Anima Rising

A Novel

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells

2026 Audie Winner – Fantasy | Winner of the AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award

Christopher Moore's novel comes to life in this incredible audio edition! Narrator Mary Jane Wells displays an impressive range of character voices, accents, and tonal shifts that perfectly compliment the story's pace and humor.

“A brilliant amalgamation of history, literature, horror, humor and humanity, unfolding with page-turning energy.” — Petaluma Argus-Courier

From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore comes a hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter, and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery.

Vienna, 1911. Gustav Klimt, the most famous painter in the Austrian Empire, the darling of Viennese society, spots a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal. He knows he should summon a policeman, but he can’t resist stopping to make a sketch first. And as he draws, the woman coughs. She’s alive!

Back at his studio, Klimt and his model-turned-muse Wally tend to the formerly-drowned girl. She’s nearly feral and doesn’t remember who she is, or how she came to be floating in the canal. Klimt names her Judith, after one of his most famous paintings, and resolves to help her find her memory.

With a little help from Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, Judith recalls being stranded in the arctic one hundred years ago, locked in a crate by a man named Victor Frankenstein, and visiting the Underworld.

So how did she get here? And why are so many people chasing her, including Geoff, the giant croissant-eating devil dog of the North?

Poor Things meets Bride of Frankenstein in Anima Rising, Christopher Moore’s most ingenious (and probably most hilarious) novel yet.

Absolute Lunacy

Christopher Moore has not lost his talent for mixing the absurd and outrageous in ways that continue to be unexpected (even when you are expecting it). There is always a curveball that takes the story down an unexpected path. In the last novel or two I missed the absolute carefree lunacy of his earlier work, but I think he’s found the perfect balance in this one. The narration was absolutely fantastic, perfect fit for this story. Stick around for the afterword as you really get to see how much effort went into crafting real world elements and influential characters into the story… and where he took a few well chosen liberties with them to get the right pieces in place to make it all just work. Even the stupid little mustache.

The Reader is the best I’ve ever heard.

I love Christopher Moore and always have. Somehow he keeps getting better and better, but Mary Jane Wells stole the show on this one. I’m off to find more of her work.

Clever, good narrator

I really enjoyed the variety of accents the narrator used! Clever writing. Really enjoyed this one.

Christopher Moore’s story telling is one of a kind, the best.

Another beautifully researched and told story by Mr Moore. I hope there will be another in this vein. My favorite author.

Narrator is super talented!

All the voices, all the characters, all the accents - superbly acted and nuanced. And only Christopher Moore can make Arctic myth, fin de sicele Vienna, murder and reanimation fun and funny.