A Better World

The Brilliance Trilogy, Book 2

By: Marcus Sakey

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

The brilliants changed everything.

Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we'd only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person's most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional...and the rest of us.

Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive.

Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United States, he's against everything the terrorists represent. But as America slides toward a devastating civil war, Cooper is forced to play a game he dares not lose - because his opponents have their own vision of a better world.

And to reach it, they're willing to burn this one down.

From Marcus Sakey, "the master of the mindful page turner" (Gillian Flynn) and "one of our best storytellers" (Michael Connelly), Book Two of the Brilliance Saga is a relentless thrill ride that will change the way you look at your world - and the people around you.

©2014 Marcus Sakey. (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Engaging but a bit of a stretch

The book was engaging and the performance of it was excellent. Though I thought the story premise was good but the string of events in it a bit far fetched needing more concrete reasons for the decisions made by characters twirls the core conflict. I may have jumped into this book out of sequence but by itself I found the book entertaining albeit not totally believable .

Simply a solid continuation of a great idea

A Better World picks up shortly after the conclusion of Brilliance. Nick Cooper, a brilliant himself, worked for Equitable Services (under DAR) hunting down rouge or terrorist or unwanted abnorms. After taking down his boss and the President of the Untied States, after one of his charges, John Smith, enlightens Nick as to what is really going on. Now he has been asked by the new President, form Vice-President, to hunt down a new group of terrorists, The Children of Darwin. With no option to refuse.

Simultaneously Shannon, Cooper's cohort from the last story is embarking on her own missions. Both stories converge eventually. Contrasting to the last audiobook, which had only one point of view to follow, here we have to follow three. Nick Cooper, Shannon and Ethan (normal person) a scientist who's story doesn't make sense until later on. This jumping back and forth kept me for being fully immersed like I was last time.

The uniqueness that made Brilliance such an awesome story, and surrounded it with hype somewhere disappeared in A Better World. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this sequel, it just seemed more mainstream thriller with much of the action in the second half of the story. No real surprises or major plot twists. What kept me interested was the complexity of Cooper, he is the kind of guy that would be wearing a white hat in an old western. Good guy through and through, yet awesomely imperfect.

Simply a solid continuation of a great idea, I cannot wait for the next one.

Audiobook purchased by reviewer.

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Excellent Sci Fi story!

Where does A Better World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is in the top 25%. I really enjoyed this second book in the series.

What did you like best about this story?

There is not 1 best. It's a good story. It was written well and it had narration. I judge a story based on it sucking me in and not pissing me off. That did this well.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait until the next one comes out.

After telling my husband about the series he points out that someone owe Stan Lee some money. I don't want to get into that. But if you the like the premise of x-men you will probably enjoy this series in general. Nobody wear costumes and the skills are not quite at super natural. But idea is there. I am also impressed with the political allegory.

If you like political stories, this is also a story for you.

If you like good writing. I recommend.

WOW, I was not expecting that...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was a solid second book. all the characters that survived book one are now more rounded out for book two. And then given new tasks. An awesome story. Quick release the Kraken...I mean book three.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Better World?

Soren was awesome. the intrigue and political back story.

What does Luke Daniels bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Luke Daniels is good, solid narrator. never distracting. I forget that he's speaking and I'm just in the story itself. Awesome.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Soren's attack. John Smith.

Any additional comments?

Worth the download. Great book.

Continues the Brilliance saga...

Would you consider the audio edition of A Better World to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the book version, but this is outstanding.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nick Cooper. Survivor and thoughtful ethical character.

Have you listened to any of Luke Daniels’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, several, and this performance is outstanding.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning of the battle is excellent.

Any additional comments?

This continues a fascinating journey by Sakey and Daniels. This is one of the most intriguing new series to come along in some time, and it is most certainly worth the credit.

I really need the next installment!

I should know better than to begin a series that hasn't had all the books completed! Book 1 caused me to immediately search out Book 2 and now I need the next one!

A Better World

Any additional comments?

Drawn to this author due to an article in a Chicago newspaper. The setting of Chicago was naturally a draw, it’s my home town and where I live. I don’t usually review two books in one sweep, but these stories are connected. Brilliance begins with the premise that savants have used their ‘brilliance’ to take over and conquer a number of cultural icons, i.e., there is no more stock market, for example. The story progresses via an agent who believes in the necessity to eliminate gifted or brilliant people for perceived terrorism. He learns the evil of his ways and changes sides to protect his children and save the world.

A Better World is a continuation of the story. The world has been saved, however there is still tension between the ‘normal’ and the ‘abnorm’ , abnorms being the ‘brilliants’. The new President of the United States elicits the assistance of our protagonist, Nate Cooper, and we’re off and running with a new mystery, i.e., Cooper chasing the bad guys in his effort to again save the world.

Overall, the stories are fun listen. There are some areas of repetition that I personally found a bit annoying. The narration by Luke Daniels is nice, pace and tempo good. Daniels even does a good job with the female voice. Suggest starting with Brilliance, the first book in this SciFi series.

The brilliants' are among us!

The only thing I disliked about the book is that it ended! Where's number 3?

another unusual compelling story part 2

somewhat repetitive but held my interest. certainly left me wanting to know what happens in part 3.

What a story!!!

I highly recommend this mind blowing thriller ride! I am no big fan of this genre in general but this book uses all the thropes and bend them blue... Wow!!!