STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES

Natalie Naudus takes listeners for a ride in this socially minded sci-fi thriller. Cass, a teen pickpocket, becomes embroiled in the political machinations of the Imperial Court when the emperor is assassinated. When Cass is framed for his murder, she joins forces with another outsider, Amaris, who belongs to a group of revolutionary outlaws. Naudus's careful characterizations and well-paced performance play events close to the vest, keeping the identity of the murderer in question as numerous red herrings vie for listeners' attention. The offhand remarks and idle gossip of royal heirs, imperial clones, and aristocrats, portrayed with casual disdain by Naudus, provide Cass with clues as she investigates a world wholly apart from her own disenfranchised milieu. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]