Two narrators playing the same characters

No reason to have a female and male narrators and have them just alternate chapters and then do different voices for the same character. The story was slow in itself but the pain of trying to follow a character where the voice changes is just annoying

10 people found this helpful

Exceptional, Intelligent, Story!!

This is a wonderfully crafted story that follows twins Peyton and Jai Foster, separated at birth and sent to two, very different lives in a world that is not so far removed from the one that we live in today.
Although their world is set in the future, it is run entirely by economics, Corporations run basically everything, and everybody works for a Corporation, via a set contract, that if its voided, either you have to get your family to pay for you to get home, you might be lucky enough to get some menial labour wherever you are, or more than likely, you will just end up dead. If you are not sponsored by one of the Corporations, then you have nothing, they pay for your food, housing, even clothing – so you lose your contract, you lose your life.
For a lot of people, they desperately try to get to training places that are like military training academies, and colleges/universities, all rolled into one. They take on a large number of recruits each year, but generally those that are sponsored. However, because there are so many people in the position like the Twins, they select the best of those that live in the orphanages, but it is generally only a couple from hundreds of applicants.
This story is quite multifaceted, in that it not only has two segments, the beginning segment in which we see the twins going through the academy, but also multifaceted in that we get to see the story from the points of view of multiple different characters.
This isn’t just the standard ‘Military’ grunt recruit opening sequence, it is a lot more complex, as we get to learn the very intricate and detailed world that has been created for the characters to live in.
The world building is just exceptional, the quality and depth of every aspect of the story is breathtaking, leaving you immersed in this very complex commercial world in which the Corporations run and rule everything, every aspect of your life. You don’t eat, blink, or go to the loo, without a Corporation knowing about it, and getting some sort of dollar value out it, either directly from you, or via your contract. It is a terrifying look at a future reality, but one that has been so beautifully, and cleverly well-crafted so that you really believe you are there.
The Character work is just astonishing, Peyton and Jai are so totally different characters, opposite ends of the spectrum, and so expertly written. You really believe these people, understand them, and as the book progresses, you not only know them, but really like them. I have to say though, one of my favourite characters in the book is Zean Foster, I’ll let you read and find out why.
As the story progresses, it becomes more and more compelling, and you get to delve further into this captivating world, full of intrigue and mystery, and soon, both Peyton and Jai, even though they don’t know the other exists, and have nothing to do with each other (They are in separate parts of the Space Academy, and Peyton is all Soldier, whilst Jai is more of a Tech Head, and is with their Tech Troops), the two of them have both worked out that things are not right.
Aided by their friends, and both of them with their unique set of skills, they begin to follow the various trails that they find, and it leads to things that neither of them thought was possible.
When cadets from their own Academy start to turn up dead in mysterious circumstances, things go from bad to worse.
It’s from here, that the pair begin to discover that the Corporations are not what they seem, and Contracts are a lot worse than they appear.
This is not your usual Mil Sci-Fi Super Trooper Romp – it is an intelligent, well crafted story that is full of political intrigue, with a complex, well thought out story, following multiple different characters so that you get to see the story for multiple perspectives. It makes the story a lot more interesting, and really adds to the mystery, making it such a fantastic read.
Rebel’s Call is not all mystery and intrigue though, it does have some epic combat scenes that you expect from this type of book, and these have been portrayed with the extraordinary skill that I have come to expect from Aukes and McFarlane, both who are just outstanding Authors. The combat is portrayed in a way that it is quite brutal, but it is not glorified, quite the opposite, questioning why they are doing this to each other so that Corporations can get richer on their (the soldiers) blood. It is a book that really makes you think, but is also just a fantastic Mil Sci-Fi read.
This is one that you are not going to want to miss, as this is just the start to what is going to be an exceptional series.
I have already pre-ordered book #2 ‘Rebel’s Run’, as this was just so good!!
This book has one of the best Narrating teams EVER in Scott Aiello and Emily Woo Zeller. Aiello is just brilliant, with a clear, concise voice that you can listen to for years without ever getting tired of it, and he does such masterful voices of both male and female characters. Zeller is just exceptional, one of my favourite Narrators, with the voice of an angel, you can listen to her forever, and she does an amazing job of creating male and female voices that you can easily understand. Both of these Narrators also understand the importance of generating the emotions of their characters, so you can really understand what the character is feeling, and truly immerse yourself into the story.
This is such a stunning Audiobook, with two of the best Narrators in the Audiobook market today, and it is one that is an absolute MUST listen to – one of the best Sci-Fi books I have read this year!!

3 people found this helpful

Good one

Okay so the training gave me a starship troopers vibe also even tho there are 2 MCs it becomes clear pretty quickly that peyton is the main focus of the story but personally i liked Jai way more. there are some dumb plots like how Peytons adopted mother has a damn tattoo of a rebel organization on her WRIST where everyone can see it but at the end it was an entertaining story. Now the narration...... i hate when they do this, they have 2 narrators but instead of the male narrator doing ALL male voices and female narrator doing ALL female voices they do it by POV

3 people found this helpful

This is perfect military SCI FI. PERFECT.

It's worth mentioning I was a huge fan of Starship Troopers (still am of the originals) but this story is so well laid out and the narration style between the two works very, very well. This is how all sci fi audiobooks should be made in my opinion.

1 person found this helpful

Fantastic, just buy!

Loved every bit of it! Interesting take on the future of human expanse into space that totally seems possible. A good amount of drama, without the typical “complete impossible scenarios” happening every 5 seconds… The narrators were incredible, and really brought to story to life. Cannot wait for the next book!

1 person found this helpful

LOTS of violence

If you like a LOT of detailed violence, then this is your book. It is extremely well-written. Personally I have had my fill of gratuitously violent science fiction, but I know that the majority of young science fiction fans really like it, and it is here "in spades" for those who do.

1 person found this helpful

worth listening to if bored

Two different voices performing the same characters is annoying and confusing. Would be better with just one voice throughout. Overall the story was dry and slow.

Solid Story, Excellent VA, Very Little Nonsense

After listening to a few books with frustrating characters and infuriating plot lines, this was a welcome surprise. I listened through most of the book in 2-3 sittings, and I can't recall a time when I had to pause and scream internally at the stupidity of the plot. I'll admit this was not something that you might consider revolutionary, but it was solid story that kept you listening and just close enough to the edge that it was hard to put down.

The characters are reasonable and likeable; it's hard not to root for them. I felt like I was on the same plane as the main characters and received new information as they did. Within the context of the story, major characters of the story mostly approach things with critical thinking and analysis. If you're looking for a story that glorifies the "headstrong idiots with a lot of plot armor", this is definitely not that. Otherwise, give this a chance, you'll likely enjoy it.

One criticism of the book would be the lack of world building from a technical perspective. The story is focused largely on the inter-personal and inter-group conflicts, and there is almost no "future tech" as part of the main plot. Also, at least at the end of the first book, the villains seem to be of a certain stereotype. I could be wrong though, since there hasn't been too much revealed about the underlying plot yet.

Overall, this was a compelling story that respects the readers and the characters in the book. It was definitely worth my time.

Was not expecting it to be this good!

I am a big fan. On to book #2. The narrators were excellent. The story was engaging.

Stand up for what you believe

In this novel you’ll bounce back and forth between two people with very different proficiencies and smarts for tactics and combat. The corporations are at a stale mate. Which one will make the first move?