Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

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Title: Queen of the Amazons

Author: Judith Tarr

Narrator: Dawn Murphy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Judith Tarr returns to the always fascinating character of Alexander the Great in this fantasy novel that springs from the legend that the Queen of the Amazons came to meet him in Persia, and became his friend.

Hippolyta was Penthesilea, or Queen of the Amazons. She ruled as war leader and high priestess of a scattered tribe of women warriors who had dwelt on the high plains to the north and east of Persia for time out of mind. They were not isolated - travelers came and went through their territory, bringing news from the west, and carrying tales of the warrior women back home with them.

But the Queen had a great grief in her life: her daughter and heir was a strange child. The girl had been born, so the Priestesses said, without a soul. And it was true that she was like no other child alive. She did not speak, and often seemed not to even see the people around her. She could not dress or feed herself, but she could ride and hunt like no other woman of the tribe. Many of the Amazons believed that the child must never be Queen, but that was a problem for a later time - Hippolyta was young and strong.

Selene, the niece of the tribe's Seer, was put in charge of the child, to be her nursemaid and guardian. And it was a good, though sometimes difficult, life for many turns of the years. But then one day news came from the West of a new Conqueror, a young man who came out of Macedon with a spirit like flame, intending to rule the whole world. The Queen's daughter responded to the tale as a woman in the desert would to the sound of falling water. That very night she stole out of the camp and rode west. Selene could not stop her, and so she must follow, praying that the Queen would understand. Hippolyta herself followed the next day, and so they rode together, controlled by the child's compulsion, until they had crossed the mountains and entered into Alexander's Empire, and under the sway of Alexander's powerful personality.

Members Reviews:

A great setup to an anticlimactic finish

Is there such a thing as plot-us interruptus? If so, then Tarr is definitely guilty. The first two thirds of this book were great, but just when you thought things were really going to heat up, someone lets the air out of the tires.

Back up. OK, the book starts with the birth of a daughter to Hippolyta, the Queen of the scattered Amazon tribes. It should be a joyous occasion, but something is obviously wrong with the child - she has no soul. Even though the queen accepts this, she makes the child - unnamed, but called "Etta", or "that thing" - her heir anyway, sparking a rebellion led by her niece Phaedra. The first rebellion fails, and Phaedra is sent into exile. Then, Etta happens to hear about a new king in the west who has conquered Persia. The king is Alexander the Great, and Etta, still mindless and soulless but now with a purpose, is seized with a compulsion to find Alexander. Her mother and her guardian, a reluctant Seer named Selene, follow her. When they find Alexander, he is a likable, charismatic, sympathetic man who takes Etta in (rather like a pet). Alexander and Etta's fates are obviously intertwined, and Selene, who stays with his army to protect Etta, must figure out why and how - before the exiled Phaedra tries again to steal Hippolyta's throne.

The twist in this book could have been brilliant - when it first happened, I was thrilled, figuring that NOW the fun would start.

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Title: Kings Justice

Subtitle: Knights of Breton Court, Book 2

Author: Maurice Broaddus

Narrator: Neal Sutherland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-22-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Spurred on by ever-more-urgent visions by his mystic advisor, Merle, King attempts to unite the warring gangs. But the knights of Breton Court are assailed on all sides by greed, temptation, and some very real monsters. But worse, there is betrayal from within Kings innermost circle.

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Title: The Magic Spectacles

Author: James P. Blaylock

Narrator: Christopher Ragland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A suddenly appearing curiosity shop owned by a small man who might, or might not, be the Man in the Moon; a pair of strange spectacles buried in a fishbowl full of marbles; an old window glazed with sea-green glass found beneath a suburban house; and two adventurous boys who but the spectacles and climb through the window into a land of goblins, ghosts and rope ladders that reach to the moon.

Who exactly is Mr Deener, the fat man who makes magic out of bits of coloured glass, has a passion for glazed doughnuts, and whose seeming twin brother sleeps fitfully in an attic room? And who are the little men that rise out of the forest on windblown sycamore leaves in order to whisper into Mr Deener's ear? Is Mr Deener, like a fallen humpty Dumpty, broken apart? John and Danny need to know.

To find their way home they'll have to put Mr Deener back together again and solve the mystery of the sleeping land - a task that leads them to the pool of reflections in the deep woods and ultimately to a house built of light and magic and memory that sits at the edge of the heart's ocean...

Critic Reviews:

"Blaylock is better than anyone else at showing us the magic that secretly animates our world..." (Tim Powers)"Blaylock is a true one-of-a-kind original." (Neil Gaiman)"Blaylock's prose is so rich it literally stings!" (Charles de Lint)"Blaylock allows us to see the mundane world through new eyes, to perceive the familiar as strange, and therefore exciting." (Charles de Lint)"Blaylocks evocative prose and studied pacing make him one of the most distinctive contributors to American magical realism." (Library Journal)"James P. Blaylock has proved himself to be among the front-running authors working in speculative fiction." (Rick Kleffel)"Blaylock is a singular American fabulist" (William Gibson)"Blaylock allows us to see the mundane world through new eyes, to perceive the familiar as strange, and therefore exciting." (Charles de Lint)"A writer of great vigor, charm, and perception." (Bruce Sterling)

Members Reviews:

... fan of Blaylock and I certainly am you will love this. Its an early work and in it ...

If you are a fan of Blaylock and I certainly am you will love this. Its an early work and in it you will find many of the themes and tropes that run through the rest of Blaylock's novels.

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Title: Walking the Tree

Author: Kaaron Warren

Narrator: Kate Rawson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Botanica is an island, but almost all of the island is taken up by the Tree. Lillah has come of age and is now ready to leave her community and walk the tree for five years, learning all Botanica has to teach her. Can Lillah keep the huge secret she has been entrusted with, or will she have to resort to breaking the oldest taboo on Botanica?

Members Reviews:

Very good. Very Good.

This is a fantastic book in the classic Quest format that recalls some of the best work by author Robert Silverberg. However, better than Silverberg: Walking the Tree is a decidedly tender, smart and empathic book. The encounters among various societies and "ways of being" are very eye-opening, and the world created by Warren is quite beguiling. I hope to visit it again!

While there could have been even more cultural variation among the various tribes, Warren balances sex-positive female characters with realistic views of both feminist and terribly chauvinistic societies. The ways in which conversation, child-rearing, and sexuality emerge among the characters is fascinating. Also, the characters grow and change in such subtle ways that they're quite different by the end of the book, before one even notices.

The novella at the end â a bonus of the story written from the pov of another character is quite boring, but the main event so to speak, the novel itself, is fantastic.

Fantastic world building and adventure

This is the third book by Kaaron Warren that i have read (see my earlier reviews of "slights" and "Dead sea fruit") and i think this book really showcases here huge imagination. The fantasy world she has built in this book is mind blowing and epic, the characters live on an island called Botanica which is dominated by a vast tree which takes up nearly the whole island and effectively rules thier lives. The people are spread out in tiny villages on the edge of the island where they live and every few years the young women and children are sent out to "walk the tree" and go the whole way around the island visiting the different communities and interacting with them.

This book deserves at least three stars just for being so inventive and original, one of the reasons i don't read much fantasy anymore is because the genre is flooded with imitations of great books. So Tolkien had dragaons, wizards and quests and now there are thousands of books with stories about dragons and wizards and quests. This book really breaks the mold and you should read it just for that reason but the story line is a great slow burner as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys having their imagination given a good workout and wants something different than the ususal stale fantasy fluff. Just be aware that it is a slow burner so you have to be patient and let the story develop but when it does you won't be dissapointed.

Astonishing, immediate, gripping.

This is quite an astonishing read. Kaaron breaks all the so-called rules of writing but does it with such finesse that you can't put it down due to the uncanny sense of immediacy. I did not enjoy the morbid cultural acceptance of all kinds of cruelty, but it is only a partial aspect and the main character is able to stand against this. Perhaps the intention is to make the reader squirm just as Lillah does; if so, then it's a success.

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Title: Vegas Knights

Author: Matt Forbeck

Narrator: Peter Brooke

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-13-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The two magicians came to take Vegas. Now its taking them back. When two college freshmen decide to use Spring Break making magic on the gambling tables of Las Vegas, little do they imagine that Vegas harbours a dark magical secret of its ownthe whole place is run by magic, and an undead Harry Houdini is in charge.

Matt Forbeck has worked full-time on fiction and games since 1989. His work has been published in at least a dozen different languages.

Members Reviews:

I liked it but...

What did you like best about Vegas Knights? What did you like least?

I picked this one up because I liked the narrator sample. It was easy getting into the story. Vegas is usually fun. The gambling part was interesting but there was not much of it.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

You could see it coming for at least the last third of the book.

Have you listened to any of Peter Brookes other performances before? How does this one compare?

I was not a previously familiar with the narrators work

Was Vegas Knights worth the listening time?

In my scale any book over two stars is worth the time and this one was okay

Any additional comments?

Authors sometimes take too long to get to the point and that is how I felt about this book. The narrator kept me interested and since the title was Vegas Knights it would have been better with more Vegas and less about trying to escape from the bad guy.

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Title: Snowblind

Author: Christopher Golden

Narrator: Robert G. Slade

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-07-14

Publisher: Headline Digital

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A chilling ghost story for a cold winter's night, for fans of Joe Hill and Sleeping Beauties.

Twelve years ago the small town of Coventry, Massachusetts was in the grasp of a particularly brutal winter. And then came the Great Storm.

It hit hard. Not everyone saw the spring. Today the families, friends and lovers of the victims are still haunted by the ghosts of those they lost so suddenly. If only they could see them one more time, hold them close, tell them they love them.

It was the deadliest winter in living memory.

Until now.

When a new storm strikes, it doesn't just bring snow and ice, it brings the people of Coventry exactly what they've been wishing for. And the realisation their nightmare is only beginning.

Critic Reviews:

"Throw away all those old 'it was a dark and stormy night' novels, this one is the real deal." (Stephen King)

Members Reviews:

Snowblind

This was a fantastic story really creepy, the snow storm comes and so does the evil that lurks in the snow,the description of the evil things that come with the storm really had me creeped out,i just thought what a fantastic story I could picture everything, again another book that would make a fab film.

Listen during a cold winter!

I found this book a really good listen. It evoked a cold bitter winter very successfully and I found the demons/ice monsters believable. I found that the mix of characters was slightly confusing and had to concentrate at times but overall I loved it.

Good when it got going!!

Would you listen to Snowblind again? Why?

Maybe in the future sometime.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Snowblind?

It was touching to have your lost loved missed one come back but the Icemen are scary !!

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The guy with daughter Anna and playing with her near the end.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

BEWARE THE ICEMEN!!!

Any additional comments?

Good book when it got going !!

Chillingly Atmospheric

As a terrific snow storm rages over a town, various people disappear. Twelve years later, another storm hits.... will more residents disappear or will some be seen again for the first time since the last storm?

awsome. defo recommend

bit of a slow starter but if you can hang on in there it eventually picks up amd then you can't put the dam thing down! excellent ending!!

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Title: Tempered

Subtitle: Book Four of the St. Croix Chronicles

Author: Karina Cooper

Narrator: Christine Rendel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-10-14

Publisher: Carina Press

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Book three of The St. Croix Chronicles

Hungry for vengeance, Cherry St. Croix is forced to the fog-ridden streets of Victorian London.

My rival, a collector of bounties like myself, has murdered one of my own. In consequence, I have been removed from my house, my staff, and all who would support me. I have nowhere else to turn, so I beg asylum within the Midnight Menagerie, London's decadent pleasure garden.

Micajah Hawke's dominance there will not tolerate my presence for long. I am fixated on revenge, but I walk a razor's edge under his scrutiny. His wicked power is not easily ignored, and I must not allow myself to submit - no matter how sweet the sacrifice.

Challenging my rival to a race is the only way to end this - no small task when the quarry is the murderous Jack the Ripper. As my enemies close in, I fear the consequences of this hunt. I am trapped between two killers, and what doesn't kill me may leave its scars forever.

Members Reviews:

I'm hooked! Love this series.

Oh man. Yet again, Karina Cooper had me glued to the edge of my seat for the entire ride. Once the story really got going, I knew there was no putting it down until I finished. So here I am having just finished TEMPERED, at nearly 5am.

Was it worth it? Oh, yeah. It absolutely was.

As a preface, please note that this series CANNOT be read out of order. You must start with book one, Tarnished. And I absolutely recommend this series. Another thing to keep in mind is that as I read each book, I'm more and more hooked. That is to say it is like the long con; while appearing slow at first, it builds with intensity at increasing speeds with each book.

The end of the previous book, Corroded, I had absolutely no clue where the story was going to go. Cherry is so addled, so betrayed, so utterly drowning to the depths, that I was curious to see how the following events would play out.

As usual, I went into this book with high expectations but no assumptions of what would happen (except for seeing Hawke naked) and was happily taken on a roller coaster with so many twists and turns I was blown away.

Secrets revolving around Cherry's parents and past, and her mysterious guardian, Oliver Ashmore, are brought to the forefront in this novel. I was hungry for answers, and it didn't disappoint.

And, I must admit that despite everything that is revealed, I do have quite a soft spot for Ashmore.

I absolutely loved the journey Cherry goes through in this book-her journey to become sober, and her journey of self. She's an absolutely broken women as the novel opens, truly becoming the Fool, and with a new beginning in her grasp.

I am DYING for the next book because (Hawke) although not a cliffhanger (there's a natural swell and crest of a solid storyline), I feel as if I've been raised to the top of the next hill on the roller coaster and am anticipating the next ride.

Getting Better & Better

After the previous book I was worried; the ending was rushed and, to me, frustratingly off kilter. However, there is no need to worry! This book was brutal in its portrayal of Cherry going through drug withdrawl and took an honest look at her, ugly parts and all. One of the top strengths of this series is the willingness of the author to give us a flawed, almost tragically damaged, heroine. I never know if Cherry will be strong, will fall apart, or run away.

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Title: The Ark of Humanity

Author: Scott Toney

Narrator: Fajer Al-Kaisi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-14

Publisher: Scott J. Toney

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

God flooded the earth to annihilate humanity's sins. What if that sinful race didn't die when floodwaters covered them but instead adapted to breathe water?

Now he must save his people from another empire of water dwellers bent on enslaving the oceans and torturing his peaceful realm.

Yet another question is posed as he learns that his people are descended from humans that lived on the land above the ocean; a people that were destroyed by floods made by the rage of God.

If they have to, in order to escape, will they be able to breathe air and join whatever is left of the world above the waters?

What would they find there? Is the mythological Noah still alive?

Members Reviews:

Hey

Hey I really book and make think about life after the flood and out in the ocean. Joy of the Lord is our strength.

Good character development

the story had good character development but the storyline could have ran smoother. such an intense concept maybe should have been best conveyed in a trilogy.

Adventure

What an adventure at the bottom of the sea. Believing in what you can't see and coming together for humanity all in one book. so glad I made this choice.

AWESOME

A true unique idea. The book flows well and is an excellent read.

Alternate History

An interesting approach to the story of the flood in an alternate-history kind of way. Definitely worth a read.

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Title: The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear

Author: M. Pax

Narrator: Kristie Ann Foss

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-14

Publisher: Mary Pax Shipley

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects. Graduation from community college isn't the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn't know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation. New Adult contemporary fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Some mature content.

Members Reviews:

Robot audio

What made the experience of listening to The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear the most enjoyable?

The only enjoyable part was the story. I hated the robotic audio, it sounded like she was talking into a plastic cup.

What three words best describe Kristie Ann Fosss performance?

Annoying, trying, robotic

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

The story was good, i got into after overcoming the robotic sound. The print would probably be a lot better.

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Title: Deeds of Men

Subtitle: Onyx Court, Book 1.5

Author: Marie Brennan

Narrator: Alex Bloch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-28-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A young man lies dead in a Coldharbour alley. Before his death, he uncovered secrets that could threaten the mortal world above and the faerie world below. Now, to find the murderer and protect both realms, Sir Michael Deven will need the help of a man with reason to hate the fae of the Onyx Court -- the victim's own brother.

A novella of the Onyx Court, set between Midnight Never Come and In Ashes Lie, in the years 1621-1625.