Mini Review Four Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a regular part of my reading life. During my commute and workday, I listen to books or podcasts. Lately, I’ve had a run of really, really good audiobooks. Ones that I will listen to again. Ones that I may even read. Since I don’t listen to audiobooks with the same attention to detail that I give to reading, these are mini-reviews. Each of these books is highly recommended.

Space Opera

by Catherynne Valente
Read by Heath Miller

From the Publisher:

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets the joy and glamour of Eurovision in bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente’s science fiction spectacle, where sentient races compete for glory in a galactic musical contest…and the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth.

A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented—something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.

Once every cycle, the great galactic civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix—part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Species far and wide compete in feats of song, dance and/or whatever facsimile of these can be performed by various creatures who may or may not possess, in the traditional sense, feet, mouths, larynxes, or faces. And if a new species should wish to be counted among the high and the mighty, if a new planet has produced some savage group of animals, machines, or algae that claim to be, against all odds, sentient? Well, then they will have to compete. And if they fail? Sudden extermination for their entire species.

This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny—they must sing.

Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes have been chosen to represent their planet on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of Earth lies in their ability to rock.

Mini-Review:

Any new work by Valente is a purchase for me. I’ve loved her work from Palimpsest to Deathless and now to Space Opera; after reading Space Opera on my Nook app, I wanted to read it again but didn’t have time. Thus, the audiobook. This Hugo nominee combines the Valente’s beautiful prose with Adams oddball humor and the grandeur of Eurovision. This is a book about the universality – pun intended – of art’s power. In Space Opera, humanity’s survival depends open our ability to put on a show. Both Valente and Miller put on a spectacle with this audiobook. Miller brings life to Valente’s gorgeous prose. If he were still alive, Douglas Adams would take kindly to being compared to this book. Not only will I read the book again, I’ll listen to the audiobook again and again.

The Expats

by Chris Pavone
Read by Mozhan Marno

From the Publisher:

Can we ever escape our secrets?

In the cobblestoned streets of Luxembourg, Kate Moore’s days are filled with playdates and coffee mornings, her weekends spent in Paris and skiing in the Alps. But Kate is also guarding a tremendous, life-defining secret—one that’s become so unbearable that it begins to unravel her newly established expat life. She suspects that another American couple are not who they claim to be; her husband is acting suspiciously; and as she travels around Europe, she finds herself looking over her shoulder, increasingly terrified that her own past is catching up with her. As Kate begins to dig, to uncover the secrets of the people around her, she finds herself buried in layers of deceit so thick they threaten her family, her marriage, and her life.

Stylish and sophisticated, fiercely intelligent, and expertly crafted, The Expats proves Chris Pavone to be a writer of tremendous talent.

Mini-Review:

What’s the natural next step for a woman retiring from espionage? If you said housewife in Luxembourg, then this is the book for you. The Expats was a recommendation, and what a surprise it ended up being. Following Kate Moore’s new life in Europe was an unexpected pleasure. Secrets abound, and unraveling each one makes for a tense tale. Most of the mysteries end up being surprising but natural. Now, I’m waiting for the audiobook of The Parisians, which is the sequel to this.

We Sold Our Souls

by Grady Hendrix
Read by Carol Monda

From the Publisher:

In this hard-rocking, spine-tingling supernatural thriller, the washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.

Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.

Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. One day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is one woman’s epic journey to reclaim her life—and save her soul.

Mini-Review:

I rarely read horror anymore, but I had to dip into this one just because the covers are amazing. I loved this book. Hendrix wrote a fantastic tale that has given me many Thoughts. Yes, thoughts with capital t, the big ones. Most importantly, I love that it’s about heavy metal saving someone’s life. Art, no matter the medium, has the potential to inspire, to make life more than just the day to day drudgery of living. We follow Kris’s journey to reconnect with her own art and, by extension, save her life. Carol Monda makes Kris come alive and captures her attitude. While there’s a supernatural aspect to this story, the human components are the most compelling. Black Iron Mountain weighs you down. Sterile culture weighs you down. Creativity sets you free.

The Stars Now Unclaimed

by Drew Williams
Read by Brittany Pressley

From the Publisher:

Drew Williams’s The Stars Now Unclaimed, the first volume of The Universe After series, is a fun, adventure-filled space opera set in a far-future galaxy.

Jane Kamali is an agent for the Justified. Her mission: to recruit children with miraculous gifts in the hope that they might prevent the Pulse from once again sending countless worlds back to the dark ages.

Hot on her trail is the Pax–a collection of fascist zealots who believe they are the rightful rulers of the galaxy and who remain untouched by the Pulse.

Now Jane, a handful of comrades from her past, and a telekinetic girl called Esa must fight their way through a galaxy full of dangerous conflicts, remnants of ancient technology, and other hidden dangers.

And that’s just the beginning . .

Mini-Review:

So, I owe Drew Williams an apology. When it was released, I read a few pages of this book and made an immediate judgment. A wrong judgment. I thought this book was about superheroes protecting earth from the Pulse. Whatever that was. It didn’t interest me. I set it down but apparently never let it go. After reading a couple positive reviews, I decided to give it a shot and lucked out that it was available from the library. Instead, The Stars Now Unclaimed scratched the space opera itch that I have. The novel is a post-apocalyptic universe story, and it’s excellent. The baddies, call the Pax, remind me of the Reavers from Firefly but without the problematic bits. While the protagonist of this novel saves the “children with miraculous gifts” before the baddies, she does so by kidnapping the kids off their home planets. Yes, the hero of this story kidnaps children. There exist shades of morality within this tale, not quite grimdark shading, but shading nonetheless. The Stars Now Unclaimed contains all the hallmarks of a space opera with an ending that makes me excited for the next volume in The Universe After.

What audiobooks are you listening to?