Listen to Top 100 Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

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Title: No Time Like the Past

Subtitle: The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 5

Author: Jodi Taylor

Narrator: Zara Ramm

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-21-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1835 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Jodi Taylors best-selling series The Chronicles of St Mary is back with a bang.

St. Marys has been rebuilt ,and its business as usual for the history department. But first theres the little matter of a 17th-century ghost that only Mr. Markham can see. Not to mention the minor inconvenience of being trapped in the Great Fire of Londonand an unfortunately timed comfort break at Thermopylae, leaving the fate of the Western world hanging in the balance.

Rejoin Maxs madcap journey through time in Jodi Taylors fifth interdimensional instalment No Time Like the Past.

Jodi Taylor, International Woman of Mystery, spent some time working undercover for North Yorkshire County Library Service. Heavily disguised as the world's most incompetent facilities manager, she shifted dead dogs, fell out of mobile libraries, and spent far too much time in the gents' toilets.

The idea to rewrite history first came to her while studying history A level at an evening class. Just One Damned Thing After Another is her first novel and was originally self-published as an e-book; it was downloaded by more than 60,000 readers on Amazon.

Members Reviews:

Ms. Taylor Does it Again!

If you could sum up No Time Like the Past in three words, what would they be?

funny,educational,entertaining

Who was your favorite character and why?

Max,of course. She is my hero!

What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Zara Ramm is incredible! She is perfect! Her tone magnifies the funny bits,and brings the characters to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing really extreme. Wait...do I smell asparagus? Could be a reaction from laughing so hard. You'll understand after you've read it..lol

Any additional comments?

I didn't know what to expect when I started this series. Now I know I'm going to be entertained with each installment. No Time Like the Past was as funny and educational as the others. Can't recommend this series highly enough.

Spell bounding series.

The narration is spot on!

The story is historically accurate and, with astonishment, wildly entertaining!

A highly suggested way to waste massive amounts of time!

Absolutely fabulous

I have loved this series from the first. It is adventurous, suspenseful and charming. Maxwell will make you shake your head and Malcolm and Peterson will make you hold your breath. If you like history with a lot of British humor than you would love this.

This might be the best installment yet...

I came across this series by chance and I am so glad I did! The first book had me so glued to the story I listened to it in one session. Each sequel has had its share of excitement, twists and adventures, but this one had me from hello, all over again.

Zara Ramm's narration has once again brought the story to life perfectly. I was delighted to learn the short stories are now available in audio too.

Well done, Ms. Taylor, as a reader all I can say is... "An honour and a privilege" -- and I can hardly wait for the next one!

I love this series!

I have all the St Marys books on both Kindle and Audible. They are smart and funny, and Zara Ramm here does her usual outstanding job of embodying the spirit of the stories. I highly recommend them all.

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Title: Gilded Wings

Author: Cameo Renae

Narrator: Susannah Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 312 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

As the final battle draws near, Emma finds herself bound under an unbreakable oath. She must seal the bond with Ethon before her transformation, or risk her life and the lives of those she truly loves. Who she wants is no longer an option.

Lucian has unleashed troops of evil beasts from the Underworld, making it impossible for Emma to leave the protective barrier of Alaine's home. War is inevitable. The Guardians will need to stay and fight their ground, hoping Lucifer keeps his end of the deal and comes to their aid.

In this epic series conclusion, burning questions will be answered, lives will be lost, and sacrifices will be made. But who will survive, and at what cost?

Members Reviews:

Loved it

I absolutely love this series. I wish there was a Cade and Grandia. I wish I had wings too

intrigued and bound

i loved this book series. im amazed at how well the narrator gets you involved with the story! she is so animated with her voice. I tried this book by chance and I'm glad. you should try it too.

Loved it

This series has been awesome!! One of the best series I've read. It took me a little bit to get into the series at first but then I loved it!

Amazing series!

I was glad all 4 books were out in the series when I discovered it. The series was better than I expected. The narrator was awesome. One of the best I have heard. Was extremely glad the same one was kept through all the books.

awesome book!

this book was an amazing book it had its ups and downs sadness but extrteam happiness it was also hilarious at times Abe made me lol.

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Title: Every Witch Way but Wicked

Subtitle: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery, Book 2

Author: Amanda M. Lee

Narrator: Aris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-01-15

Publisher: Amanda M. Lee

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 295 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Where there's a witch, there's a way! Where there's a whole family of them, there's trouble. Bay Winchester, editor of Hemlock Cove's small weekly newspaper, thinks her small hamlet's upcoming murder mystery weekend is going to be all about fun, food, and frolicking. Instead, when another dead body is discovered in Hemlock Cove, things turn into murder, mayhem, and migraines (the latter is mostly thanks to her family, of course). The body belongs to the town drunk - and no one can figure out who would want to kill him, or why. Bay's investigation is stymied by her new boss, Brian Kelly, and her old flirtation, FBI agent Landon Michaels, both of whom seem to have more than interviews on their mind. When you couple that with her cousin Thistle's obsession with making their Great-Aunt Tillie pay for the curse she recently put on them (you don't want to know) and her cousin Clove's conviction that she is not - no matter what the rest of the family says - a blabbermouth, Bay has her hands full. When the murder investigation takes a turn, though, a long-held Hemlock Cove secret is bound to be exposed. If it is, Bay may find herself in trouble - again - and this is the kind of trouble that she may not be able to find a way out of - even with Aunt Tillie's help.

Members Reviews:

Book is great

Love the witches in this book, they are snarky. the narrator is good too and clear. the only thing that prevented me from rating it five stars was that the narrator needs to slow down.

Noticeable improvement over 1st book

Although I'm still abruptly jolted out of the story by more adverb over usage than I can count, the story isn't as forecasted and it's more challenging to figure who-done-it. Nice. The narrator needs to stop assuming she knows how to pronounce words she's apparently not heard before (an unfortunate side effect of big readers). Aris, PLEASE learn how to pronounce "vehemently" and "amiable". It pulls me away from the story every time. Editors?? Do you even listen and critique? At lease Aris is beginning to slow down and enjoy telling the story instead of beating all speed reading records. Act it and it's far more enjoyable for all of us. Professional narration is no longer merely reading a story aloud. It's an entertainment industry and meant to bring the story to life. You can do this Aris. Keep learning!

Enjoyed the story but not the narration

I really enjoyed the story, however every male character has the same voice, and every female character has the same voice. All the characters have this very dull almost disgusted tone, I did not enjoy the narration which made getting through this story long and tedious.

As always. This author rocks

This story is awesome. I laugh so much I almost wet my pants. Lol. It's even better in audio. This whole series rocks.

I for one can't wait for the next audio in this series.

New favorite author

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Aunt Tillie. I was constantly looking forward to her next bit of mischief.

Any additional comments?

The mystery was pretty easy to solve but the comedy more than made up for it. I laughed through out the whole book. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out on audio.

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Title: Prudence

Author: Gail Carriger

Narrator: Moira Quirk

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-17-15

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1368 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Introducing the Custard Protocol series, in which Alexia Maccon's daughter, Prudence, travels to India on behalf of queen, country--and the perfect pot of tea.

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama ("Rue" to her friends) is bequeathed an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female under similar circumstances would do: she christens it the Spotted Custard and floats off to India.

Soon she stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis (and an embarrassing lack of bloomers), Rue must rely on her good breeding--and her metanatural abilities--to get to the bottom of it all.

Critic Reviews:

"Soulless has all the delicate charm of a Victorian parasol, and all the wicked force of a Victorian parasol secretly weighted with brass shot and expertly wielded. Ravishing." (Lev Grossman)

"The world of Timeless is a unique recipe of steampunk and fantasy spiced with light sprinkling of romance. Its setting is rich for characters to romp about in, but the unbridled playfulness of the language and dialogue shines brightest." (The Miami Herald)

Members Reviews:

Delightful book but an audible misstep

Any additional comments?

I love Moira Quirk's narration of the Finishing School series. I don't think she's a bad narrator at all. But when I listened to Prudence, it was like listening to the Finishing School characters reading the parts of the Parasol Protectorate/Custard Protocol.

Also, Biffy's last name is not pronounced correctly (how do you get Biffy from Rabiffano unless there's a Biff in there?) and he has a slight Spanish accent. It's made quite clear in Heartless that Biffy's Spanish name & heritage come as a shock to Alexia, meaning that he doesn't have an accent.

This is the first time I've ever considered returning one of Gail Carriger's books. I love the audiobooks for the Parasol Protectorate and it breaks my heart that I won't be able to listen to Rue's adventures.

Pronunciations and character voices are Different!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Prudence?

Most memorable so far is the shock of different pronunciation of names of favorite characters. Just because it's technically a new series does not mean that characters from the Parasol Protecterate all of a sudden have new backgrounds. Biffy was Spanish and now sounds like he's from Romania.

Did Moira Quirk do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

The switch in narration from Ms. Gray to Ms. Quirk caused me a shock this morning when I started listening. Name pronunciation for Biffy and Dama is different. After all previous books had a consistent pronunciation, why did the director and narrator have to switch? Also, Biffy is made to sound like a bad Dracula. Dama's new voice is reminiscent of Mel Brooks (the Priest) in Princess Bride, sounding like there are cotton balls in his mouth.

Like more Finishing School and not in a good way

What could Gail Carriger have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Stop me if this sounds familiar: headstrong girl has adventure on a floating ship.

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Title: Caliban's War

Subtitle: Book 2 of the Expanse

Author: James S. A. Corey

Narrator: Jefferson Mays

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-12-15

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 292 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

For someone who didn't intend to wreck the solar system's fragile balance of power, Jim Holden did a pretty good job of it. While Earth and Mars have stopped shooting each other, the core alliance is shattered. The outer planets and the Belt are uncertain in their new - possibly temporary - autonomy.

Then, on one of Jupiter's moons, a single super-soldier attacks, slaughtering soldiers of Earth and Mars indiscriminately and reigniting the war. The race is on to discover whether this is the vanguard of an alien army, or if the danger lies closer to home.

Critic Reviews:

"This breakneck tale will have readers itching for book three" (Publishers Weekly)

"Great characters, excellent dialogue, memorable fights, freakish experiments, and twisty-turny mysteries . . . Only an excellent book series can pull them all off, and the Expanse will definitely be added to the shortlist of science fiction tales that manage to do so" (wired.com)

"Those who enjoyed the first book will enjoy CALIBAN'S WAR as much, if not more . . . A crackingly enjoyable read" (SFF World)

Members Reviews:

Sci-fi done right

Book two was full of twists and turns, just as the first book, Leviathan Wakes, was. Full of twists and turns that keep you reading(or listening) forever. While structured similarly to the first book it did not feel stale or lazy. If you enjoy reading about space apocalypses and daring renegades saving the day. You will get that and more from this book.

Nice overall.

Good job by the reader. Good story plagued by a couple of conspicuous inconsistencies, such as making a narrative point of a spacecraft having an airlock at one point, and then a new narrative point of it lacking airlocks at another.

Even better than the first one

Great space opera - feels classic and yet fresh.

I missed Miller - he was substituted by Avasarala's greatness though. Also Prax was just too whiny.

Those are small blemishes though. This is a must-listen :)

Excellent sequel to Leviathan Wakes

Excellent second entry in the Expanse series following the discovery of an Alien Proto-Molecule in our Solar System and the effects it has on individuals, on politics and on the military.

Many of the original characters are back alone with a few new ones. I especially liked the potty-mouthed Politician and Granny Avasarala.

Very well read by Jefferson Mays, Im really looking forward to the third book.

Solid, Science Based and Fantastic

If you like solid sciences based SF with a good storyline, well developed and interesting characters and some really thought provoking elements, then this is for you! I loved it. Well performed, a great but human story. Very enjoyable.

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Title: The City Stained Red

Author: Sam Sykes

Narrator: David DeSantos

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-15

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 76 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Step up to the gates

After years in the wilds, Lenk and his companions have come to the city that serves as the world's beating heart.

The great charnel house where men die surer than any wilderness.

They've come to claim payment for creatures slain, blood spilled at the behest of a powerful holy man.

And Lenk has come to lay down his sword for good.

But this is no place to escape demons.

Members Reviews:

Witty, trope turning book. Need more from Sykes!

An awesome first book in a series, I wish there were more audiobooks from Sykes!

Narrator does a great job of presenting Sykes unique witty writing in a way that flows very well.

This series takes some fantasy tropes and turns them up on their head - a great thing for a genre that can become saturated with predictability.

Moments of laughter, confusion (the good kind), action, and sadness all happen organically, leaving you wanting more. definitely worth a listen.

Chaos and Characters

The City Stained Red is a fantasy novel, but only in an aesthetic sense. Sure, there's magic, monsters, demons, and swordfights, but the author has chosen to subvert standard fantasy storytelling tropes like heavy exposition, heroic protagonists, or even a clear division between good and evil. These subversions all feed perfectly into the central theme of the novel: chaos. The world of The City Stained Red is dirty, disorderly, and cruel; and the protagonists (I hesitate to call them the good guys) are not here to fix it.

The story opens in medias res (kind of), so instead of learning about the protagonists via exposition, their characters are revealed through their actions and interaction with each other and the world. Each has a unique way of coping with the immense chaos of the setting, so any reader will be able to identify well with at least one of them: whether the reader would just want to leave the chaos behind, try to find personal connection in the chaos, try to help others in the chaos, be at home in the chaos, look down on the chaos through a lens of simple axiomatic truths, or try to control the chaos by (literally) burning it all down.

The structure of the story eschews standard fantasy arcs like redemption or ordained quests, instead choosing to follow this scenario to fruition: what if six uniquely powerful people with various levels of decision-making skills entered a city like Jerusalem at the peak of Roman occupation? Powder keg is an understatement. The protagonists are broken people in a broken world, so of course their stories can come across as dirty and disjointed. One character is revealed to be a terrible (almost vile) human being, but instead of being given a chance for redemption, his arc completes when he realizes and accepts that he is a monster.

I do not want to leave the impression that this book is overall dower or dreary; it is actually a very fun read. The author often portrays the most chaotic moments as whacky hijinks; the dialogue and descriptions are freckled with wit and hilarious analogies. David DeSantos performance is fantastic: despite the large number of main characters, he is able to make each voice instantly recognizable and characteristically appropriate. Bravo! I sincerely hope that Audible commissions his performance for the other novels in this series.

If you enjoy fantasy novels, read this book. If you enjoy wit and humor, read this book.

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Title: The Singer

Author: Elizabeth Hunter

Narrator: Zachary Webber

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 702 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

When you've lost everything you love, how do you fight the darkness? Ava left Istanbul with a new identity, new name, and new magic she could barely control. Laid low by Malachi's sacrifice, she searches for help from the fabled Irina. But will the secretive women of the Irin race welcome or shun her? Ava's origins are still a mystery, and her powers are darker than any they've encountered before. The Irin world hangs in the balance. And as the children of angels battle their own demons, ancient rivalries among the Fallen threaten to wreak havoc on earth.

Thousands of miles away, a warrior wakes with no memory of his identity or his people. Stumbling through the twisted schemes of fallen angels, ravenous Grigori, and even his own leaders, he must find a way back to the one thing he remembers. A single voice calls him. Malachi has one mission. "Come back to me."

The Singer is the second book in the Irin Chronicles, a contemporary fantasy series from Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries.

Members Reviews:

I Sing for The Singer

I listened to this book, which is the second in the Irin Chronicles series. The first book blew me away, not only with the richness and depth of the story and characters but also by the intelligent, moving and powerful narration by Zachary Webber. Audio books are always a crap-shoot depending on the narrator and this time Audible.com (or whoever produced it) got it right.

This is a wonderfully conceived and developed mythology and tale of half-breed angels (both good and bad), a woman, Ava, who struggles with voices that she cannot elude not knowing or understanding that she is an Irina (a remale Irin)and an Irin, Malachi (one of the half-breed good guys)--their story of falling in love and commitment and of the supreme sacrifice made by one so the other could live. The second book picks up where the first ended (thank god) and we learn of how Ava and Malachi's love endures beyond the pale and how Ava's love for him is the catalyst for an epic deed.

Unfolding along side this powerful love is the onslaught of the Gregori (the bad guys) and the Fallen Angels who control them as they war with the Irin (and Irina, as the women are called). The magical world of these beings is of such incredible depth that I often had to delay listening further so I could bask in the substance of the story and it's characters.

I thought The Elemental Mysteries was a spectacular series...I was not prepared for The Irin Chronicles to be as good (if not better) and I am now bereft of this world until Book 3 is released. If you enjoy paranormal romance (hell, paranormal LOVE) coupled with a very powerful and smart writer AND a gifted narrator, DO NOT MISS THIS SERIES.

Gut wrenching

If you could sum up The Singer in three words, what would they be?

Loved it more the second time around but was a little lost with the addition of all the new characters .Hunter truly puts to words what it feels to have lost such a vital part of ones life.Well written, well narrated , and although I found book 2 a little dryer with the story of the Irinas, now that I've gone back to re read after completing the series, it makes a whole lot of sense.Great read, in depth characters and still my one of my favorite series.Ah the sex is more intense, I thought it was important to let you know.

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Title: City of Golden Shadow

Subtitle: Otherland, Book 1

Author: Tad Williams

Narrator: George Newbern

Format: Unabridged

Length: 28 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-14

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 907 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Surrounded by secrecy, it is home to the wildest dreams and darkest nightmares. Incredible amounts of money have been lavished on it. The best minds of two generations have labored to build it. And somehow, bit by bit, it is claiming the Earth's most valuable resource - its children.

Members Reviews:

Weird. Seriously weird.

WAIT! Don't give up too soon!

The City of Golden Shadow opens with trench warfare. Oh no, says I, no way I'm listening to another WWI trench warfare book. I almost quit right there, but fortunately I hung in for a few more minutes and the narrative took a turn for the truly bizarre. This has to be one of the oddest opening sequences ever written. I knew right then that I was probably going to give it a pretty high rating.

The story takes place towards the end of this century (mostly?), shifting back and forth between RL and VR ( real life and virtual reality.) The main character is a female South African computer teacher, a sort of cyber detective. Her student/sidekick, a bushman, provides an interesting counterpoint to the high tech world they work in (literally!)

I like the book. Really. Still, I have to say it's awfully long.... And then there are the three remaining volumes staring me in the face. And be warned, if you make to the end of this one, you'll pretty much have to read the rest. Combined, the series adds up to Nearly 120 hours, so you won't like this book unless you REALLY like this kind of book.

As for the narration, I thought it was dead on. One thing to watch out for: within a chapter, there is absolutely no break as the scene shifts from one character/situation to another. At first I was a little frustrated, but then I decided that it was precisely the right approach to convey how very confused the characters were most of the time. (Is virtual reality just a fancy term for unreality?)

This book gets an extra star just for the sheer magnitude of intriguing strangeness. I was going to give it three because there were times when I felt like I was slogging through molasses and I wanted it to start clearing up some of the mysteries, but I kept going back to the delightful weirdness. I confess that I plan to take quite a long break before I start the next book in the series.

You will want to listen to the Otherland series

You are probably reading this review wondering if this book or series is worth your time and money. YES! The Otherland books is one of my all time favorites and I am not easy to please. Have patience this book takes a little time to get into and is confusing at first with it's many story lines but by the time you get to the end of Sea of Silver Light the 4 the book in the series you will sit back and go WOW! I never wanted the story to end it was so much fun. I felt like I was saying goodby to close friends. This is worth your money and time and will be a story you can return to time and time again with great enjoyment. A true classic.

A challenge George Newbern meets with triumph

I won't write a long review of this wonderful tale, a reader's dream of virtual lands made up of book worlds: Alice Through the Looking Glass, Gormenghast,, Borroughs' Mars books, etc. I've read it four times through in book form; I find George Newbern's reading wonderful.

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Title: Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen

Author: Garth Nix

Narrator: Graeme Malcolm

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-14

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1099 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The long-awaited fourth audiobook in the New York Times best-selling Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix.

Award-winning author Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom with a thrilling prequel complete with dark magic, royalty, dangerous action, a strong heroine, and flawless world-building. This epic fantasy adventure is destined to be a classic, and is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones.

Clariel is the daughter of one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most important, to the King. She dreams of living a simple life but discovers this is hard to achieve when a dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she finds hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?

Members Reviews:

Return to the Old Kingdom in an inverted YA novel

The original trilogy of Old Kingdom novels are some of my absolute favorite "young adult (but really for adults)" fantasy novels. The world building is terrific, the characters wonderful, and the writing style helps bring everything to life with appropriate mystery and majesty. In this new novel, Nix finds his inner George Lucas, presenting a prequel explaining the background of a character in the original series, though to much better results than Lucas achieved.The return to the Old Kingdom is welcome, and this book has some very clever elements that I won't reveal so as not to ruin surprises, but it never quite hits the heights of the prior three books.

Part of both the cleverness and slight difficulty engaging with the book is is due to the fact that it turns many of the tropes of YA fantasy novels on its head - the main heroine is asocial, not interested in romance, and generally aloof. But that isn't all. The book is full of YA tropes: we are taken early on to a magical academy full of potential enemies and allies (obvious shades of Hogwarts) or we are introduced to Parents Who Don't Understand the Heroine (shades of every YA book ever) or we are made aware of the character's special destiny. But the book turns every one of these tropes on its head, in ways that are sometimes satisfying, but also occasionally off-putting. Still, it is never boring, and I very much enjoyed the experience.

The reading is great, and, if you have read the other Old Kingdom books, you should certainly read this as well. Otherwise, you really, really should read Sabriel now - it is excellent, and, in its sequels Lireal and Abhorsen, sets up mysteries that Clariel answers, even if not always in the most ultimately satisfying way.

Great prequel to Abhorsen trilogy

This is a good story. Sad, but very much in the spirit of the first Abhorsen trilogy.

Book well read, although I miss Tim Curry.

All Free Magic and No Charter

What did you like best about Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen? What did you like least?

It was fun to see the Old Kingdom before its demise. You got a better view of the world beyond the wall than you had without reading Clariel. What was mainly lacking was Clariel herself.

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Title: City of Stairs

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Narrator: Alma Cuervo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 683 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

An atmospheric and intrigue-filled novel of dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, protean city- - from one of America's most acclaimed young fantasy writers. The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions - until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself - first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it - stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy. Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem - and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

Members Reviews:

Something Different

Wanting a break from my usual listening fare, I decided to give City of Stairs a listen. The book is described as a fantasy, but it is definitely not your typical story of Kings and Knights set in a world of Elves and Ogres. City of Stairs is set in a world with magic and wonders, but also some modern conveniences.

This book would seem to have all you need for a fantastic journey, starting with a very good performance by Alma Cuervo as the narrator, who's voice seemed perfect for the main character Sharra. The premise of the story is good as well. In a city built by gods, Sharra is a secret agent who has come to investigate the murder of a top government employee by the long suppressed people of the city. The gods have been killed by a long since dead relative of Sharra herself, and their country has been occupied ever since.

I liked the premise of this story right from the beginning, however quickly found out that there are some issues with this book as well. To start, the first half of the book starts to bog down as there is nothing really happening other than long sequences of info dumps. Characters seem to sit around and tell the story of how the city came into being rather than the story naturally laying out what had happened as the story progresses. In one example, Sharra is confronted by a city leader over her questioning of a citizen of the city. She reluctantly lets the citizen leave, and then is so angry that she invites everyone around her to the kitchen where she cooks a meal for them and proceeds to tell the entire history of every god, including what their beliefs are, their relationship with the other gods, and how they died. All interesting stuff, but the scenario made no sense, and the telling drug out miserably.

Other issues were the setting itself. I was intrigued by the setting initially as fantasy type books usually don't include such things as cars, trains, and guns. The odd thing though is that even though Sharra arrives and departs on a train, then rides in a car to the embassy, and speaks about the use of guns hundreds of years before, none of these things are featured much in the story. Cars are available, but everyone walks everywhere. Guns are available, yet everyone uses swords, knives, and cross bolts.