Audiobooks narrated by Vikas Adam

2034: A Novel of the Next World War

From two former military officers and award-winning authors, a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034--and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration. On March 12, 2034, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is on the bridge of her flagship, the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones, conducting a routine freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea when her ship detects an unflagged trawler in clear distress, smoke billowing from its bridge. On that same day, US Marine aviator Major Chris 'Wedge' Mitchell is flying an F35E Lightning over the Strait of Hormuz, testing a new stealth technology as he flirts with Iranian airspace. By the end of that day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Sarah Hunt's destroyer will lie at the bottom of the sea, sunk by the Chinese Navy. Iran and China have clearly coordinated their moves, which involve the use of powerful new forms of cyber weaponry that render US ships and planes defenseless. In a single day, America's faith in its military's strategic pre-eminence is in tatters. A new, terrifying era is at hand. So begins a disturbingly plausible work of speculative fiction, co-authored by an award-winning novelist and decorated Marine veteran and the former commander of NATO, a legendary admiral who has spent much of his career strategically outmaneuvering America's most tenacious adversaries. Written with a powerful blend of geopolitical sophistication and human empathy, 2034 takes us inside the minds of a global cast of characters--Americans, Chinese, Iranians, Russians, Indians--as a series of arrogant miscalculations on all sides leads the world into an intensifying international storm. In the end, China and the United States will have paid a staggering cost, one that forever alters the global balance of power. Everything in 2034 is an imaginative extrapolation from present-day facts on the ground combined with the authors' years working at the highest and most classified levels of national security. Sometimes it takes a brilliant work of fiction to illuminate the most dire of warnings: 2034 is all too close at hand, and this cautionary tale presents the reader a dark yet possible future that we must do all we can to avoid. * This audiobook edition includes an exclusive interview with co-author Admiral James Stavridis.

Elliot Ackerman, James Stavridis (Author), Dion Graham, Emily Woo Zeller, Feodor Chin, P.J. Ochlan, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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2054: A Novel

Brought to you by Penguin. From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller 2034 comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years further in the future, at a moment when a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with America’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country – and the world It is twenty years after the catastrophic war between the US and China that brought down the old American political order. A new party has emerged in the US, one that’s held power for over a decade. Efforts to tighten its grip have resulted in mounting violent resistance. The American president has control of the media, but he is beginning to lose control of the streets. Many fear he’ll stop at nothing to remain in the White House. Suddenly, he collapses in the middle of an address to the nation. After an initial flurry of misinformation, the administration reluctantly announces his death. A cover-up ensues, conspiracy theories abound, and the country descends into a new type of civil war. A handful of elite actors from the worlds of computer science, intelligence and business have a fairly good idea what happened. All signs point to a profound breakthrough in AI, of which the remote assassination of an American president is hardly the most game-changing ramification. The trail leads to an outpost in the Amazon rainforest, the last known whereabouts of the tech visionary who predicted this breakthrough. As some of the world’s great powers, old and new, state and non-state alike, struggle to outmanoeuvre one another in this new Great Game of scientific discovery, the outcome becomes entangled with the fate of democracy. Combining a deep understanding of AI, biotech and the possibility of a coming Singularity, along with their signature geopolitical sophistication, Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis have once again written a visionary work. 2054 is a novel that reads like a thriller even as it demands that we consider the trajectory of our society and its potentially calamitous destination. ©2024 Elliot Ackerman (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Elliot Ackerman, James Stavridis (Author), Brian Nishii, Emily Woo Zeller, Eunice Wong, Junior Nyong'o, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Body of Work: Dancing to the Edge and Back

David Hallberg, the first American to join the famed Bolshoi Ballet as a principal dancer and the dazzling artist the New York Times described as "the foremost classical stylist of our day," presents an intimate journey through his artistic life up to the moment he returns to the stage after a devastating injury almost cost him his career.Beginning with his real-life Billy Elliot childhood-an all-American story marred by intense bullying-and culminating in his hard-won come-back, Hallberg's brave memoir dives deep into life as an artist as he wrestles with ego, pushes the limits of his body, and searches for ecstatic perfection and fulfillment as one of the world's most acclaimed ballet dancers.While rich in detail ballet fans will adore, this is a book that anyone interested in a life of creativity will love. Hallberg reflects on themes like inspiration, self-doubt, and perfectionism as he takes listeners into daily class, rigorous rehearsals, and triumphant performances, searching for new interpretations of ballet's greatest roles. He reveals the loneliness he felt as a teenager leaving America to join the Paris Opera Ballet, the ambition he had to tame as a new member of American Ballet Theatre, and the reasons behind his headline-grabbing decision to be the first American to join the top rank of Bolshoi Ballet, tendered by the artistic director who would later be the victim of a vicious acid attack. Then, as Hallberg performed throughout the world at the peak of his abilities, he suffered a crippling ankle injury and unsuccessful surgery leading to an agonizing retreat from ballet and an honest reexamination of his entire life.Combining his powers of observation and memory with emotional honesty and artistic insight, Hallberg has written a great ballet memoir and an intimate portrait of an artist in all his vulnerability, passion, and wisdom.

David Hallberg (Author), Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Burning: The most electrifying debut of 2021

'Immaculately constructed, acidly observed and gripping from start to finish, A Burning is a brilliant debut.' The Guardian 'A big hit in America last year, this buzzy debut about the impact of a terrorist attack in a Kolkata slum on three connected characters is full of hot-button global topics, including violent nationalism' Metro 'Powerful. […] Majumdar's page-turning thriller seeks to open our eyes to the role of persecution in populist politics' - Mail on Sunday 'An evocative insight into class, corruption, injustice and power dynamics, this poignant tale makes for memorable reading' Cosmopolitan 'Majumdar conjures up three notably effervescent, intense voices'? Daily Telegraph 'A brilliant character study about politics and power, this assured debut moves at a thriller's pace but with a meticulous eye for detail.' Nikesh Shukla 'A Burning is a political thriller so charged and tense, it will keep you reading after lights out.' Red Magazine A girl walks through the slums of Kolkata holding an armful of books. She returns home smelling of smoke, and checks her most prized possession: a brand-new smartphone, purchased in instalments. On Facebook, there is only one conversation. #KolabaganTrainAttack On the small, glowing screen, she types a dangerous thing… 'If the police didn't help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn't that mean that the government is also a terrorist?' Set in contemporary India, A Burning is the story of three unforgettable characters, all dreaming of a better future, whose lives are changed for ever when they become caught up in the devastating aftermath of a terrorist attack. Jivan - a poor, young, Muslim girl, who dreams of going to college - faces a possible death sentence after being accused of collaborating with the terrorists. Lovely - an exuberant hijra who longs to be a Bollywood star - holds the alibi that can set Jivan free, but telling the truth will cost her everything she holds dear. PT Sir - an opportunistic gym teacher who once taught Jivan - becomes involved with Hindu nationalist politics and his own ascent is soon inextricably linked to Jivan's fall. Taut, propulsive and electrifying, from its opening lines to its astonishing finale, A Burning confronts issues of class, fate, prejudice and corruption with a Dickensian sense of injustice, and asks us to consider what it means to nurture big ambitions in a country hurtling towards political extremism. A Burning is a novel for our times and for all time.

Megha Majumdar (Author), Deepti Gupta, Neil Shah, Priya Ayyar, Soneela Nankani, Ulka Mohanty, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Carpenter Called Joseph

Joseph was an unlikely choice to be the earthly father of Jesus. There was nothing about him on the surface that would have prompted any of us to consider him worthy. And yet, no other man in history has been charged with the tremendous responsibility he was given. He wasn't randomly chosen by God. He wasn't chosen simply because he and Mary were engaged to be married. He was, most definitely, not an after-thought or a footnote. He and Mary were betrothed because God had chosen them both and ordered their steps accordingly … from before the beginning of time. God had been at work in Joseph's life long before he ever knew the events that would unfold in his life. God carefully molded and shaped Joseph into the man to whom He could entrust this special assignment. Through this novella, you'll discover the heart and character of the carpenter God called to raise His Son.

Kenneth Winter (Author), Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Free Man

Like Dave Eggers's Zeitoun and Alexander Masters' Stuart, this is a tour de force of narrative reportage-an intimate portrait of an invisible man. Mohammed Ashraf studied biology in college, and after college he learned how to repair television sets, cut suit lengths, and slice chicken. He has lived in Mumbai, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Surat, and Patna, but this evening he is stoned on a street in Sadar Bazaar in North Delhi. The morning shall bring hangovers, whiskey breakfasts, and possibly answers to the lingering questions that haunt Ashraf. How did he get here? Why is he the way he is? And is there a way back home? In this compelling account of the life of an itinerant laborer, Aman Sethi brings Ashraf vividly alive and illuminates the lives of countless others like him. Wry, humorous, and insightful, A Free Man is an unforgettable portrait of an invisible man in his invisible city. "Funny, poignant, and deeply moving, A Free Man is an extraordinary vignette into an extraordinary life."-Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies

Aman Sethi (Author), Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Grim and Sunken Vow

Arlo and her friends must decide how far they're willing to go to depose a cruel ruler in this third book in the Hollow Star Saga that's The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones. The die is cast. The era of Spring is over. Riadne's bloody coup on the Summer Solstice changed Arlo's life forever. In one fell swoop and a fool's bargain, she lost both her family and free will to the newly crowned High Queen. Now, with Arlo forced to use her powers as Luck's Hollow Star to help summon the rest of the seven deadly sins, Riadne stands closer than ever to achieving her dark goals. And Arlo isn't the only one trapped in a frightening new role. Her ex-Fury girlfriend, Nausicaä, is determined to do whatever it takes to stay by Arlo's side, even if that means becoming Riadne's pet assassin. Aurelian and Vehan, torn apart, struggle to survive on their own. Meanwhile, Celadon has been revealed as Riadne's illegitimate son—and heir to both Spring and Summer, the ultimate offense in the faerie world. But the High Prince has secret plans of his own, plans made all the more complicated when the beautiful and deadly immortal Hunter Lethe takes an interest in him… Five budding legacies will need more than luck if they hope to stand a chance against the greatest adversary the Courts have faced. For nothing's more dangerous than a faerie tale… except the one who tells it, and maybe what they're going to need is no longer that story's hero but its villain.

Ashley Shuttleworth (Author), Imani Jade Powers, Michael Crouch, Natalie Naudus, Neo Cihi, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Long Way Home

At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. Unable to read or write or recall the name of his hometown or even his own last name, he survived alone for weeks on the rough streets of Calcutta before ultimately being transferred to an agency and adopted by a couple in Australia. Despite his gratitude, Brierley always wondered about his origins. Eventually, with the advent of Google Earth, he had the opportunity to look for the needle in a haystack he once called home and pore over satellite images for landmarks he might recognize or mathematical equations that might further narrow down the labyrinthine map of India. One day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for and set off to find his family. A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. It celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope. “An incredible story.”—BBC

Saroo Brierley (Author), Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Master Plan for Rescue

A magical novel about the surprising acts we are capable of in the name of love Set in 1942 New York and Berlin, A Master Plan for Rescue is an enchanting novel about the life-giving powers of storytelling and the heroism that can be inspired by love. In essence, it is two love stories: that of a child who worships his parents, then loses his father to an accident and his mother to her resulting grief, and that of a young man who stumbles into the romance of his life, then watches his beloved decline, forever changing the arc of his future. Each story is propelled by the belief that if one acts heroically enough, it will restore some part of what—or whom—has been lost. But when they meet, this boy and this man, their combined grief and magical thinking allow them to dream the impossible. Sharing stories of the people they have lost, they are inspired to join forces and act in their memory—to do something so memorable that it might actually bring their loved ones back—even if only in spirit. A Master Plan for Rescue is a beautiful tale, propelled by history and imagination, that suggests people’s impact upon the world doesn’t necessarily end with their lives, and that, to some degree, we are the sum of the stories we tell. “Newman brings a time, a place and a person to life in a wholly believable and compelling manner.”—Amazon.com, editorial review, on Mary

Janis Cooke Newman (Author), Judy Young, Kirby Heyborne, Paul Boehmer, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Midsummer Night's Dream (No Fear Shakespeare)

Don't be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard's plays accessible and enjoyable. Each No Fear guide contains: - The complete text of the original play - A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language - A complete list of characters with descriptions - Plenty of helpful commentary When Shakespeare's words make your head spin, our audio translations will help you sort out what's happening, who's saying what, and why!

Sparknotes (Author), Cary Hite, Fred Berman, Gabra Zackman, Kate Hamill, Katie Hartke, Luis Moreno, Maulik Pancholy, Neil Hellegers, Piper Goodeve, Soneela Nankani, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Song with Teeth: A Los Nefilim Novel

'A fantastic ending to a series.' -- Nerds of a Feather As the Allied forces battle to defeat the Nazis, a shadow war rages between angels and daimons fighting for the soul of humanity in this thrilling conclusion to the critically acclaimed Los Nefilim historical fantasy series. The year is 1944, and the daimons are rising. With the Inner Guard thrown into disarray by the German blitzkrieg, the daimon-born nefilim of the Scorpion Court gather in Paris, scheming to restore their rule over the mortal realm. Working as a double-agent, Diago Alvarez infiltrates his family’s daimonic court, but soon finds himself overwhelmed by his kin’s multiple deceits. Meanwhile, Ysabel Ramírez hunts a Psalm that will assist Operation Overlord, the Allies’ invasion of Normandy. Her objective takes her to Paris—into the heart of territories controlled by Die Nephilim and her power-hungry uncle, Jordi Abelló, who seeks the same Psalm in his quest to wrest control of Los Nefilim from her father. When their paths cross, he abducts her and leaves her to the mercy of his Nazi followers. But Ysabel is as cunning and bold as Jordi. She knows only one of them can survive to one day rule Los Nefilim, and she’s determined to be the one to succeed her father as queen. Trapped in her uncle’s château hidden deep within the Fontainebleau forest, Ysabel discovers the truth behind her uncle’s lust for dominance: those that wear the signet of the Thrones are not blessed . . . they are cursed. And it may take a miracle to end this war once and for all.

T. Frohock (Author), Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

“Many a reader longing for a sense of homecoming in the realm of romantic fantasy will find it in A Strange and Stubborn Endurance.”—Jacqueline Carey “Stolen me? As soon to say a caged bird can be stolen by the sky.” Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Vel to marry his former intended’s brother instead. Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock. With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love—as both will learn—is quite another. Byzantine politics, lush sexual energy, and a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry. Foz Meadows's A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. It is an audiobook that will live in your heart long after you finish listening. A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Foz Meadows (Author), James Fouhey, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Vikas Adam