FIRSTBORN

In a harsh society in which the R'Tan natives are subservient to the Madronians, Tiadone has been declared male--because that's the only way to save firstborn daughters, such as she, from infanticide. Jorjeana Marie does a suitable job narrating as Tiadone approaches her adolescence and all the accompanying changes to her life. The harsh desert setting of Tiadone's year serving on border patrol and her struggles to help her people overcome the Madronians' religious and political oppression make for a promising story. But this audio version emphasizes the author's purple prose and calls attention to the discrepancy between Tiadone's young age and her sexually charged reactions to her best friend, Ratho. J.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]