Darker

The Dark Trilogy, Book 2

By: Paul L. Arvidson

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

Powerless to stop events he'd put in motion, Dun is lost. He hadn't wished for shaman vision - hadn't wished to be a hero. War has cost him everything: his innocence, his friends, his mind...but one last chance to set things right may still exist. A dangerous game. When communicating with the dead, internal demons may awaken.

Listen to Darker, the thrilling sequel to Dark by indie sensation Paul L. Arvidson, and discover the darker side of science fiction and fantasy fiction today.

©2018 Paul L. Arvidson (P)2020 Paul L. Arvidson

Great Story

This is the second book in the Dark Trilogy and I loved it! I cried a few times because some of the main characters died, I won’t say which ones. The adventure takes up where it left off in the first book and keeps you hopping from start to finish. There is intrigue and deception that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The narrator was great, I have listened to many of his books and enjoyed each. I am eagerly awaiting the final book!

I received an advanced reader copy from story origin for an honest review.

Great

Great story and a great narrator. Can't ask for anything more. Really loved it a lot!

Another well-written story from a very good author

Darker (The Dark Trilogy Book 2), my second read from author D.J. Hoskins, an author I'd not previously heard of. December seemed to be my month for new authors and January looks to continue the trend. I was gifted a free copy and I'm voluntarily reviewing it. I'm not a particular fan of sci-fi but this reads more like epic fantasy than sci-fi. 379-pages/9-hours 51-minutes, but reads longer due to the detail & development of the story. Benjamin Fife's talented narration added to a good book's enjoyment. I look forward to reading more from this author. Personally, I prefer mystery and thrillers. Still, I look forward to more from this author, I'll need to get Darkest (The Dark Trilogy #3), when it comes out in April. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

Absorbing SciFi

I enjoyed book 2 even more than book 1 in this series. I found book 2 to be darker in theme as this book featured preparations for and incidents of war. Because of this, the material was heavier and more emotional. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this series to others who enjoy this genre. I can't write enough praise for the narration skill of Benjamin Fife. He provided various voices for the characters. His voice was filled with appropriate emotion and engendered emotional responses with his performance. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily posted this review.

An excellent and different followup

One of the main differences between Dark and Darker is that we do a lot more jumping around - while Dark did jump around viewpoints unexpectedly, most of the characters were still in the same place. This time the plot is more nonlinear, jumping between characters in different places doing different things. So Darker may require a bit more attention to understand everything that's going on and keep track of the plot threads. It took me a few chapters to get used to this less linear style, though eventually, all the threads interweave into a whole.

Darker's plot itself is also heavier than Dark, appropriately enough (it is literally called darker, after all). While the last book was mostly a harrowing adventure plot that escalated into a political wartime story, this installment starts with the politics and warfare. Darker is more cerebral with lots of world-building than the previous installment. And there's so much new stuff. Cat people! Gestalt entities that functionally act as gods and discussions about whether they're good or bad!

Again, Fife's narration brings a lot to the text. Especially when he speaks as many people for the gestalt entity One Love.

The Folk Rule

This second book picks up right after the end of the first story. Excellent performance by the reader. The four main characters from the first adventure get back together in stages. Early on we learn that the furry air sensing Folk are from the rodent line while the opposition Folk are lead by a vicious lonely lady feline. She is determined to conquer all Folk in the world called Dark and starts a war that ends unexpectedly. We are introduced to "One Love" and several new characters are made part of the team.

Much Less Confusing

Parents- PG13
Language: PG13 - bad language is heavier in book 2 (Gods, Hells and lots of d words and a few others) and no f-bombs
Violence: PG13 normal to genre- a little gross with the growing vat of brains/bodies
Sexual Content: LGBT relationship, kissing, nothing really to warn of

I really don't want to give too much away so I'll keep this brief. This book went more smoothly for me because the author finally started explaining more of what was going on. We learn what they are and are introduced to a cat-person, the world is explained and then we are introduced to the vat or "One Love." This went more sci-fi and in a weird sometimes creepy way but I know a few people that are into sci-fi who would probably love this series... It's just not really my thing personally. It doesn't leave off on a cliffhanger but does give a segway into what is coming next in book three.

The narrator was fantastic as always! I did listen at 1.25x speed but I tend to listen faster anyway.

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

loved the narrator

This was an okay read for me. I did not like it as much as the first one. I loved the narrator though.

Odd Dark Imaginative Story, I Love it!

This is a review the book 'Darker' and the audio book form. If you enjoy audio books I highly suggest giving this a listen to. First I want to comment on the narrator Benjamin Fife. His narration was spot on with the conversations between different characters which is heartfelt and expressive and his timing and enunciation is very well done.
The story Darker continues with Dun is a Shaman now and he is getting messages from the Vat and he is also becoming more immersed with the Machine Folk and now the Duchy in this underground world. Major changes take place and Rowle the cat leader wants to expand the war and have command of the Vat for its prophetic like?? abilities....There is so much going on with that Vat bubbling away!! It seems to know the answers to many things. I love where the author is going with this and can hardly wait and see where he takes us in book three. If you like unusual world building of a dark existence in pipes underground, populated by odd fuzzy beings, ancient societies, guilds, warring factions, Shamans and talking Vats then take a wild journey that's out of this world and jump into this series.

An Interesting Listen

Life can change on an instant, as Dun learns. His dreams are gone as are his friends. The world he knows is at war. So what should he do...once again he listens to the voices in his head. Along the way, answers to mysteries are revealed as heroes are born and die in this strange and difficult future. What is still in store for Dun and his friends? Book three holds that information, and I'm looking forward to it. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request, and have voluntarily left this review.