The Book of Elsewhere Audiobook By Keanu Reeves, China Miéville cover art

The Book of Elsewhere

A Novel

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Book of Elsewhere

By: Keanu Reeves, China Miéville
Narrated by: Allan Corduner, Asia Kate Dillon, China Miéville, Edoardo Ballerini, Joshua Manning, Lily Rabe, Michiel Huisman, Keanu Reeves
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.50

Buy for $22.50

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An “action-packed [and] profoundly stylish” (Los Angeles Times) epic from Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, unlike anything these two genre-bending pioneers have created before, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books

She said, We needed a tool. So I asked the gods.

There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who cannot be killed. Who’s seen a thousand civilizations rise and fall. He has had many names: Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he’s known simply as “B.”

And he wants to be able to die.

In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points toward a force even more mysterious than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own.

In a collaboration that combines Miéville’s singular style and creativity with Reeves’s haunting and soul-stirring narrative, these two inimitable artists have created something utterly unique, sure to delight existing fans and to create scores of new ones.

©2024 Keanu Reeves and China Miéville (P)2024 Random House Audio
Action & Adventure Adventure Editor's Select Resurrection
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“A philosophical, violent thriller about an immortal soldier pondering the nature of his existence, The Book of Elsewhere has an elegance that might surprise you for a pulp thriller. . . . [Miéville’s] presence as Reeves’ narrative collaborator . . . immediately makes it more interesting, even for those who aren't already fans of the comic.”—Polygon

"Action-packed, ultraviolent and morally ambiguous . . . a profoundly stylish and beautiful approach to the trials and tribulations of the ancient warrior who cannot die . . . an enjoyable action-mystery cut through with moments of existential melancholy . . . [the] brimful imagination and impeccable style make it a deeply pleasurable read.”LA Times

“A surprisingly, even rattlingly good read . . . A blood-spattered, era-spanning action thriller, The Book of Elsewhere manages to lift and twist its unbelievably sanguinary source material into a meditation on the cyclical nature of violence.”The Sunday Times

Editorial Review

John Wick meets weird fiction
When it was announced that the universally beloved multihyphenate Keanu Reeves would be cowriting a full-length novel with acclaimed speculative fiction writer China Miéville, I was all-in immediately. I’ve been counting down the days until I can sink my teeth into The Book of Elsewhere, a cerebral, ambitious listen nestled within the inventive world of Reeves’s BRZRKR comics. The story follows the mysterious warrior now known only as “B,” an immortal figure of legend who has long grown weary of his inability to die. But to other self-interested martial parties, what B views as a burden is a massive boon. Probing big philosophical questions about war, memory, the weaponization of power, and the meaning of life in the absence of death, and buzzing with a wholly original narrative style that wanders through the story like its protagonist does through lifetimes, this listen is set up to be like nothing we’ve heard before.— Alanna M., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Book of Elsewhere

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    153
  • 4 Stars
    60
  • 3 Stars
    34
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    182
  • 4 Stars
    50
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    145
  • 4 Stars
    57
  • 3 Stars
    33
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    13

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disjointed

Multiple narrative threads were not helped by multiple narrators in the audio version. As others have mentioned, the central conceit of the story -- an undying supernatural force deals with its own nature -- has been done better elsewhere with far more finesse and much less grandiose violence. Still, I remain a fan of both authors and will continue to look forward to all their separate and future joint creations

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stuck to my chest…

I’ve been thinking on this book for a long while after finishing it. I think it is one I will return to many times. The writing is compelling, and the narrative is complex and engaging. But I think the larger themes of the story are what keep replaying long after I put the book down. I cannot wait to read more works from this author, and I will definitely be checking out the BRZRKR comic series too!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed it

I've heard mixed reviews. I liked it. I like world building, and there certainly was that.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An interesting take on immorality

I’ll probably jump to read the comic books now, I was interested in reading this due to China’s involvement. The book could have been a bit shorter, but overall it’s interesting and a good fun.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unexpected Delight

I got this book on a whim, simply because I am constantly impressed by Keanu Reeves and wished to see if this effort of his would continue that trend. I am happy to report that it does. Well written, complex yet understandable, and a story that kept me looking forward to more. I plan to listen again, just to absorb more of the tale. The reading was exemplary, with characters easily distinguishable from each other. I can recommend this book without reservation, and envy the first timer’s experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Great Read

Started really great and the plot moved along beautifully. I live the interplay between past and present. lost me a little at the end, but all in all a worthy listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a journey

It is not everyday that one comes upon a new and unique story so well written and performed.

I believe that this will appeal to any palate, if genres were flavors, because the theme and the delivery are so well thought and done that I fail to detect a scenario in which a person will not appreciate it.

A life cursed and gifted to never end, to never have children, to never forget and to watch all you ever see and meet die and wither.

What would you do with such power? Become the emperor of mankind? Guide humanity through time over eons, steering us all towards some goal as the hidden hand? What great work could inspire one to continue without despair?

I don't know, but I shall think upon it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing visuals but it can be hard to follow.

This book is amazing. At times because I’ve been listening at work it was hard to follow because of its jumping in perspective and timeline but amazing. The visuals are dramatic and the performance was well read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

welp, Keanu Reeves wrote a book and it, too, is great.

original, dark, philosophical, existential, critical of humanity and religion. at once cyberpunk and steampunk and historical science fiction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great read (listen)

I found it a bit confusing at the beginning and a bit confusing at the end, but it’s a fascinating story. Also interestingly philosophical. Even had to look up a few words. Really enjoyed. I might read a hard copy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful