David

Underwood at his Best

Reviewed: 08-18-20

Annihilation Aria takes everything Michael Underwood developed in his previous novels and masterfully weaves them together like perfectly crafted Atlan cybernetic limbs. He manages to paint a vivid galaxy without bombarding the reader with too much information, gives us a main cast you grow to love and worry for, and side characters whose names you make a point to actually remember. His love of the space opera and epic adventure comes through with the Kettle's crew of lovable misfits; Lahra, Max and Wheel, and he folds their own stories of personal growth (and that of their eventual nemesis) beautifully into a much grander overarching plot, each with exciting arcs, satisfying endings, and tantalizing hooks. Perhaps more than any book from him so far he thrusts us into a multicultural universe, giving life to more than a half dozen civilizations, and presenting rich and interesting takes from economic, social and diplomatic angles, shown to us through four unique character experiences and through the larger cultures they represent, and differ, from. It's truly a feast for the imagination.

Chris Ciulla and Caitlin Kelly both performed wonderfully, bringing each character to life distinctly through tone, timbre and pacing. I sincerely hope they reprise their roles in the sequel that is surely to come.

I can't wait to see where the song of Annihilation Aria's universe takes us next; when that book comes out, I'll be hurling myself into the Warp to get it as fast as I can!

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3 people found this helpful

Quirky and fun and yet...

Reviewed: 07-30-19

The book hits on all sorts of nerd-fandoms in a way that's fairly reminiscent of other works (Ready Player One, Geekomancy, etc) but there are all sorts of little digs at the liberal perspective. Despite being a light romp through a vibrant, 'strange' universe, I found myself asking if it was really necessary to go out on a limb to bash Obama, Joe Biden and gender studies. There are some uncomfortable moments when a reader may realize they'd never want to meet the main character or other large personalities in the book because their mindsets are actually really unpleasant. I'll bet Adam Baldwin adored narrating this. That said, vocally, he does an amazing job.

Overall, excellent production quality, and engaging interesting fluff sci-fi story...but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

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