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Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi

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Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi

By: Nyasha Hatendi
Narrated by: Caleb McLaughlin, Jessica Mikayla, Christina Elmore, Kevin Carroll, Tapiwa Mutingwende, Tongayi Chirisa, Charmaine Bingwa, Denise Khumalo, Tendai Maduwa
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About this listen

The following contains mature content and language some may find offensive. Listener discretion is advised.

When the sacred is defiled, darkness awakens.

The Wallace family's vacation to a luxury game reserve in Zimbabwe becomes a living nightmare in this heart-stopping psychological thriller from visionary writer/director Nyasha Hatendi. Starring Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things, The Deliverance), who delivers a gripping performance in his Audible debut, Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi (mBeerwee) plunges listeners into a world where ancient spirits collide with inner wounds and family secrets are as deadly as the strange beasts that stalk the savanna.

Lost in his headphones, self-absorbed teen Dashon Wallace (McLaughlin) never imagined that a strained family trip meant to bring everyone closer could unravel so completely. But when he unwittingly desecrates hallowed ground, he unleashes the Mbirwi, a vengeful entity born from centuries of colonial oppression. As possessed wildlife and shape-shifting horrors close in, Dashon must confront not only the supernatural threat but also the horrors of his own past to save what remains of his family.

Presented in spectacular Dolby Atmos, Sacrilege blends pulse-pounding suspense with profound explorations of identity and privilege to deliver a thriller as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. With its lush sound design and sensational ensemble cast, Sacrilege redefines the boundaries of audio storytelling, drawing listeners into an immersive experience they will not soon forget.

©2024 QCODE (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.
Action & Adventure Horror Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary
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All stars
Most relevant
Great story, character development, story line. Great actors.
Was gripped from the beginning. Would recommend to anyone!

Enthralled!

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Funny, tense and insightful. This original storyline is so engaging I had to listen to it twice back to back. I hope it's adopted for the big screen.

Best Audio book of 2025

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It's supposed to be set in Zimbabwe but that's only referred to I think twice and every other time it's "Africa", even from the Zimbabweans. Granted I only know people from other countries in Africa, but they tend to refer to their specific country, if not their specific ethnic group rather than just "Africa". Maybe Zimbabwe is different 🤷‍♂️

TBH it follows the same path as the perspectives/representations it (and Hatendi) criticise. A lot of broken promises and an inability to to actually let the audience (or characters) fend for themselves in a starkly harmless place.

The Wizard of Oz in a homongenized "Africa"

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This was a great listen. It felt like I was watching a movie. Such a great story. Beautiful all in all.

Great Production!!

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I have to admit this did grate at times, and I nearly gave up. So glad I didn't. I suspect that was the intention. That the annoying Americans were meant to annoy you. ESPECIALLY the mother, because her character was highly unlikable. The other characters were great, especially the hosts at the hotel.
The authenticity of the accents, music, and use of native language was a beautiful touch. What really got me was the ending. You'll see what I mean, it's open to your interpretation.

What an ending!

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Firstly, let me say that I really enjoyed this story. The pace was good, I liked the narrators and it kept me engaged all the way through.

Like most ghost stories it is creepy rather than all-out scary and the main character is a thinker i.e. he tries to work out why bad things are happing as opposed to running around and screaming his head off. So you get a bit of a mystery as well.

What I did not like was the endless hand-wringing and general agonizing about race issues. Colonialism, slavery, black-on-black concerns (American blacks look down on African blacks? Who knew?), diversity gumph ....... come on! It's a ghost story fgs! This book was good. But it would have been great without.

If Disney made ghost stories...

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I really enjoyed this! The accents were a bit hit or miss here and there (I am saying as a Zimbabwean) but overall I really enjoyed it and gave me such a warm feeling and homesickness.

Way too short but so good!

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It felt as if I was watching it all in my mind. I felt so immersed into the story. Loved it

Griping and absolutely beautiful.

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well what can I say! amazing, the story line is brilliant and yes had a lump in throat at the end.
everything in this audible was spot on, I felt I was in Africa, animal noises as always I have to press forward as big animal lover but I can not fault this story its just brilliant ! 5 stars to the cast.

amazing

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This is totally different to what I normally listen to. I loved how intense it got so quickly, I was hooked from the beginning. I listened to this all in one go. I wish there were more short stories like this, that capture you straight away.

Loved this ❤️❤️

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