The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

Inspired by Kirkman’s award-winning comic, this novel follows the events that transform family man Phillip into a half-crazed dictator known as the Governor in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Fred Berman’s narration is smooth and keeps listeners engaged throughout this audio version. He develops solid, authentic-sounding voices for most of the book’s characters, particularly the authoritative Phillip, and Brian, whose voice is soft with a hint of weakness. And while some secondary character sound like caricatures, Berman more than redeems himself via his excellent pacing. As the narrative moves into more pitched moments, Berman chooses pauses and projection with a great deliberateness, adding to the suspense and making the prose all the more impactful. A St. Martin’s/Dunne hardcover. (Oct.)