Exploring the Colony Ship: After Recovery

Colony Ship Eschaton

By: John Thornton

Narrated by: Alexander Doddy

The Earth is a dry, dead, wasteland. The last place livable was Dome 17, but it was failing. Those people made a last ditch effort to survive. Though a bold and daring plan, they were able to reach what seems to be a derelict colony ship, The Eschaton, which is in mid-flight. (Please see book one, Recovery of a Colony Ship).

The Eschaton had been designed to hold numerous and diverse immense biological habitats: flora, fauna, and everything needed to terraform a new world. It also carried thousands of people in suspended animation. The ship was designed to be tended by crews who would live out their lives in the journey between worlds. That journey would only be completed after several generations had lived and died while in transit. That was the plan. But something happened. The people from Dome 17 have reached The Eschaton, but what will they find in those habitats? What systems are still functioning? Did any of the crew survive? What lurks deep in the bowels of a colony ship? Jamie and Michael will seek to unravel these mysteries, and survive, as they explore the Colony Ship.

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Start with the first book

Jumping into the second was a little jarring and took a while to get into. Liked the premise. But found the narrator a bit stilted and mechanical.

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

Who can you trust?

"Trust is all you need." And some blindly follow, while others trust no one. Worlds apart literally describes groups of people thrust together by life-and-death circumstances and are forced to survive either by learning to trust and lean on each other or by defending their own lives by any means available. The suspense and action continues in Book 2 of this series. John Thornton mixes in humor and pathos in this very human story set in an automated and mechanical environment. Alexander Doddy's beautiful British voice compliments the story and is a joy to listen to!

A bit short for a standalone novel

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not having listened to the first book I found it difficult to figure out who was who and who belonged to what group and where the story actually played. I would recommend listening to the previous book first.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Nothing really spectacular here. I was hoping for a bit more exploration and discovery.

What didn’t you like about Alexander Doddy’s performance?

What threw me off was that he tried to give individual voices to the characters, but then read all the 'said this person' and 'this person replied' in a very robotic voice and with strange pauses between those phrases and the things the protagonists actually said. This interrupted the listening flow and I sometimes didn't know which person did what.

Any additional comments?

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

Great follow up to Discovery of a Colony Ship

This story picks up a little less than a year after Recovery of a Colony Ship leaves off. We find Michael, Jamie, and all the other Dome 17 survivors living happily in the habitat they discovered in the last book and are ready for their next adventure. In this one they track down and battle a native 'witch' and learn more than they could imagine about life on a Colony Ship.
As usual John delivers fun, adventure, and excitement.

Looking forward to listening to more books

Any additional comments?

I have not read or listen to the first book but look forward to doing so.
Despite starting the series with the second book, I did not have difficulty understanding the circumstances of the involved characters. I enjoyed the premise of this book. The idea of a group of peoples last effort for survival- being to transport themselves onto an unknown ship and then attempt to learn what they need to know to survive on it- was engaging for me. The characters and dialogue were plausible. There was not any profanity or detailed violence.

The narrator did a good job bringing life to the characters. I have not listen to this narrator before but would enjoy doing so.

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