Wings of Mourning

The Forgotten Fleet, Book 2

By: Craig Andrews

Narrated by: Shamaan Casey

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

The enemy advances.

For six months The Forgotten have been humanity's last line of defense against a terrifying alien invasion. Forced to train under impossible conditions, their success is marveled, their bravery unmatched. But they can only hold the enemy back for so long.

Callan Coda ONeil has fought impossible odds to restore honor to his family name. But he's exhausted and pushed to his limits. With his squadron's numbers dwindling against the enemy's continued onslaught, he fears he wont be able to finish the job.

Commander Coleman, the leader of the experimental squadron, counts down the days until reinforcements arrive. Using his training curriculum, the Sol Fleets flight academies have been revamped to train new pilots and first wave of graduates will arrive soon.

But when the enemy mysteriously retreats to Baranyk space, surrendering hard fought systems, Fleet Command has questions. And concerns. Stationed aboard the advanced SAS Redemption, The Forgotten are ordered to investigate. Their discovery will shake the Sol Fleet to its very core.

And humanity isn't prepared.

If you're a fan of Ender's Game, Old Man's War, or Starship Troopers then Wings of Honor is for you. Strap in and start listening today!

©2021 My Story Productions (P)2024 My Story Productions

The earth is not ready for them...

Craig Andrews and Shamaan Casey pull off another wonderful space exploration audiobook in “The Forgotten Fleet” series with the second episode called “Wings of Mourning”. I call it an episode because one feels like they are watching a movie or TV series with each iteration of the series. Although the first audiobook was more a coming-of-age tale, the second one picks up where our main characters are a bit more mature. However, that maturity will be required when the world is again thrust into the throws of our ever-evolving alien race. There is plenty of action and adventure, like in the first, but this one hits closer to home, feels more personal, and feels more provocative. Even though the world itself is much larger in scale form the first, the issues faced are direct and targeted. If you enjoyed the first audiobook, I would say that picking up the second is not a question. If you are new to the series, I would say that I have been surprised at how much the story and characters have captivated me. If you can get over some of the coming-of-age tropes, there is a well written and narrated audiobook here, mostly for the masses.

The story opens with some action and emotional elements that draw the listener in and hook them by wondering what happens next. The alien race we met previously now has a newer weapon that targets the pilots themselves now that the drone fleet has been compromised previously. Our simple young pilots are now the teachers as the fleet attempts to ramp up their protection with older gear and human pilots. This is all going rather well that is until they detect some very odd behavior from the aliens and try to explain what they may be up to. This research leads them to more atrocities on humanity along with some shocking research that could compromise everything they know about themselves and the true power of this ever-growing enemy. One must begin wondering why your enemy is no longer on the offensive or defensive side of the battle. What could they be up to, and why. Farther into the story we learn more about this new weapon, how it came about, along with how it impacts our main characters past events with his father, and even some from the commander.

I did enjoy the descriptive writing and solid narration of this second audiobook, and I have to say that the author did add some additional components making the characters even more personable. We learn of the relationship between Coleman and his daughter, along with some more background details on a few of the other crew members. We learn that these characters are not invulnerable to this enemy and often can be surrounded and outnumbered by them. There is often a sense of wondering how they will get out of some of the tight situations they are placed in, and a few times, lives are lost. However, sacrifices need to be made so the plan of the enemy can be determined and ultimately stopped. This story had more a feeling of the movie “Starship Troopers” with the sheer volume of enemies they needed to overcome this time. But why would they leave and stop attacking suddenly? Here we begin to learn the real reason and it was quite a shock when it is revealed. I really liked the way the author keeps his listeners on the seat of the chair to see what comes next. Like with the first, there were times I would simply sit in my car after reaching my destination (early) and listen until I needed to leave. Thank you for keeping me engaged and entertained.

Coda needs to still resolve the situation with his father, continue to manage and train the newer pilots, all while trying to find what the aliens have planned. I can say that earth is not ready for them, and we will have to wait until the third audiobook to find out what happens next. For a premier series from this author, I can say that I have rather enjoyed the series this far and look forward to what comes next.

The narration it top-notch and professional. Shamaan Casey is just such a good narrator for this series, I’m glad he has stayed on for the second. The characters are made alive with his soothing yet firm voice and I’m not sure I could see someone else doing this as well as he does. The audio quality and voicing were flawless and consistent from start to finish. Even though the wring is very well done, the narration helped to elevate the story for me, and I’m sure it will for you as well.

For parents and younger listeners, note this story has a bit more vulgarity and mature themes than the previous one. The swearing flows a bit more freely and there is added use of alcohol, but if this does not offend you, I would still suggest giving this one a listen for teenagers and older. I do not recall any adult sexual content, so outside of the above items, I think the audiobook is a good listen for most.

In summary, this is a well created world and characters with professional narration. The action is fast, the emotional aspects are felt, and the alien purpose continues to remain a secret. It is well worth the time listening and you will find yourself drawn into a battle that if much bigger than one can imagine.