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  • The Link

  • AI Empire, Book 1
  • By: Isaac Hooke
  • Narrated by: A W Dickson
  • Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)
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The Link cover art

The Link

By: Isaac Hooke
Narrated by: A W Dickson
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Summary

An impossible enemy. A fleet surrounded.

Jain and his fleet of elite AI warships hurry to Earth's defense when an alien empire known as the Link stages an all-out attack. Though his fleet is equipped with the most powerful weapons tech ever developed, with enough firepower to raze an entire moon base, even Jain's mighty vessels prove no match for the enemy.

When unexpected allies show up, the tide seems to turn in his favor. But will it be enough?

Perhaps. The aliens were expecting to find a race of organics barely out of the stone ages.

It must have come as quite a shock when they realized they faced a budding AI Empire.

Book One of a full-length military science fiction trilogy, The Link ends in a cliffhanger. Book Two, The Alliance, is available now.

©2019 Isaac Hooke (P)2021 Isaac Hooke

What listeners say about The Link

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Requires having read all previous "AI" series

Pretty much requires knowing the 'AI fleet', 'Warforged' and 'Bolt Eaters' storylines before reading.

This books starts off pretty much directly where the previous books stopped, and expects you to know all the characters from the previous Hooke series.

Unfortunately, by changing the perspectives between groups of characters, this story also looses the intensity that made the previous series good.

The interaction between the groups is also feels a little haphazard. These groups veterans of intense wars suddenly quibble in nonsensical ways while the stakes are immense.

Initially, I was really excited to see these characters in one series, but was ultimately disappointed.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

New Narrator and a Different Style

I found Isaac Hooke through the AI Fleet series. I loved the style, story and concept. The narrator for that series was also very good and gave the characters their own unique personality.

I picked up the AI Empire series hoping for more of the same, and a continuation of an epic story. The story does continue but is hard to follow or get excited about.

Isaac has tried to combine characters from his previous outings into one story switching from one group of characters to another to eventually bring them all together for a grand finale (I assume).

For me this did not work well, switching between events and characters with not enough time devoted to each did not allow you to relate or connect with them.

On top of this the change in narrator prevented me from connecting with the "new" characters. I don't think this would have been a massive issue, but if you have just finished the previous series the change in reading style changes the characters significantly and how you picture them.

For example, Zander now comes across with zero personality, but at the end of the last series Jain was questioning if he had developed emotions or had personal goals. While the text may develop Zander further the way in which he is now voiced puts him across and a mindless machine now.

The biggest part of audio books for me is the narrator and how they vocalise each individual character. Changing narrator for already established characters is always going to be tough.

Had to send this back for a refund before completing the story.

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