The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands cover art

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

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The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

By: Sarah Brooks
Narrated by: Katie Leung, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
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About this listen

 The breathtaking historical fantasy set onboard the Great Trans-Siberian Express

'Imagine a crossover between Murder on the Orient Express, Game of Thrones and Paradise Lost . . . Brooks has serious talent' SUNDAY TIMES

'I was completely transported by this book . . . I urge everybody to pick up a copy' STUART TURTON

'Breathtaking . . . Abounding with mysteries and marvels' SAMANTHA SHANNON

'Exceptional. Strange, addictive, immersive, it's a steampunk Piranesi meets His Dark Materials' JENNIE GODFREY

'Mysterious and clever and brilliant' NATASHA PULLEY


It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.

It is the end of the nineteenth century and the world is awash with marvels. But there is nothing so marvellous as the Wastelands: a terrain of terrible miracles that lies between Beijing and Moscow.

Nothing touches the Wastelands except the Great Trans-Siberian Express: an impenetrable train built to carry cargo across continents, but which now transports anyone who dares.

Onto the platform steps a curious cast of characters: Marya, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Weiwei, a famous child born on the train; and Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist.

But there are whispers that the train isn't safe. As secrets and stories begin to unravel, the passengers and crew must survive their journey together, even as something uncontrollable seems to be breaking in . . .©2024 Sarah Brooks (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited Epic Fantasy Historical Mystery Science Fiction Steampunk Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Time Travel Exciting Fiction

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the ending might be a tad predictable but the story to that point?! my Golly gosh is it well well well worth hearing! you are in for a treat!

fantastical journey

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Agree with other comments about narrator, but I listened on 0.9 speed and it was much better.

Suboptimal narrator

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This may be a great book and one that I will have to read in book format to know. The quick fire narration for this audio book spoilt the story. I felt like I was being annunciated at by an angry primary school teacher.

Possibly a great story badly told

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The narrator gabbled her way through the story. She seemed to be reading it for herself rather than for her listeners. Many words were lost in her rush to get to the end.

Poor narration spoiled a well written story.

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I loved every second of this - original, gripping, and so well written. The narration was stellar too.

Absolutely outstanding

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I actually got this by mistake thinking it was something else, and I'm so glad I did! A brilliant story well narrated and good sound quality, I stayed up far too late because I couldn't bear to wait until the next day to see what happens

Amazing find

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Loved it! Engaging and with great narration - recommended for any magical realism fans. Impressive for a debut novel

Unusual story

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Is this just a train journey, or is it something more - you decide, choose how you see/interact with this tale and what it means for you. It can be as superficial or deep as you want. Wonderfully written and performed. A joy to listen to.

Fantastic multi-layered story

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I should have been the ideal reader for this. The blurb mentions Agatha Christie, Game of Thrones and there’s a review by Stuart Turton. Kobna’s narration of Nicholas Nickleby is also brilliant so I was sold. However, I was really disappointed. It’s one of those books where I just wonder what the point is and I like speculative fiction and magic realism. I was bored and didn’t care about the characters. Kobna barely narrates at all. I’ve read over 25 books this year and sadly this is one of the worst. Don’t waste your time.

Can anyone explain the plot?

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i can see from other reviews this really grabbed some people - but while I loved the premise, it left me cold. i never felt involved with the story or characters more than slightly. a shame.

it also seemed overly long and really dragged at the beginning.

never quite got going

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