AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - Fractal Noise

   

Title:   Fractal Noise

Author:  Christopher Paolini

Narrator:  Jennifer Hale
Length:  9 hr 57 mins
Publisher:  Macmillian Audio

Genre:   Science Fiction

Format:  Audiobook

No. of Pages (Hardcover):   304

Date of Publication:   May 16, 2023  

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly.

On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII:a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide.

Its curve not of nature, but design.

Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why.

But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space.

For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe.

Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last.

And the ghosts of their past follow.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the Fractalverse, and we have four primary characters on a ship who are on a very difficult journey. We have Alex, whose story is told in his point of view and he is a very unhappy man. Then there is Talia whose religious beliefs have a strong, if uncomfortable effect on the other crew members. There are also Pushkin and Chen and they play important roles as well.

Personally, Alex was the most interesting character to me. He suffered great loss and he was willed digital memories of his life with his family. While the journey they are on is wrought with danger, the story often segued to a series of "episodes" of Alex's previous life. It was impossible not to feel moved for the love he had and for the love he lost. 

As mentioned, their journey is dangerous and at any moment they could all lose their lives. Having already listened to the long but more than engaging To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, it was interesting to read what is the prequel for that amazing audiobook. I personally cannot wait for the next book in the Fractalverse series, and I do hope it is another long one like book one.

Not only was Fractal Noise excellently narrated by Jennifer Hale, the added special sound effects were amazing. In fact, there was a constant THUD, THUD, THUD sound throughout that increased my heartrate each and every time. The story itself was intense, and these extra features made it utterly compelling.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is his first adult novel.

Visit Paolini.net for the latest news about this project and connect with other fans at Shurtugal.com, his Facebook page and Twitter profile.

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