanced by this stellar production. Whether a stereotypical crone, a misunderstood witch forced into hiding, or... Read More

Matt Godfrey flawlessly delivers Roger Zelazny's last--and possibly best--fantasy novel. Listeners meet Victorian characters who gather only when the full moon occurs on Halloween--3-4 times per century. They play the Game, in which Players battle to end the world or begin a new era of slaughter and slavery. Godfrey masterfully distinguishes the Players; for example, The Great... Read More

Narrator Aysha Kala delivers action and romance in this sequel to A MARVELLOUS LIGHT. Maud Blyth doesn't have magic, but she's on a secret magical mission nonetheless. She's undercover, accompanying the elderly Miss Navenby, who is in possession of a magical artifact, on a transatlantic crossing from New York to England. When Miss Navenby is murdered in her cabin, Maud must... Read More

Matthew Spencer brings a royal air to his performance of this queer fantasy in which court politics meet the undead. As a Reaper, Remy Pendergast slays vampires to protect the citizens of Aluria. But as a suspected half-vampire, he is an outcast who must sometimes contend with the very people he defends. When Remy discovers a plot to transform citizens into bloodthirsty fiends... Read More

Em Grosland narrates a lush and joyfully queer fantasy loosely inspired by "Beauty and the Beast." After years at sea, Darragh Thorn must decide whether or not to reconcile with his father. His journey is told in parallel with that of Merrigan, an enchanter. Grosland deftly maneuvers the dual plotlines, as well as the interspersed fairy tales from the world of the story. They... Read More

Luke Daniels enthusiastically narrates this unique superhero story. Matt Callaghan endures a world in which everyone has superpowers except him. After disguising this weakness by faking the power of clairvoyance, Matt's mounting lies begin to unravel. Thrust on an immersive and entertaining mission to save the world, he becomes intertwined with Jane, a fellow outcast with... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham's superb performance helps to create a weird and wonderful fantasy world based around Goetia, a town full of demon- and angel-type characters with a Western feel. When Goetian slum resident Mariel is accused of murder, her sister, Celeste, sets out to prove her innocence, using every method open to her. Graham's narration is the perfect match to this tale.... Read More

Brisk as the winter wind, Katia Kapustin manifests the witch Yaga with a surprisingly youthful timbre, as befits this reinterpretation of the famed Slavic folklore villain Baba Yaga. Here Yaga is a young heroine who is half goddess, rather than a deformed, ferocious old woman. Kapustin's precise enunciation of tricky Russian names and places draws the listener into the harsh... Read More

Robin Miles narrates a multidimensional battle between good and evil, an attack on the literal soul of a city. The avatars of New York continue to fight for their right to exist, both as individuals and as metaphysical entities. Miles gives a masterful performance, truly transforming the essence of each of the five boroughs, and the city itself, into their physical... Read More