Elite: Reclamation

By: Drew Wagar

Narrated by: Toby Longworth

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Written by Drew Wagar under official license from the creators of, and based in the vast universe of, the seminal space trading computer game Elite: Dangerous

Lady Kahina Loren, born into the Prism system's powerful ruling family, is desperate to throw off the shackles of her privileged lifestyle and discover herself, but ambition crumbles when she faces death at the hands of the one person she thought she could trust.

With the advanced technology of the third millennium, death is not always as final as it seems, but when that technology malfunctions, is death the better option?

Follow Drew on his website here: www.drewwagar.com.

Music by Allen Stroud. Cover design by Heather Murphy.

A Radio Theatre Workshop production for Fantastic Books Audio. All rights reserved.

©2014 Drew Wagar (P)2015 Daniel Grubb

Decent tie-in novel for Elite fans

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I have some difficulties with some inaccuracies with the games, although I appreciate the use of game-accurate sound effects to spice things up.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I like how the book paint both sides of the eventual conflict, the Imperials and the Federation as morally gray. Both are very flawed, corrupt in their own way, but both holds that the other is worse. It's easy to take the side of the Feds while writing, otherwise.However, the plot twists are predictable at times, and sometimes it feels like characters neglect basic logic, allowing for exactly the inevitable betrayal, sudden return or triumphant success you'd expect.

What about Toby Longworth’s performance did you like?

He has an excellent voice, is good at making the characters distinct enough and nothing ever feels too out of place, although the Italian accent for Luko gets a bit old after a while.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably. Just stapling "Elite" on it would make me at least interested. At the very least it'd make an above-average, decently simple-to-follow movie, although I'd probably prefer a TV series format.

Any additional comments?

I like how they used actual Elite: Dangerous sound effects at appropriate times, although the times when they're used incorrectly or mismatching the description becomes all the more jarring. Obviously, some artistic freedom is taken with combat and ship mechanics, but I expected as much. The book was out in the very early stages of the game, after all. I'm hoping there's more to come in Elite: Premonition, although the end outcome is known.

Good story with a few problems.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it's overall plot, but I admit that I had a few issues with some of the writing. The author uses the phrase, and/or subtle variations of the phrase, "in a smooth and practiced manner", entirely too many times throughout the story, as well as the word "crescendo". They are effective in describing that which the author is trying to convey, but the repeated usage of such words and/or phrases feel forced and not natural. There are also a couple of segments that have holes, so to speak, simple honest mistakes if you will. For example, Dalk(?) grabs onto the edge of the loading ramp to pull himself up and in to the shop, as the ramp closes. Then Salome(?) shoots at him, he dodge-rolls out of the way and behind something..... while onboard the ship, but the next thing you know.... he's standing up and on the tarmac, NOT in the ship. The ramp was closed, how did he roll off the ship? One could argue that the story didn't specifically state that the ramp was "closed", but this part of the story is written in such a way that it suggests that the ramp closes quickly, given the struggle between Hassan(?) and Salome, and that Dalk had to jump up and grab onto the edge of the ramp in order to pull himself in. It feels like the ramp was closing quickly, and that Dalk barely made it in.

The author writes some very good characters! You like the characters you should, and you hate the characters you know you should hate, as they are written. Various events in the story also get under your skin in that.... "oh no they didn't just do that to her" kind of way. The Fed Commissioner telling the Imperial ambassador that 'Federation law allows them to invoke martial law in any Federation or Imperial system...'. At that point in the story I was all, "pfft... yeah, well, this is an Imperial system and the Empire doesn't recognize your Federation laws, and because this is an Imperial system..... you have no jurisdiction and are therefore trespassing". I'm not sure if that was the feeling that the author was trying to create, or if it we're some sort of oversight.... either way, it set a good tone for that segment.

Another part that I wasn't particularly fond of was when Salome/Kahina(?) threatened Luko/Luco(?), saying that she could just kill him and take his ship.... uhm, ok, well, good luck with that, considering that you barely know how to fly as it is, oh yeah... and I doubt you even know what a hyperspace module looks like, let alone how to fix one! Then later when she told him that he 'owed her' for saving his life, and he agreed like a simple dolt. Again.... uhm yeah, NO! She didn't save his life, she saved her own ass.... she was in danger just as much as him, on the same ship as him, in the same fight as him. He owed her nothing!

Also, how did that bounty hunter know where they were, and how the heck did he know what ship she was in? There was NO WAY he could have known that, the writing even went as far as stating that she had sent a message from an unknown location. This was a definite hole in the story right there.

There are a few more examples I could give, and I mean absolutely NO disrespect to Drew whatsoever! Given some of the comments he has made in the Elite forums and on his blog over the years, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was under a great deal of pressure and stress due to time constraints.

Despite my seemingly negative comments, I truly did thoroughly enjoy this story, and have listened to it a few times now... which btw is why I inserted all the (?) after names, I never saw them in print so I am unsure how they are spelled. I wish Drew c prod get the sequel in an audiobook format, preferably with the same narrator!

mostly excellent

brilliantly realised and immersive for the most part, with only a few shreds of slightly ropey writing throughout.

Absolutely amazing!!!!

I would love to see this played out in a movie or mini-series! Great story!

A Space Opera for those who dream of the frontier

Not just for Elite Dangerous players, this book is a well written and performed space opera for any fan of the genre!

I'm an avid Elite Dangerous player, and a big sci-fi space opera fan. Put these two things together and this book was a shoe-in for one of my favorite books to listen to. So I'm biased.

However, as a listener of many other popular series, I must say the story here stands out amongst them. Sure it helps that I can head out in my own Anaconda in-game and visit these fictional locations - I don't think it would make a difference if I was a player or not.

This book is a great story, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an action filled space opera.

As for ED players... this book will make you feel at home in the Black - especially with the audiobook adding in familiar sound effects to deepen the immersion. I'll see you in the Formadine Rift! o7

Elite Universe at its most vivid experience.

excellent story, memorable characters a little predictable at times. the narration is top class and including the sound effects from the actual game made it more gripping and exciting from an elite commanders perspective. I cannot wait for the sequel.

awesome

it was pretty good, it was a bit hard to get into at first but once the story started rolling out it got really good, nice work by all who were involved , thank you

Elite Status For Sure!

Great listen. Especially loved the sound effects. Only minor thing I would have changed, would be having a woman voice the female characters. The narrator did an excellent job on his own though.

pretty good story.....

the drone they use would drive me insane. I'm driving thinking my car is making a noise but just pause and it's gone. driving 4 hr for work made it bearable

Fantastic for Elite Fans

Would you consider the audio edition of Elite: Reclamation to be better than the print version?

I have read this in print and it was fantastic. The audio book a radio style dramatization so there is music and sound effect much like the old time radio show before the modern TV. Kind of enjoyed that as I played the game.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Elite: Reclamation?

I enjoyed some of the spaced battles and the details quite nicely and the details to the ships and planet descriptions, I would go in to more detail but I feel it would give away a lot of the plot and story since these tend to be at key parts of the story.

What about Toby Longworth’s performance did you like?

His male voices where spot on, hard for deeper tone voice to actually do a woman's voice but once your sense disbelief kicks in and your immersed in the story you don't notice as much

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes I would, However I did in three long jaunts because of time constraints

Any additional comments?

It amused that you already know a good deal of the Elite lore so a lot of back story maybe lost for those who have never played any of the Elite games or read the original novelas. With out that back details it would be hard to grow attachments or understand how ruthless the Elite universe can get. However Wagner's details of the games beloved ships is spot on. The effects of this story did effect the in game story, and the game also effect the hero story enough that a second book is getting written. This is a must have for any hard core Elite fan to have playing as you are doing those long Solthis trade runs or exploring