New Reviews by Title: R

Narrator Daphne Kouma wows in this epic fantasy/murder mystery/political thriller. In a society built around eight powerful animal spirits, a new emperor is chosen every 24 years when those vying for the throne compete in a series of trials. When the Raven palace's contender is found dead, scholar Neema Kraa finds herself simultaneously taking her place in the trials and... Read More

Listeners are presented with the roiling and realistic emotions of 13-year-old Elspeth Culpepper, who finds herself in the middle of the 1776 Siege of Boston. Narrator Phoebe Strole does a masterful job presenting the characters and their difficulties--from Elspeth's Loyalist master, who is forced to leave Boston, to the various members of the family for whom she becomes a... Read More

With a gentle Southern accent, Michael Crouch narrates this story about figuring out who you are. When the Pride celebration in Zeke's small town of Beggs, Alabama, is abruptly canceled, he finds himself organizing underground speakeasies. But this puts him at odds with his friends in his high school's Queer Straight Alliance, who feel like he's taking too many risks, and with... Read More

Award-winning Icelandic actor Olafur Darri Olafsson is a wonderful choice for the voice of this novel about contemporary Icelandic farmers. He speaks as Orri, the son of a cattle farmer and a Lithuanian Jewish university professor, who over the course of the novel comes to a deeper understanding of his parents and their lives. The narrator is, of course, impeccable with... Read More

The audiobook takes the concept of remote viewing, the ability to mentally "see" great distances, to its ultimate end--exploitation for evil. Ari Fliakos makes this sometimes complicated audiobook flow with a sophisticated skill that makes the characters relatable, even the villains. Q is the most powerful viewer among an untold number of people who are trained by a ruthless... Read More

This futuristic thriller features aliens, genetically modified humans, and The Midnight Project, an evil military dark-ops organization. The team leader is the magick-wielding sorcerer Jessica Shine, portrayed by Marissa Clay. She and her team--vampire Ephram, voiced by Robb Moreira, and slavic shape-shifter Nikolai, portrayed by RJ Bayley--are ordered to eliminate an extremely... Read More

Young listeners are in for a treat with this story of a grieving boy who moves with his recently widowed mom into a seventh-floor New York City walk-up with a magical wish-granting mail slot. In short order Oliver is wishing for ever pricier consumer goods to impress the kids at the snobby private school he attends on scholarship, thanks to his mom's job as a custodian there.... Read More

Golden Voice George Guidall masterfully draws listeners into Sheriff Walt Longmire's search for a missing woman in the dramatic landscape of Wyoming's Red Desert. Guidall's ability to modulate his voice to seamlessly differentiate male and female characters enhances the twists and turns of the story. Craig Johnson's vivid descriptions are matched by Guidall's pitch-perfect... Read More

A serial entrepreneur and advocate for Black businesses offers a stimulating lesson on how anyone can stay centered and fulfilled when putting their start-up ideas into action. "Go big and stay fearless" is her rallying cry as she explains that connecting with your most powerful passions is the best way to create a business that will engage your energy and unique potential.... Read More

Gary Tiedemann gives voice to "Rhino" Rhinehart, the featured character in Lipsyte's timely, troubling coming-of-age novel. Because of an impulsive punch, the junior captain of the football team finds himself keeping a journal as part of a school therapy group. Tiedemann delivers Rhino's words in the voice of a teen who is attempting honesty and beginning to question who he... Read More

Eric Yang's spirited performance and ease in creating multiple characters make this audiobook a joy to listen to. Californian Rick Kotani, who loves baseball, expected to spend the summer pitching for his team. Instead, he winds up in Oregon, with his mom, who's looking after his Japanese grandfather, who still has spunk but isn't safe living independently. As Rick's Grandpa... Read More

This audiobook has a strong character-driven plot. Actor Jeremy Sisto is a convincing and talented performer who skillfully immerses listeners in the psyche of Corby Ledbetter, particularly with his tone. But this novel is the unremittingly dark story of a man whose life unravels. Corby, an out-of-work commercial artist, is a stay-at-home dad who has taken to morning drinking... Read More

Mark Bramhall's nuanced and slyly humorous portrayal of gruff but tenderhearted PJ Halliday ensures that the 63-year-old divorced father comes across as sympathetic despite his many flaws. PJ's loneliness is mildly quelled by his daily breakfast with his patient ex-wife, Ivy, and her partner, Fred. A narrative complication occurs when PJ learns that the husband of his high... Read More

Catherine Fletcher delivers her examination of ancient Roman roads, including their subsequent history and her current-day adventures discovering their traces. She narrates with energy, engagement, and amiability, and with the authenticity of recounting her own research and experiences. These characteristics help the listener move past her vocal quality, which is rather... Read More

Narrator Charles Armstrong's brisk, elegant dissection of the British art market since WWII is endlessly pleasing to the ear, even when the mind wanders. This audiobook may be of limited interest since it's most likely too detailed and arcane for many listeners. One learns a great deal about the business and culture of art dealing in general and the London market's key... Read More

When Harper, portrayed by Natalie Naudus, moves next door to Ollie, portrayed by Mary Helen Gallucci, her upended senior year might not totally suck, thanks to their Dungeons & Dragons sessions. Harper and Ollie haven't seen each other since they were 12, but Ollie is still afraid of acting on her romantic feelings for her childhood friend in her small Virginia town. Gallucci's... Read More

Kelli Tager narrates the first in the Jane Ladling mystery series. When a fresh dead body shows up in a hundred-year-old grave, Jane, the cemetery's proprietor, is surprised. A possible suspect for the murder, Jane takes it upon herself to solve the crime, all the while crushing on the handsome special agent who is working the case. Tager, who also narrates the subsequent... Read More

Narrator John Pirhalla does something outstanding in this horror audiobook: He makes what's normal seem creepy. He accomplishes this by mining that little bit of darkness inside the soul of each of author Grecian's characters. The problem starts when a grieving farmer kills the Angel of Death. After that, no one dies anymore. And that development lets loose all the dark secrets... Read More

In a way that is relatable for children, American Civil Rights activist Ruby Bridges shares her experience of being the first Black child in an all-white elementary school in New Orleans during the 1960s. Narrator Grace Capeless has a bright, youthful tone as she tells Bridges's story of the heartfelt relationship she had with her teacher, Mrs. Henry, and the disappointment of... Read More

Mark Sanderlin gives an outstanding performance of Selznick's new audiobook about two teens who are finding first love. Telling the story in the first person, Danny is wandering alone in Rome while his mother translates old manuscripts. He soon meets Rome native Angelo. Sanderlin captures their initial shyness, then deftly conveys the wonder felt by naïve Danny and the joy felt... Read More

Narrators Dan Bittner and Rebecca Lowman step flawlessly into the characters of Mike and Ruth in this digital-age thriller. Through Mike's and Ruth's alternating chapters, we follow Ruth, a 20-something hacker, as she flees Mike and other government agents who want to recruit her skills. Bittner convincingly portrays Mike in a boy-next-door tone, subtly exposing his... Read More