Supernova

The Lightless Trilogy, Book 2

By: C. A. Higgins

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

C. A. Higgins' acclaimed novel Lightless fused suspenseful storytelling, high-caliber scientific speculation, and richly developed characters into a stunning science fiction epic. Now the dazzling Supernova heightens the thrills and deepens the haunting exploration of technology and humanity - and the consequences that await when the two intersect.

Once Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft. But a rogue computer virus transformed it - her - into something much more: a fully sentient artificial intelligence, with all the power of a god - and all the unstable emotions of a teenager.

Althea, the ship's engineer and the last living human aboard, nearly gave her life to save Ananke from dangerous saboteurs, forging a bond as powerful as that between mother and daughter. Now she devotes herself completely to Ananke's care. But teaching a thinking, feeling machine - perhaps the most dangerous force in the galaxy - to be human proves a monumental challenge. When Ananke decides to seek out Matthew Gale, the terrorist she regards as her father, Althea learns that some bonds are stronger than mortal minds can understand - or control.

Drawn back toward Earth by the quest, Althea and Ananke will find themselves in the thick of a violent revolution led by Matthew's sister, the charismatic leader Constance, who will stop at nothing to bring down a tyrannical surveillance state. As the currents of past decisions and present desires come into stark collision, a new and fiery future is about to be born.

©2016 C. A. Higgins (P)2016 Random House Audio

Can't wait for the third book!

As with the first book, excellent character development and interpersonal portrayal. Highly recommended if you enjoyed the first book.

One criticism: This doesn't undermine the heart of the drama, which is interpersonal, but it did pull me out of the story a few times. The logistics of intelligence gathering in war aren't directly addressed. There are several references to "They say..." or "I've heard..." where the enemy is, which gives me the impression that the fleet is relying on rumor, rather than reconnaissance. Later, there's statements like, "We have reports...", but it's not clear what that means in practical terms. No explicit mention of reconnaissance or scouts for determining enemy movement.

Lots of emotional dialog

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and No, the last third of the story is an emotional and sometimes irrational dialog such as the main characters destruction of all the video screens in the ship because they once showed the image of someone she knew. A major part of the story is a rolling emotional dialog taking place inside the characters head, with actions based on emotional reasons rather than the more logical.

Oh my god what happened?

I enjoyed the first book. It was clever. The characters were good. The pace and tension worked beautifully together.

What the hell happened in book two. It reminds me of the the sequel to the Girl with the dragon tattoo. The Arthur omitted everything that made the first book great from the second. It’s the same here.

A good series is gold. That’s why this is such a disappointment. I won’t read book 3.