The Second Ship

The Rho Agenda, Book 1

By: Richard Phillips

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1948, an alien starship crash-landed in the New Mexico desert and brought with it the key to mankind’s future. Code-named the Rho Project, the landing was shrouded in secrecy, and only the highest-ranking US government and military personnel knew it existed. Until now.

The US president is preparing to unveil one of the nation’s greatest secrets when three students stumble across the wreckage of a second ship outside of Los Alamos. With a single touch, the alien technology the government has spent untold resources trying to unlock is uploaded into the minds of three teenagers — teenagers who now know the frightening truth about the Rho Project.The battle for humanity has begun.

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

Part One of Present Day Sci-Fi Thriller

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

I would recommend this audio book to my friends or to anyone who loves pure, unadulterated escapism. If you're looking for Arthur C. Clarke, may I recommend Arthur C. Clarke. If, on the other hand, you liked The Avengers movie, you'll love this story. It's a coming of age story about three high school juniors who stumble upon something both fantastic and horrible and find themselves transformed, becoming they know not what. Thrust into an adult world, they find themselves completely out of their depth as their once comfortable lives are shredded around them. On a deeper level, this is also a story about humanity attempting to make use of technological advances for which it is completely unprepared, raising very real questions about how much advancement is too much. If we can cure all disease, should we?

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

This book is told from multiple perspectives and MacLeod Andrews does a fine job of subtly changing his voice to give you the sense of who is speaking during the dialogue without overdoing it so that you are jarred out of the story. Well told.

Any additional comments?

This book is part one of a three part story. I really enjoyed the first act and look forward to the next two.

Best Sci Fi I've read in years!

You know a book/trilogy is great when you read the last sentence and all you want to do is start the whole thing over again!

I loved this book, but I had to wait until I finished the third book to review them. After the investment of time to listen to all three, I can highly recommend them all. This is a fantastic adventure that kept me listening late into the night.

Three high school students are the main characters, but this is FAR from a YA book. Mark, Jennifer and Heather are smart kids with parents who work at Los Alamos, so they have some science knowledge to begin with. Then they happen upon an Alien ship, which they decide to keep a secret. Their curiosity about the ship causes them to end up enhancing their abilities in amazing ways when they plug into the ships technology.

You end up traveling with them around the world as they race to save the Earth from another Alien race bent on invasion and subjugation of the planet. This can be complex sci fi, but you don't have to be a full on science nerd to follow along. The relationships drive this story, and I came to care very much about the kids and their friends.

I loved it, and will reread again!

MacLeod Andrews reads all three books and does a great job.

Partial story that left me on the fence

The Second Ship is a story that adds a twist to the standard fiction leveraging the rumors of an alien ship crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1948. That twist here is that a second ship also crashed at the same time and remained undiscovered by the government. That second ship is eventually found by 3 high school students at the same time that the US government comes clean about the first ship. These kids keep the discovery to themselves and use the alien technology at their disposal to uncover the true motivations behind the President's promise to freely share advanced alien technology with the world.

The story is deeper and more complex than I expected but it is also written in a way that just doesn't feel realistic. It isn't the sci-fi that feels unrealistic, it is the speech and mannerisms of the 3 high school kids and their interactions with those around them, including their parents, teachers, and the FBI/NSA. For the majority of the book I found myself interested in the story and felt that it had potential but I was never totally invested. This is no fault of MacLeod Andrews who does his usual superb job on the narration and kept me engaged more than I would have been otherwise.

When the book just ended out of the blue without wrapping up the story in any way it left me unsatisfied and on the fence about continuing. Think twice before you pick this one up unless you go in with a willingness to listen to more than one book.

Entertaining !

This is a well thought out book with a great plot and enough twists to stave off any boredom. I'm glad there is a sequel.

Very interesting

Would you consider the audio edition of The Second Ship to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the book. However the audio is easy to follow and I couldn't stop until it was done playing.

What did you like best about this story?

The kind of thing you wish could happen to you. There a three books and all have a good story line, good quality and good grief what more could ya want!

What about MacLeod Andrews’s performance did you like?

Very good. Clear and nice tone to his voice

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Good title wouldn't change it

Any additional comments?

I couldn't wait for the nex book.

Darker than expected

There’s more killing and harness in this book than I expected. From a bad guy who abducts women to...well, just more than makes for an enjoyable read for me. Also, a lack of humorous moments.

Great story and presentation -- but too long

This is the first book of a series. 88 chapters in book one. It is a great setup. But after awhile it gets boring -- but you cannot skip any of the book because simple clues often come out of nowhere. Lots of filler writing, actions and clues, lots of more boring writing, a short clue, more boring writing, and a clue, etc. I really want finish the series -- I am not sure I can sit that long.

Not really YA

While the protagonists were teens, I do not view this book as a YA only type tale. It is a good, entertaining story.

Great story, well written and performed

Where does The Second Ship rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a very interesting book with a fairly new premise. While the villians are two dimensional, it is a very fun book and an easy listen.

The Second Ship

Any additional comments?

The Second Ship is approximately twelve hours of listening, read by MacLeod Andrews. Over 1000 audiobook reviews can be found on Audible.com. The story surrounds the visit to earth by an alien civilization. One ship is known to exist by the government and media. The Second Ship is known only to three teenagers who stumble upon it accidentally. Keeping their secret, they delve into the mystery and are suddenly gifted with unusual abilities. The purpose and implications of The Second Ship is the basis for this young adult tale as the teens scramble to avoid governmental agents, school supervision, well-intended parents, and a few bad-ass fellow students.

Don’t hesitate to let the kiddies listen to a fun SciFi adventure. MacLeod Andrews is a pleasant listen with a wide variety of voices.