Mystery & Fantasy Audiobooks

The Warrior Heir

"A teen from Ohio discovers he's the last in a long line of magical warriors chosen to fight to the death. Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small town of Trinity, Ohio. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great—until he loses control and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people living among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game: a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. As if his bizarre magical heritage wasn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind—he's one of the last of the warriors, at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Can he learn to control his magic and fight off the Wizards who would claim him? Find out in the first book in the epic Heir Chronicles series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima!"

Cinda Williams Chima (Author), Robert Ramirez (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Healing Wars: Book I: The Shifter

"Fifteen-year-old Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person into her own body. But unlike her sister Tali and the other Takers who become Healer’s League apprentices, Nya’s skill is flawed: she can’t push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it from person to person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she’d be used as a human weapon against her own people. Rumors of another war make Nya’s life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purpose. At first, Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she’s faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price, but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?"

Janice Hardy (Author), Luci Christian Bell (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Healing Wars: Book II: Blue Fire

"Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke of Baseer from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas. Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first."

Janice Hardy (Author), Luci Christian Bell (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Wind in the Door

"Meg Murry can't help but be worried when her six-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, announces there are dragons in the vegetable garden. He's so bright, and so different from other kids, he's getting bullied at school, and he is also strangely, seriously ill. But Charles Wallace is right about the dragons--actually a friendly entity who has come to help Charles Wallace fight his sickness, and to take Meg and her friend Calvin O'Keefe on a terrifying, wonderful journey into galactic space--where they must battle the force of evil to save Charles Wallace, and themselves."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jennifer Ehle (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Wrinkle in Time

"Madeleine L'Engle's ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic, now a major motion picture. This audiobook includes an introduction read by the film director Ava DuVernay, a foreword read by the author, and an afterword read by Madeleine L'Engle's granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a 'tesseract,' which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father? In 1962, Madeleine L'Engle debuted her novel A Wrinkle in Time, which would go on to win the 1963 Newbery Medal. Bridging science and fantasy, darkness and light, fear and friendship, the story became a classic of children's literature and is beloved around the world. A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in The Time Quintet, which consists of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. © 2007 by Taeeun Yoo. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc."

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Ava Duvernay, Charlotte Jones Coiklis, Hope Davis, Madeleine L'Engle (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

"In this companion volume to A Wrinkle In  Time (Newbery Award winner) and  A Wind In The Door fifteen-year-old  Charles Wallace and the unicorn Gaudior undertake a  perilous journey through time in a desperate  attempt to stop the destruction of the world by the  mad dictator Madog Branzillo. They are not alone in  their quest. Charles Wallace's sister, Meg--grown  and expecting her first child, but still able to  enter her brother's thoughts and emotions by  "kything"--goes with him in  spirit. But in overcoming the challenges, Charles  Wallace must face the ultimate test of his faith and  will, as he is sent within four people from  another time, there to search for a way to avert the  tragedy threatening them all. "L'Engle's  gifts are at their most impressive here." --  Publisher's Weekly"

Madeleine L'Engle (Author), Jennifer Ehle (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Reluctant Dragon

"The Reluctant Dragon is far more interested in writing and reading poetry than in belching fire to frighten and threaten the townspeople. He befriends a young villager and has a wonderful adventure facing St. George, the famous slayer of dragons, in a mock battle of ferocious, but harmless fun. When a dragon is discovered up on the Downs, the Boy is not in the least surprised. He's always known the cave there was a dragon cave, so it seems only right for a dragon to be living in it. The Boy decides to pay a visit to the cave, and he thinks he knows just what to expect. But this particular dragon is not a bit like the ones in fairy tales! AUTHOR Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was a children's novelist and bank executive, with a long a successful career at the Bank of England. Grahame was born in Scotland, but after the death of his mother when he was five, went to live with his grandmother in a charming country village in Berkshire, England. Grahame and his siblings had an idyllic childhood, their surroundings inspired the setting for The Wind in the Willows. Grahame's writing career was inspired by the stories he told his beloved only child, who suffered poor health his very short life. COMMENTARY Reviews for Alcazar AudioWorks' production of The Reluctant Dragon The Reluctant Dragon is a wonderful story of a kind hearted dragon that just doesn't fit the dragon stereotype. The dragon makes some unlikely friends: a young boy who loves to write poetry and St. George, the knight and dragon fighter. The trio make a plan to satisfy the townspeople and help the dragon. All is well in the end; it is a delightful, contemporary fairytale. Alcazar Audio Works brings the story to life with the voice talents of Bruce Blau, Bobbie Frohman, Susan McCarthy, Linda Montgomery, David Thorn, and Jim Johanson. Each section or chapter of the book plays on a separate track, so it is easy to pick up the story where you left off. We had a long drive ahead of us, I popped this CD into the player, and off we went to story land to visit the old town and climb the hill to a cave to find the dragon. We cheered and laughed as we listened to the tale. Before I knew it, we had arrived at our destination and the end of the story. My heartfelt thanks goes to Alcazar Audio Works for a wonderfully quick trip with contented children. Reviewed By: Kate O'Mara - EHO Eclectic Homeschool Online Quotes from/about The Reluctant Dragon or Kenneth Grahame ""Warm colors and visual details portray a lively medieval village and complement Grahame's expressive prose. Ages 8-11."" Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. -Publishers Weekly ""The richly expressive prose of Kenneth Grahame continues to delight. The illustrations...bring to life the medieval-village scenes, full of warm colors and busy activities.""--""The telling is delightfully tongue-in-cheek...His star attraction is an imaginative animal and he makes this reluctant dragon live."" Unabridged --School Library Journal, starred review ""A wonderful story about peace, war, and using your brain...A medieval fable with implications for the nuclear age.""-Entertainment Weekly "[A] classic tale of loyalty and compassion."-School Library Journal (starred review) "The richly expressive prose of Kenneth Grahame continues to delight...full of warm colors and busy activities."-Language Arts The Reluctant Dragon is a mild-mannered specimen of his breed who, unlike the ""active and earnest"" fellows who used to charge around battling knights, has survived long enough to develop his passion for poetry. He is befriended by an intelligent young shepherd boy, who is placed in an awkward position when the villagers discover the dragon's presence. Although the dragon has harmed no one, the villagers are so aroused that they call on Saint George to battle this ""pestilential scourge."" When Saint George arrives the dragon flatly refuses to fight, and the boy is left to find a solution to the impasse. This is a brilliantly written satirical fantasy, lambasting the traditional knight-and-dragon stories and providing a wonderful protagonist that boys of all ages (and many girls) will want to identify with. The fantastical pleasure of friendship with a dragon is enhanced by encounters with the famous knight, a theatrical battle, and plenty of intelligent wit to amuse both children and adults. The language is advanced, suitable for reading aloud or for confident self-readers. Some of the humor will be above young readers' heads, but there is enough action to make it interesting for younger ages.-Amazon.com ""

Kenneth Grahame (Author), A Full Cast, Bobbie Frohman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

"Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny. “Jonathan Auxier’s strange and inventive debut, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, is a beautiful adventure told in a dashing and assured voice. It’s Little Nemo in Slumberland meets Oliver Twist. I enjoyed it tremendously.” —Audrey Niffenegger, author of the bestseller The Time Traveler’s Wife"

Jonathan Auxier (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)

Audiobook

Behind the Masks (Dear America)

"Newbery Award-winning author Susan Patron brings her talents to the beloved Dear America series in this exciting story of a girl growing up in the Wild West, in a California gold mining town. Growing up in the wild gold-mining town of Bodie, California, in the 1880s, Angeline Reddy has seen it all -- saloons, brawls, and a whole lot of desperation. When her father, Bodie's greatest lawyer, is declared murdered, Angie knows deep in her heart that he isn't dead and decides it is up to her to solve the mystery of what happened to him. But when her mother takes ill and a mysterious ghost appears, putting together the puzzle pieces seems impossible. Not to mention, a gang of vigilantes, the 601, is raging out of control, running folks out of town, and nobody seems safe. Will Angie, with the help of her friends Ellie and Ling Loi, and the mysterious and tragically handsome Antoine, be able to uncover the secret of her father's disappearance?"

Susan Patron (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zero to Hero (Ghost Buddy #1)

"A hilarious new series from Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, authors of the bestselling HANK ZIPZER books! A hilarious new series from Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, authors of the bestselling HANK ZIPZER books!Billy Broccoli is new to the neighborhood, and wants cool friends and a spot on the baseball team more than anything. But the one thing he never wanted is his own personal ghost. So imagine his surprise when he ends up sharing a room with Hoover Porterhouse, a funny ghost with a whole lot of attitude.When an obnoxious school bully sets out to demolish Billy, the Hoove comes up with a plan for revenge. It's all in the Hoove's Rule Number Forty-Two: Stay cool. And like it or not, Billy and the Hoove have to stick together if Billy ever wants to get in style, get even, and conquer the school."

Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver (Author), Henry Winkler (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hangman's Curse

"They could be anyone, anywhere . . . even the person walking by you right now. The Veritas Project is their code name-but only a handful of people know teens Elijah and Elisha Springfield have been covertly commissioned by the President to investigate strange mysteries that delve into the paranormal and supernatural. Their charge is to find out not only what happened, but why-the veritas (Latin for truth) behind the seemingly impossible phenomena. Their new assignment: Hangman's Curse In Baker, Washington, three popular student athletes lie in an incoherent coma, with loss of muscle coordination, severe paranoia, and hallucinations. It's whispered that they're victims of Abel Frye-a curse that's haunted the school since a student died there in the 1930s. Now the curse is spreading, and students are running scared. The Veritas Project must go undercover to find the truth . . . before it's too late."

Frank E. Peretti (Author), Frank Peretti (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jessica Rules the Dark Side

"In this sequel to the breakout hit Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica Packwood finds being a newly married teenage vampire princess isn't all that easy. She might be living in a Romanian castle with her husband Lucius Vladescu, but she's also surrounded by undead subjects who aren't ready to welcome her as queen. Then Lucius is accused of murdering a vampire Elder, leaving Jessica more alone than ever. Now she must race against time to clear Lucius' name and save both their lives, even if it means enlisting the help of those she knows are keeping dark secrets."

Beth Fantaskey (Author), Jeff Woodman, Jennifer Ikeda, Katherine Kellgren (Narrator)

Audiobook