THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH

Raphael Corkhill takes on this ghoulish version of Victorian London in which violet-eyed mediums commune with ghosts under the jurisdiction of the all-powerful male-led Royal Speaker Society. Silas Bell, who is transgender, would rather perform a hysterectomy on himself than be married off as a violet-eyed breeder. And he has studied enough of modern medicine to know how. Corkhill is an applaudable and respectful choice to portray Silas; he sounds masculine, as Silas sees himself, when telling his story, yet feminine, as the world sees him, when speaking aloud. He also excels at the anxious "inner rabbit" voice that personifies Silas's fears and unnamed autism. Corkhill can truly scare the listener with this audiobook's menacing authority figures, horrifyingly clear descriptions of surgery, and even sexual assault. S.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]