January 2024 MBR The Audiobook Shelf

The Audiobook Shelf

Sisters Under the Rising Sun
Heather Morris, author
Laura Carmichael, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250322838, $39.99, CD

https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Under-Rising-Sun-Novel/dp/1250322839

Synopsis: In the midst of World War II, an English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe from the Japanese army as they move down through the Pacific. Norah remains to care for her husband and elderly parents, knowing she may never see her child again.

Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Only two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia, and in a matter of hours, the Vyner Brooke lies broken on the seabed.

After surviving a brutal 24 hours in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. The camps are places of starvation and brutality, where disease runs rampant. Sisters in arms, Norah and Nesta fight side by side every day, helping whoever they can, and discovering in themselves and each other extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness and determination.

"Sisters under the Rising Sun" is a story of women in war: a novel of sisterhood, bravery and friendship in the darkest of circumstances.

Critique: A riveting 'theatre of the mind' experience brought vividly to life by the impressive narrative storytelling talents of Laura Carmichael, this complete and unabridged CD audio book edition from Macmillan Audio of "Sisters under the Rising Sun" by Heather Morris is a highly recommended pick for personal listening lists and community library Historical Fiction/World War II Fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Heather Morris is a native of New Zealand who now resides in Australia. For several years, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, she studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an Academy Award-winning screenwriter in the US. In 2003, Heather was introduced to an elderly gentleman who 'might just have a story worth telling'. The day she met Lale Sokolov changed both their lives. Their friendship grew and Lale embarked on a journey of self-scrutiny, entrusting the innermost details of his life during the Holocaust to her. Heather originally wrote Lale's story as a screenplay (which ranked high in international competitions) before reshaping it into her debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Editorial Note #2: Laura Carmichael is an English actress, most widely known for her performance as Lady Edith Crawley in the ITV (UK) and PBS (US) television period drama series Downtown Abbey. Her other work includes television series Marcella (2016), and the feature film A United Kingdom (2016). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Carmichael)

Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy
Nora Roberts, author
Brittany Pressley, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250902450, $39.99, CD

https://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Lost-Bride-Trilogy-1/dp/1250902452

Synopsis: 1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him...

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about - and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth - and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya's unease - and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted... but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle's office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as "the first lost bride." It's becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it.

Critique: Another gem of a story with elements of romance, mystery, and suspense, acclaimed novelist Nora Robert's "Inheritance" is brought fully to life by the narrative storytelling excellence of vocal actor Brittany Pressley. Volume 1 of Robert's 'The Lost Bride Trilogy', this complete and unabridged CD audio book is expressly and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections -- and a 'must' for the legions of Nora Robert's fans.

Editorial Note #1: Nora Roberts (https://noraroberts.com) is the author of more than 200 novels, including Shelter in Place, Year One, Come Sundown, and many more. She is also the author of the In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print.

Editorial Note #2: Brittany Pressley Brittany is an Audiofile Earphones award winning narrator in NYC. She has recorded over 100 titles and has received several nominations for American Library Association's annual list of Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and voice actress. Her voice can be heard on national and international TV and radio commercials as well as several animated series and video games. (https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Brittany+Pressley)

Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Mary Kay Andrews, author
Kathleen McInerney, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250902467, $39.99, CD

https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Lights-Big-Christmas-Novel/dp/1250902460

Synopsis: Newly single and unemployed Kerry Tolliver needs a second chance. When she moves back home to her family's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina, she is guilt tripped into helping her brother, Murphy, sell trees in New York City. She begrudgingly agrees, but she isn't happy about sharing a trailer with her brother in the East Village for two months. Plus, it's been years, since before her parents' divorce, that she's been to the city to sell Christmas trees.

Then, Kerry meets Patrick, the annoying Mercedes owner who parked in her spot for the first two days. Patrick is recently divorced, a father to a six year old son, and lives in the neighborhood. Can Kerry's first impressions about the recently divorced, single father, and (dare she say handsome) neighbor be wrong?

Surrounded by warm childhood memories, sparkling possibility, and the magic of Christmas in the City, will Kerry finally get the second chance she needs to find herself... and maybe even find love?

Critique: Of particular and very special interest to fans of deftly crafted romance novels set against the background of the Christmas season, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of novelist Mary Kay Andrews' "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" is expertly narrated by the storytelling talents of Kathleen McInerney who successfully presents this fun novella for the entertainment for the fans of romance and the holiday season of Christmas. Simply stated, "Bright Lights, Big Christmas" is a delightfully fun and unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community library Romance Fiction audio book collections.

Editorial Note: Mary Kay Andrews is the author of 27 novels including: Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Christmas Bliss; Ladies' Night; Spring Fever; and Summer Rental, all from St. Martin's Press, as well as Savannah Breeze; Blue Christmas; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues, all Harper Collins), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

Editorial Note #2: Kathleen McInerney has narrated numerous audiobooks by bestselling authors such as Emily Giffin, Danielle Steel, Jeffrey Stepakoff, Mary Kay Andrews, and Linda Castillo. Her narration of Just One Day by Gayle Forman won an AudioFile Earphones Award. She has appeared onstage in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and animation voice-overs.

The Fragile Threads of Power
V. E. Schwab, author
Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, Michael Kramer, narrators
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250911308, $59.99, CD

https://www.amazon.com/Fragile-Threads-Power/dp/1250911303

Synopsis: Once there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London.

After a desperate attempt to prevent corruption and ruin in the four Londons, there are left only three: Grey London, thriving but barely able to remember its magical heritage; Red London, ruled lately by the Maresh family, flourishing and powerful; White London, left to brutality and decay.

Now the worlds are going to collide anew -- brought to a dangerous precipice by the discoveries of three remarkable magicians.

There's Kosika, the child queen of White London, who has nourished her city on blood and dreams - and whose growing devotion to both is leading her down a dangerous path.

Then there's Delilah Bard, born a thief in Grey London, who crossed the worlds to become a legend far from there. She's an infamous magician, a devious heroine, and a risk-taking rogue, all rolled into one unforgettable package. Having disappeared to seek new adventure, an old favor now calls Lila back to a dangerous port, to join some old friends who need more help than they realize.

Last there is Tes, a young runaway with an unusual and powerful ability, hiding out in Red London while trying to stay out of the limelight.

Tes is the only one who can keep all the worlds from unraveling -- if she manages to stay alive first!

Critique: The first volume of author V. E. Schwab's new 'Threads of Power' fantasy series, and collaboratively performed by the narrative team of Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, and Michael Kramer, "The Fragile Threads of Power" is an extraordinary, entertaining, compelling, complete and unabridged audio book from Macmillan Audio. Certain to be a treasured pick for personal reading lists and community library Fantasy/Science Fiction audio book collections, "The Fraile Threads of Power" will leave its listeners looking eagerly toward the next installment of the 'Threads of Power' series.

Editorial Note #1: Victoria "V. E." Schwab is the author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Her work has received critical acclaim, been translated into over two dozen languages, and optioned for television and film. First Kill (a YA vampire series based on Schwab's short story of the same name) is now a Netflix series.

Editorial Note #2: Kate Reading is the recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named by AudioFile magazine as a "Voice of the Century," as well as the Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy in 2008 and 2009 and Best Voice in Biography & Culture in 2010. She has narrated works by such authors as Jane Austen, Robert Jordan, Edith Wharton, and Sophie Kinsella. Reading has performed at numerous theaters in Washington D.C. and received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Aunt Dan and Lemon.

Editorial Note #3: Marisa Calin is an actress, narrator, and novelist born in England and educated in New York at the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts. An artist with a flair for everything literary, she has written a young adult novel, You & Me, which received a Kirkus Starred Review, and has narrated the audio books Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier.

Editorial Note #4: Michael Kramer has narrated over 100 audiobooks for many bestselling authors. He read all of Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time fantasy-adventure series as well as Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive series. He received AudioFile magazine's Earphones Award for the Kent Family series by John Jakes and for Alan Fulsom's The Day After Tomorrow. His work includes recording books for the Library of Congress's Talking Books program for the blind and physically handicapped.

The Wrong Guy
Lauren Landish, author
CJ Bloom, narrator
Ryan West, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501208898, $19.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 10 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Guy-Cold-Springs/dp/1501208896

Synopsis: Wren Ford is the city attorney for Cold Springs -- a job she takes seriously. Good thing she has a great form of stress relief: a friends-with-benefits arrangement with the well-muscled and very attentive construction worker Jesse Sullivan. Wren's heart secretly craves more, but how can she fess up her feelings to a man who doesn't want to get tied down?

Jesse is head over heels in love with Wren, but he can't picture a happily ever after. What would an attorney and out-of-his-league goddess want with him? Especially when a flirty, cocky lawyer who screams money and power shows an interest in Wren.

As a scandalous high-profile split escalates from name-calling to corporate takeovers, Wren and Jesse must team up to find a way to protect the people and the town they love. And everyone in Cold Springs is rooting for them to figure out that maybe, against all odds, they're made for each other.

Critique: A 'must' for the legions of dedicated rom-com fans, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Lauren Landish new novel, "The Wrong Guy" is astutely narrated by the combined vocal storytelling skills of co-narrators CJ Boom and Bryan West. The result is a complete and unabridged audio book that is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of the growing legions of Lauren Landish fans and community library Comedy/Romance audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Lauren Landish (www.LaurenLandish.com) specializes in sexy contemporary romances which includes her wildly successful Bennett Boys Ranch books, the Truth or Dare series, and the Big Fat Fake series. When Lauren isn't plotting ways to introduce readers to their next sexy-as-hell book boyfriend, she's deep in her writing cave and furiously tapping away on her keyboard, crafting scenes that would make even a hardened sailor blush.

Editorial Note #2: CJ Blooms (https://www.carlyrobins.com) is the professional nome de plume of Carly Robins who is an actor and voiceover artist based in NYC. She has narrated close to 1000 audiobooks and has completely fallen in love with the medium. Her voice can also be heard on video games, promos, commercials, animation and ESL. She has written and produced her own work for both stage and screen.

Editorial Note #3: Ryan West (https://tantor.com/narrator/ryan-west.html) is the narrator of nearly 200 titles.

The Snow Angel
Anki Edvinsson, author
Paul Norlan, translator
Stina Nielsen, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491594599, $19.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 48 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Angel-Detectives-Klint-Berg/dp/1491594594

Synopsis: When a suicidal teenage boy leaps to his death from a bridge in the northern town of Ume , Sweden, police discover drugs scattered in the snow near his body. The town has seen a dramatic increase in narcotic use among its youth, but nobody knows where the pills are coming from.

Relocating from Stockholm with her teenage daughter, Detective Charlotte von Klint expected Ume to be a quiet backwater, a snow-covered change of pace from fighting the criminal underworld of the capital. But when a pharmacist is found brutally murdered in her apartment, and a young girl and her dealer boyfriend vanish without a trace after a party, suddenly Ume doesn't seem so benign. And the boy on the bridge doesn't feel like an isolated incident.

Is the dealer the perpetrator? Or just another victim? And can it be a coincidence that a shadow from Charlotte's past, Syndicates boss Tony Israelsson, has recently been released from prison and is reportedly headed for Ume ?

As the snow deepens and the body count rises, Charlotte and her boss, local cop Per Berg, find themselves in a deadly pursuit, with time rapidly running out.

Critique: An inherently compelling mystery of suspense and unexpected plot twists, Anki Edvinsson's deftly crafted novel, "The Snow Angel" is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind" experience in this complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio edition. Of very special interest to and highly recommended lists for individual crime novel fans, "The Snow Angel" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.

Editorial Note: Anki Edvinsson is a familiar face to many Swedes from her former career as a television host, journalist and weather forecaster. Edvinsson more or less grew up at a police station, spending her time with her father and his police colleagues. Her older brother also made a career within the police force. Edvinsson moved from Stockholm to Ume in the north of Sweden and joined the local news team. Following her dream to become an author, she signed up for a writing course and began writing the crime novel that later became her debut. After eight years in the town and with valuable insights from her years as a reporter, the setting of the book of course became Ume . -- "The Snow Angel" is her first book to be published in English.

Editorial Note #2: Paul Norlen (https://swedishenglish.org/user/pnorlen) is a literary translator with over 20 years of experience, including over 30 published books, numerous samples (partial or complete) for literary agents, and reader reports for publishers. Fiction and nonfiction. He also translates from Danish and Norwegian. He holds a PhD in Scandinavian Languages & Literature from the University of Washington and is the winner of the American Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prize in 2004. He is the co-founder and president of Swedish Translators in North America (STiNA).

Editorial Note #3: Stina Nielsen (https://stinanielsen.com) is a New York based actress who has performed in Film, TV, Broadway, London's West End, and at many American Regional Theaters. She has recorded over 250 audiobooks and her work has been recognized with numerous awards.

Salt & Broom
Sharon Lynn Fisher, author
Elizabeth Bower, narrator
Tim Bruce, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491594650, $19.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 32 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Broom-Sharon-Lynn-Fisher/dp/1491594659

Synopsis: Trunks packed with potions and cures, Jane Aire sets out on a crisp, clear morning in October to face the greatest challenge of her sheltered girls'-school existence. A shadow lies over Thornfield Hall and its reclusive master, Edward Rochester. And he's hired her only as a last resort.

Jane stumbles again and again as she tries to establish a rapport with her prickly new employer, but he becomes the least of her worries as a mysterious force seems to work against her. The threats mount around both Jane and Rochester - who's becoming more intriguing and appealing to her by the day.

Jane begins to fear her herb healing and protective charms may not be enough to save the man she's growing to love from a threat darker and more dangerous than either of them imagined!

Critique: Deftly narrated by the talented team of Tim Bruce and Elizabeth Bower, this complete and unabridged Brilliace Audio production of "Salts & Broom" by gifted storyteller Sharon Lynn Fisher is original, memorable, and unreservedly recommended for community library Fantasy audio book collections and the personal lists of historical and romantic fantasy novels fans.

Editorial Note #1: Sharon Lynn Fisher (www.sharonlynnfisher.com) writes smart, twisty, passionate tales that are blendings of fantasy, sci-fi, and slow-burn romance set in lush and atmospheric worlds, including The Faery Rehistory series.

Editorial Note #2: Elizabeth Bower is an audiobook narrator. Books she has narrated include Eeny Meeny, One Plus One, and Pop Goes the Weasel.

Editorial Note #3: Tim Bruce (https://www.beeaudio.com/narrator/tim-bruce) is a British RP actor-narrator,

Jaguar Prophecies
Jeff Wheeler, author
Kate Budd, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400141751, $19.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 18 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Jaguar-Prophecies-Dresden-Codex-2/dp/B0BTYFLCH2

Synopsis: If an ancient indigenous 'end-of-the-world' prophecy is true, a vengeful descendant will reign with blood and fury. The planets are already aligning.

For Jonathon Roth and his family, a vacation in Cozumel became a nightmare. Pawns in a deadly ritual, Roth and his children barely escaped with their lives, and with the secrets of mastermind Jacob Calakmul. Calakmul's endgame: to fulfill the Jaguar Prophecies -- the foretelling of an inevitable Armageddon, one that will destroy entire nations. The key to stopping it is to retrieve an ancient codex -- if Roth can decipher it.

From a museum in Dresden where the mysterious codex is on display to the Roths' Montana home in the dead of winter, no place is safe from Calakmul's reach. Obsessed with the legends of the magic of the Maya, Roth knows Calakmul's powers are real. Roth's own daughter possesses them too. As Calakmul and his henchmen close in, Roth and his children are running for their lives.

In a prepper's lair in the Montana mountains, Roth must piece together a terrifying puzzle to stop an apocalyptic vision from coming true. If it's not already too late. Because the countdown to the end-time has already begun!

Critique: Brilliance Audio is a premier publisher of complete and unabridged audio books in an MP3-CD format. Their audio book edition of "Jaguar Prophecies" by Jeff wheeler and which is expertly narrated by Kate Rudd, will be of special and particular interest to fans of Native American infused science fiction stories replete with non-stop action and high adventure. A fun listening experience from start to finish, "Jaguar Prophecies" is commended for both personal lists and community library Audio Book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Jeff Wheeler (www.jeff-wheeler.com) is the author of over thirty epic fantasy novels. Doomsday Match in the Dresden Codex series was the first thriller he's written since his early years as a budding author, but his many fans think his fantasy novels are thrillers in their own way. Jeff is a husband, father of five, and devout member of his church. On trips to the jungles of Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula, he has explored Maya ruins and cenotes, leading him to dive even further into the history of ancient America and the Spanish conquistadors..

Editorial Note #2: Kate Budd (https://www.kateruddreads.com) is the winner of the 2013 Audie and Odyssey Awards for her narration of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. She has been performing audiobooks for nearly a decade. A ten time Audiofile Magazine Earphones Award recipient, Kate's performances have garnered inclusion in Audiofile's Best Audiobooks of the Year 2012/2017/2018 and Best Voices of the Year 2012. She has narrated more than 450 titles across a variety of genres.

Fall
Tracy Clark, author
Chante McCormick, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400125256, $19.99, MP3-CD (11 Hours 19 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Detective-Harriet-Foster-2/dp/B0BTYGQQBD

Synopsis: The Chicago PD is on high alert when two city aldermen are found dead: one by apparent suicide, one brutally stabbed in his office, and both with thirty dimes left on their bodies - a betrayer's payment. With no other clues, the question is, Who else has a debt to pay?

Detective Harriet Foster is on the case before the killer can strike again. But even with the help of her partner, Detective Vera Li, and the rest of their team, Harriet has little to go on and a lot at risk. There's no telling who the killer's next target is or how many will come next.

To stop another murder, Harriet and her officers will have to examine what the victims had going on behind the scenes to determine who could be tangled up in this web of betrayal -- and who could be out for revenge!

Critique: Adroitly narrated by the vocal performance skills of Chante McCormick, this complete and unabridged audio book addition of "Fall" by mystery novelist Tracy Clark is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of dedicated mystery buffs and a welcome addition to community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Tracy Clark (https://tracyclarkbooks.com) is the author of the acclaimed Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series featuring Cassandra Raines, a hard-driving African American PI who works the mean streets of the Windy City dodging cops, cons, and killers. Clark received Anthony Award and Lefty Award nominations for series debut Broken Places, which was shortlisted for the American Library Association's RUSA Reading List and named a CrimeReads Best New PI Book of 2018, a Midwest Connections Pick, and a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Broken Places has since been optioned by Sony Pictures Television. Tracy is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime and sits on the boards of Bouchercon National and the Midwest Mystery Conference.

Editorial Note #2: Chante McCormick (https://www.chantemccormick.com) is an Audie and Earphones Award-winning narrator who holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Speech from Northwestern University's famed theatre department. She is a proud member of the professional acting unions: SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association.

Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio

Brilliance Audio is a premier publisher of complete and unabridged audio books in a MP3-CD format in all genres and categories. Two of their newest titles of action/adventure fantasy are written by Steven Erickson is deftly narrated by Nicolas Bolton.

https://www.amazon.com/First-Collected-Bauchelain-Korbal-Broach/dp/B0CKZKGYP5

"The First Collected Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach: Three Short Novels of the Malazan Empire" (9798400145131, $19.99, 8 Hours 52 Minutes) is comprised of the first three tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, the famed necromancers from the Malazan Book of the Fallen and includes:

"BLOOD FOLLOWS"
In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese's legendary ill luck would have it, his previous employer is the unknown killer's latest victim. But two strangers have come to town and they have posted in Fishmonger's Round a note, reeking of death-warded magic, requesting the services of a manservant...

"THE HEALTHY DEAD"
The city of Quaint's zeal for goodness can be catastrophic, and no one knows this better than Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, two stalwart champions of all things bad. The homicidal necromancers - and their substance-addled manservant, Emancipor Reese - find themselves ensnared in a scheme to bring goodness into utter ruination. Sometimes you must bring down civilization...in the name of civilization.

"THE LEES OF LAUGHTER'S END"
After their blissful sojourn in Lamentable Moll, the sorcerers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach - along with their manservant, Emancipor Reese -set out on the open seas aboard the sturdy ship Suncurl. Alas, there's more baggage in the hold than meets the beady eyes of the crew, and unseemly terrors awaken. For Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipor Reese, it is just one more night on the high seas, on a journey without end.

https://www.amazon.com/Second-Collected-Bauchelain-Korbal-Broach/dp/B0CKZK7292

"The Second Collected Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach: Three Short Novels of the Malazan Empire" (9798400147708, $19.99, 14 Hours 49 Minutes) finds that the intrepid necromancers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (scourges of civilization, raisers of the dead, reapers of the souls of the living, devourers of hope, betrayers of faith, slayers of the innocent and modest personifications of evil) have a lot to answer for and answer they will, but first they must lie, murder and cheat their way through three more escapades in some of the harsher fringes, deprived wastelands and impoverished communities of the Malazan Empire. Much to the shame of their long-suffering general factotum, Emancipor Reese...

This second volume is comprised of the novellas "The Wurms of Blearmouth"; "The Crack'd Pot Trail"; and "The Fiends of Nightmaria.".

Critique: Deftly brought to life through the narrative storytelling talents by Nicolas Boulton, this two volume collection of original action/adventure fantasy novellas by Steven Erickson is especially and unreservedly recommended for both personal and community library Fantasy audio book collections.

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Midwest Book Review