How We Stopped the Destroyers

De: Andrew Bugenis

Narrado por: Bryan Patrick Stoyle

The Destroyers used to be the stuff of legends, of myths, of bedtime stories told to alien children to scare them into living well.

They...used to be.

The galaxy is still reeling from the recent incursion of the Destroyers, an all-too-real enemy that more than lives up to their name. With another strike looming on the horizon, humanity leads the charge to uncover the secrets of subspace—a technology in widespread use across the galaxy but truly understood by no one. The race is on for the scientific breakthrough that will save the Milky Way.

Oh, and there's also some pirates having an adventure. But one thing at a time....

©2022 Andrew Bugenis (P)2023 Andrew Bugenis

Modern, yet classic.

Caveat: The author is an acquaintance, but I didn't know what to expect. I bought it out of support and curiosity, and a love of science fiction, both new and classic. I finished it a fan.

This has the lexicon of a modern work, yet has the feel of classic sci-fi. The general universe-building sets the stage for an amazing central twist, while you feel the microcosm of the characters and their personalities are genuine and relatable. The plot, species, and details are original without being esoteric or too unfamiliar.

It's not framed as an epic and doesn't take itself too seriously but there are no regrets -- it's solidly pleasurable. If anything, it leaves a want for more, and thankfully two prequel vignettes are included. If it were a TV show, you might not feel the end of the season was very climactic, but you'd be peeved if they canceled it without hope of another season.

And the voice acting? I know the voice actor, but he does it so well and entertainingly that I saw and felt the characters and not him. He was more versatile than any other book narrator I have yet heard. The various voices and accents were memorable and sounded authentic, and oh-so entertaining. Also, the background effects were just right.

Pretty good

Good story and narration. The audio mix was annoying since some character voices peaked the volume, making the interposed narration difficult to hear.