Alien Jungle

By: Roxanne Smolen

Narrated by: Jennifer Fournier

Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

What happens when the jungle fights back?

The Colonial Scouts are an elite group of explorers who seek out habitable planets for the Colonial Expansion Board. They travel through space via programmable wormholes.

Trace, a new Scout, wants desperately to prove himself to both the Board and to his girlfriend. But when he leads a rescue party to a failing colony, everything goes against him.

His estranged father turns out to be the leader of the settlement. The colonists think he is inept because he is a teenager. And his disgruntled teammates think he was named team leader because of his dad. He can tell no one about his secret mission to save only 15 of the 70 people.

Will he follow orders, leaving the rest of the colonists to die? Or will he find a way to save them all?

©2016 Roxanne Smolen (P)2017 Roxanne Smolen

Mold Zombies?! Awesome adventure!

Any additional comments?

Mold Zombies?! Not exactly, but yeah. I got hooked. Trace is a colonial scout. They have these portable wormhole devices and explore the galaxy looking for habitable worlds. I really liked the Stargate movie and all three tv shows, yes including Stargate Universe so the premise was an easy sell. I received an audible code for a free review copy of this story and listened to it while trekking nearly unknown country backroads in Upstate New York.

Trace had a bit of a bungle on his first mission as team leader, so he’s surprised when his better qualified girlfriend Impeny gets passed over and he is selected to lead a five person team on a rescue mission. Now Trace needs to save the day and figure out how to get along with his girlfriend again.

He learns that each person’s traits can either be troublesome quirks or great strengths, but did he figure it out in time to stop the mold zombies from taking every last living colonist into the fungus forest? Don’t be lazy, read it for yourself! Har har har.

On top of Trace’s other difficulties, the colony is run by non-other that his father, who has a bone to pick with Trace for his career choice. The colony is about more than money, they are studying the rapid growth of the indigenous plants to find a cure for galactic famine.

I have not read the first book, but it was very easy to jump into the adventure with Alien Jungle. This story is appropriate for all ages and I’m looking forward to listening again with my nine year old son as soon as we get past our sword and sorcery kick.

I sometimes feel a bit bogged down when a story has multiple points of view, but there was a really good balance here. We get bits from a few other characters, but its easy to tell that Trace is our protagonist and the side POVs often give the reader a glimpse of Trace that he wouldn’t see about himself.

Exciting, involving, visual

I have been a fan of Roxanne Smolen for many years, and have read this book in print form. But I must admit that hearing it gave it a new dimension. Her books are excellently plotted, her characters multi-layered, her descriptions so real you can smell them. This book is no exception. It is a fast-paced ride through danger after danger, yet the young people of the Colonial Scouts manage to find their way past them. Ms. Fournier, the reader, has hit her stride here and gives an outstanding performance. Listening to the words allowed me to visualize the worlds Smolen has created more clearly and I enjoyed the experience. Highly recommended.

A great adventure like the serials of old

Would you consider the audio edition of Alien Jungle to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version -- I've only listened to the audio.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Alien Jungle?

There are some very memorable moments -- thanks to the vivid descriptions by the author.

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

The book did make me laugh in places and the ending was surprisingly emotional.

Any additional comments?

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures -- it really reminded me of the old Buck Rodgers serials from way back.

A fun and action packed scifi adventure

Would you listen to Alien Jungle again? Why?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

I didn't realize this was a book 2 when I got it, but the author does a good job providing enough context and light exposition to allow a new listener quick entry to the series. The books action is non-stop and I don't think there was more than 5-10 minutes of downtime throughout its entirety. The characters are fun even if the dialogue is a bit cliched, and the story is engaging.

Good Series, Something Different

One of the reasons I like this series is that it's not your average sci-fi. It has its own interesting concepts that you don't usually see. Definitely good writing.

This book was similar to the first book in the series, though not entirely related. I liked the book, but somehow I liked the first book in the series a little more.

The narration was good, just as it was in the last book.

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

11 of 53 people found this review helpful