The Hollow Crown
by D. Reyes · Narrated by Full cast (led by Mara Lindqvist)
8.6
Overall
Voice
8.9
Pacing
7.9
Production
9.2
Story
8.5
"A full-cast production that turns a dense epic into a night you won't want to end. Worth the premium."
D. Reyes's court-intrigue epic is dense on the page — dozens of houses, three timelines, a glossary. The full-cast production is what makes it navigable.
Mara Lindqvist narrates the connective prose with authority, while a dozen actors voice the principal characters. Distinct voices do real work in keeping the factions straight.
Music cues and battlefield ambience are lavish, occasionally too lavish; a couple of scenes bury dialogue under score.
At nearly 22 hours it's a commitment, but a rewarding one for fantasy listeners who love big casts and bigger stakes.