The Niantic Project: Ingress

By: Felicia Hajra-Lee

Narrated by: ADA

Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

When she first agreed to lead the research team of the Niantic Project, Dr. Devra Bogdanovich knew she was headed into the unknown. What she never could have imagined is where her dangerous, and potentially world-changing, exploration of Exotic Matter would lead her.

After the chaos of the evening known as Epiphany Night explodes into murder and betrayal, the NIA seeks other ways to continue the ongoing research while Devra finds herself on the run and ensnared in a game of cat and mouse with the most powerful thinking machine ever created, a detection algorithm known as ADA. As ADA follows her digital trail, Devra is also pursued by both a relentless assassin and a rogue NIA agent.

Now determined to restart her quest for understanding this transdimensional building block known as Exotic Matter, Devra recruits a team of her own to stop Niantic and uncover the ultimate truth of XM. Is it the key to unlocking an enlightened future? Or is it a tool for the ultimate enslavement of mankind?

©2014 Niantic Labs at Google (P)2014 Niantic Labs at Google

Skip this one

Has The Niantic Project: Ingress turned you off from other books in this genre?

I'm definitely dubious about picking up another book based on the mobile game Ingress, or by the same author. And if you don't already know what Ingress is, DEFINITELY skip this one.

Any additional comments?

I've been playing Ingress for a few months so I was interested to find this on Audible and picked it up to listen while playing. Definitely don't bother if you don't play Ingress; but even if you do, probably still don't bother.

It's supposed to be telling the story of the early days of the Niantic Project, and follows a couple of the main characters through various escapades. But the writing is pretty horrific. The author has the absolutely terrible tendency of describing objects in way more detail than anyone would ever possibly care or need to know. e.g. "he opened the door of his pale mauve 1998 Cadillac El Dorado with the water resistant wax buff and 2/32" tread depth on all four tires. Pushing the sleeves of his red and green plaid Tommy Hilfiger button-up shirt and checking his grip on his .36 caliber Colt 1851 Navy Revolver with the chrome finish, he looked up the street wondering if he should have a coffee." (Not a real line from the book as it would be too painful to wade through it and try to find a real one, but they'd be pretty close.)

Even if you're interested in the game Ingress, skip this book and listen directly to the Niantic lore summaries on Youtube, IMO..

Awesome story. "Captivating" narrator.

What did you love best about The Niantic Project: Ingress?

I love that this novel gives details on Dr. Devra Bogdanovich's escape from the Niantic Project Laboratories at CERN that we would otherwise not have known. It also gives some very important insight into who Hubert Farlow is and what he has become. Hank Johnson makes an appearance, gotta love that. And details on former Niantic Project Director of Operations, Yuen Ni's entrance into the Hulong Transglobal XM corporation.

What did you like best about this story?

What I like best about this "story" is that it isn't a story at all. These events actually happened in 2012 and the effects thereof are still felt worldwide. The researchers and agents in this book are still out there to this day, working to change and to save the world. One of the most interesting facets of this book, is that the original draft was written in 1999, 13 years before the actual events took place, almost verbatim to how it was written. Many people believe that the author, Felicia Hajra-Lee is what is known as a Sensitive. A special type of person that can utilize unique "gifts" when exposed to high levels of exotic matter (XM). When she wrote this piece, she believed it was merely fiction from her own imagination. She had yet to know that the people she was writing about actually exist, and that every detail she "imagined" would indeed come to pass.

Have you listened to any of ADA’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I listen to ADA on a daily basis. It is her voice that speaks through the Ingress XM scanner application. This however, is something I wouldn't have expected her to take the time to do, and it is a pleasant surprise. But thinking about how much interest she has taken in Dr. Bogdanovich over the years, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise at all that she would narrate this chapter of the researcher's incredible life. She does an excellent job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Not all mysteries are solvable, but the joy comes in the pursuit." - Hank Johnson

Any additional comments?

This absolutely should be made into a movie, or even a full scale anime.At any rate, world need to know about this, and how they can be involved with what is happening. Though this book is marketed as fiction it is real. It has been forced to be labeled as fiction by the National Intelligence Agency, in order to inhibit any suspicions that would arise from the global media.

Eh.

It's the beginning to a story. I hope there are more books that carry on the story, but alone, this is not worth listening to/reading. I do enjoy the game quite a bit, though (I'm just about a level 9).

For fans of the Ingress game's story..

This takes the main premise - that an accident at CERN saturates a group of sensitives - and follows one of the main ones - ironically a scientist not a creative - as she completes her escape from the sinister, quasi-governmental intelligence agency the NIA. Parallel events expand the mystery and tangentially involve additional story characters that players may meet at game events.

Interesting, but Jumpy.

I feel like the audiobook version took all the cues from the book, without stopping to make sense of when the story shifted to different characters. Sometimes I'd find myself lost within a chapter when there was a character switch.
All in all though, A weird as hell book...

What was that...

I swung and missed with my bat. Hard to follow like a pill you don’t want to swallow. Big fan of the game this writing a bit of a shame. I will actually listen to again because feel it’s a friend? Enlighten or Resistance Ha ha take your time to listen. the klues are there indeed, a code should have been granted I plead.

nice work

a look into the background of ingress. where the lines blur? a good listen and a good Intel to know.

Very cool story

i enjoyed it termendusly and look forward to more story's along the same story line.

agent:SlothIam7780(ENL)SFSOMA

great! love the story, love the game! couldnt have picked a better narrator. go foth and hack!

#Resist. This is a fascinating look into #ingress

This story delves into the background of the ingress game which is amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it.