CONDITION Book Two

The Curing Begins…

De: Alec Birri

Narrado por: Jonathan Keeble

The second in a dystopian trilogy based on the author's command of a top secret government unit.

Discovering an infamous Nazi doctor conducted abortions in Argentina after the Second World War may not come as a surprise, but why was the twisted eugenicist not only allowed to continue his evil experiments but encouraged to do so? And what has that got to do with a respected neurologist in 2027? Surely, the invention of a cure for nearly all the world's ailments can't possibly have its roots buried in the horrors of Auschwitz?

The unacceptable is about to become the disturbingly bizarre. What has the treatment's "correction" of pedophiles got to do with the president of the United States, the pope, and even the UK's Green Party?

As if the Condition trilogy wasn't unsettling enough....

©2016 Nick Smith (Alec Birri) (P)2018 Nick Smith (Alec Birri)

Good series

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alec Birri. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

This second book in the trilogy starts with a detective in Argentina who is sent to a village to dispose of evidence of experiments done by an ex-Nazi doctor. He can't believe the atrocities he finds in the village or the fact that the government wants to cover it up. He decides to track down the doctor to get answers. I didn't know what this first half had to do with the first book, but I was eventually enlightened.

The second half of book 2 takes place in 2027, and doctors continue to work on a new treatment to cure all of the world's physical and mental ailments. AIs are also becoming common. With so many improvements so fast, what will happen? How far is too far when it comes to improving and lengthening our lives?

The narrator did a good job with timing and pacing as well as the different voices.

There are a couple surprises and I can't wait to listen to book 3 to find out what happens. This book could be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the first book to get the full appreciation of what occurs in book 2.

My first word when I finished this listen was WOW

The first words to leave my mouth when I finished this book was simply: Wow.

In addition to the fact that I was breath-taken by this book, I am aware that this book is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

This book is a whirlwind of so many different ideas reaching back to the past and going into the (not too distant) future. The beginning had me confused, and wondering what it had to do with the rest of the book although I enjoyed the roller-coaster of these initial chapters. These first chapters are disturbing in many ways. An Argentinian police officer going to investigate an illegal abortion clinic run as part of an orphanage and discovering the preserved remains of the abortions.

Continuing to follow the officers investigation into this clinic/orphanage we find ourselves finding a much darker connection to not only the orphanage, but the world itself.

The rest of this book maintains the intensity of the first chapters, Alec Birri had my mind whirling with questions of what was going to happen next? What was the intention of certain characters? What is their end game? I was definitely kept on my toes!

The writing in Condition: The Curing Begins deals with very intense subjects, and I was consistently floored by how well Alec had conveyed the different and sometimes abrasive personalities of his characters. The topics addressed in The Curing Begins are extremely thought provoking, sometimes very dark, but consistently well written.

I am so impressed by Jonathan Keebles voice acting talents. Keeble narrates different accents in this audiobook and he does it well! As I had said in my review of the first book in the trilogy, it is as if there are multiple people narrating the book. He maintains the energy of Condition, mirroring the intensity of Birri’s writing, and conveys the unique personalities of each character. I find myself getting lost in this world that Alec Birri writes about, and the atmosphere that Jonathan creates compliments the writing style beautifully.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alec Birri. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

The Saga Continues in this Medical Thriller!

If you could sum up CONDITION Book Two in three words, what would they be?

Though-provokingly addictive.

What other book might you compare CONDITION Book Two to and why?

John Grisham's earlier work the Firm or Pelican Brief comes to mind with the level of mystery and the looming presence of a deeper darker plot at hand yet not apparent in the immediate beginning.

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

Keeble brings fervor, excitement, and personality to each of the characters that allows me to experience the story far beyond what I would have conjured in my own mind. This story was well executed for a fuller experience.

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

I was waiting with bated breath to discover how Emil's story tied into the greater plot. The ending had me gasp aloud with both surprise!

Any additional comments?

The stunning conclusion to book 1 left us realizing certain characters were not who they were believed to be. We also gain further insight into the greater scheme and how it relates to both the human consciousness and artificial intelligence. As we explore the "origins” of the medical practices for the future trials, we are still left with an even greater surprise at the end of this book, making for even higher stakes than before! As an audio book, Keeble continues to deliver with expert precision and clean execution of the character’s voices. We venture into new cultures and characters with versatile backgrounds. Keeble manages to capture the flavor of each character so precisely that the experience is theatrical and engrossing. Keeble’s portrayal of the characters is stunning and allows you to get caught up in the story through his seamless performance.

Interesting but lacked character develpment

This book goes to the origins of the the Condition, mixing a bit of history with dystopia. I don't want to explain more to avoid revealing too much.

It was really interesting to learn about how it all started but the execution could have been a bit better in my opinion. This book feels like two different books, one after the other. I think it would have worked better to have both stories, present and past, told alternating them. The beginning of the first part felt also a bit rushed, and a bit more character development would have helped me to connect to the characters and care for the story. There is a sudden romance in that first part that felt absolutely forced. The two characters were just acquaintances and suddenly she was the love of his life. Having a build up would have helped here.

The story and implications are amazing, and this is totally worth a listening. It's clear that Birri has a lot of experience in top secret operations, but I think he may need to work a bit on his storytelling skills.

Jonathan Keeble's style was the appropriate for this kind of story, and he delivered great character's interpretations. The only setback I want to mention is his pronunciation of Vazquez. In Spanish the 'u' after 'q' is mute, something Keeble did not apply here. I would have passed this if the character pronouncing it were an English speaker, but in this case all characters were Argentinian. Keeble's accents were acceptable, but not spot on.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alec Birri. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Good vs. Evil

The medical experiments that took place during the Nazi regime are, to this day, horrifying and a look at just how evil humanity can be in the name of science. A young Argentinian police officer, Emiliano—who becomes unrealistically entangled in a romance with Maria—is not prepared, though, to find evidence of continuing work being done in an orphanage, leading to a hunt for the former Nazi who’s involved.

That hunt goes on for years until we find ourselves in the year 2026 and back among some of the characters from the first book including Professor Savage and Nurse Tracy. Tracy is still just as unlikeable as before and still just a foil for sexual fantasies but we learn much more about what the professor is really up to. I’m looking forward to getting the true story with Book Three, The Final Correction (an ominous subtitle if there ever was one).

Jonathan Keeble continues to be an excellent narrator in this second book of the trilogy; he has a wonderful tone to his voice and his interpretation of various characters is quite good albeit with some limitations with the Argentinians.