Immune

The Rho Agenda, Book Two

By: Richard Phillips

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Anyone who dares challenge the Rho Project is being systematically picked off. At the top of the hit man’s death list: NSA fixer Jack Gregory, and the three teenagers who first exposed the Rho Project’s dark agenda to the world.

On the run for their lives, Heather, Mark, and Jennifer know that the Rho Project’s alien nano-technology has been released into the world, disguised as a miracle cure. But what they don’t yet know is that the serum has taken on a life of its own, modifying human DNA in a way that even its engineers cannot control - one that will alter the very fabric of humanity.

©2012 Richard Phillips (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Twist and turns

Another story that kept me on the edge of the seat! No spoiler here, but one chapter made me angry and profoundly sad at 2 of the characters. Narrator was good, but needs a little work with character voices to make it more convincing for me to visualize them.

waiting for the movie

I want a movie made of the 3rd thru 6th books I think it will be a huge success

Even Better Than Book One of the Trilogy

Where does Immune rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Immune ranks in my top ten audio books ever. The first two books of the Rho Agenda trilogy constitute twenty six hours of entertaining diversion from the problems of this world in which we live and operate.

What other book might you compare Immune to and why?

I can't really think of another book with the same flow as the first two Rho Agenda novels. The loss of innocense from the first book to the second fits with a coming of age story, but this one mixes in a healthy dose of spy thriller and even a touch of horror. Fascinating and fast moving. If you're expecting a previously defined genre, you're in for a jolt to your senses.

What about MacLeod Andrews’s performance did you like?

MacLeod Andrews has a great knack for making relatively minor changes to his voice and inflection upon new character dialogue, such that you get the sense of character change without jolting you out of the story.

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

I loved the interplay between the superspy, Jack The Ripper Gregory, and the three high schoolers who are just trying to survive the escalating crisis.

Any additional comments?

I eagerly await the third act of this play.

Great second book!

Immune is the 2nd novel in the Rho Agenda series. The three teens Jennifer, Heather, and Mark must work to stop the government from unleashing evil Rho-ship technologies upon the populace.

I really enjoyed this book as it had some major action and some really well-developed characters. I most liked the Navajo sheriff Tall Bear, the drug lord, the assassin (chupacabra), and Jack. Also Raul had some interesting development too. There were a few characters in this novel that were so absolutely insane that it had to take the author quite some work and imagination to come up with their thought processes. With the exception of Jack and Janet, most of my favorite characters in this series were introduced in this novel. We also learn more about the technologies and capabilities of both ships, which was really interesting to me.

As for what I didn't like: The three main teen protagonists really didn't develop a whole lot of this book and spent parts of it unfocused and untasked. And Jennifer... I didn't think it was possible for a character to be such an idiot. She derails a good portion of the book. Dr. Stephenson remained a flat, absolute boring character, and most of his government cronies like the vice president were equally boring. We're in two books here and still have no idea who Stephenson is, what his motivations are, etc. We really see almost no humanity in the man. Thankfully he didn't take as much of a front seat in this novel as he could have. Also this is a really long book and there were some parts that were a bit slow and boring.

Also surprisingly, the profanity level in this novel was really high. It wasn't necessarily gratuitous, but rather a ton of characters with potty mouths. There were also parts that were gruesome and just plain adult material (rape, murder, etc.). I would have to say that while I thought the first book was upper YA, I think this book is more appropriate to adults, despite the teen protagonists.

Overall, this was a great novel with lots of action and a bunch of well-rounded characters (except Stephenson). I'm looking forward to the next book.

I listened to the audiobook and felt that the narrator did a super job. He didn't do a screaming woman the best, and he missed a few voices here and there, but it was extremely rare.

NOTE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

just as good as the first time

Just as good as the first time - NO better because this time I got to hear it. this audible version is really good. the inflection is very good and I love the voices. The story line picks up front The Rho Agenda and carries it through the next year. I really like this book.

Great story

Awesome story, great performance. The story keeps you guessing and is interesting till the end

Very good book

Good performance, science done well. Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to listening to the third book.

Really good story!

Really good story and a great narrator. Time to go see if there is a third book in the series!

First Book's Characters Add Dimensions and Skills

This is book 2 in a three book series. The first book caught my interest enough to bring me back to listen to 2. I liked 2 even better!! The characters - Mark, Jennifer and Heather - develop more skills and depth. Who would have guessed they could clean up in Vegas. Jack proves to be even more invincible than in book 1. Go back and read book 1 before tackling this one to fully enjoy the story.

Those krazy kids!

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

Sure. It is highly entertaining. There are also some nice technical aspects thrown in for those interested in tech stories.

What other book might you compare Immune to and why?

Only compares to The Second Ship: The Rho Agenda, Book One, so far.

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

The Rho Agenda Book 1. He is easy to listed to.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some if it was a bit gory and/or intense at times, but I did not laugh or cry that I can remember.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to The Wormhole, Book 3, but I need to read something else first.