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

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Title: The Erstwhile

Subtitle: Book Two in the Vorrh Trilogy

Author: Brian Catling

Narrator: Allan Corduner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-17

Publisher: Coronet

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Vorrh is a vast unmapped and very mysterious jungle in Africa. No one comes out of it in one piece. Survivors report strange, mind-bending phenomena and horrific monsters. It is rumoured that the Garden of Eden still exists somewhere in the middle of it.

In The Erstwhile it transpires that some angels have escaped Eden and the Vorrh and are hiding in London, some in disguise as lunatics in Bedlam. It's also revealed that William Blake, a character in these novels, is interacting with these angels. Good and evil angels and humans, including William Blake, are heading towards a final, Miltonic apocalyptic battle for the soul of humanity. The Erstwhile is the second audiobook in the Vorrh trilogy.

Members Reviews:

Great idea! Glad I bought this!

I love this product for our older dog who has an easier time getting into back seat instead of in the way back with the other dogs. I no longer have to worry about him falling off the seat when driving around corners or stopping suddenly. The hammock works brilliantly to keep him safe and keep seats dry and hair free!

Cross the Poetic Fantasy of William Blake With the Gritty Dark Heart of Joseph Conrad

The Erstwhile, by B. Calling, is the fevered sequel to his novel, The Vorrh. It takes place somewhere in Africa sometime between the world wars. The Erstwhile are nightmare creatures out of William Blakeâs illustrated poems. They are the angels who failed to protect the tree of knowledge from Adam and Eve. They have been buried and some few who have been excavated are reanimating.

The former Garden of Eden is now the Vorrh, a forest of immense monetary value to the German colony nearby called the Essenwald. Harvesting the timber is complicated by the fact that presence in the forest is inimical to humans. Only the Limboia, slaves to the Essenwald colony, can endure significant periods of time in the forest, and they have vanished within. Ishmael is the one who can find them and return the colony to profitability. This is only one of a complex weave of plot lines peopled with fantastic creatures with weird and terrifying powers.

All this resists summarization or even the possibility of coming to a conclusion. I enjoyed the purple prose and fantastic connection with Blake. Many of the characters are fascinating and demanded my attention so I kept reading to find out what happened. What I didn't like is that there are too many characters, too many narratives and too much self-conscious language.

Alert: this is volume 2 of a trilogy.

You really, really should read Catlingâs first book in this trilogy, âThe Vorrhâ, before starting this volume. There is a little backstory here, but there is nowhere near enough for a reader to understand the context of this continuation. It just takes up where volume one left off.

Catling seemingly wrote these books for those who require no hard line between science fiction and fantasy that has to be adhered to for their reading pleasure. And, it requires buying into the authorâs premises. Without too deep an analysis, Iâve found that he follows his own logic throughout the two books.

This is a book about lives; even though we find it difficult to understand some types of them â including those most like ourselves. There are stereotypes without them being handled in stereotypical fashion.

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Title: The Ninth Rain

Subtitle: The Winnowing Flame Trilogy, Book 1

Author: Jen Williams

Narrator: Jot Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-17

Publisher: Headline

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Jen Williams, acclaimed author of The Copper Cat trilogy, featuring The Copper Promise, The Iron Ghost and The Silver Tide, returns with the first in a blistering new trilogy.

The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine.

When eccentric explorer Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon offers him employment, he sees an easy way out. Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving ancient artefacts is preferable to the abomination he left behind. But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse, and the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall....

Editorial Reviews:

"An original new voice in heroic fantasy." (Adrian Tchaikovsky)

Members Reviews:

Wait for it!

Almost switched it off after the first couple of chapters as it started a bit too slow, but I'm so glad I carried on as the story later really get exciting. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Excellent fantasy adventure

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The world building is intriguing and the characters interesting. I also enjoyed the narrator, who injected plenty of differentiation between the characters. Highly recommended.

So original - genre fusion at its best

Brilliant story that doesnt pause for a second and the mix of genres, I found, kept me guessing at where this could go.

Narration was also superb - one of the very few narrators I have heard actually shout when the story required it.......excellent :)

Jen Williams is an underrated star of British fantasy. No wait, of the whole fantasy genre!

I'm a huge fan of Jen William's previous trilogy, the Copper Cat Trilogy, so I was excited to get this new book, starting a new trilogy, in a new world.

I was not disappointed.

All the elements I loved from the Copper Cat series were there.

Jen Williams is such a wonderfully inclusive author and I don't think I can shout enough about how much I love that. The characters she draws are always complex, flawed and so likeable (unless she doesn't intend for you to like them). So getting to know the people that they are and understanding their variety of loves, lusts and desires adds to the exciting plot immeasurably.

I'm a huge fantasy fan, but having an author who is willing to challenge the old, poorly thought out gender and sexuality tropes of the genre, but without making that the whole story... it actually makes me jump up and down with excitement when I tell people about it.

And the exciting plot I mentioned! I'd agree with other reviews on audible that the first few chapters don't rush.

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Title: Lord of the Darkwood

Subtitle: The Tale of Shikanoko

Author: Lian Hearn

Narrator: Neil Shah

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-26-17

Publisher: Macmillan Digital Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Against a background of wild forest, elegant castles, hidden temples and savage battlefields, the adventure that began with Emperor of the Eight Islands draws to its thrilling conclusion.

The rightful emperor is lost. Shikanoko is condemned to live, half man and half deer, an outlaw in the Darkwood. Yet the mighty lords who now rule the Eight Islands are prey to suspicion and illness, and drought and famine choke the realm. Only Shikanoko can bring healing by restoring the preordained ruler to the Lotus Throne. And only one person can bring him back from the Darkwood....

Members Reviews:

The reader is pretty much insufferable

Only a very good story being very well told could have made me listen through hour after hour of a reader unable to use proper intonation and punctuation.

It is painful to listen to sentences that seem to end in weird places, only for the next breath of the reader to reveal that the sentence had three more words. When the reader then goes straight on to the next phrase, I miss out on the content because I am still deciphering the real meaning of that strangely read sentence.

This would have been perfectly evident to the reader if he had bothered to read the book to himself first, and make some notes to himself! Listeners should be able to hear which word in a sentence is the important one. Most decent narrators automatically dramatize at least speech, but also use techniques such as a variety of tones, loudness and speed to make the story an adventure to listen to.

The reason why I do not call the reader a narrator is that he does not add anything to the original writing, he merely conveys the words as if they were found in an accounting ledger.

For a REAL narration, try listening to David Tennant make "How to Train Your Dragon" not just a great story, but a nuanced, sensitive, sweet, funny, scary and wildly exciting tale. If you can manage to listen to this book again afterwards without cringing, you're a better person than me!

captures the beautiful and unique writing style

Amazing. I didn't want it to end.

it truely captures hearns poetic writing style. the reader and author should do more work together as it seems a perfect partnership to me.

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Title: The Mystical Oak

Author: Justin Blakeslee

Narrator: Jon Wilkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-17

Publisher: Marfa House

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Billy Jacobson, a young boy, was fixated on getting presents for his family on Christmas. Without any money to buy them, he finds himself searching for the man in the big red suit for help. What he stumbles upon instead reveals a secret that had been tucked away for centuries.

Members Reviews:

A great read This is a Christmas Story but not the ...

A great read

This is a Christmas Story but not the same old stories, I enjoyed the adventure and am looking forward to more books from this author.

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Title: Warmstone

Author: Chris Speck

Narrator: Chris Speck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-14-16

Publisher: Black Sun

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The old men of the frozen Eastern tribe say that little Erik will not last even another short winter. He can't even walk, and so his father Seven carries him across the ice wastes.

The boy's clear blue eyes see much further than the horizon. He sees beyond the Black Mountains and through the paths of iron-giants to the great machine at the center of the world. He sees hope.

If he can get there, Seven will trade everything he has to save his son.

Members Reviews:

Vicarious Bookworm Reviews

Warmstone is about the journey of Seven and his son, Erik. It's set in a world with long, frigid winters and iron giants. Having discovered that his son doesn't have long to live, Seven leaves his primitive, viking-like tribe to take his son to the centre of the world to save him. The journey is a constant battle for Seven and Erik as they fight against iron giants, black bears, other people, and the freezing cold with absolute determination.

The plot and storyline themselves are fantastic and unique while still remaining familiar and believable. I enjoyed the world Speck has created and the characters very much. There is such descriptive detail given that you can truly immerse yourself in the situations the characters have to deal with. Sometimes it was hard to tell who the point-of-view character was but the plot is strong enough to carry you to the last page.

For this review and more, please visit my blog at vicariousbookworm.wordpress.com

Amazing Book!

I won this book in a free give-a-way and am so glad I did. If not, this hidden gem may have gone overlooked by me. I don't usually write reviews, but I feel the need to share what a great book this is!

Chris Speck created an amazing and interesting world that just draws you in. This is more than your average cookie-cutter book. I highly recommend it!

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Title: The Ninth I [Russian Edition]

Author: Artiom Kamenisty

Narrator: Dmitry Polonetsky, Elena Polonetskaya

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-16

Publisher: IDDK

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

"Devjatyj" - fantasticheskij roman Artema Kamenistogo, zhanr boevoe fjentezi, popadancy. U nego net budushhego. Imeni tozhe net - on prosto devjatyj. Ni odin iz vos'mi ego predshestvennikov ne protjanul TAM i chasa. I lish' ot nego zavisit, stanet li sledujushhij desjatym, ili poluchit ego nomer... nomer ocherednogo neudachnika.

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

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Title: Pandora

Author: Anne Rice

Narrator: Kate Reading

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A Vampire Chronicles novella from the internationally best-selling Anne Rice.

In a cafe in modern-day Paris, in the aftermath of a fresh kill, the fearless and beautiful Pandora begins to tell her tale of treachery, vengeance and love stretching across two millennia. As a young mortal in Imperial Rome in the time of Caesar Augustus, Pandora was first introduced to the blood-tainted cult of Isis.

Later, in exile in Antioch, she was drawn even further into the dark, ancient rites. Now, looking back across the centuries, Pandora decides to return once more to New Orleans, to find the love of her early life, Marius, and to see once again the Vampire Lestat....

Members Reviews:

but I started reading Anne Rice years ago and really enjoy the universe of characters and events that she created

I'm not generally a fan of vampires, but I started reading Anne Rice years ago and really enjoy the universe of characters and events that she created. Her stories would work (with some adjustment) even if her characters were not vampires--they're basically just human beings with some extra powers and some degree of immortality, which allows Rice to put them in historical situations.

Pandora goes back to Roman times (Anne Rice is great with history--really does her research) then goes into the 20th century.

Great Origin Book

I'm the biggest Anne Rice Fan in general. Every summer for over a decade I make a point to re-read most of her books. I'm a big Marius fan so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book. After years of wearing out my paperback and rebuying them I finally started picking up the eBooks. This review is a result of that!

This book is basically a journal written to David Talbot about Pandora's human life, her life was a free un-married woman in Antioch, her vampire origin, and the complicated relationship she had with Marius. I know many other fans wouldn't put this book at the top of their list but this one is special as it is the only one of her vampire novels in the voice of a woman. Also, how can you not love the ancient world? I get my vampires and historical fiction in one swoop!

Rice never disappoints

I don't know why I never read this book as I have read all of Anne Rice's novels. The beautiful richness of the history in her novels draws you in like no other. Thanks again for this amazing book. Cannot wait for the next Mummy book. I've preordered.

Great reading

I love Anne Rice. Her characters are wonderful and stories great.

She did it again!

Wonderful read. I would love just five minutes in Anne's imagination or is it her reality? I am never disappointed with her writings. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy suspense thrillers! It is another book that is hard to put down and cannot wait to read the next in this series.

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Title: The Tale of the Body Thief

Subtitle: The Vampire Chronicles 4

Author: Anne Rice

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Electrifying, erotic, terrifying - the fourth novel in the Vampire Chronicles is as rich, as violent, as sensual as the runaway best sellers that precede it.

The burden of immortality is weighing upon the vampire Lestat. In a desperate bid to end his everlasting life, he attempts suicide by flying into the sunrise above the Gobi Desert. The attempt fails, but it intensifies his desire to be human again.

Just as Lestat resigns himself to the body of a killer, he is approached by the body thief, a creature who covets Lestat's monstrous power and can give him what he wants: a mortal body. Lestat, ignoring the warnings of those he trusts, agrees to surrender his vampire body for a week. But the body thief vanishes. Chaos ensues, and the newly mortal Lestat is left to discover what he had forgotten: the suffering, the weakness and the fragility of a living life.

Members Reviews:

Lestat the dimwit

While I did enjoy this, there were moments where Lestat was just a bit too stupid. I get his needs and his impetuosity, but, for a being as developed as he has become over the course of the Chronicles, there were moments where his naivety was a bit too unbelievable. Oh, and there was one confusing moment where Louis seemed to develop a Russian accent - a little odd. That said, I was hooked and can't wait for another episode.

Couldn't stop listening

Filled with suspense, couldn't stop listening to find out what happened to lestat. There were twists I couldn't have imagined loved it.

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Title: A City Dreaming

Author: Daniel Polansky

Narrator: Eric Meyers

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-16

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

M is a drifter with a sharp tongue, few scruples, and limited magical ability who would prefer drinking artisanal beer to involving himself in the politics of the city. Alas, in the infinite nexus of the universe which is New York, trouble is a hard thing to avoid, and now a rivalry between the city's two queens threatens to make the Big Apple go the way of Atlantis. To stop it, M will have to call in every favor, waste every charm, and blow every spell he's ever acquired. He might even have to get out of bed before noon.

Enter a world of Wall Street wolves, slumming scenesters, desperate artists, drug-induced divinities, pocket steam-punk universes, and hipster zombies. Because the city never sleeps but is always dreaming.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Worth every penny.

A terrific book

Not quite a novel, not quite a short-story cycle, but full of delight and cynicism and immensely satisfying. A magic of texture, flavor and perception and adventures and encounters that are city life writ large. A work of fantasy that sits comfortably alongside Lev Grossman's THE MAGICIANS and Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS.

Magic for those who are bruised by life but have hung onto hope. And a funny, perceptive, enjoyable book. Get it.

A collection of stories, not a story in and of itself.

I only made it about 40% through this book. Its a collections of short stories with a very thin thread between them. Its more of a students imaginative writing journal, if that student missed living in NYC.

Meh

I really wanted to like "A City Dreaming" but though I felt it began well as something reminiscent of both the Sandman Slim series, and Neil Gaiman's urban fantasies, the story, which is actually more a series of loosely connected vignettes, never really went anywhere. It doesn't so much have a plot as characters interacting in a semi-magical New York. It's amusing, but repetitive, just like those interactions.

No one seems to grow or change, not even the protagonist, M. He never really cares about anyone or anything, so honestly why should the reader care about him? He's a slacker, which would be fine if he was a secondary character, but as the lead, the guy you're supposed to identify with, or at least involve yourself with, he's not exactly riveting. We never learn too much about him. It's implied that he's been around for a very long time but whether that means decades or centuries, we never really know. We don't know what made him so indifferent to everything but sex, drugs, and music, or if he was always like that. If any of his friends had any redeeming characteristics we could assume that me must have had some in the past as well, but they're as... I can't say they're unlikable, even M isn't unlikable... dull is a better word. For all their eccentricities, they're dull.

It pains me to write this because I SO wanted this book to be satisfying, and it was merely occasionally diverting. By the end, I found myself thinking, "Is anything going to happen?" And basically... no. Nothing much did.

The writing is good, and it is often amusing, though never quite tipping over into witty or hilarious.

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Title: The Devil's Evidence

Author: Simon Kurt Unsworth

Narrator: David Rintoul

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-16

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A stunning new thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Devil's Detective.

Thomas Fool, now the head of Hell's Information Men, must solve a new mystery that crosses the divide between Heaven and Hell.

Members Reviews:

Fabulous Sequel!

This is the second book in the Thomas Fool series. I loved it! I was originally recommended the first book from Audible due to my browsing/reading history. When I heard this audiobook was available to pre-order, I quickly bought my copy without even reading the synopsis and began listening to it as soon as I could. I was not disappointed. I found myself gripped by the storyline.

This audiobook is narrated by David Rintoul. I love his narration. He brought the story and characters to life with his clear and precise reading. His pacing was excellent and I was amazed at how he could vocalise the various characters without losing his voice. He gave some of the characters incredibly gravelly voices that came across as menacing, which made me shiver, as well as lighter tones for the female characters. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.

Thomas Fool is a wonderful character. He is an "Information Man", a policeman to you and me, who investigates things when the denizens of Hell cause chaos or misbehave. I really liked this person. I don't know what he did in his previous life to end up in Hell, but I got the impression that he was a good man. Perhaps he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like his character grew as much as it did in the first book.

In this story an arsonist is setting fires in Hell. Thomas and his fellow Information Men are sent to investigate and quickly find themselves facing a mysterious adversary. Unfortunately, they also have to deal with the Evidence, a new group of demon-lead investigators that shadow the human Information Men. Sent on a mission into Heaven, Thomas realises that all is not well in paradise. As danger threatens and both Heaven and Hell prepare to go to war, Thomas will have to dig deep for answers.

Though I am not a huge lover of horror, I love detective stories. I started to listen to the story with no idea of what to expect, though I knew it was going to be a huge roller coaster ride. What I got was an unexpected journey through the eyes of the main protagonist, Thomas Fool. Hell is not a pleasant place to be in this book, and the demons are not exactly puppy dogs either. Heaven is more peaceful, though no less dangerous. I love the descriptive quality of the horror in this book, though it can be pretty graphic and a little shocking. Some readers may find it too gruesome. Then again, my imagination can be a little too quick to paint vivid pictures and some may find that it may not be graphic enough for them. As only a moderate reader of horror, this story definitely shocked me (in a good way). I was quickly hooked and sat entranced as the story unfolded.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the world building of Heaven. I can understand why the author would make it this way, but still, I am not sure I would want to go there if all I'm going to do is sleep and dream for the rest of my afterlife. However, as I said, I can understand why the author did this: Thomas would see it as a boring and uninteresting place to want to stay. Having said that, the mystery surrounding the fires in Hell and the disappearances in Heaven kept me hooked.