Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Sterling
- Author: Dannika Dark
- Narrator: Nicole Poole
- Length: 10:01:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 09/06/2014
- Publisher: Tantor Media
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Paranormal
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I heard Nicole Poole’s voice wrap around Dannika Dark’s words, I was driving through the winding roads of Transylvania at dusk – an oddly perfect setting for a story about transformation. The way Poole’s narration captured Zoë Merrick’s journey from ordinary woman to luminous Mage reminded me of those Oaxacan storytelling nights, where every pause held meaning and every inflection revealed hidden depths.
Sterling unfolds like a selenite crystal – layered, translucent, and unexpectedly powerful. Dark crafts a paranormal awakening that feels viscerally real, perhaps because she anchors Zoë’s extraordinary transformation in such human vulnerability. When Zoë describes feeling ‘energy coursing through her body like liquid lightning,’ Poole delivers the line with such tactile intensity that I actually pulled my rental car over to experience the moment fully. It transported me back to my own encounter with raw power – standing barefoot on volcanic rock in Iceland as the northern lights danced overhead.
The heart of this audiobook lies in its dualities: human/immortal, light/magic, safety/danger. Poole masterfully distinguishes between characters through subtle vocal alchemy – Justus’s aristocratic arrogance drips like honeyed whiskey, while the human rescuer’s voice carries the gravelly warmth of a campfire protector. Her performance elevates Dark’s already rich character work, particularly in Chapter 7’s training sequences where Zoë’s frustration and breakthroughs are conveyed through breathing patterns alone.
What surprised me most was how Sterling subverts typical paranormal romance tropes. The love triangle isn’t just about passion – it’s an existential crossroads between two ways of being. Dark weaves in fascinating lore about Mage society that Poole delivers with the cadence of someone sharing dangerous secrets. During the Council scenes, I found myself leaning toward my speakers like I used to during my abuela’s whispered stories of our family’s Cuban past.
The production quality deserves special mention. Tantor Media’s engineers preserved the intimacy of Poole’s performance – you can hear the subtle click of saliva when characters tense their jaws, creating startling realism. The chapter transitions flow like phases of the moon, each marked by an ambient chime that never distracts from the narrative.
If I have one critique, it’s that some secondary characters’ accents occasionally bleed into caricature. A Romanian shopkeeper veers dangerously close to Dracula parody, though Poole course-corrects by the character’s next appearance. The 9-hour runtime also means certain philosophical implications about light-based immortality don’t get fully explored – I found myself pausing to imagine the untold stories of older Mages.
Compared to similar paranormal audiobooks, Sterling stands apart through its sensory richness. Where many urban fantasies rely on visual descriptions, Dark and Poole create a fully tactile experience. When Zoë first channels her power, you don’t just hear about the energy – you feel its buzz in Poole’s vibrating vocal fry. It’s this immersive quality that makes Sterling particularly rewarding in audio format.
For listeners who enjoyed A Discovery of Witches but craved more action, or those who appreciated the emotional depth of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series but wanted fresher mythology, this audiobook delivers. Just be warned: you may find yourself, as I did, sitting in a parked car long after arriving at your destination, unable to press pause on Zoë’s luminous becoming.
May your listening journeys be filled with transformative light,
Marcus Rivera
