The Gaslight Girl

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the runtime—how much depth can you pack into 140 minutes? But *The Gaslight Girl* proves brevity can be brutal. Perth’s writing thrives on implication: Halloran’s quest isn’t about saving a kingdom but outrunning the slow collapse of her own mind, and the fantasy elements (a sentient lantern, a curse that tastes like copper) feel fresh because they’re treated as mundane horrors. Johns’ performance sells it; his Halloran isn’t a plucky heroine but a woman two bad decisions away from unraveling, and his delivery of the supporting cast—particularly the slick, untrustworthy ‘Guide’—had me rewinding to catch the lies in their inflections. That said, the pacing *does* stumble in the final act. The climax hinges on a reveal that’s telegraphed too early, and the denouement rushes past emotional beats that deserved more air. The sound design, while atmospheric, occasionally drowns out Johns’ quieter lines (a sin in an audiobook this dialogue-heavy). Still, for listeners exhausted by epic fantasy’s bloated runtimes, this is a masterclass in economic storytelling. Just don’t expect to walk away unhaunted—like the best fairy tales, it leaves thorns in your skin.