The Godhead Complex

Maze Cutter, Book 2

By: James Dashner

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

FLARE ABOVE, MAZE BELOW.

Sadina and the islanders are up against both man and nature as they navigate their way to Alaska. There, they hope to meet the mysterious Godhead, unsure of what separates myth from truth. But the Godhead, now led by Alexandra, is fractured. Within the cracks of their sacred trinity, secrets are revealed that blur the lines of good and evil forever.

After a devastating discovery, Isaac and Sadina are forced to split up. Minho holds the rest of the group together, but it's his beliefs that are slowly falling apart. What once drove Minho to join his sworn enemies is causing him to question everything. When Sadina finds a clue in The Book of Newt, her mission to meet the Godhead becomes even stronger. Isaac and Old Man Frypan come across an enigmatic traveler and learn that the cure isn't what it once was. They are shaken to the core when they realize that the immunes aren't as immune as they should be, and the world as a whole is evolving in a dangerous new direction.

In Alaska, The Godhead and the sacred site of the Maze face something that no generation of Pilgrims before them has ever witnessed. Beliefs will change, futures will be rewritten, and not even the Godhead knows what will happen next.

©2022 James Dashner (P)2023 Tantor

Anime Filler is more exciting

Let's start with the positives, Mark Deakins is a fantastic narrator. He has an innate way of bringing everyone to life and really making you care about the characters and their emotions. Also, the cover of the book is cool.

That's about all that can be said about this book since there is virtually no story here. Of the entire 9 hour listen, the last hour or so is the only part that pushes the story forward and just barely.

We spend the bulk of the book following 5 separate groups of characters as they talk about what they might want to do next. That's about it, no trials, very little hardship, just a lot of talking. Even the villain(s) accomplishes very little and proves almost immediately that they aren't as cunning and untouchable as they believe they are.

I am excited to see how the story concludes in the 3rd book but this story is not only the weakest in the entirely of the Maze Runner story but also James Dashner's worst.

Declining quality

I finished the book but honestly it was just for answers. I’ve really enjoyed the series until I got to this edition. It had trouble with all the new characters and trying to weave them into the narrative. Even introducing new characters into the middle of the story was annoying and problematic. You could completely leave out this book and not have missed out. 90 years post solar flare and still the same issues.