ASHES OF THE SUN

First in a new series, this audiobook takes listeners to the depths of an empire still divided by a magical war that tore it apart years ago. Separated in childhood, siblings Gyre and Maya unknowingly find themselves on different sides of an underground war for power. Narrator Imogen Church's performance is high energy and effervescent. She does an excellent job individualizing all the characters by establishing some great subtleties of vocal performance. Occasionally, some of the voices come across as overdone, but the memorable personalities and high energy Church creates more than make up for that. Longtime fantasy listeners will delight at the exciting conflict scenes, the unique world, and the fun characters. N.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]