Heart of Black Ice

The climactic fourth entry in the Nicci Chronicles picks up in the aftermath of the brutal war that swept the Old World. Nicci's companions — including King Grieve, the warrior Lila, and the young swordsman Bannon — find themselves captured by the Norukai, a seafaring people of terrifying power who have assembled a fleet capable of launching history's most devastating raid. What follows is a race against both geography and impossible odds.

Christina Traister has narrated the Nicci Chronicles throughout, and her assured handling of the ensemble's emotional dynamics carries extra weight in this finale. Her performance of the Norukai's scenes sets a menacing tone that the prose alone might not fully achieve. At 20 hours, this is an epic-length conclusion, and Traister's stamina and consistency make it work as a sustained audio experience rather than an endurance test.