Into the Battle

Rise of the Republic, Book 2

By: James Rosone

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Mankind has awakened a monster. Humanity must put aside its own animosities…or face extinction.

The origins of human history begin to unravel as Earth learns they are not the only humans in the galaxy. The sudden discovery of humans living on multiple planets beyond their own has created more questions than it’s answered.

When humanity arrived on New Eden, a hideous new alien race, the Zodarks was discovered. In the face of an existential threat to their own survival, the historical warring factions of Earth will need to unite if they want to save themselves from extinction and understand the true origins on human history.

A fleet is built; an invasion force is assembled. Join our heroes as they lead humanity into the battle to conquer their first alien world and liberate previously unknown humans from the bondage of slavery and servitude.

©2021 James Rosone (P)2021 Podium Audio

Started out good, then…

First book in the series was very good. The second book started out the same until it got into political propaganda in support of a one world government and the silly explanation for the great flood in the Bible. I read listen) to get away from the constant political BS of our time…everything is political now! I don’t want to receive it from a SyFi book as well. There was really no need to go there. I’m returning the two books. Just my $0.02 worth. Opinions do vary.

I guess I have to read the next one

Check the other non-5-star reviews, they pretty much nail it.

The series is a fun derivative work blending bits and pieces from all the major scifi of the last 50 years. It's nothing unique or *particularly* special, but it's decently fleshed out and it's universe is a fairly realistic view of the next 50-100 years I'd say. The characters are compelling, the mysteries interesting, and the struggle real. Hell, the science, engineering, and space combat aren't completely wrong like in 95% of these. Sure, a ship *sees* the enemy ship firing their *laser* and has time to react and fire counter measure missiles (..despite the visual of the firing laser and the laser itself moving at the same speed) occasionally. And, yeah, every now and then a ship is at point A- established to be several hours of FTL travel away from point B- and is annoyed at the "like 10 minute time delay" between radio(?) messages between points A and B. FTL and relativity is hard, I get it. Everything else was.. better than many.

Finally, probably the best thing the series has going for it- I could listen to Jonathan Davis read the phone book. Somehow, his voice, characters, tones, and inflections would make AAA Auto Repair compelling.

Then comes the "elder species". (spoilers hinted at below)

Seriously. Read the other non-5 reviews. They nail it. Short version- they pop in out of the blue and "answer" the biggest mystery of the series with some truly out of left field biblical creationist absurdities. They then introduce an elder antagonist species who builds up (evil) client species to wage war in their name, before eventually just absorbing the lot of them.. you know.. as one does. Why they need that extra step and don't just directly absorb.. guess that's their business. As one reviewer mentioned, it's like the author got 80% through this book, got bored, and just threw a fix-all dripping in belief structures that hadn't even been alluded to up to that point at the series. This theory is strengthened by 2 main facts- 1) the number of continuity errors (elder species saying their homeworld was 2,000 ly distant, then 3,000,000 ly half an hour later, etc) increases AND 2) Despite most battles from the smallest space engagent to many of the direct soldier/squad engagements being major parts of the series, the last battle of this book and largest of the series this far was a brief, after-the-fact paraphrase.

Honestly, I'm reading the next one in the vague hope that the inconsistencies, absurdities, and outright nonsequitors surrounding the new elder species were actually intentional for some reason and the series sucks me back in. It's kinda fun exploring Stargate set 100 years in the future with tech and (wrong, but makes sense if you don't think too hard) tactics any Trekkie would recognize.. plus Cylons.

Going well then SPLAT!!!

Some spoilers in this review. You are warned.

We had a reasonable SCIFI story going even if how long it would take to reverse engineer and build things is greatly compressed, but about 3/4s of the way through this book we meet a new 'super race'. Still not a big deal....until they explain why human exists on other planets.

It seems that 12 thousand years ago, dinosaurs lived with humans on earth and the meteor that killed the dinosaurs also is the same one that caused the biblical flood.... but thankfully this advanced race evacuated some of the humans thinking the Earth was going to be destroyed.

I couldn't take it... I turned off the story that instant.

Fantastic

Wonderful story, excellently written and performed. Would recommend to any sci-fi lover, or anyone looking for a great fantasy series

Not much to the story

There’s so much possibility to this story, but if you are looking for anything more than heroic humans blasting aliens with hand waving technology look somewhere else. There is no character development, no conflict between any characters or factions of humans, and never any suspense about the outcome of any battle. Human engineers can reverse engineer anything they discover and build massive armadas seemingly without regard to cost or time. The story lacks any mystery or race against time.

It was going so well

It was going so well. A decent enemy, a nice but of plot development. Then it all comes crashing down. A new super race who says humans lived alongside dinosaurs until Noah's flood 12,000 years ago.
I wanted to sob. Now it's a star trek/Battlestar Galactica ripoff.

Cool story

Does the author believe the dinosaurs died 4000 yrs ago? That is the only major screw up in the story.

On to book 3

I’m going to stick with this series. It got more exciting about the final third of this book.

The narrator does an excellent job…I just have to say, I think it’s that his voice is so relaxing that I have a hard time staying focused on the story. Go figure.

All incompassing

From man's 1st space flight, expansion and collinization, 1st contact, intellectual techmology, war... Awsum.
Give me more!

A little predictable, but enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book, even though aspects of it were very predictable I enjoy cheering for the good guy. So it was a good story and narrator.

Very enjoyable, well read, and very exciting story

A really enjoyable listen and wonderful follow-on to the first novel. The first couple of chapters involve a massive battle reminiscent of some of the most memorable space battles in Battlestar Galactica. Plenty of "yeeeaah" moments.

I love the serie.

I love the serie a good deal. It is well written and read by Jonathan. The only thing I can put my finger on that annoys me is that the Author plays quite fast and loss with History and world knowledge such as apparently humans and DINASAUCES lived side by side just a 4000 years ago. And apparently an Alian race have a home world that's a few MILLION Lightyears away but still some how is in the Milkyway even though the Milkyway only is around 125.000Light years end to end.