Pushing Daisy

The Clockwork Chimera, Book 2

By: Scott Baron

Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny

Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

They say life is a bowl of cherries. Unfortunately, Daisy kept getting the pits.

Escaping from deranged cyborgs and a malcontent artificial intelligence had been the run of Daisy’s life, but one from which she had miraculously come out the other side, and in one piece, no less. Unfortunately for her, she had survived that ordeal only to find herself in a far deeper mess.

With an even more dangerous turn of events throwing her in harm’s way, Daisy’s original plight was now dwarfed by the new issues at hand. Issues involving not only her crew mates and herself, but threats on a global level. Earth was in jeopardy, and much as she hated to admit it, Daisy, it seemed, was its best hope.

Driven into action and forced to rely not only on her own wits but also the voice in her head and tirelessly watching her back, Daisy found her newfound skills tested to their limits and quite nearly to their breaking point.

Unfortunately for her adversaries, they didn’t know just who it was they were pushing around, because Daisy was most definitely not to be trifled with. She was the woman who pushed back.

©2018 Scott Baron (P)2020 Scott Baron

Much better than first book.

Much better than the first book. I am glad I bought them on the 2 for 1 sale or I probably never would have bought the second one. She still managed to make a couple of bone headed decisions that unnecessarily complicated things and will come back to bite her. Also, so easily trusts an alien she just met and yet so distrustful of her former boyfriend just because he has an AI booster. Makes no sense.

great read

This story picked up right after the first and kept me on edge the whole time. I cant wait to hear the next volume.

More Daisy, Need I say More?

Scott Baron (author) and Vivienne Leheny (Narrator) bring us the second enthralling audiobook of the “Clockwork Chimera” series entitled “Pushing Daisy”. This audiobook picks up right where the first one left off, so if you have not listened to that one yet, I highly recommend you do. The series is a blending of both space opera and post-apocalyptic genres, and I can say that the story is rather unique from others like it. If you are one who appreciates well-written and narrated stories that involve humans, aliens and intelligent machines, I think you will find this one to your liking. As I stated in the review of the first book on the series, this one is a bit darker and more mature focused then Mr. Baron’s Dragon Mage series; another wonderful series as well.

The author did an exceptional job of bringing in a strong lead female character (Daisy) who is often pushed to her limits from all the events of the first audiobook. Yet, in this story we find that when pushed, Daisy pivots and is able to push back even harder. She is driven and has a level of tenacity that will not stop until her goal is achieved. I like that the author provided some details from the previous audiobook in the series to assist the listener in recalling events leading up to where we are now. This story picks up nearly four months after the previous story left off. A plan needs to be devised to address this new worldly threat, and much of this involved training, exploration and more training. During this time on the Moon, Daisy begins to grasp the situation of being the chosen one and debates if she is the right person for this task. The listener is also given some extra details on Daisy’s past. Filling in things like what makes her tick, what are her fears, etc. You begin to appreciate her even more in this audiobook.

As with the first audiobook, Mr. Baron does a great job of including interesting and unique technology. The ability of the alien technology AI to detect standard electronic equipment signatures makes it all that more difficult when the group wants to remain always under the radar; no pun intended. How can one plan a trip back to Earth from the Moon while trying not to be detected? It is a puzzle that needs to be solved if they are going to accomplish their goals. Technology is not the only thing needing to be worked on, but many of the broken relationships must be address as well if everyone plans on remaining a unified team. The story takes a bit of a side quest as a few strange objects are discovered while doing some extra exploring on the Moon’s surface. Some newly discovered places and technology make for an interesting twist in this story already filled with twists. Yet, all of this is well developed into the main storyline as the tale progresses.

As the goal line moves forward, Daisy begins to understand that much of her understanding is built upon lies and deceit. She begins to struggle with her own existence and has a crisis much like Neo in the movie “The Matrix”. She begins to learn that one double-cross leads to another double-cross. Even the listener begins to question what is true and what has been fabricated. I like that feeling of unknown and discovery with the characters. This part of the series focused on revealing the complex nature of Daisy’s situation along with more details of the aliens she first encountered. The story includes action, adventure, and discovery along with complex characters. The author also threw in some pop-culture references along the way which made me smile while listening.

Turning to the audiobook’s narration. As with the first audiobook, Vivienne Leheny did a professional job recording this one as well. The character’s voices remained similar between audiobooks, the audio itself was clear of any audio artifacts, and the volume was consistent. Her reading was well paced, and her voice is clear and pleasant to listen too. There were a few places where she included some effects to enhance the audiobook, yet I can say these were not overly used.

For parents and younger readers, this book, like the first, contains some strong language and topics which could be considered mature. There are conversations involving relationships and intimacy which may be considered explicit to some listeners; by no means pornographic. Some of the violence may be a bit graphic for younger audiences as well.

In summary, if you enjoyed the first book in the series it is not even a question whether you pick up this one or not. The story is compelling, contains plenty of action, and the main female character is strong. The narration was well performed, and the added audio effects gave the audiobook a bit of realism. Note that this book is targeted more towards mature audiences due to its darker feel and graphic violence. I can say that I jumped right into this audiobook upon finishing up the first because I wanted to know more of how Daisy would solve her dilemma. Pushing Daisy is another fun audiobook by Scott Baron, and it is well worth your Audible credit.

Disclaimer: this audiobook was provided at no charge from the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias review.

This sequel is a lot better than the first book

Daisy is constructed to save the world but is only human. I believe this is why you find yourself rooting for as well as being annoyed with the main character actions. It was challenging to root for Daisy torwards the middle of the first book due to her actions. This sequel book fixes that, as you find yourself rooting for her more instead of rolling your eyes.
I overall liked this book a lot more than the first, and certainly looking forward to the next.

This isn't a descriptive title.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the other characters, however just like the previous book the main character isn't very likeable, and just like before I enjoyed the way the narrator did the different characters.

Story is getting even more interesting!

Daisy's adventures continue in this second book of the series. She is coming to terms with what she has learned of her origins, and with her new life in the Darkside base. She makes some new friends there. She discovers unexpected knowledge within. herself and still struggles with her feelings for her (not-quite) ex-boyfriend,

There is a slight tendency towards predictably in the story, but it is not an overwhelming amount. The series presents a somewhat dystopian view of Earth's future, but it is not one without hope.,

Bottom line: A good read. I am looking forward to the next book.

better than the first one

story got a lot better towards the end of the book. Daisy is a very racist lady, it's difficult listening to her words and actions towards the crew and team.

a great second

slow to start , but after it got going it was very well done and read

Deeper and deeper

As this story line progresses more and more makes sense. Can’t wait until for the next book.

really good

I have added a new-to-me author to my favorites list. The story is a continuation in the Daisy series. Daisy is a special Earthling who has returned from space after a long space Voyage. The story takes the listener through the efforts of Daisy as she (with help) works to retake Earth from aliens salvaging materials on the planet. Now to listen to book 3!