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Midnight Robber

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About this listen

It's Carnival time and the Caribbean-colonized planet of Toussaint is celebrating with music, dance, and pageantry. Masked "Midnight Robbers" waylay revelers with brandished weapons and spellbinding words. To young Tan-Tan, the Robber Queen is simply a favorite costume to wear at the festival - until her power-corrupted father commits an unforgiveable crime.

Suddenly, both father and daughter are thrust into the brutal world of New Half-Way Tree. Here monstrous creatures from folklore are real, and the humans are violent outcasts in the wilds. Tan-Tan must reach into the heart of myth and become the Robber Queen herself. For only the Robber Queen's legendary powers can save her life...and set her free.

©2000 Nalo Hopkinson (P)2012 Audible, Inc. African American Classics Coming of Age Dystopian Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Science Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature Royalty Caribbean

Critic reviews

"Robin Miles's voice is deep, rich, and rolling. The story is written in a kind of patois, and her narration makes it easy to understand—probably easier than reading it in print. She effortlessly creates unique characters—whether male, female, young, old, sentient birds, ghosts, or aliens." (AudioFile)
All stars
Most relevant
This. Right. Here.
So deeply beautiful, The references. The light patois. The weaving of stories you heard as a child with references to places you've stood, the air you've breathed, memories long forgotten of generations past.
I've never been in love with a book before. I've enjoyed stories, had moments of new learning and understanding from books but never love until now.

No Words

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A sumptuous novel beautifully read as always by Robin Miles. Tan Tan is a gripping and sympathetic main character and I loved ChiChi Bird and the Dwen.

Heart rending and imaginative fantasy/sci-fi

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Anansi meets Sci-fi! Very enjoyable listen. Would recommend it to any Anasi fan. Performance was fantastic!

Performance was fantastic!

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This is a great book, really nice that it's partly patois. Such an enjoyable story overall (although there's a couple of horrible sexual violence bits). And the reading of it fitted perfectly.

Great book and reading

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Gorgeous writing, beautiful performance, can't-stop story. The first sci fi story I've read/heard in Jamaican Patwah, albeit an Anglo dialect easy for a any English speaker to understand without problems (and ditto for the moderately accented reading). Poetic phrasing and rhythms that give a folkloric feel to what is basically a YA coming-of-age story in a classic "colony world" setting. Threaded through with "Anansi stories" (not actually about Anansi but true to the mode). Listening on headphones during long walks I truly couldn't keep from out-loud laughs, tears and the occasional whoop of triumph (would have embarrassed myself if I hadn't been so caught up). I want to stand on the rooftops and say "get this!!"

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOLLOW

STOP NOW TO AVOID PARTIAL SPOILERS.

T/W for child abuse, rape, self-blaming. At times this was an undeniably difficult listen. It's handled extremely well but also doesn't skirt around details.

YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS!

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