This is a special review: a PREview (Public Relations Early View). This new type of content to the blog is for shows with few episodes that are referred by people other than the show’s creator. For this first PREview, we have Zaya from Realm which was referred to me by Imran from GreatPods.co.

Realm, who has been making waves in the audio drama community by picking up several shows like Leviathan Chronicles and Sidequesting is partnering with actress Inanna Sarkis to bring a thriller that hooks you so strongly that listening week to week becomes unbearable.

Conspiracy, Tension, and a Missing Person

Zaya’s first episode delivers the listener the premise of a missing person story and ends with starting to uncover a conspiracy. It is a bit strange that they don’t address the logistics of the kidnappers shooting Zaya’s brother Ramses before taking him. The entire first episode has definite MCU Daredevil vibes. For a show that, based on its description, seemed like another Liam Neeson action movie—Zaya surprised me with how well paced and attention grabbing it was throughout the first episode. Even while in bed and tired from a long day, I listened straight through the episode and thought about it.

CW’s Zaya

There’s some CW Arrow vibes as well, mostly in the form of flashback scenes. I’m curious to see how the team handles this going forward. Are we going for a shocking reveal where Gabriel knows more than she’s letting on and is leading Zaya along? There are so many ways this could go and that detective work on part of the listener is the bread and butter of the genre. Thus far, Zaya delivers on that aspect.