Listen to Most Popular Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

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Title: Burning Paradise

Author: Robert Charles Wilson

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 79 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From Robert Charles Wilson, the author of the Hugo-winning Spin, comes Burning Paradise, a new tale of humans coming to grips with a universe of implacable strangeness. Cassie Klyne, 19 years old, lives in the United States in the year 2015 - but it's not our United States, and it's not our 2015. Cassies world has been at peace since the Great Armistice of 1918. There was no World War II, no Great Depression. Poverty is declining, prosperity is increasing everywhere; social instability is rare. But Cassie knows the world isn't what it seems. Her parents were part of a group who gradually discovered the awful truth: That for decades - back to the dawn of radio communications - human progress has been interfered with, made more peaceful and benign, by an extraterrestrial entity. That by interfering with our communications, this entity has tweaked history in massive and subtle ways. That humanity is, for purposes unknown, being farmed. Cassie's parents were killed for this knowledge, along with most of the other members of their group. Since then, the survivors have scattered and gone into hiding. Cassie and her younger brother Thomas now live with her aunt Nerissa, who shares these dangerous secrets. Others live nearby. For eight years they have attempted to lead unexceptional lives in order to escape detection. The tactic has worked. Until now. Because the killers are back. And they're not human.

Members Reviews:

I'm not much for science fiction, but....

What did you love best about Burning Paradise?

This is a pretty good book- surprisingly believable and well laid out as to not give it all away at the beginning.

What did you like best about this story?

Very well thought out and surprisingly gripping- Weird comparison, but kind of like the movie Red Dawn, but without the Russians or bad acting

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

Took me about three days or so to finish the book- was very compelled to hear the whole thing.

Annoyingly Bad

Have you ever gotten your money back for a book you bought at Audible.com? They offer refunds. I have over 500 books in my library and I've asked for my money back once. This book, will be the second one. It was that bad.

Burning Paradise is a story about earth living in a cloud of silent aliens. The story, of course, is about the group of people who know about the aliens and are in covert battle with them.

The premise of this book was interesting and even the first half was ok. But it's like the author didn't know how to finish it, or got bored with his own characters, or was too enamored with the idea of this alien force so forgot to actually develop the characters of the humans--the ones who drove the story and the ones the reader (listener) is supposed to care about.

I didn't get to know or care anything about ANY of the human characters. The main heroine, Casey, was boring from the start and didn't do anything to become more interesting. The slightly "colorful" side characters didn't have any flair or interesting characteristics at all.

The ending, well, call it a spoiler alert if you like, but it just fizzles. I expected at least a big confrontation, something to make it worth my time that I stuck with it for 8 hours, but nothing happened.

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Title: At the Queen's Command

Subtitle: The First Book of the Crown Colonies

Author: Michael A. Stackpole

Narrator: Peter Batchelor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The colonies of Mistria are in turmoil. They face wars between the competing empires and insurrection from natives and colonists alike. Prince Vladamier is a Norillian noble, and Nephew to King Richard. He has little political power, but struggles to ensure the colonists interests are represented back in the court. The one thing he does have is a wurm... one of the few existing "dragons" from a clutch of eggs discovered in the old world, hundreds of years ago.

As Mistria swirl into chaos, Vlad is married off to an old world princess. This new alliance is supposed to help supply money and mercenaries to put down the various insurrections. But, nobody suspects that Vlad's wurm is about to undergo a change that will impact the worlds delicate political balance...

Editorial Reviews:

In At the Queen's Command, the first book in The Crown Colonies series, best-selling writer Michael A. Stackpole presents a creative fantasy/historical novel modeled on the American Revolutionary War. In Stackpole's world, the Crown Colonies of Mystria are on the verge of revolt - and dragons are to play a surprising role in their fate. Told from the perspectives of Captain Owen Strake, a Redcoat; and Prince Vladimir, who represents the colonists, this tale benefits greatly from a warm, richly intonated performance from English voice actor Peter Batchelor, who infuses his voiceover with great character.

Members Reviews:

good read, mostly

good alternate history with some enjoyable twists and turns. Solid storytelling, well developed world of pre-revolution era, muskets, magic, and A Giant Worm!

Fantastical French and Indian War

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would if they are into the genre of early American history and fantasy.

What was one of the most memorable moments of At the Queen's Command?

The battle was moving.

What about Peter Batchelors performance did you like?

His accent was perfect for this reading.

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Title: Mariners of Gor

Subtitle: Gorean Saga, Book 30

Author: John Norman

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

John Norman's epic Gorean Saga is one of the longest-running and most successful series in the history of fantasy. It is also one of the most controversial. Over the course of more than thirty books produced over a span of six decades, the series has sold millions of copies and built legions of fans unrivaled in their devotion

In MARINERS OF GOR, Book 30 of the Gorean Saga, many on Gor do not believe that the great ship, the ship of Tersites, the lame, scorned, half-blind, half-mad shipwright, originally of Port Kar exists. Surely it is a matter of no more than legend. In the previous audiobook, however, SWORDSMEN OF GOR, we learn that the great ship, commissioned by unusual warriors for a mysterious mission, was secretly built in the northern forests, and brought down the Alexandra to Thassa, the sea, beginning her voyage to the "World's End," hazarding waters beyond the "farther islands," from which no previous ship had returned.

Members Reviews:

on the ship

What made the experience of listening to Mariners of Gor the most enjoyable?

the way the characters interacted

What other book might you compare Mariners of Gor to and why?

none

What does Ralph Lister bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

the changing of voice

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

the end of the gorean world

Any additional comments?

very interesting book

In which we are told a tale of Ships and Far Shore

Our Narrator is not Tarl Cabot here, but Tarl is very much present in this story. This is a return to what I expect of a Gor Novel, thorns and all. I loved it, I loved the different narrator, and understand why it was necessary. Comments on the story would all be spoilers,but Tarl Cabot ends going on a grand adventure to the Ends of the World. Enjoy.

Confused narration but otherwise typical Gor

Gor books tend to bi-polar. They alternate between sequences of excellent adventure and sequences of Slave, Sleen! Slave, Master. Generally in the hardcopy form you can skip the repetitive and annoying Slave, Sleen! Slave, Master chunks and get to the excellent adventures (or I suppose you could do the reverse). You can't do that easily with an audio novel.

Also the book's narration is confused. The narrator goes over large chunks of obsessive details about Gorean slavery but the book sets it up that the narrator is telling his story to other Goreans. That worked when it was Carl Tabot telling us the story but not so well in this context. Also the narration switches between 'the stranger' and the scribe at different times but both speak in the first person and have the same 'voice' as Carl Tabot. Even worse its the tangle created when the narrator related bits they were told by a woman which is also told in the first person and leaves the impression of the dangerous "stranger" relating this tale and acting out the girl parts. Kind of odd.

Still the action adventure bits were good. He drops you into the action in a way no other writers of swords and sorcery do and I think he could have been one of the greats if he skipped the Slave, Sleen! Slave, Master bits or isolated them to their own book series.

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Title: Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic

Subtitle: The Thirteenth Rib

Author: David J. Schwartz

Narrator: Janina Edwards

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 49 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Meet the newest professor at Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic, Joy Wilkins. She may suffer from face blindness, but Joy can still recognize people by reading their auras - a skill that comes in particularly handy for her real work as an undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Magical Affairs. Her mission: To discover the source of weaponized demons being trafficked through the quaint school on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and to locate her predecessor, the schools missing History of Magic professor.

But just as her investigation gets under way, the brutal murder of Joys handler - and mentor - sets her on the trail of a secret society known as the Thirteenth Rib. With the clock ticking down to the next attack, Joy will have to find new allies and uncover ancient secrets if shes going to have any chance of defeating a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the entire world.

Members Reviews:

Great idea - often hard to follow (for me)

A great idea about an Earth where magic works and can be taught.

Too many sub-plots for me - perhaps a fault of mine. Perhaps if they had been better tied together towards the end? Or this may be the author's way of creating threads that will be addressed in additional books in a series. I just think there were too many threads.

The narrator's speaking style is far too choppy for me to enjoy (think Shatner's Kirk but even more so). Other narrators do a better job at providing distinctive voices for the various characters.

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Title: Swordsmen of Gor

Subtitle: Gorean Saga, Book 29

Author: John Norman

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

John Norman's epic Gorean Saga is one of the longest-running and most successful series in the history of fantasy. It is also one of the most controversial.

Over the course of more than thirty books produced over a span of six decades, the series has sold millions of copies and built legions of fans unrivaled in their devotion. E-Reads invites you to rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire.

Members Reviews:

teaching the Tarn

Where does Swordsmen of Gor rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

it sits at the close top

What was one of the most memorable moments of Swordsmen of Gor?

he gives the slave to the earth man

Which character as performed by Ralph Lister was your favorite?

as always Tarl or boss which every name he wants to go by

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Teaching the meaning of Hornor

Since nobody else has reviewed this book and so I won't give spoilers I will post the jacket

Fresh from his exploits in the Steel Worlds, home of the Kurii, a savage alien race intent on conquering Gor, Tarl Cabot has been returned to an isolated beach, at coordinates apparently specified by the Priest-Kings, the masters of Gor and the enemy of the Kurii. His only companions are his beautiful new slave Cecily, and Ramar, a ferocious sleen bred in the Steel Worlds to hunt and kill. But why has he been returned to such a remote spot? Did the Priest-Kings wish their former agent to serve them once more? Did the Kurii intend to use Cabot to further their own ends? The truth, as Tarl will learn, is darker, and deeper, than either of these possibilities.In SWORDSMEN OF GOR, the latest book in John Norman's best-selling Gorean saga, follow Tarl as he embarks on a new adventure with the Pani, a strange people with mysterious origins, and learn the dark, sinister truth behind his return to Gor, the Counter-Earth.

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Title: The Priest of Blood

Author: Douglas Clegg

Narrator: Napoleon Ryan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The man known as Falconer was born the bastard son of a whore, served the royal court as a predator trainer, and warred against the infidel Saracens as a conscripted soldier in the Holy Land. But it wasn't until he found himself in the arms of a creature called Pythia that he found his destiny - as a vampire.

Members Reviews:

A riveting experience!

This story kept me fully engaged and on my toes, such a great series! I love this book!

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Title: To Visit the Queen

Author: Diane Duane

Narrator: Angele Masters

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-08-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 48 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Rhiow, Urruah, and Arhu, the wizard cats who saved New York City in "The Book of Night with Moon", are summoned to London to deal with a crisis which affects the very fabric of time.

Editorial Reviews:

The second book in Diane Duane's Feline Wizards series, To Visit the Queen sees Rhiow and her Grand Central Station cat team time traveling back to 1874 to stop an attempted assassination on Queen Victoria, with the help of Arthur Conan Doyle. If they aren't successful, their nemesis will be able to change the course of history and destroy the world. Angele Masters juggles the demands of Duane's story with ease, flipping between the mewling and purring felines and a posh English accent, helping to set the scene as well as delineate these unforgettable characters.

Members Reviews:

If you liked the first, you'll like this one

This is a fitting sequel, a lot like the one before it in the series - very wordy and exposition-heavy, with engaging characters and humorous tidbits for cat lovers. This one in particular will delight British history nerds.

(Spoilers below)

I like Duane's stories on the whole, but I do wish that in this series she'd stop attacking every female character that isn't Rhiow. So far one has died senselessly, one was killed off albeit heroically, one turned evil with no warning and was then abruptly killed, and the remaining two who live each got a pompous lecture from the people around them for being too darn emotional. It's an unpleasant trend, implying that only one living and heroic female character is allowed here.

Definitely a favorite!

As always, great prose and a good storyline with memorable characters and a setting that just won't quit. The backstory is an iceberg, key details show the depth of a rich well-woven world with solidly consistent magical rules and continuity. The cats are wonderful. Rhiow's interaction with humans and other cats isn't anthropomorphized. It's clear to me the author has been adopted by cats and taught the civilizing politeness they extend to any creature intelligent enough to learn it. Details of cat behavior and cattitude are spot on accurate. These characters are not small humans in cat suits. They're cats who happen to be able to speak a magical language that transcends physical barriers of phonemes cats' mouths don't allow them to make.

In real life, even without magic, cats understand a great deal more English language than people credit them for. They're intelligent, sensitive and may have greater social skills than the humans they live with. This novel is the second in a series that delights me, there are two others. Please, please continue the series!

A cat lovers' favorite, you'll want all three and to meow loudly at the author to write more of these!

has appeal for anyone who likes urban fantasy and the eternal struggle of good against evil

Diane Duane's feline wizards have long been favorites, so to re-visit them in this book was a pleasure. The scenes are vivid, the charactters complex and interesting, and while (I think) written as a YA novel, has appeal for anyone who likes urban fantasy and the eternal struggle of good against evil. I would recommend reading the first novel before this one for a more complete introduction to the feline wizards, however, it can and does stand alone.

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Title: Spirits from Beyond

Subtitle: A Ghost Finders Novel, Book 4

Author: Simon R. Green

Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-02-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 87 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Their latest assignment takes JC and the team to a small country village, site of a famously haunted inn. At first, JC thinks that the spirits in the Kings Arms are more the stuff of urban legend than anything that needs the Ghost Finders expertise. Then one story rings true: The tale of a traveler trapped by an unusual thunderstorm who retired to her room for the night - and vanished. Trapped by an unusual thunderstorm - like the one that begins raging outside shortly after they arrive As the team investigates, they are forced, one by one, to face some hard truths about themselves, their relationships, and the haunting itself - truths that may push Happy Jack over the edge and into the madness he has always feared...

Members Reviews:

I can't stand the new narrator.

the choice to replace the original narrator with Tim Reynolds completely changes the tone of the book. the character of JC comes across like a totally different character when portrayed by this different voice actor. I'm really upset by this the first three books for perfect and I love each and every character and they sounded like a Simon R green book. this feels forced and it feels like something that was written by someone else with the when the delivery is done in this way.

New Narrator did not stand up to the old one

If you could sum up Spirits from Beyond in three words, what would they be?

Crazy British ghosts!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Happy

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tim Gerard Reynolds?

Toby Leonard Moore

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Happy's struggles in this book were very moving!

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book as much as the others in the series but was very disappointed in the change of narrators.

Great book poor performance

The narration seems to have changed dramatically. All the characters lost their sarcastic jovial nature to anger, serious and fighting. Even when the book says they have joyful banter, it comes across as hate and anger. It is also hard to tell character voices apart from each other at times unlike in the previous books. I really am not a fan of changing narrators, though I know it is inevitable at times. But should find somebody as close to the original one as possible.

Good stuff! Thank you!!!

Why must I write more when my rating must show you what I think of the story??? Well done, g

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Title: The Tilian Cure

Subtitle: Book Three of The Pandemic Sequence

Author: Tom Calen

Narrator: Scott Aiello

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 59 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The virus spread quicker than anyone could have imagined. Within days, over half the world's population became infected. Now a small band of survivors, led by high school teacher Mike Allard, must learn to live in a world ravaged by the deadly victims of the Tilian Virus. Weaving together two separate time frames, The Tilian Cure is a tale of humankind's most dire hour. Faced with imminent elimination, humanity's last glimmers struggle to break through the darkness of a pandemic the world has never before experienced.

Editorial Reviews:

Narrator Scott Aiello's riveting performance will provide listeners a strong sense of satisfaction as he wraps up the final book in the Pandemic Sequence trilogy. Aiello also narrated the previous two installments, and his familiarity with the characters allows listeners to easily identify with them. Now that the victims of the plague, known as "Tils", are going through a disturbing evolution, the survivors of the plague must find a means to put an end to the threat engulfing the world. Aiello gives characters complex layers of emotions and thoughts, and he imbues the story's surprising ending with finality and gravitas.

Members Reviews:

good end to the series

Would you try another book from Tom Calen and/or Scott Aiello?

yes, the author's storytelling is pretty good but rushed at times. i really enjoyed scott aiello's narration. he has a familiar, warm voice that lulls you easily into the story.

Any additional comments?

three weeks have passed since the end of book 2. in texas, paul, hicks, and dereck are trying to figure out what to do about the hoard- the 200+ survivors they now find themselves in charge of after overthrowing the previous leadership. paul wants to lead them to one of the designated rendezvous points so that people can decide whether they want to go to new cuba or stay on the u.s. mainland and continue to look for survivors. as they debate the future of the hoard, a series of high-pitched screams rattles the camp. paul, hicks, and dereck rush through the camp to find the source of the screams. when they arrive at the right tent, they learn that a till has managed to sneak into the camp and into the girl's tent. however instead of attacking the little girl, the till mysteriously flees. un-nerved by the till's actions, paul reluctantly allows hicks and dereck to track the till in order to find out if there are more tills around and why the tills' behavior seems to be changing. what they discover will have serious repercussions for the entire hoard.

elsewhere at fort polk in louisiana, mike, michele, lisa, eric, and matt have disposed of the tills that attacked the base. mike, eric, and lisa are determined to find paul and tell him the truth about the conspiracy. against mike's wishes, michele and matt head back to new cuba in an attempt to retrieve more arc (acoustic restraint and coercion) devices in order to be able to fight the tills. michele also wants to confront duncan, the leader of the gov't council in new cuba, about his role in creating the tillian virus and causing the current apocylapse.

the final book in this series nicely brings together and wraps up all the different storylines. if you've listened to the first 2 books, then i think you'll like how the stories converge and finally end.

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Title: Captive Moon

Author: C. T. Adams, Kathy Clamp

Narrator: Adam Epstein

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

World-class entertainer and Sazi councilmember Antoine Monier has taken his big cats all over the world without any trouble - until his latest trip to Stuttgart, where one of his tigers is stolen and killed. To Antoine's surprise, the German police have another tiger in custody - a tiger who is actually a lovely Turkish-American woman, Tahira Kuric. Like Antoine, Tahira is a shapeshifter, but of the Hayalet Kabile, the ghost tribe of shapeshifters. And despite their immediate attraction, Tahira wants nothing to do with Antoine - the Sazi are the enemy of the Hayalet Kabile. But Tahira doesn't have a choice, because she and Antoine have discovered that she is a fabled "power well", able to store magical energy from other shapeshifters - and something is hunting her, eager to use her powers for itself. Only if they can set aside their peoples' ancient rivalry and rely completely on each other - body and soul - can Tahira and Antoine save themselves and their people.

Editorial Reviews:

Captive Moon is the third in the Tales of Sazi series. For some eager listeners, that's enough said. C. T. Adams and Kathy Clamp present another wild supernatural romance with scintillating sex scenes. This time, the authors tackle a new protagonist: shape-shifter Antoine Moneir. Adam Epstein's performance yet again captures the protagonist's tough-guy voice. When it comes to the juiciest scenes, his tone and pacing are hypnotizing. It turns out that Epstein even speaks a little German! Sazi fans, get ready to be captive to Captive Moon for the next seven hours.

Members Reviews:

my two favorite authors do it again!

this is the 4th time I've been through this book as I once again work my way through ct' s and cathy's great Sazi series! Bing listen to this series! it's spectacular!