THE CAUTIOUS TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO THE WASTELANDS

This challenging audiobook manages to be two genres at once, both a historical novel and a fantasy. Brooks's narrative delightfully captures the misadventures of the crew and passengers of the Trans-Siberian Express as it crosses the eerie Russian "wastelands" around the turn of the twentieth century. Only one thing detracts from this enjoyable ride: The narrators' choice of British accents for a cast of largely Russian and Chinese characters. That accent is acceptable for Holdbrook-Smith's narrative from the titular travel guide. But Leung, who provides the bulk of the narrative, could have chosen more appropriate regional accents for the characters. A Russian minister with a Scottish brogue is jarring. Still, she does create discernibly distinctive characters. This allows the audiobook to run full speed intriguingly into the unknown. D.E.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]