The Burning

Two New Tales of the Witch Doctors

By: Wayne Kyle Spitzer

Narrated by: Tim Shoesmith

“Well, now we are getting somewhere,” says Sula, glancing him up and down, appearing victorious. “But she was not a witch like me, else she would not have done what she did. For that is exactly what happened, isn’t it? Jadis became infected by M24 and slew her own son, and your son too. And then you spent the next year and a half wandering a world you no longer recognized, a world where the dead were stacked on every street corner and the bonfires burned day and night, until you stumbled into a beer hall one night because they were offering free bread and heard a powerful orator talking about male superiority and cleansing the world; and you listened, at first just because it felt good to have something in your stomach, but later because you were swayed, and that orator’s name was Kill-sin, who would go on to found New Salem and rule it with an iron fist. Am I warm, witch doctor?"

©2019 Wayne Kyle Spitzer (P)2020 Wayne Kyle Spitzer

A Short Taste of Dystopian Sci-Fi

The Burning by Wayne Kyle Spitzer was an intriguing listen, albeit one I found a little hard to follow. I had suspected as much after reading the blurb because the stories are set in an established world which I was unfamiliar with. The premise is quite interesting though, and I'd love to see a full-length story set in this world. I assume the other books in the series explain some of the backstory I'm missing, though at only an hour or so long I suspect they may leave me wanting more as well.

Even without knowing the history of the world though, Spitzer did a good job of grabbing my interest and keeping it for these two stories.

The narration by Tim Shoesmith was excellent, with no obvious issues and a voice that matched the story. All up, an interesting duo of tales that I'd certainly encourage to become a full-length novel. I think there's a lot to explore in this world.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I have not let this gift affect nor influence my opinions of this audiobook and have left an honest review.