Historical Audiobooks | Science Fiction & Fantasy

The Shadow Revolution: Crown & Key Audiobook

"A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr. They are the realm's last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they're going to need a lot more silver. As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield. After a lycanthrope targets Kate's vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane-but quickly discover they're dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined. Praise for The Shadow Revolution "Team Griffith creates a number of really compelling characters whose exploits will keep readers glued to the pages! Terrific!"-RT Book Reviews "A fast-paced, action-filled dark fantasy that is just sheer fun to read . . . The Shadow Revolution kicks off the Crown & Key series in spectacular fashion!"-Fresh Fiction "Werewolves, mad science, and plenty of smiting. Pass the popcorn."-Emma Jane Holloway, author of The Baskerville Affair series 'A thrilling read! Clay and Susan Griffith have crafted a gritty, action-packed Victorian-era fantasy world full of dark creatures, mystery, and magic-a must read for steampunk fans!"-Shawntelle Madison, author of the Coveted series "What happens when you kick off a new urban fantasy series with a fantastic setting and unique characters, and you throw in some dangerous, supernatural creatures, evil madmen, murder and mayhem? You get a kick-ass book to read. . . . I want more, please!"-Book Swoon "If summer blockbuster action movies existed back in the Victorian era, they would look a lot like The Shadow Revolution. This book doesn't mess around. . . . Highly recommended."-The BiblioSanctum "One hell of a read . . . [With] unforgettable characters and magic around every bend, this truly was a breath of fresh air."-My Guilty Obsession "The story is pretty fast-paced, the mystery intriguing and refreshingly surprising, and the action thrilling. [The Shadow Revolution] pulls you in and barely lets you up for air, and I love the intensity of that kind of storytelling."-Refracted Light "So good that I won't be surprised if this book series is opted to be a TV show or movie with an accompanying video game! Great storytelling, great plot and most of all great book!"-Marienela"

Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith (Author), Nicholas Guy Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Undying Legion: Crown & Key

"A thrilling new Victorian-era urban fantasy for fans of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and the Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey, Jr. With a flood of dark magic about to engulf Victorian London, can a handful of heroes vanquish a legion of the undead? When monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane comes across the gruesome aftermath of a ritual murder in a London church, he enlists the help of magician-scribe Simon Archer and alchemist extraordinaire Kate Anstruther. Studying the macabre scene, they struggle to understand obscure clues in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into the victim's heart-as well as bizarre mystical allusions to the romantic poetry of William Blake. One thing is clear: Some very potent black magic is at work. But this human sacrifice is only the first in a series of ritualized slayings. Desperate to save lives while there is still time, Simon, Kate, and Malcolm-along with gadget geek Penny Carter and Charlotte, an adolescent werewolf-track down a necromancer who is reanimating the deceased. As the team battles an unrelenting army of undead, a powerful Egyptian mummy, and serpentine demons, the necromancer proves an elusive quarry. And when the true purpose of the ritual is revealed, the gifted allies must confront a destructive force that is positively apocalyptic. Praise for The Undying Legion "Monstrously entertaining."-Wit and Sin "These books are just pure unadulterated fun."-Slapdash & Sundry "An impressive follow-up in the Crown & Key trilogy."-Bibliophage "A pulse-pounding ride."-Faire's Fair "A delightful read! . . . The Undying Legion combines a thrilling well-developed plot with spectacular action sequences, witty banter, and unlikely heroes that are fabulously unique and fascinating."-Goldilox and the Three Weres "Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. . . . This book was fantastic."-Word Gurgle Praise for Clay and Susan Griffith's The Shadow Revolution "Team Griffith creates a number of really compelling characters whose exploits will keep readers glued to the pages! Terrific!"-RT Book Reviews "A fast-paced, action-filled dark fantasy that is just sheer fun to read . . . The Shadow Revolution kicks off the Crown & Key series in spectacular fashion!"-Fresh Fiction "Werewolves, mad science, and plenty of smiting. Pass the popcorn."-Emma Jane Holloway, author of The Baskerville Affair series 'A thrilling read! Clay and Susan Griffith have crafted a gritty, action-packed Victorian-era fantasy world full of dark creatures, mystery, and magic-a must read for steampunk fans!"-Shawntelle Madison, author of the Coveted series"

Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith (Author), Nicholas Guy Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

1635: The Cannon Law

"Rome, 1635, and Grantville's diplomatic team, headed by Sharon Nichols, are making scant headway now it has become politically inexpedient for Pope Urban VIII to talk to them any more. Sharon doesn't mind, she has a wedding to plan. Frank Stone has moved to Rome and is attempting to bring about the revolution one pizza at a time. Cardinal Borja is gathering votes to bring the Church's reformers to a halt in their tracks, on the orders of the King of Spain. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in the streets, shadowy agitators are stirring up trouble and Spain's armies are massed across the border in the Kingdom of Naples, Cardinal Barberini wants the pamphleteers to stop slandering him and it looks like it's going to be a long, hot summer. Except that Cardinal Borja has more ambitions than his masters in Madrid know about, and has the assistance of Spain's most notorious secret agent to bring about his sinister designs."

Andrew Dennis, Eric Flint (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)

Audiobook

An Ember in the Ashes

"‘Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy’ – Us Weekly Read the explosive New York Times bestselling debut that’s captivated readers worldwide. Set to be a major motion picture, An Ember in the Ashes is the book everyone is talking about. What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution? For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice. For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands of Scholars, all in the name of power. When Laia’s brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy. Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death. But once Laia and Elias meet, they find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire. In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference. One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself."

Sabaa Tahir (Author), Aysha Kala, Jack Farrar (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Der leere Thron

"In langen Kämpfen haben die vereinten Heere der Angelsachsen die Dänen zurückgedrängt. Doch die tödliche Gefahr aus dem Norden hängt weiter über den englischen Königreichen. Und nun liegt Æthelred, Herrscher von Mercien, im Sterben. Wie soll sein Land die Unabhängigkeit vom benachbarten Wessex wahren? Im Kampf um die Nachfolge hält der Krieger Uhtred treu zu Æthelflæd, seiner Herrin und heimlichen Geliebten, Æthelreds Weib. Aber werden die führenden Männer des Reiches eine Frau auf dem mercischen Thron akzeptieren - und sei sie noch so halsstarrig und so tapfer wie diese?"

Bernard Cornwell (Author), Gerd Andresen (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Forgotten Room: A Novel

"A LONG-LOST EXPERIMENT OF UNGUESSABLE INTENT A SECRET ROOM, INGENIOUSLY HIDDEN INSIDE A VAST SEACOAST MANSION NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LINCOLN CHILD AT HIS RIVETING BEST Professor Jeremy Logan (the quirky and charismatic "enigmalogist" who specializes in solving problems of the strange or seemingly supernatural variety) receives an urgent summons from the director of Lux, one of the oldest and most respected think tanks in America. An unexplainable tragedy has taken place in the sprawling compound located on the coastline of Newport, Rhode Island. One of Lux's most distinguished doctors, overcome by erratic behavior, violently attacked his assistant before meeting with a gruesome self-inflflflffllflicted end. Deeply shaken by the incident and the bizarre evidence left behind from the doctor's final project-as well as recent troubling behavior among several of the think tank's other scientists-Lux fears there is something more sinister occurring within its walls and looks to Jeremy Logan to investigate. Logan quickly makes a surprising discovery. In a long-dormant wing of the estate, he uncovers an ingeniously hidden secret room, unknown and untouched for decades. The room is essentially a time capsule, fiffiilled with eerie machinery and obscure references to a top-secret experiment known as "Project S." As Logan attempts to unravel its meaning, he begins to discern what transpired in that room-and why the frightening project was suddenly abandoned and sealed off many years before. As his work draws him ever deeper into harm's way, Logan soon unleashes a series of catastrophic events upon the rest of Lux . . . and himself. One of Lincoln Child's most thrilling novels to date, The Forgotten Room is replete with exhilarating action, veiled history, and mesmerizing science-making for a truly intelligent page-turner."

Lincoln Child (Author), Johnathan McClain (Narrator)

Audiobook

Destroyermen: Straits of Hell

"Matt Reddy’s old Asiatic Fleet destroyer USS Walker has been mysteriously transported to an alternate version of earth. Here WWII is no longer raging, and Reddy and his crew have been trying to find a new place for themselves in this strange new world. Now, along with the felinoid Lemurians and Imperial allies, they fight to keep the reptilian Grik, a race growing in supremacy, from reconquering the Lemurians’ ancestral home on Madagascar. Reddy and his crew are exhausted, far from reinforcements, and wildly outnumbered. As for the fate of the Americas, Don Hernan and the evil Dominion have gathered to annihilate the forces behind the walls of Fort Defiance as a shadowy power with an agenda all its own rises with chilling resolve. As the war teeters on a knife-edge, a tipping point may have been reached at last—and cold steel and hot-blooded valor will remain the ultimate weapons."

Taylor Anderson (Author), William Dufris (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Years of Rice and Salt

"It is the fourteenth century, and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe's population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? This is a look at the history that could have been—a history that stretches across centuries, a history that sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, a history that spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. These are the years of rice and salt. This is a universe where the first ship to reach the New World travels across the Pacific Ocean from China and colonization spreads from west to east. This is a universe where the Industrial Revolution is triggered by the world's greatest scientific minds—in India. This is a universe where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, and Christianity is merely a historical footnote. Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, slaves and scholars, Robinson renders an immensely rich tapestry. Rewriting history and probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power, and even love on such an Earth. From the steppes of Asia to the shores of the Western Hemisphere, from the age of Akbar to the present and beyond, here is the stunning story of the creation of a new world."

Kim Stanley Robinson (Author), Bronson Pinchot (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Silver Witch: A Novel

"A year after her husband's sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat's death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her – a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she's near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water. On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew. In her own time, Tilda's grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake's ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each other's, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren's prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more."

Paula Brackston (Author), Marisa Calin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Affinities

"In our rapidly-changing world of 'social media', everyday people are more and more able to sort themselves into social groups based on finer and finer criteria. In the near future of Robert Charles Wilson's The Affinities, this process is supercharged by new analytic technologies--genetic, brain-mapping, behavioral. To join one of the twenty-two Affinities is to change one's life. It's like family, and more than family. Your fellow members aren't just like you, and they aren't just people who are likely to like you. They're also the people with whom you can best cooperate in all areas of life--creative, interpersonal, even financial. At loose ends both professional and personal, young Adam Fisk takes the suite of tests to see if he qualifies for any of the Affinities, and finds that he's a match for one of the largest, the one called Tau. It's utopian—at first. Problems in all areas of his life begin to simply sort themselves out, as he becomes part of a global network of people dedicated to helping one another—to helping him. But as the differing Affinities put their new powers to the test, they begin to rapidly chip away at the power of governments, of global corporations, of all the institutions of the old world. Then, with dreadful inevitability, the different Affinities begin to go to war--with one another. What happens next will change Adam, and his world, forever."

Robert Charles Wilson (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator)

Audiobook

Between

"***Author has a PhD in English literature from the University of Calgary and teaches English and creative writing at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada ***Author's first novel, The Bone Cage, was a finalist in CBC's Canada Reads competition. Vero and her husband Shane have moved out of the sweet suite above his parents' garage and found themselves smack in the middle of adulthood?two kids, two cars, two jobs. They are not coping well. In response to their looming domestic breakdown, Vero and Shane get live-in help with their sons?a woman from the Philippines named Ligaya (which means happiness); the children call her LiLi. Vero justifies LiLi's role in their home by insisting that she is part of their family, and she goes to great lengths in order to ease her conscience. But differences persist; Vero grapples with her overextended role as a mother and struggles to keep her marriage passionate, while LiLi silently bears the burden of a secret she left behind at home. Between offers readers an intriguing, searing portrait of two women from two different cultures. At the same time, it satirizes contemporary love, marriage, and parenthood by exposing the sense of entitlement and superiority at the heart of upper-middle-class North American existence through a ubiquitous presence in it: the foreign nanny. Angie Abdou comically and tragically tackles the issue of international nannies by providing a window on motherhood where it is tangled up with class, career, labor, and desire. 'Between is not a novel that you'll forget easily with its dark humor, its lifelike characters, and a story of many complicated relationships that lead to a jaw-dropping conclusion. Pick this book up -- you won't be able to put it down.' -Jowita Bydlowska, author of Drunk Mom 'In Between, Angie Abdou doesn't take the predictable road. She deftly steers us into the deepest of emotional potholes, lands us in the ditch, and then finds a way back out again. This book is hilarious and disturbing, and an honest look at marriage and parenthood and the ways that entitlement and sex can drive wedges between us.' -Farzana Doctor, author of Six Metres of Pavement 'In Between, it is the women who share the greatest burdens, yet still find it difficult to connect across lines of class and culture. Abdou has stared fraught subject matter in the face and handled it with grace and humour. Her refreshing novel sympathetically reveals women as they are, flaws and all.' -Quill and Quire 'Between asks nuanced questions of and avoids pat answers on a thorny dilemma facing many families today.' -The Globe and Mail 'Darkly funny and elegantly written ... Abdou is an important voice in Canadian fiction, and this strong new work will enlarge her already substantial body of devoted readers.' -Vancouver Sun"

Angie Abdou (Author), Meredith Orlow (Narrator)

Audiobook

1634: The Bavarian Crisis

"THE MAELSTROM THAT IS EUROPE, COMPLICATED BY IRON, LOVE AND 20TH-CENTURY AMERICANS The Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th-century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the United States of Europe, forged from an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century, led by Mike Stearns, who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident. This troubled century was full of revolutions and plans for more revolutions before the Americans arrived, and gave every would-be revolutionary an example of a revolution that succeeded. Europe is a pot coming to a boil, and Mike Stearns finds himself walking the fine line between keeping the pot boiling while keeping it from boiling over and destroying the USE in the process. The USE has the know-how of 20th-century technology, but needs iron and steel to make the machines. The iron mines of the upper Palatinate were rendered inoperable by wartime damage, and American ingenuity is needed on the spot to pump them out and get the metal flowing again—a mission that will prove more complicated than anyone expects. First, because the expedition sent to revitalize the mining industry in the upper Palatinate walks into the middle of a ferocious battle between the USE and the Duke of Bavaria. Second, because in the maelstrom that is Europe, even a 20th-century copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica can precipitate a crisis from the most unexpected quarters. The young and beautiful daughter of the Austrian emperor, sent to marry the Duke of Bavaria for reasons of state, comes to an unforeseen conclusion based on her study of up-time history. The decision she makes as a result transforms the Bavarian war into a crisis for all of Europe."

Eric Flint, Virginia DeMarce (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)

Audiobook

Historical Audiobooks in Science Fiction & Fantasy