ALEBRIJES

Cisco Fernandez narrates this futuristic dystopian audiobook with an appropriately childlike reverence for the story's gravity. Leandro is a member of the Cascabeles, a Spanish-speaking group that is oppressed by the Pocatelans, the ruling class. When Leandro's sister is caught stealing fruit, Leandro takes the fall and ends up having his essence placed inside an ancient bird drone known as an Alebrije. In his new form, Leandro teams up with other Alebrijes to uncover the truth about the Pocatelan ruler and the threatening wyrms that inhabit the space outside Pocatel. Fernandez shifts seamlessly among characters who speak both English and Spanish, though some characters' voices are stilted and overly formal. Frankie Corzo narrates the book's epilogue with emotional resonance. S.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]