Introduction
Hello everyone, Melody here. I’m the editor of the Beyond the Walls podcast. With this year’s anthology theme being sound, I thought I’d share some recommendations for audiobooks you can listen to.
Burn Down Rise Up By Vincent Tirado, Narrated By Juliene Irons
Do you like Jordan Peele’s Get Out? Are you hungry for more media like Stranger Things and Squid Game? Well, Burn Down Rise Up is just the story for you.
Whilst the story is incredible, just as incredible is the narration by Julienne Irons, who has to carry narrating a very intense story all on her own. Her performance is incredible and what adds to its weight is the fact that there’s no music to accompany her, it makes for an even more eerie experience.
If you’re not too squeamish, I recommend checking this out.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Narrated By Tatiana Maslany
The Hunger Games is one of my favourite series of novels, and I cannot recommend the audiobooks enough, especially the first one narrated by the incredible Tatiana Maslany.
Maslany’s performance is top-tier. It’s bold and very emotional as we progress into the sadder parts of Katniss’s journey in the arena. Even better, unlike the narrator for Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, she does her best to sing through the little songs featured in the book.
A bonus of the audiobook (no pun intended) is the incredible music at the beginning and end of the novel as well as the bonus content, including an interview with Tatiana Maslany about her performance and an accompanying PDF (if you’re on Audible). Bonus content is always worth it if you’re a passionate fan.
Its story is also an important read, whether you listen or read it. However, I’d definitely recommend listening to the audiobook with a physical copy at hand, as it creates a whole new immersive experience. Regardless of the experience, it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss out on.
Punching The Air By Ibi Zoboi And Yusef Salaam Narrated By Ethan Herisse
This incredible novel was my favourite I’d read last year due to its unique way of telling a story through poetry. The story, whilst heavy, eloquently tells the story of an unjustly incarcerated black boy. It’s arguably much more impactful being told through poetry.
As for the audiobook, well, it features an incredibly powerful performance from Ethan Herisse, who elevates the story even more. It’s so immersive that it makes you feel like you’re listening to a live poetry reading.
There’s also the matter of accessibility. Whilst the story woven throughout the poems is gut-wrenching, its short and snappy poems make it much easier to digest in small parts which is important for a novel like this.
It’s an incredible listen, so check it out if you get the chance.
Tempest Runner By Cavan Scott, Narrated By Jessica Almasy , Dan Bittner, Orlagh Cassidy, Sullivan Jones, January Lavoy, Kathleen McInerney, Tara Sands, Vikas Adam, Jonathan Davis, Neil Hellegers, Saskia Maarleveld, Soneela Nankani, Marc Thompson and Shannon Tyo.
As a Star Wars fan, I cannot recommend the audiobooks as they are some of the best quality audio productions I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. The performances in Tempest Runner are amazing, especially Jessica Almasy as Lourna Dee, who leads the novel tremendously and turns an iconic High Republic villain into a very complex character.
Due to the production’s incredible sound mixing and vocal direction when it comes together, it feels like you’re listening to an action-packed Star Wars movie minus the visuals. Any audiobook/audio drama that can recreate the big experience is a huge bonus on my part.
Tempest Runner is also another incredible entry into The High Republic series. Believe me, if I could make this list all High Republic audiobooks, I could, as it’s an incredible series that I cannot recommend enough.
1: Light Of The Jedi By Charles Soule Narrated By Marc Thompson
The novel that began it all for the High Republic. For the Star Wars fans reading this blog, if you haven’t checked out The Light Of The Jedi, you absolutely should, as it’s the start of a whole new era disconnected from the Skywalker saga. It’s essentially the MCU but in novel form. The audiobooks are just as incredible, starting with The Light Of The Jedi.
A huge selling point of the audiobook is the incredible performance of voice actor Marc Thompson, who has been narrating Star Wars audiobooks for twenty years. He does an amazing job at making each character distinct in a novel jam-packed with them. In fact, his voice for the novel’s protagonist was so iconic that it has landed him the opportunity of voicing him in the audio dramas as well.
It would also be a misjustice if I didn’t hype up the incredible sound design and mixing that makes listening to it an incredibly immersive experience. Adding to the experience is Charles Soule’s incredible writing, which makes it feel your listening to a scrapped movie script.
As one of my favourite novels of all time, I cannot recommend the audiobook version enough.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap. Be sure to keep an eye out for the launch of this year’s anthology and an eye out for an audiobook version, which should follow shortly after.
Happy listening,
Mel Soundy
They/Them