Prisoner

The Contractors, Book 2

By: Andrew Ball

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 20 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Following a mock tribunal comprised of unfeeling elder magicians, Daniel is sentenced to the bowels of Hell. What he finds there defies his wildest expectations.

The prison that is Hell has long since been transformed into a series of vicious competitions pitting the prisoners against one another. The bloody debacle is broadcast live by PrisonWatch, the ruthless corporation headed by the demon emperor, Beelzebub.

But Hell isn’t just an exercise in profit nor a dumping ground for exiles like Daniel. The magic that ensures Hell’s existence is bound in complex history and forbidden secrets that underline the relationship between humans and demons. With only hints of the truth to guide him, Daniel must fight to keep his head above the political water and escape his role as a new pawn in an ancient conflict. Along the way, he’ll meet old friends, forge alliances, and make new enemies as he strives to beat PrisonWatch at their own game.

On Earth, the Vorid have been beaten back, but the war is only just beginning. Eleanor Astor struggles to bring her personal principles into alignment with the politics of the Ivory Dawn. Suddenly at odds against the order of magicians by which she was raised, she is a lone voice advocating for the contractors, and it’s only a matter of time until the Vorid strike again. With the fate of the entire world resting on the outcome, she’ll be pressed to hold the line until she can find a way to free Daniel...somehow.

©2020 Andrew S. Ball (P)2020 Podium Audio

4 long years for this book..it was worth the wait

Book 1 was one of those random finds I made while in between series. I really enjoyed the plot line and the OP MC. then came the long wait for book 2. I finally gave up looking on social media for it about a year ago. and now it's FINALLY here.
LD is one of the best narrators in the biz...hes elite.
I honestly I love an OP MC, but can we please give the guy a brain? turns himself in to bad guys and they send him to hell....so of course he trusts everyone. don't need a pretty bow on it, but please have him not trust the dude who's trying to enter his mind multiple times and read the fine print on a contract.

great book and I hope I see more installments before the 2024 elections

Meh….

Loved the first book but this one felt unpolished. Nothing happened and the main character felt different to the point of being naive….with the addition of too much drama and the same plot points… I got bored mid way through.

Waiting a long time for this.

Love the series. I've waited so long for the second book. I felt like this was a bit empire strikes back. I didn't feel like it has a full closing to the story but I am so excited for the next one.

Went semi south..

The first book was very good and entertaining! This one.. at least it was entertaining. I didn’t like the Lit-RPG path he decided to take with the prison.

I was more entertained by Eleanor’s story than that of Daniel’s. But she only had 3 or 4 hours of audio time.

My only complaint, is having to wait for more

I really enjoy this book series. I kept expecting Lrrr to show up and eat someone. Lol

Great Book 2

overall it's a great continuation of the contractor series. I did not understand why some gave poor reviews. looking forward to book 3.

Depressing

I truly enjoyed the first installment in this series. Ball is a gifted writer with a strong grasp of dialogue and character motivations. This novel did not disappoint there. Also the action was amazing and the world building incredible. But the main character was unceasingly stupid and naive.
I waited a very long time for the second installment and to be honest I feel let down. Maybe I am more sensitive because 2020 has been a seemingly never ending disaster ride. I already feel like I'm in hell. Like many people I am in desperate need for hope and escapism. Instead I got 20 hours of hopelessness. Don't get me wrong, there were high points, but good grief the valleys took us to some dark places. This work is very unbalanced.
If you are having a crappy year you may want to set this aside for 2021, or wait for the next installment to come out before cracking this one open. Maybe the next installment will give us more to cheer for.

Different from the first, but still very good.

This book was so much different from the first, but it was still very good. Now I need him to write #3.

Very much worth the time.

I've enjoyed both books of this series. The world building is excellent and the characters are likable. Luke Daniel's narration is amazing as is his custom. Some have argued that the book moves too slow. I would argue that, considering how long the book is, not as much forward plot movement happened as one might think. That said, I wouldn't say it was slow. Perhaps slow compared to expectation based on how long it has been since the first book. It's great series and I look forward to the next book.

Looking forward to the next

I really liked the first book. This was a good follow-up. I enjoyed the character development but missed the more of the sarcasm that Daniel had in the first one. There was a good amount but that’s my only complaint. I recommend this one and the first book for anyone who wants a good read.