Fallen Angels

Behind Blue Eyes, Book 2

By: Anna Mocikat

Narrated by: David Reimer, Jessica Weyman

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Olympias City is shaken by a series of unspeakably brutal murders. No one is allowed to know the shocking truth about who the victims are: Guardian Angels.

Someone is hunting the almost invincible cyborgs with the neon-blue eyes. Someone who knows their secrets and uses a formerly unknown technology.

Promoted to Archangel, Nephilim is in charge of the investigation. It leads her into the underbelly of Olympias’ most notorious district, Oldtown, and also into the Inner Circle, where the elites reside.

Struggling with memory loss, Nephilim barely survives an attempt on her life.

It seems that the Guardian Angels have some very powerful enemies. If this wasn’t dangerous enough, the two other corporate global players, Rosprom and TogbuaXiang, scheme in the shadows to not only bring down the Angels, but the entire city of Olympias.

Everything changes when Nephilim accompanies Metatron on a trip to Olympias City III, formerly Rio de Janeiro. There she discovers that nothing is what it seems, and that Metatron is much more cunning and dangerous than anyone suspects.

Things get even more complicated when old friends from Nephilim’s past appear. Nephilim will have to decide on what side she wants to stand....

The Behind Blue Eyes saga continues!

Killer cyborgs, mega cities, corporate wars, cinematic action, and plot twists that will leave you speechless.

©2021 Anna Mocikat (P)2023 Anna Mocikat

Higher Stakes and More Intrigue

Behind Blue Eyes 2 builds on everything introduced in book 1. The dangers are bigger and the peril is real. By the end you won't know who to trust.

An excellent sequel in this cyberpunk series!

After finishing the first book in this series, I was curious where the story would go from there, especially with the hint at the very end that things were not exactly what they seemed. Well, I am glad to say that this one takes off from the first book and runs in some great new directions. Adding some new characters into mix creates some exciting situations, and sets up the final confrontations, with some familiar faces returning to stir the pot.

The world building expands from what book one started with. The high tech dystopian future envisioned here, with three corporate run oligarchies competing for control of what's left of the world is still there, and we get to get a look at the wider world, with scenes in both Olympias 3 (formerly Rio) and in the former Russia. Its interesting to see these new locations, and how different they are from Olympias 1, which is built from the bones of Atlanta. The culture of Olympias 3 still retains some of its pre-war culture, including stubbornly holding on to religion in secret. Its an interesting contrast to Olympias 1, where there is no god allowed aside from the government, which sees to all the inhabitants needs, requiring only unquestioning obedience in return.

The characters really shine, as I've come to expect from this author. Nephilim is definitely the focus, as her rebirth from her rebellion in book 1 has her now focused into being an intense force of nature, death on two legs. And yet, she knows something is not right, that something happened that is just not jiving with her life, and her doubts and feelings are leading her in unexpected directions, Her upgraded cybernetics make her a much better killer, but the issues she's having with her memory implants is leading her to a faceoff that may be beyond even her abilities.

The secondary characters are excellent as well. Nephilim's partner Adriel from the first book returns, and it's an interesting balancing act for him to deal with the rebooted Nephilim knowing what he does about what happened in book one. The police detectives they have to work with to find a serial killer are interesting, especially a suave detective from Olympias 3, who has a fascination with Nephilim that might not be good for his health. All these secondary characters just add flavor to the story, and a mystery character from the first book makes a surprise return, and turns Nephilim's life upside down.

The politics of this dystopia are on full display, with the struggle between the ruling council and Metatron, head of the Guardian Angels, breaking out into the open. The conflict between them is also endangering them from outside forces as well, putting the whole system under strain. It's easy to see how the three corporate states left, who have such opposing viewpoints and methods, are in conflict with each other, and try all measures short of open war to try and bring the others down. It's very satisfying seeing this world further fleshed out as the series progresses.

The narration is handled by David Reimer and Jessica Weyman. They do an excellent job bringing the characters to life. David adds such a touch of menace to his portrayal of Metatron, its really chilling. Jessica's voicework is also outstanding, and she brings real emotional depth to Nephilim as she struggles with her programmed memories and what her mind is trying to tell her. The conflict is really gripping. They do an excellent job with their narrative pacing, and you are never once bored.

This series is getting better with each book. The character interactions, the tension, action and threats being reveled throughout are extremely engaging, and are sure to please readers. This is an outstanding new addition to this series, as well as to the cyberpunk genre in general. I highly recommend this series to fans of cyberpunk and sci fi, although there is broader appeal as well.

Don't miss out on this amazing Cyberpunk Novel!

Fallen Angels is another thrilling entry in Anna Mocikat's gritty cyberpunk Behind Blue Eyes series. This sequel tackles challenging questions of identity and human nature through protagonist Nephilim's memory loss after a system malfunction.

Though Nephilim has forgotten much of what came before, she's still an 'Archangel' tasked with enforcing the laws of Olympias City. This near-future metropolis is owned by a megacorporation peddling sex, drugs, and entertainment to its citizens. A mysterious string of murders among the ruling elite Guardian Angels drives a wave of paranoia as Nephilim struggles to reconcile who she is now with flashes of who she used to be.

Mocikat's raw, sensory writing style transports you directly into seedy Olympias City. The audiobook narrators perfectly capture the dark, gritty tone with their performances. Nephilim's character arc explores thought-provoking themes of memory, personality, and destiny versus choice. New readers can enjoy this cyberpunk thriller while fans of book one will appreciate the continuity.

Fallen Angels delivers the dark thrills promised by great cyberpunk fiction. Flawed characters, corporate conspiracies, and violent action come together in a story that questions the essence of identity. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to see what comes next for Nephilim and Olympias City. Mocikat's writing shines even brighter in audio, making this a must-listen for cyberpunk fans.

Even better than the first!!!

A great sequel and adventure! I've been eagerly awaiting the audio release of the sequel and I can't wait for the remaining books in the series!!

FANTASTIC

Great character development and World Building.
We get introduced to some fun new characters that I'm sure will have some important roles in war games. FANTASTIC groundwork and build up to war games Can't Wait.

Enjoyed it better than the first

The only thing I really did not like about the book was the Angel boss was a real douche. I loved the Nephalem, even with her memory gaps, she is going to do what is right.

another amazing entry.

Fallen Angels is book two of behind blue eyes. Paints the perfect world and then also on top of that paints the most terrifying and possible future that may be ahead of us.

Nephilim the main character is trying to figure out what happened to her. While the world building takes you on a ride that you may or may not be ready for.

dark, sexy and tons of action. this book is an amazing continuation of the series.

David and Jessica knock it out of the park once again with their performance making you feel like these characters are actually alive.

Exhilarating sequel!

Even more intense than the first installment! Exciting action, relentless pace, this is cyberpunk at its finest.

Exciting 

Just wished it was a little bit longer and more about the world itself that’s all

Another wild ride

This second book to the BBE saga will keep you on your toes! So many unexpected events, and for the characters whom you know will return at some point - Anna Mocikat dangles them in front of us like a carrot! The new characters, Kate and Siro, add such depth and intrigue to the storyline. Everything comes to a dramatic head in the final hours of the audiobook. Must listen!