Cloaked Deception

De: Timothy Zahn

Narrado por: Peter Berkrot

From Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, comes this pulse-pounding political thriller.

A tactical nuclear weapon is stolen from an Indian research facility, setting off a chain of events that spans the globe.

Those behind the heist plan to use it to take out thousands of innocent people—all to assure death of a single man who they believe is too dangerous to be left alive.

What are the lives of thousands compared to the safety of the world?

At the same time, scientists have invented the world’s first cloaking device, able to render its user almost completely invisible. It’s the epitome of hidden-in-plain-sight—a game changer for any military. At least until three of the lead scientists are murdered and their work is stolen the night before their first demonstration.

Authorities have no idea the two crimes are connected.

There are ten days before the bomb is set to go off.

Can they unravel the trail of red herrings in time?

The clock is ticking...

The legendary Timothy Zahn, best-known for creating the popular Thrawn character last seen in Star Wars: Ahsoka, returns with this original, binge-worthy thriller. CLOAKED DECEPTION is filled with twists and turns and a blistering conclusion you'll never see coming!

©2024 Aethon Books (P)2024 Aethon Audio

Zahn excels at yet another genre!

Timothy Zahn has been my favorite author for years, from Thrawn to Conqueror’s to Quadrail, and this latest political thriller has not a disappointment. It was a fun listen which kept me guessing at every turn and I was at the end much too quickly. I hope there is a sequel planned!

Perfect storm of not good enough

My initial reaction to this story centered on the performance. Initially, I blamed the performer, but I soon realized it was more about the character list, which demanded either a more versatile voice actor or multiple actors. It became increasingly difficult to keep track of and distinguish between the characters. All four main male characters sounded like variations of the same voice.

Creating distinct voices for over 20 characters is undeniably challenging. This issue partly falls on the author for having such a large cast and the production team for not addressing it effectively, either by hiring a more suitable narrator or using multiple voices. The accent for the antagonists was also problematic. They spent most of the story sounding Russian or German, only to be revealed as a paramilitary group from a country with a distinct accent. This choice seemed like an attempt to avoid spoiling the twist, but it ultimately made immersion difficult.

The story itself was typical Zahn, with some glaring issues. I found myself confused about the target. Was it President Whitcomb or the Doctor mentioned briefly in the climax? If it was the Doctor, their significance and threat level were not clearly explained.

Another issue, surprisingly given Zahn's experience, was the similarity in character names. Writers are generally advised to ensure character names are distinct to avoid confusion, but many scenes had characters with similar names, compounded by the voice actor's limited range. It took me until the second half of the novel to sort out the four main characters enough to know who to ignore and who to focus on.

Lastly, the climax felt contrived, as if the story was suddenly confined to a smaller stage. We’re taken through various intriguing settings—from a murder mystery in one part of the world to a nuke theft in another—only for everything to culminate in a single location where protagonists and antagonists converge to resolve the plot. It felt like the story narrowed down abruptly, spotlighting the main characters for a showy ending that didn’t quite feel natural.

Twists and turns

Just when you think you have it figured out another red herring appears. Well done Mr. Zahn

A wild ride worth the adventure

I got this just for Zahn. It was well worth it. many wild turns and some pulse rising moments. kept waiting for Jack Bauer to show up with a running clock. really grew on the characters. hope we get a 2nd book to see where they all go on another wild ride.

Great

Great book. Interesting shift from his normal genre. Loved everything clicking at the end. awesome.

The way it kept you on the edge of my seat.

It was a bit long, but may be it needed to be. I still liked it.

A real winner!

Tom Clancy meets 2035! Lots of twists & turns! Be prepared for a long book, but one that you can't easily put down.

Edge of your Seat

A nuclear weapon has been stolen than later a cloaking device is stolen and 3 of the scientists killed, but the authorities do not know they are connected. They know they have 10 days before the bomb goes off. The clock is winding down like sand grains in a hourglass. Can the authorities figure it out before thousands of innocent people die?
The action and suspense in this book is without compare. It will keep you on the edge of your seat until you finish. The narrator is awesome and brings this book alive. I loved every second of the ride.

I like the characters

Nothing big enough to talk about I really liked the story I like his stories his Star Wars books are very good

Long book

This author must be paid by the word. Way, way, too long. It was too long.