Get New Releases Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

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Title: Dreamsongs, Volume III (Unabridged Selections)

Author: George R. R. Martin

Narrator: George R. R. Martin, Roy Dotrice, Adrian Paul, Erik Davies, Claudia Black

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-07

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

BONUS: Each selection includes extensive commentary by author George R. R. Martin.

Critic Reviews:

"Fans, genre historians, and aspiring writers alike will find this shelf-bending retrospective as impressive as it is intriguing." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Disappointed.

I'm a huge Martin fan!! But this collection was very disappointing; maybe I'm not a short story person, or maybe I expected stories with the impact of Songs of Fire & Ice. Many of these shorts were written early in his career, so his style is different than in his later work. Skin Trade is the best offering here, and I'd already read it. Also, a few of these are pieces pulled from a series, and therefore obscure.

Skip this one

This book only contains two stories worth note, The Skin Trade and The Hedge Knight. The first part of the book is Martin's contribution to the Wild Card series. With only having Martin's part of this multi authored work there are huge holes in the stories so bad that I really had a hard time hanging in there. Skip this one and look for The Skin Trade and The Hedge Knight separately.

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Title: The Last Continent

Subtitle: Discworld, Book 22

Author: Terry Pratchett

Narrator: Nigel Planer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-06-07

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 193 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

It's hot. It's dry...very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right?

And it'll die in a few days, except....Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road warrior, beer drinker, bush ranger, and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when he's sober? A man in a hat whose luggage follows him on little legs, who's about to change history by preventing a swagman stealing a jumbuck by a billabong?

Yes...all this place has between itself and wind-blown doom is Rincewind, the inept wizard who can't even spell wizard. Still...no worries, eh?

Also, Terry Pratchett would like it to be known that The Last Continent is not a book about Australia. It's just vaguely Australian.

Critic Reviews:

"Pratchett is the funniest parodist working in the field today, period." (The New York Review of Science Fiction)

"Terry Pratchett is simply the best humorous writer of the 20th century. Wodehouse, Waugh, Sharpe, etc. all have their merits, sometimes considerable, but Pratchett really is a cut above the rest." (Oxford Times)

Members Reviews:

Aussieness and wizards, could not be more perfect

Two worlds of fantacy colide with elements of Australian culture and the sublime storytelling of Terry Pratchett. Rincewind the Wizard is a charcter we love. Nigel Planer makes you feel like you are in the center of an epic adventure.

Hiliarious and brilliant

One of my top 5 favourite Discworld books, strongly influenced no doubt by the hilarious narration of Nigel Planer. He captures the Exian essence brilliantly and once again is a voice I cannot disassociate from Rincewind. He IS Rincewind! Absolutely hilarious book, I listen to it often and still can't help the giggles.

Love the story!

This is still one of my favourite Terry Pratchett stories. I like Nigel Planet's interpretation of the characters too.

A shame about the sound quality though. I would wish for a better recording.

The Last Continent

I enjoy Terry Pratchett's Discworld series very much. That said, in parts I find this book drags a bit, as if there is too much in it.

However, I will read/listen to it again sometime. This is about the 4th time I've either listened to or read this book.

Always enjoyable.

If you love TP, you will thoroughly enjoy this rendition of The Last Continent. As Aussies, we doubly appreciate TP's salute to Vegemite and Waltzing Matilda, and smile wryly at Nigel Planer's attempts at an Aussie accent. Cheers Mate.

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Title: His Majesty's Dragon

Subtitle: Temeraire, Book 1

Author: Naomi Novik

Narrator: David Thorn

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-05-07

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 182 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo - an unhatched dragon egg - fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature.

Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France's own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte's boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

Critic Reviews:

"Delightful...Novik seamlessly blends fantasy into the history of the Napoleonic wars." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Needs to be Unabridged!!

I have to admitt that I greatly enjoyed this book, but it leaves out so much detail of the actual book. We need to get an Unabridged edition of this audiobook.

Horatio Hornblower with Dragons

I wanted it to go on forever. Absolutely amazing!!! The narrator made the Dragon(s) and people sound just right. His pacing was also very good and I was able to follow along during the several battle scenes without getting lost in the action. The naval battles were also very well described.

Eragon meets Master and Commander

The story: A wonderful alternate history of the Napoleonic war where dragons provide the aerial support for both sides of the conflict. Good swashbuckling fun written in an engaging prose that is evocative of the period it is set in without being cumbersome. Naomi Novik has created a wonderful secondary world and filled it with loveable characters both human and draconian; the death scene of one of the dragons brought tears to my eyes. Highly recommended.

The audiobook: David Thorn was an excellent choice for the narrator of Novik's series. His characterizations are different enough without being vocal caricatures, and his nasal, high tonality for the voices of dragons creates a trademark which allows the listener to just enjoy the ride without having to puzzle out who's speaking. Superb narration on a par with Simon Prebble's.

Down with abridgments

Compelling story that is well performed. I do not read abridged books and I don't audit abridged books. I will revisit this series if and when they produce it unabridged.

Not your typical Dragon Story

Where does His Majesty's Dragon rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

It's solidly in the middle of the pack. It's a great story, that took a little to get into, but then it kept you going. I'd love to see this storyline continue.

What other book might you compare His Majesty's Dragon to and why?

Maybe Terry Brooks Landover series. Or Paolini's dragon series. This is an unusual take on dragons and puts them into our world right now, without being crazy.

What about David Thorns performance did you like?

He sounded very British, which fit this book.

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

Its a little long for one sitting, but I did find as it went on, I wished I could listen longer and longer.

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Title: Sourcery

Subtitle: Discworld, Book 5

Author: Terry Pratchett

Narrator: Tony Robinson

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-22-07

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

All is not well within the Unseen University. The endemic politics of the place have ensured that it has finally got what it wished for: the most powerful wizard on the disc - which could mean that the death of all wizardry is at hand. And that the world is going to end, depending on whom you listen to. Unless, of course, one inept wizard can take the University's most precious artefact, the very embodiment of magic itself, and deliver it halfway across the disc to safety.

Critic Reviews:

"May well be considered his masterpiece...Humour such as his is an endangered species." (The Times)

Members Reviews:

Classic Pratchett

This is a lovely Pratchett book. As an early book he hasn't quite got into his stride as the later books but it is still hilarious. Tony Robinson makes it as the narrator. A must for anyone who is a fan of the author, narrator or even games! If you are starting on Pratchett I wouldn't recommend this as your starting one, maybe go for Mort or Interesting Times; which are easier to get going with.

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Title: Magic Street

Author: Orson Scott Card

Narrator: Mirron E. Willis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 529 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Passing through the skinny house that no one else can see, Mack is plunged into a realm in which time and reality are skewed, a place where what Mack does seems to have strange effects on the "real world" of concrete, cars, commerce, and conflict. Growing into a tall, powerful young man, pursuing a forbidden relationship, and using Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a guide into the vast, timeless fantasy world, Mack becomes a player in an epic drama. Understanding this drama is Mack's challenge. His reward, if he can survive the trip, is discovering not only who he really is but why he exists.

Both a novel of constantly surprising entertainment and a tale of breathtaking literary power, Magic Street is a masterwork from a supremely gifted, utterly original American writer, a novel that uses realism and fantasy to delight, challenge, and satisfy on the most profound levels.

Critic Reviews:

"[Card's] prose is a model of narrative clarity; the author never says more than is needed or arbitrarily withholds information; yet even a simple declarative sentence carries a delicious hint of further revelation." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Not Science Fiction, but fantastic story

This is not typical OSC, and I have read/heard most of his fiction. This story was fascinating. The narration (character portrayals) by Willis were superb. If you want science fiction, this is not for you probably, but if you like Koontz, as I do, then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. This is the first title in 3 years with Audible that I have listened to twice.

When I got done I needed a nap

I like Card - always have. I like his dialogue and the pace of his stories till...he starts trying to define his story's version of the universe and the meaning of life or religion as very longwinded subplots. I also hate when writers try to redefine God and the nature of faith to fit their fictional landscape. There are times and ways in which an amusing read should just be an amusing read.

In the end, the fact that a writer wants to figure out rules for his hypothetical unviverse simply doesn't mean I want to sit through the explanation. I think I'm not alone in this which is why the majority of us choose not to learn Klingon.

See? Now I'm too tired to talk about the rest of the story. Next time I hope Orson just tells the story and lets us make our own observations about deeper meanings as we read or listen. The story should create questions and answers without so obviously trying. Night night.

Good, not great.

Being a fan of both Orson Scott Card and urban fantasy, I had to listen to this title. It starts out well and, like every Card title, it has some very well-developed characters, but eventually it turns into something much less like what I've come to expect from OSC and much more like S.P. Somtow's Valentine books. The Shakespeare references, the portrayal of Christianity as a front, and the vagueness of the parameters and functions of magic all reminded me of Somtow.

Worth listening, but not on the same level of excellence as his SF. Charles DeLint has little to fear.

Enjoyable escape

This is the first Card I've listened to and I found it very enjoyable. A good escape from everyday life and not too 'heavy'.

Bravo! Well Done!

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel featuring a cast of African-American characters.

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Title: Legends II, Volume Three

Subtitle: New Short Novels by The Masters of Modern Fantasy (Unabridged Selections)

Author: Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Robert Silverberg

Narrator: Jason Culp, Peter Bradbury, Michael Emerson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-11-04

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 89 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Each of the best-selling writers represented in these selections from Legends II returns to the fantasy universe he made famous throughout the world. Whether set before or after events already recounted elsewhere, whether featuring beloved characters or compelling new creations, these masterful short novels are all mesmerizing stand-alones, perfect introductions to the work of their authors, and indispensable additions to the epics on which they are based.

Robert Silverberg spins an enthralling tale of Majipoor's early history, and remote future, as seen through the eyes of a dilettantish poet who discovers an unexpected destiny in "The Book of Changes".

Neil Gaiman gives us a glimpse into what befalls the man called Shado after the events of his Hugo Award-winning novel American Gods in "The Monarch of the Glen".

Orson Scott Card tells a tale of Alvin Maker and the mighty Mississippi, featuring a couple of ne'er-do-wells named Jim Bowie and Abe Lincoln, in "The Yazoo Queen".

Members Reviews:

2 out of 3 of these stories

Of the 3 stories in this book 2 were totally forgettable. The third was a better listen.

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Title: Lives of the Monster Dogs

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Kirsten Bakis

Narrator: George DelHoyo, Mary Jo Smith

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In the year 2008, a Malamute arrives in New York City, followed by a pack of German Shepherds, Dobermans, and Great Danes, all dressed in grand old Prussian style. They become the toast of Manhattan - Monster Dogs. But who, or what, are they really? Outfitted with voice boxes and prosthetic arms, the dogs are the result of an experiment begun years ago in a tiny Canadian village. But their creators did not anticipate that these decadent dogs would be threatened by a strange, incurable illness. In Lives of the Monster Dogs, Kirsten Bakis has created a haunting parable for our times.

Text Copyright ©1997 by Kristen Bakis; Recording (P)1997 by Audio Literature

Members Reviews:

Surprise oops

What did you love best about Lives of the Monster Dogs?

The story is great. The narrators really allows the listener to really imagine what is going on. Having two different narrators really worked out well with this story. I do not remember how this book became part of my library, since it was purchased in 01. After re-listening to it, I would like to see more stories from Kirsten Bakis.

Any additional comments?

The story is like a dog version of The Secret of NIMH.

Fun book

I loved the fantasy of the story. Very good sci fi! The only thing that disappointed me about this book was that one of people doing the voice of one of the characters was not very good. It brought what otherwise would have been a fantastic story down a little I hate to say. I think I would have been better off reading the actual paperback myself on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate. I could have imagined the voices in my head a little better than the poor reading ... it was a distraction to the story. Still, I did enjoy it.

William Wegman Nightmare

Not a fantastic story. It would make a great movie with a little more action. Imagine a story where Artist William Wegman (the photographer who dresses Weimeraners) meets Dr. Frankenstein. It's a great idea, great narration, but I think there could have been more done with the story. Sound quality was also poor.

short but good

I like dogs, and this book plays them out in a complex way. The story moves along at a good pace, and the readers' voices (1 male, 1 female) are very good to the parts. Although the mechanics of a humanoid canine are quite awkward, it's past to look past that into the story. If you like German history and large breed dogs, you'll like this story. I was bummed in the missing Rottweiler, a must-have German breed, and my favorite... and that the story was too short. At least, I don't recall hearing anything about rotties.

Fabuloso

really well written, worth a listen.

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Title: The Hum and the Shiver

Subtitle: The Tufa Novels, Book 1

Author: Alex Bledsoe

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki, Emily Janice Card

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 169 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

In this valley songs live and kill.

No one knows where the Tufa came from or how they ended up in the mountains of east Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations.

Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa, has returned from Iraq, wounded in body and spirit, but her troubles are far from over. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, while a restless haint has followed her home from the war. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once a part of her life. With death stalking her family, will she ever again join in the song of her people and let it lift her onto the night winds?

Critic Reviews:

Bledsoe turns standard urban fantasy tropes on their head by reimagining modern elves as a tiny, isolated ethnic group unsure of their own originsThe slowly unfolding mystery of the Tufa is a fascinating and absorbing masterpiece of world-building. (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The Hum and the .... Ummm?

I enjoyed the characters in this book, I loved the setting and I adored the premise. Mountain folk in Tennessee are known for being steeped in tradition, superstition and folklore, and the author slipped the story into that setting flawlessly. The trouble was, the story lacked excitement. It was driven along by strong characters for as far as they could take it, but in the end, sadly, the story itself fell flat. In short, this book was good, but not gripping.

Excellent story that combines music and folklore

I should briefly point out that in this book the term the hum and the shiver is used frequently and in many beautifully poetic ways. It can be used to express many different things in the Tufa life.

Dont think youre going to get just a flowery book about music and magic. Theres politics at play among the Tufa. While many believe them to be one people, they are actually two separate and equally power factions of people who dont like each other much and seem to be vying for power. Dons story can seem a little disjointed from the rest of the book until you keep in mind there is a power struggle going on. Also, theres much prejudice that the Tufa deal with, especially with the state trooper that patrols the area whose role isnt much more than to be your standard racist villain. Theres also a few villains among their own including a man named Dwayne Gitterman, an ex-boyfriend of Bronwyns, who has burned the music out of him through his own evil. While hes more interesting as a villain for this, he isnt much better a villain than the state trooper except for his Tufa connection. This is redneck country, expect some ugliness is what Im sayingin language and actions. Its totally in keeping with the setting of such a story, but it may offend some.

I will admit in explaining the Tufa at points I think Bledsoe was trying to be as plain as possible for claritys sake, but instead those passages started to feel redundant and had me asking, What cant the Tufa do? Can one Superman punch someone into the sun? Asking for a friend. On their own land, they hold a lot of power.

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Title: Wings of Justice

Subtitle: City of Light, Book 1

Author: Michael-Scott Earle

Narrator: Marielena Alcaraz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-20-16

Publisher: MICHAEL-SCOTT EARLE

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Welcome to Petrasada. The City of Light. The City of Clouds. The City of Joy. It is the last bastion of human life floating miles above an endless desert world.

And a string of serial murders are threatening to tear the city apart.

Anelia Orba is the newest rookie in the magical winged police force of Petrasada. She is inexperienced, naive, paired with a resentful partner, and fully expected to fail. But when a strange clue takes Anelia off the procedural path, she'll have to overcome the odds before the City of Light falls to darkness, and she loses everything she cares about.

Members Reviews:

what an interesting good read!

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It was action from the beginning to end. Every time I had to stop listening I couldn't wait to start again.

I loved that they're females and kind of like cops and with their blue Alulas , it turns into feathers and wings to fly! so cool.

I really liked the main character Anelia and her friends and nest sisters. The narrator sounded just like Anelia and it was well read. The story was well written. So full of action !

I also liked the world of Petrasada, it's different and magical.

When it ended I was actually disappointed because I want more of this story.

I will definitely be reading the next book of wings of justice!

If you love and enjoy action and some magic then this is the book for you.

Totally worth it..

good story, okay audio

there were editing issues with the narration, the white noise in the background clearly changes with edits, the speaker is either louder or softer during edits as well.

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Title: White Apples

Author: Jonathan Carroll

Narrator: Victor Bevine

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-12

Publisher: Neil Gaiman Presents

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 116 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), worked with the book's author to cast the narrator and produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on White Apples: "In his performance, Victor Bevine manages to convey three aspects of Vincents personality: the womanizing hedonist he was in life, the now-dead fellow trying to control his rising panic who realizes his one-night-stand knows today is his mothers birthday; and, ultimately, the loving, heroic family man who undertakes a big task for the sake of his unborn son and - incidentally - the rest of humanity. Thats a tall order for any narrator, but I wasnt surprised when the accomplished actor Victor Bevine made the character come alive.

Vincent Ettrich, a genial philanderer, discovers he has died and come back to life, but he has no idea why, or what the experience was like. Gradually, he discovers he was brought back by his true love, Isabelle, because she is pregnant with their child - a child who, if raised correctly, will play a crucial role in saving the universe.

But to be brought up right, the child must learn what Vincent learned on the other side - if only Vincent can remember it. On a fathers love and struggle may depend the future of everything that is.

By turns quirky, romantic, awesome, and irresistible, White Apples is a tale of love, fatherhood, death, and life that will leave you seeing the world with new eyes.

Learn more about

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Members Reviews:

Thank you Neil!!! Carroll is my new favorite.

If you could sum up White Apples in three words, what would they be?

Surreal, hilarious, mind-stretching.

What was one of the most memorable moments of White Apples?

The entire concept of being dead while being alive.

Which character as performed by Victor Bevine was your favorite?

Vincent

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

Yes, but unfortunately that is impossible for me, but I couldn't wait to get in my car to and from work.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoy Murakami, Gaiman, Mieville, or Scalzi you might as well go ahead and get this one. I listened to Land of Laughs first and enjoyed it so much I immediately went for White Apples. I feared it wouldn't live up to "LOL" but it was just as fun to listen too.

Why Neil, why?

Would you try another book from Jonathan Carroll and/or Victor Bevine?

No. The beginning of this book is so inane and idiotic in its description of the main character's flirting with women that by the time things started happening beyond the flirting I just couldn't tolerate it. I get this character is a philandering would be lothario but present him in an interesting way at least. The writing felt amateurish and bordered on the edge of Danielle Steele-ishness. If you're into poorly written stories about possibly dead, debatably debonaire douche bags then I guess this one might be for you. But NG, you let us down with this one. You can't win 'em all.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Probably not something from the Gaiman collection.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Victor Bevine?

No one. This book should have remained un narrated and lost in the graveyards of used bookstores' bargain bins.

You didnt love this book...