Okay, thoughts as follows.

After the first Audio, I still admit I wasn’t totally sold on this series. But, this second Ep, totally blew me away. (I listened to the first 6 hours last week, and because of the break at work. UK may bank holiday I had some time away from it) and I was very eager to finish off as soon as I was back behind the wheel.

I was totally blown away by the depth of character to this episode. The MC’s Megan Po, Ben Hemez, (sp) and Jake Mercer were almost alive in my head!… I felt everything they were going through, and the story just kept on and on surprising me and making my head hurt all at the same time. Great job to both writer and narrator here 🙂

Some of the best moments for me – SPOILERS

Jake – We all know he’s making the biggest ‘daft decision’ of this book in going down to the planets surface with the pirates. The little altercation with the November family is very interesting though… a hint for book 3 there and that of course, Pritchard is alive. Hope on a different level.

But even though Jake has now been captured along side Alexandro and Ben, (plus two guards) he still never gives up in thinking and plotting to escape. This kinda of punishment and place would break so many and I do kinda wish that there were a few more destitute thoughts from him, but still with Ben elsewhere they have a plan, and a good plan. Not many of the decisions down in the mines are Jakes, some are just circumstantial and to me for this episode he does play a more downsized role.

LOVED LOVED LOVED – Megan leading the fight against Admiral Trajan. What a woman! what an absolute star and fighter she is. They all kinda question what Jake did for them in the previous book, but here she is and she’s doing death defying moves under the ocean to prolong their time to prepare to kick the Admirals’ behind.

I really enjoyed her story, as a character she’s such compassion, and yet such depth to her decisions. Maybe just as much reckless as Jake, but fab job and good on her!

The scenes with Ben, were just awful. I cringed, I hated it, but it was brilliant writing and just as brilliant in the narration department. Greg really delved in deep I think to become this crazy psychopathic doctor, as he scared me so much, I kinda wanted to skip those parts, but couldn’t because I wanted to know what would happen to Ben. I felt everything that they did in that room, and ugggh so so glad that Six eventually helped him to get out.

So on the whole this Ep really came alive for me. I am being honest though as I did have a couple of moments where I was jarred out of the story by a couple of repetitive words and phrasings. I do think that comes part and parcel of listening to something as opposed to reading it, reading it takes much longer, so anything that can be perceived as a crutch word/phrase is easier spotted and makes me want to avoid them myself. It’s just an observation, that’s all.

This book written by Nick and read by Greg is one of my fav so far, it has all the elements of an epic space opera and characters that you just can’t help but feel for and love.

PS I already started on the next… 🙂 Thank you both for an amazing ride.