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The Circuit  By  cover art

The Circuit

By: Rhett C. Bruno
Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
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Publisher's summary

USA Today Best-seller Rhett C. Bruno's debut sci-fi series is a gritty, space-opera epic perfect for fans of The Expanse!

Earth is a dying planet. To survive, humanity founds the Circuit, a string of colonies across the solar system, dedicated to mining resources vital to preserving what remains of mankind. Here there are no heroes or villains, only those willing to do what's necessary to survive.

The New Earth Tribunal, a powerful religious faction, has risen to rule the Circuit. They believe a Spirit within the Earth will one day appear and welcome humanity back home. Following a string of seemingly random attacks, the Tribunal suspects its mortal enemy, the Ceresians, have again rallied to challenge their absolute rule. But a new, sinister threat has arisen - and it plans to bring down the Tribunal once and for all.

Join an unlikely band of would-be saviors - the Tribunal's best spy, a roguish Ceresian mercenary, a subservient android, and a disgraced general - as they are drawn into a conspiracy destined to change the Circuit forever.

"Bruno has crafted a complex, multi-dimensional story that combines the best of his genre with age-old truths - and quandaries - about humanity, politics, religion, family, and, yes, love." (Portland Book Review)

©2017 Diversion Books (P)2018 Podium Publishing

Critic reviews

"All the distinctive voices carry a complicated, ultimately very human, story to a powerful conclusion." (Audiofile Magazine)

What listeners say about The Circuit

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

If you liked The Expanse, walk away.

If you came here from the Expanse and want another thrilling space opera, this isn’t it.

Jefferson Mays is fantastic, granted. But even his performance can’t save this.

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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An author who understands science fiction and true story telling!

I truly don’t know where to start in reviewing this tremendous work of sci-fi art. Because that’s what it is.
The narration is flawless! The narrator makes it seem like I’m really in the story.
This is truly a pure understanding of how to compose a story with rich characters along with intricate yet totally understandable backstories, unbelievable, but realistic environments, wonderful awe inspiring action at every turn, but I personally think that the real treat is the lesson the author and narrator have shown humanity.
This tale exposes all of our very real flaws as a supposedly civilized species.
It’s a mirror image of today’s horror here on Earth.
We lie to each other, cheat each other, kill one another and at the same time we’re destroying the only home we have.
Mr. Bruno, I hope I’m not reading more into your stories here than you wanted, but for me it was an exciting lesson.
I can’t give out spoilers, so all I can say to others is to read and or listen to this trilogy and if you love science fiction then this is for you.
Thank you Mr. Bruno and thanks to the narrator, Mr. Jefferson Mays.
Sincerely,
Alan McDonald
(note: my vision is impaired, so I was helped by my daughter to read this wonderful tale and I’ve managed to read most of his other wonderful works as well. The audiobook version provided me with no restrictions and was simply wonderful)

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29 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Excellent performance undercut by a poor story.

Hearing all the great reviews for this title and being a fan of Jefferson Mays’ narration from The Expanse, I had high hopes for The Circuit. Unfortunately, I have to say that the story is just plain juvenile. It indulges in some ridiculous tropes that would be shameful in a B-movie Hollywood production. The characters tend to be painfully one-dimensional retreads with hardly an artifice of humanity or believability (some much, much worse than others). When it comes to the settings, their scientific and technological premeses have an ounce of potential here and there, but Bruno just fails to sell it to my suspension of disbelief.

Let me put it this way: If you approach The Circuit as a YA novel and aren’t prone to cringing over simplistic and fantastical storytelling, you’ll do fine. For the rest of us, Mays’ superb narration skills just can’t rescue the underlying material.

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24 people found this helpful

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  • Tm
  • 08-19-18

Arrrrggghhhhh

I just can’t continue. How did this book get so many 5 star ratings? The other critical reviews are 100% correct in my opinion. I’m about 4 hours into this book a could not care less what happens next. I am sending this one back. Btw Mays did a fine job. I don’t think he was a good choice for this book. His performance didn’t help or hurt this book it just is.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Some of the best Sci-Fi on Audible!

This is some of the best SF on Audible. The three books found within are set in the distant future. Its a true space opera in the sense that there's a need for a bit of disbelief suspension, but that's not a bad thing. Bruno does a great job of shifting between characters and plot lines and then back again. he built a wonderful world with the Earth uninhabitable and human settlements on the Moon and Mars, as well as on asteroids. It is violent, however not too graphic.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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An Epic Trilogy

I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the Circuit novels. As a huge fan of sci-fi, it is a real treat when I find a new author and series to get into. The universe that Rhett Bruno has created here is astounding. Each book builds up to an epic crescendo, with plenty of twists and turns throughout. This is one of those series that leaves you depressed when it is over, as you really feel like you are part of the world and you never want it to end. The character development is amazing, in particular, a certain non-human is probably one of my favorite characters in any sci-fi universe. I can't wait to see what else Rhett Bruno has in store for us!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Surprised and disappointed (in a good way)!

I hadn't read or listened to any works by Rhett C. Bruno before this title nor have I listened to any works narrated by Jefferson Mays. I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed this book (compilation) and was disappointed when it finally came to a conclusion (I wanted more!). The publisher's summary compares it to The Expanse and I can see some similarities but I also got a slight "Red Rising" by Pierce Brown vibe (books 2+). I feel like if you enjoy either of those series this book would be a great addition to your reading/listening library.

The story took a bit to get going while it introduced characters and the universe (i'd say about 20 chapters or so before I was moved from interested to thoroughly hooked) but once it hooked me I couldn't stop listening! I think what I found most interesting about this book was that, despite some pretty clear indications that some 'bad' decisions were made (i.e., serious negative consequences for many), I really liked all of the 4 main characters! It was (for me) a unique experience where you start rooting for the 'bad guys' alongside the 'good guys' and find yourself at odds with who you really want to 'win'.

I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful narration by Jefferson Mays and would not hesitate to pick up additional works narrated by him! Excellent performance and character variation throughout!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful

I liked the narrator. I loved the story. I carried my device around the house with me and listened while I made dinner, checked emails, etc. Wonderful!

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Narration brings the story and characters to life!

I have both the Kindle version of The Circuit Trilogy and I have now listened to the narration expertly executed by Jefferson Mays on the Audible version.

Rhett Bruno is an expert at painting a story picture in words, and The Circuit Trilogy, comprising 3 volumes and 30 odd hours of listening pleasure is no exception. The Circuit is extremely professionally and well-crafted with a flair for imagery and extremely high quality writing and language usage. One of my favorite things about a Rhett Bruno piece is the quality of literary skill and enjoyment you get.

Adding the narration by Jefferson Mays, who is perfect for the characterizations and story-telling, only makes this near flawless gem all the more satisfying.

I read The circuit a while ago, so remembering the Frankensteinian awe of ADIM, the savage, ruthless pursuit of Casius Vale and his goals, yet at the same time his tenderness and love for what he cares about – this is a story full of juxtapositions, angst, and action. Casius is to all intents and purposes amoral and unethical in his single-mindedness of purpose. ADIM, for all that he is a lethal killing machine who flawlessly executes instructions demonstrates the innocence and naiveté of a child in some ways, yearning to express that machine-based love of his creator, wanting to be "loved", and exhibiting a sense of wonder in all things human.

There is a lot of action, violence, and immorality in this story. There are times when it will leave you gasping, crying, laughing and having to remember to breathe.

For me, that is what a good story is all about. Yes, it paints a dark – but very realistic – picture of humanity, with all its flaws, shams, and broken dreams, and yes, a very bleak future after we have decimated the planet. Yet somehow Bruno manages to find beauty, love, and some measure of hope for a better future. In a way it gives you that sense of morbid fascination like coming upon a horrific disaster or incredible work of art; it is terrible or wondrous to behold but you cannot take your eyes off it either way.

This is a very fast-paced story. It goes from subplot to storyline to action to alternating characters and points of view in such a flowing way that it never lags, and will always keep your interest. It will often keep you on the edge of your seat, and it will keep you up reading / listening long after you should turn out the lights and go to sleep.

Jefferson Mays was the absolute perfect pick for bringing this story to life, and he does so in a fashion that will keep you 100% riveted, attentive and absorbed. He was type cast for the roles, and does a masterful job at capturing the menacing immorality and the fragility of the human condition. Mays brings The Circuit to life.

This is one incredible story, one incredible performance, and left me saying to myself, if Bruno writes it or Mays performs it, I’m in! I want it!

This is not one to be on the fence about. Push the button. This is one not to be missed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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An Ugly Yet Beautiful Gift to Space Opera

Rhett delivers a fast-paced, dystopian, gray-morality thriller in the Circuit Trilogy. Having read science fiction for over 30 years, it is refreshing to find new authors with the talent to create characters that you'll remember after putting their books down. Rhett delivers here: from a broken-hearted megalomaniacal savior, to a brain-hijacked, religious assassin to a pirate father who is desperate to save his innocent daughter, you'll find gems of humanity in this story about so much inhumanity.

The fact that Podium picked Jefferson Mays, narrator for the wildly successful Expanse series, tells you all you need to know about the confidence that they have about how much you will enjoy this story.

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