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Clementine by Cherie Priest
Readers: Dina Pearlman and Victor Bevine
Short Review: This sequel to Boneshaker follows Captain Croggon Hainey as he tracks and attempts to recover his airship, The Free Crow, from its captors. It also introduces Maria Isabella Boyd, a former Confederate spy turned Pinkerton, on her first assignment. It’s good, but not quite as good as Boneshaker.
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Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Reader: Grover Gardner
Short Review: The first book in one of my all time favorite series, read by a brilliant reader. Great character driven sci-fi tale.
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Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Reader: Philip Reeve
Extras: Unpublished excerpt and discussion by author about the origins of the story.Short Review: Imaginative and original steampunk story set in a distant future London and beautifully read by the author.
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Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Reader: Grover Gardner
Short Review: A new Vorkosigan adventure, same fabulous reader. A fun romp with lots of old friends, and a few new ones.
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Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan Trilogy)
Reader: Alan Cumming
Bonus: Endnote read by the author detailing what is fact and what is fictionShort Review: In this stunning follow up to Leviathan, Alek and Deryn continue on their intricate path through the steampunk inspired alternate World War I created by Westerfeld. In this rollicking adventure we weave through the back streets of Istanbul, eggs are hatched, some secrets are revealed while others stay safely hidden.
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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Reader: Alan Cumming
Short Review: Fun and captivating steampunk adventure set in an alternate World War I Europe. Strong male and female leads should keep both genders interested and a very talented reader makes the story zoom along.
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Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins
Reader: Carolyn McCormick
WARNING: Have you read The Hunger Games yet? No? Then stop and go listen to that before reading this review. There is NO way to even describe this book without huge spoilers of book one.
Short Review: Strong sequel, with a slightly different pace than the original. Our protagonists are barely out of the arena on their way back to District 12 as they begin to realize the strangle hold the capitol still has on their lives. More characters, more suspense – a fun, if dark ride.
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The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Readers: Bernadette Dunne, Katie MacNichol, and Mark Bramhall
Short Review: This is a great book, but the audio version has a flaw that really annoyed me. I want a re-cut, just for me, sans music. I doubt I’ll get it.
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Under the Dome by Stephen King
Reader:Raul Esparza
Short Review: A beautiful autumn day in the small town of Chester’s Mill, Maine is interrupted by a clear impenetrable dome which cuts it off from the outside world. Our story carries us along to meet a broad cast of local characters. Great reader and a captivating (but long) story.
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Reader: Carolyn McCormick
Short Review: Creative, captivating and intense young-adult drama with a strong 16-year-old female protagonist and set in a brutal far-future. Decent reader, but I kept wishing for a bit more emotion in her reading. That said, the story was so captivating that I couldn’t stop listening!
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The Precipice by Ben Bova (The Asteroid Wars)
Readers: Scott Brick
, Amanda Karr
Short Review: Well-woven story set in a not-too-distant-future full of corporate intrigue and environmental chaos, both on earth and in colonized outer space. The amazing readers bring our cast of characters to life – I highly recommend it and am scheming for when I can start the next book in the sequence.
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Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Reader: Michael Shanks
Short Review: Star crossed lovers set in an intricately woven universe including space ships, elements of magic and linguistics. The reader needed someone to insist on better pacing in an otherwise very solid performance.