The Second Ship: The Rho Agenda, Book 1

The storyline in this book is brilliant. It's majestic, but real. It's cynical, but on point. The content is inherently epic, but you still feel a connection with all of the characters, even if you decide that you hate some of them with a passion!

The ideas that are in the story are common place in the small world that is science fiction, However, the author threads the needle of the storyline so well, that as an intermediate sci-fi junky, I can say with true conviction, that the book takes you on an amazing joyride that leaves you wanting for more.

The narrator's range is sickening! How do you laugh in a completely different voice other than your own, and do it across various characters and still make it feel authentic is beyond me. It's not just the various voices that draw you into the story, it's also the little things that the narrator does, the pauses, the labored breaths, the quick bursts in emotion, etc.

I loved the book, and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Being well past what is euphemistically called "middle age" I tend to be suspicious of books with "young adults" as the main protagonists. Clearly not all such books are aimed exclusively at teenagers (see Harry Potter, for one example), but many are written for and aimed at a reading group to which I no longer belong. Had I known that the 3 main characters in this book were teenagers I would probably have passed it by, so I am glad that I did not know.

For a book with young heroes and heroines (I am old enough to still use that term) this book is surprisingly well drawn with an interesting story line, characters with sufficient faults to be believable and enough really bad villains to have caught my attention immediately. Added to that is the fact that the author does not fall into any of the easy clichés, things do not happen as expected and there are enough interesting turns of events to keep things from getting boring. This is a terrific first volume in the series.

By the time I realized that our 3 young characters were the central characters in the book I was far too hooked to stop listening. When I finished listening to the book I decided to buy and download the sequel. The story was great, the narration was superb and I am curious exactly what is going to happen next. I can't ask for much more than that in a work of fiction.

Yes, in fact I have already started. The story has some great science and theoretical sciences, so in re-listening to the book I look forward to getting more details than on the first pass. This book is like movies that keep you glued to the screen. The second time you watch, you learn new info making the story even better.

Although I won't give away the actual details (don't want to spoil anything), my favorite parts were the clever uses of alien technology. Not your typical sci-fi story.

It wasn't just one, but the three high school students. They are the main characters and I found myself eager for the story to return to them.

This is the first of three books so I had no previous knowledge to base such a sitting on. However, now that I've completed the book, I would love to re-listen to it in a single sitting. Furthermore, when book two and three are released in the coming weeks, I will definitely plan my time to allow as much uninterrupted listening as possible. This is such a great story and I can't wait to hear more.

If the next two books maintain the same level of intensity and quality of their science I believe this book trilogy will land itself in my top 5 - maybe even top 3. It's that good! Cannot wait to get the next books!

The Second Ship is a childish, sci-fi romp. The basic premise is that the government has been studying an alien vessel for decades. Coincidentally, just as its presence (and wonderful technology) is revealed to the public, three teenagers discover a 2nd alien ship and become endowed with various superpowers, both mental and physical. As the story progresses, sinister activities are taking place with the cabal studying the 1st vessel which the kids stumble into and begin to investigate. This is the initial installment in a longer story arc that ends rather suddenly with little closure or resolution and some minor set-ups for the next.

The major knock to the story is the pre-teen orientation in terms of style. All the adults are one dimensional with parents being largely clueless, teachers are overbearing, the good guys are squeaky clean, and the bad guys are diabolically evil (and multiple creepy peccadillos) with the ringleader being a caricature of a megalomaniac (one can anticipate the final denouement, "and I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you kids"). The ending sets up for the next, but resolves almost nothing with lots of unanswered questions left hanging.

The narration is well done with a great range of voices and an enjoyable pace. This is very light, mindless listening with juvenile sci-fi elements.

Yes, awesome science and spy novel.

Jack the Ripper!

The way he could build tension.

Yes.

I'm not one to read or Listen to many Sci-Fi stories, but the "Second Ship" story interested me. It's full of the mysteries that I love. The action that keeps me interested,and the Clift hanging that wanted me to buy "Immune" the second book in the series.
This story is about Alien technology, teenage kids, evil Government scientest and everything in between. I'm in the middle of "Immune" and find that book a little long on detail but just as good. The story surrounds the finding of one Alien ship by the U.S. Government and the Evil Dr. Stephenson, and another Alien ship found by three teenagers who were just out having some fun. Dr. Stephenson has many hidden agendas and the three teenagers are working in secret to try to stop him, but the harder they try the more difficult that task becomes. Makes me want to buy the third book "Worm-hole" and see how everything turns out.

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?

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.

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

Yes, but not right away. Sometimes abit juvenile, then moving into moments of adult sci fi. Well written, and the charcters grown on you, but it is not the cleanest story I have heard.

Conflux of sci fi, science fact, conspiracy theory and thoughtfulness.

Conclusion.

Consider follow up downloads.

Worthwhile, but know that it hints at younger fantasy, at least for me.

I don't pick books that are targeted to kids or teens and this is not one of those. I actually didn't know that three of the main characters were high school students and that's good because by the time I realized it, I was so engrossed in the book that I hardly noticed. Not only is this an adult series, filled with incredible science, espionage, international events and amazing story lines, it is a masterpiece of character development. I don't think I ever felt the kind of anxiety for the safety and success of the characters this series brought up for me. I don't know why...just really cared about every one of them. I think a lot of it was because this is more of a character-centric author, vs. situation-centric. He just didn't spend as much time describing the minutia if detail in the environment that so many other authors like to do. Instead, even his environment descriptions were really more of a description of the characters' experience, insights and realizations.

You will not be disappointed in this series. Just be forewarned, if you start with "The Second Ship" I can pretty much guarantee you'll buy the other two in the series and then you'll be left longing for more.

Yes, as the author was very involved in the book, and I would stop reading and just sit back and listen.

As the young people began to be changed by the alien presence.

As the agents who came to investigate began to realize something was not as it seemed.

No, but I listened to it in two.