Download the Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Most Popular

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Title: Spider Kiss

Author: Harlan Ellison

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-24-15

Publisher: Skyboat Media, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From one of the most highly celebrated and dynamic American writers of our time comes Spider Kiss, Harlan Ellison's electrifying novel of the early years of rock and roll.

If you think the only thing Ellison writes is speculative fiction, craziness about giant cockroaches that attack Detroit, or invaders from space who look like pink eggplant and smell like chicken soup, this dynamite novel of the emergent days of rock and roll will turn you around at least three times. No spaceships, no robots, just a nice kid from Louisville named Stag Preston with a voice like an angel, seductive moves like the devil, and an invisible monkey named Success riding him straight to hell.

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Title: Inger Prier

Author: Helene Strange

Narrator: Anna Gadborg

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-22-15

Publisher: AV Forlaget

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Inger Prier tilhrer en af Danmarks gamle strke bondeslgter, og det travle trygge liv p en velhavende grd ved en god mands side ligger for hende.

Men udlngsel og en mrkelig trods mod denne forudbestemte skbne fr hende til at bryde slgtens regelrette gang hen over hjemstavnens muld og sge udvikling og kundskaber om livet i fremmede egne og blandt vidt forskellige mennesker. Bde spndende, muntre og alvorlige oplevelser kommer hun ud for, og helt til Amerika flger vi hende - i Dansk-Amerikanernes kreds, i store og sm forhold, til hun vender tilbage til hjemstavnen, mrket af livet, men med mod og styrke til at leve det efter sin egen natur og dog i slgtens nd.

©1970 Normanns Forlag / Helene Strange (P)2015 AV Forlaget

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Title: The Price of Blood

Subtitle: The Emma of Normandy Series, Book 2

Author: Patricia Bracewell

Narrator: Maggie Mash

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-15

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The second book in Bracewells outstanding Emma of Normandy series, set in 11th-century England, when Vikings are on the brink of invasion.

AD 1006. Queen Emma, the Norman bride of Englands King thelred, has given birth to a son. Now her place as second wife to the king is safe and Edward marked as heir to the throne. But the royal bed is a cold place and the court a setting for betrayal and violence, as the ageing king struggles to retain his power over the realm. Emma can trust no one, not even the kings eldest son, Athelstan, the man she truly loves.

Elsewhere Viking threats to the crown are gaining strength, and in the north the powerful nobleman lfhelm is striking an alliance with the Danes. His seductive daughter, Elgiva, former mistress to the king, is forced to act as a pawn in his plan and is given as wife to a Viking lord. Can King thelred finally listen to Athelstan, whose plan to strengthen the kingdoms ties will put off the Viking threat once and for all?

Emma must protect her only child without abandoning her noble position. And her inner conflict between maternal instinct and royal duty will be played out against the dramatic and bloody struggle for Britains rule.

Critic Reviews:

"A magnificent work of historical fiction, evoking time and place in a remarkable way." (Daily Mail)

"This is one of the most enthralling and captivating novels I've ever read. It truly is an epic novel. I can't wait to read the next book by this author." (Karen Maitland)

"A meticulously researched, lyrically written tale which shines a sensuous light into the murkier depths of the Dark Ages." (Robert Low)

"A highly entertaining addition to the historical fiction genre." (Publishers Weekly)

"Readers of historical sagas and romances will embrace this rich narrative." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Great material; awful narration

What did you like best about The Price of Blood? What did you like least?

The material is unique and interesting. It brings the Anglo Saxon period to life.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator was fine, until she started the voices. She should redo the book and just read normally. She even makes the young women and men sound like old hags living in a shack. This is an unnecessary distraction.

Do you think The Price of Blood needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, she needs to get through the Chronicle.

another enjoyable story

not as good as the first episode but still a good read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series

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Title: Hosts of Rebecca

Subtitle: The Mortymer Trilogy, Book Two

Author: Alexander Cordell

Narrator: Matt Addis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-22-15

Publisher: chocolatefox.co.uk

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The epic story of the Mortymer family continues in this thrilling sequel to The Rape of the Fair Country set around the Rebecca Riots, when economic turmoil and unjust taxes plunge the people of south Wales into dire poverty, putting many on the brink of starvation. A time when young men ride through the night smashing and burning the symbols of their oppression. The Mortymer family have left their home in the iron-making country of Blaenafon, retreating to the old farmlands of the west. Young Jethro Mortymer joins the rioters in taking up arms, even as he is tortured by his own struggle to conceal the love he has for the beautiful Mari, his brother's wife.

This is a brilliant continuation of Alexander Cordell's classic story of 19th century Wales which began with The Rape of the Fair Country.

Members Reviews:

Wonderfully read and utterly enthralling

After listening to the Rape of the Fair Country I was delighted to find a sequel ready and waiting.

I have thoroughly enjoyed following the Mortymer's lives and trails as brought to life by Mr Addis: each character is unique, well rounded and easily identifiable, and all are capable of eliciting emotion from the listener (and there's plenty of it! Cordell's writing pulls no punches and the tension of this era in wales is a turbulent background to this families lives).

I hope this wonderful team complete this trilogy soon, as I don't think Iestyn can have another voice for me now, and it is truly a pleasure to listen to. I would highly recommend these recordings of this amazing series.

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Title: Fire In My Ears

Author: Susan Schneider

Narrator: Rachel F. Hirsch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-27-15

Publisher: Susan Schneider

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Set at first in late 19th century Eastern Europe, Fire in My Ears by Susan Schneider is a coming-of-age tale that begins with a beautiful young woman who makes a tragic far-reaching decision and the result is three generations of pain, disappointing and bitter struggle for happiness.

We follow Mary as her adoring father loves her perhaps too much, as she is nearly jilted by the handsome Avram, and as she brazenly makes her way by train through Europe. We continue with her across the English Channel and see her settle in the east end of London and then travel steerage with three young children to America. We find ourselves finally in a mid-century American suburb amid all of Mary's damaged and miserable descendants. Mary's story is told by her grown up granddaughter Sarah who learned all her grandmother's lessons from nightly tales entrusted to her when she was a nine-year-old child in their shared bedroom. The book alternates between those stories that sometimes delight but often terrify Sarah, and the daily events of her own life. She listens intently for clues to understand the mean-spirited love she observes in the three generations of her family that gather at her house every Sunday. This is a matriarch's tale of a haunting past, dangerous choices and terrible secrets. It explores relationships seen through the eyes of both an old woman and her precious grandchild. Mary's determination to save her favorite grandchild from her own unhappy existence is perhaps her only noble gesture and it elevates her to the heroic heights her benighted beauty never could.

Members Reviews:

Fire in my Ears

Would you listen to Fire In My Ears again? Why?

yes,in case i missed something

Any additional comments?

This was an exceptional story of a woman who makes a bad decision that leads her future family down a path of hatefulness and lies.There is no healing here.This is a grandmother telling her life story to a child hungry to hear it.Set in the 1950's Sara listens rapt,while the story of a village a sea away unfolds and leads Sara to understand where the angst in her family originated.This could be anyones life story and I found it a very personal revelation.

Rachel F. Hirsch does a beautiful job performing all the characters voices.

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com"

Beautiful writing, mediocre story, great narration

This is some beautiful storytelling, significantly enhanced by an outstanding performance from Rachel F. Hirsch. Hirsch's voicing of the characters is spot on and breathes life into the story. Unfortunately, the story is rather weak. If there's a point to it, I missed it. It left me feeling unsettled with unfinished business. The listen is great, the story is not so much so.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.

I felt like a fly on the wall at Sunday meals

What did you love best about Fire In My Ears?

Listening to the narrator play so many different characters seamlessly.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fire In My Ears?

Any time Mary, the grandmother, told her stories. I felt like I was listening alongside Sarah.

Which character as performed by Rachel F. Hirsch was your favorite?

Mary. I really liked the accent the narrator used for her.

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Title: To the Shores of Tripoli

Subtitle: Battles of the Marine Corps, Book 1

Author: Jonathan P. Brazee

Narrator: Kirk Winkler

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-10-15

Publisher: Jonathan Brazee

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The First Barbary War (1801-1805), or "America's first war on terror" as some refer to it, was a pivotal moment in US history. While both the Navy and Marines participated in the quasi-war with France, it was the war with the Barbary pirates that cemented both the Marine Corps and the Navy as the proud organizations that they are today. This was the war that produced heroes such as O'Bannon, Decatur, Preble, Porter, Hull, and Somers.

To the Shores of Tripoli follows three fictional Marine privates as they participate in the watershed moments in the war. Private Seth Crocker is an uneducated, underage Marine who fights from the tops of the USS Enterprise, and in battles such as the Gunboat Battle off the coast of Tripoli. Private Ichabod Cone, a veteran of the Revolution, is part of the crew of the USS Philadelphia when it is captured and spends most of the war as a slave of the pasha. Private Jacob Brissey is one of the seven Marines, under Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon, who march 600 miles across the desert against tremendous odds to attack and capture the city of Derne, where, for the first time in history, the US flag is raised over foreign soil.

This book is historical fiction, but the events it describes are historical fact. Most of the characters actually existed and fought in the war. Where possible, their actual words are reproduced here. In all other cases, dialogue and characterizations were born in the author's imagination.

The First Barbary War is considered the birth of the US Navy. It is equally valid to say that the war created the foundation for the Marine Corps as we know it today.

Members Reviews:

Facinating read - I couldn't put this book down.

At 164 pages this is a very quick read and captivated my attention the entire time.

Although I loved it, will read more from Brazee, and gave it 5 Stars, it could easily be improved in a number of ways, all of which I'd be more than happy to help with if the author wants to contact me.

1) More maps. It is a book about military history, which usually involves a lot of troop movement, yet there is only one map in the entire book and it lacks detail. The book mentions tons of cities, boat trips, battles - we military history buffs want more maps so we can better visualize what happened.

2) I know it is second nature to a former Marine Corps Colonel, but for those of us that have not been in the military, it never hurts to explain ranks to us. A simple diagram would go a long ways. (Including the current insignia/patches that go along with these ranks would help too so we start to learn who we are looking at and talking to when we run into modern soldiers.)

3) Same as #2 but this time give us more info about the boats (ya, I call most things that float a "boat" ...just to drive my Navy buddies crazy.) There are several different types discussed - it would be nice to have a diagram, drawing, etc showing what they are, how many people they held, etc.

4) Same as #2 but this time give us some info about the cannons. Different "pounders" are mentioned but without knowing ranges, etc. it is hard to follow why certain boats acted in certain ways.

5) A glossary is always nice in a military history book. This one has none.

6) A brief overview of each of the tribes/sects/etc.

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Title: Qa'a

Subtitle: The First Dynasty, Book 3

Author: Lester Picker

Narrator: Adam Hanin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-15

Publisher: Lester Picker

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With the sudden death of his father, 16-year old Qa'a is thrust onto the throne, unprepared for rule. He is at the mercy of the cunning Chief Priest Khenemet and his evil disciple. A chance meeting with a successful trader, Nomti, creates a friendship that brings glory to the Two Lands.

But Qa'a's missteps bring the newly unified country to war. Unrest follows as the underground leaders of Lower Kem foment a rebellion that challenges King Qa'a's rule.

Will Qa'a recover from these setbacks and leave a legacy that future generations will praise? Or will his deep flaws tear The Two Lands apart once again?

Members Reviews:

Great Trilogy.

I loved this book n the two. Before it, I only comment on the brilliant or the terrible. This book was a. Brilliant read, to me, it, try the three of them. I will keep up to date with Lester Picker in future, I hope he writes more Ancient History novels. I am now a Fan of his. Patricia Welsh

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Title: Electric City

Author: Elizabeth Rosner

Narrator: Elizabeth Rosner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-19-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Upstate New York, at the confluence of the great Hudson River and its mighty tributary the Mohawk from this stunning landscape came the creation of a new world of science. In 1887, Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works here and in 1892, it became the headquarters of a major manufacturing company, giving the town its nickname: Electric City.

The peak of Autumn, 1919: The pull of scientific discovery brings Charles Proteus Steimetz, a brilliant mathematician and recent arrival from Ellis Island, to town. His ability to capture lightning in a bottle earns him the title "Wizard of Electric City." Barely four feet tall with a deeply curving spine, Steinmetzs physical deformity belies his great intellect. Allied with his Mohawk friend Joseph Longboat and his adopted eleven-year-old granddaughter Midget, the advancements he makes in Electric City will, quite simply, change the world.

The peak of Autumn, 1965: Sophie Levine, the daughter of a company man, one of the many scientists working at The Company, whose electric logo can be seen from everywhere in town. Her family escaped Europe just before World War II, leaving behind a wake of annihilation and persecution. Ensconced in Electric City, Sophie is coming of age just as the town is gasping its last breaths. The town, and America as a whole, is on the cusp of great instability: blackouts, social unrest over Vietnam, and soon the advent of the seventies. Into her orbit drifts Henry Van Curler, the favored son of one of Electric Citys founding Dutch families, as well as Martin Longboat, grandson of Joseph Longboat. This new generation of Electric City will face both the history of their town and their own uncertain future, struggling to bridge the gap between the old world and the new.

Electric City is a vital, pulsing, epic novel of America, of its great scientific ingenuity and its emotional ambition; one that frames the birth and evolution of its towns against the struggles of its indigenous tribes, the immigrant experience, a country divided, and the technological advancements that ushered in the modern world.

Members Reviews:

Ambitious and Poetic

Rosner tells a beautiful tale that connects the threads of history and its effects through generations.

Starting with the harnessing of electricity in Schenectady, she writes of scientific discovery, Dutch settlers, and the Native Americans who already had a relationship with the land. She connects these people and ideas through time to their descendants, teenagers caught in a love triangle, who come to feel like real people.

"Electric City's" rich literary language and attention to historical detail make it feel both etherial and poetic; and vividly worldly.

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Title: Sparrowhawk, Book Three: Caxton

Author: Edward Cline

Narrator: Gregg Rizzo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-15

Publisher: Edward Cline

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is fall 1759. The saga of Jack Frake and Hugh Kenrick moves to Caxton, a small trading town on the York River in Virginia, some miles up the wide river from Yorktown. Jack Frake, after having served his eight-year indenture, is a successful tobacco planter, having inherited his property from his former master, with whom he formed a close father-son relationship. He married the master's daughter, but she and her son died in childbirth. His close friend on the plantation is John Proudlocks, an Indian whom he taught to read. Other planters' properties lay on the outskirts of Caxton, including Reese Vishonn's, the largest planter.

Hugh Kenrick arrives in Caxton on the Sparrowhawk on the very day news arrives of General Wolfe's victory over Montcalm in Quebec. He has spent several years in Philadelphia, attending an academy and learning the trade and business in the shop of Otis Talbot, a merchant he met years before in England. After touring a bankrupt plantation, Brougham Hall, with Talbot, he decides to purchase it--and its slaves. He is invited to a victory ball at Reece Vishonn's great house at his plantation, Enderly. There he meets Étaín McRae, the daughter of a Scottish trader, and Jack Frake. As gossip and rumors fly around Caxton about Hugh Kenrick's status and his intentions, Hugh decides on a name for his new possession: Meum Hall--My Hall. Hugh is invited to call on Francis Fauquier, Esquire, lieutenant governor of Virginia, in Williamsburg. In the governor's mansion, the lieutenant governor and Hugh have a frank exchange of views on the war, on North America, on the Indians, and on Britain's mercantilist hold on the colonies.

Members Reviews:

Hugh and Jack become somewhat boring as they conduct their lives within the context of ...

Not as readable as Books 1 and 2. Hugh and Jack become somewhat boring as they conduct their lives within the context of the colonies heading down the road to revolution. The author seems overly driven with including names in England and Virginia who may be real historical players but don't add anything to the "novel" side of the story. The reading has become more laborious compared to the first two books. The author does do a splendid job of showing how the actions of English Royalty and early Colonial governments lead to the inevitable conflict ahead. I will finish the last three volumes of this historical saga with the hope of more dynamic activities of the main characters.

The SparrowHawk series is Superb

Not only does this book (and series for that matter) enrich your understanding of historical context, it enriches your vocabulary in a profound way. Reading this on a kindle is ideal because you can just one-touch words you are unfamiliar with and immediately understand without having to withdraw fully from the scene.

This series should be required reading in all schools in America.

History comes alive

Well-written with vivid characters from books 1 & 2 of this series, the roots of the American Revolution are revealed. School history always seemed a scattered collection of facts and a few "Give me liberty or give me death" 's but this rich historical fiction brings it all together.

A Great Slice of History

This story reads like a look back in time to an era of which all Americans should hold dear.

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Title: Cimmerian

Subtitle: A Novel of the Holocaust

Author: Ronald Watkins

Narrator: Wayne June

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-19-14

Publisher: Watkins Literary

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the final months of World War Two, a young German finds himself serving as a guard at a Nazis concentration camp. Having escaped the horror of the Eastern Front he now descends into a new kind of Hell. The Holocaust told through the eyes of the oppressor. Powerful and relentless. A must listen.

Members Reviews:

Well... that was dark.

Any additional comments?

This book struck me as something that should be read and discussed in a philosophy class. it is really good at showing how people rationalize their evils in their minds and can't accept them for what they are or what they represent. I was pleased with the book, but it does get darker near the end and disturbing.

Gazing into the Abyss

There are a lot of holocaust books out therethis may be one of the darkest I have ever read. Its a fictionalized account of a young soldier whose career leads him to the Waffen SS and work as a guard at a death camp. It covers the practicalities and brutalities of the process of mass murder with a steely eye and its very disturbing. The closest movie equivalent I can come up with is The Grey Zone. Both deal with the mundane cruelty of the holocaust in horrifying and believable detail. Its tough to know how to recommend this book. If you are interested in the period and the despicable process which was The Shoa then you will likely find this an interesting if horrifying listen. Id be pushed to recommend it otherwiseits just too dark. Night by Elie Wiesel or Schindlers list convey the horror without being quite as gut wrenching as this book. Its well read and its a good book but listen with careyou wont be able to un-hear this.and you may want to.