Emissary

By: Chris Rogers

Narrated by: Jeff Hays

On a desperate mission to save his entire race from extinction, Emissary Ruell travels to Earth equipped with his two most powerful bargaining currencies - health and longevity - hoping to convince the most powerful leader in the free world that collaboration can save both of their civilizations. Having no way to communicate directly with humans, Ruell must inhabit President Addison Hale's body to carry out his mission.

He quickly discovers, however, that humans are more complex and volatile than anticipated. Only after admitting defeat does he encounter Kirk Longshadow, a cop with nothing left to lose - and who might be Ruell's last chance.

©2014 Chris Rogers (P)2015 Chris Rogers

Great work by the reader!

Would you listen to Emissary again? Why?

I'm not sure if I would listen to it again but I will definitely follow the series as the story continues.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I didn't really have a favorite character. There were times I liked some more than others however as the story progresses this seems to changed.

What about Jeff Hays’s performance did you like?

His ability to adapt his voice to the character is amazing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Jeff Hays is an amazing reader. Super keen to see what he does next.

Enjoyable story, excellent performance

The emissary concept is integrated into a well integrated and enjoyable plot. Another great performance by the very talented Jeff Hayes.

Wow I never saw this coming

Would you listen to Emissary again? Why?

I might if time permitted. It was a good plot and developed well.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the way the main character was developed and how they went from a nobody at the start to the most important factor in the story line.

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

I have not; this is the first

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Kirk was able to forgive those who had left him and understand it was not his fault.

Any additional comments?

This book had multiple plots running in parallel. At the beginning contact was at the top of the political pyramid but all the real action ended up at a much lower level. The end result was never clear until the end so it kept you wondering who the good guys and bad guys were. Almost an action/thriller as much as science fiction. There were enough strings left at the end of the book for a sequel and if so I look forward to listening to it.

It also was great that a flawed man was able to overcome their handicap and resolve the issues of their life an complete their quest whereas a much larger force had not been able to come to the same point in the time available.

Good story, decent narration.

The book was over before I felt it really started. I will certainly follow this series. The narration was fine, my only complaint was the "radio" voices. The audio change was much to loud.

Great and plausible story with a touch of sci-fi

Where does Emissary rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't listen to a lot of sci-fi so I was quite surprised to realize this was a mostly mystery/crime driven plot with a layer of science fiction interwoven very well. I listen to quite a lot of crime related books and this was definitely as enjoyable as most.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed how the various plot threads were interwoven together. The political side of the plot didn't dominate and the greater part of character development rested with the main protagonist.

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

No, this was my first listen of Jeff's work but I found him to be very much on par with other great narrators I've listened to. He did the various voices very well and I really enjoyed his accents.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really, it was overall enjoyable and not quite what I expected based on the short description I read before listening.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to listening to the next installment!

Not what I expected.

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. My genre of choice is sci-fi, witch is why I picked this title. I only rated it 3 stars because it was more of a political intrigue/police investigation witch held no interest for me. The storyline around Longshadow was one of the hardest because of the brutal violence in one particular section yet his story was also the most compelling. If I could give this book a movie rating it would definitely be R, for graphic violence and language, both of witch I try to avoid. I need to remember to ask this before I request the book. The narrator was good but at times when it was pertinent to be "speaking" loud as through a mega phone and such, it blasted so loud I was grateful I wasn't driving or I probably would have jumped so hard and gotten into an accident. Thankfully those spots were minimal if unpleasant.

Worth the Credit, I'm glad I Listened

The is a fun and pretty upbeat* book, with a strong female lead (the President of the U.S. no less!), a Texas cop, and an alien. The alien intelligence can jump from mind to mind of its human hosts, influence their behavior and health, or take them over completely. He jumps around various people in the Oval Office, over to a leader abroad, and after a drama of unfolding events surrounding the President, into the mind of a Texas cop. It is both sci-fi and political mystery-thriller.

*(Upbeat? Okay, yes, there is The Torture Scene, but the reader knows the alien is going to jump in and save the day, so we can just look forward to the bad guy getting his just desserts as the scene unfolds).

It put me in mind of "A Warm Place to Call Home: A Demon's Story" by Michael Siemsen, which I also enjoyed.

The book ends cleanly, no cliff hangers, but leaves the door open for further exploration. If there is ever a book two, I'll buy it on the day it comes out.

Great Start to A New Sci-Fi Series

This is the first book in a Sci fi series about a life form, different from our own, that is looking for a new planet to inhabit because their own planet will soon no longer exist.

Fascinating read, from big to little

Would you consider the audio edition of Emissary to be better than the print version?

Only listened to it, so don't really know.

What did you like best about this story?

The overall concept is compelling, to say the least. Certainly the concept has been visited in the past, but not to this level of nuance and complexity.

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

Yes, and he does a fine job here. Lot's of characters to explore, and he does so with a flourish.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not extreme, but it was compelling at times. Esp. the conclusion.

Any additional comments?

This book spans a wide range of concepts, which at first glance seem unrelated. Yet somehow it is pulled together with style and aplomb. I liked it a lot, and so will you! Recommended.

Great narration bought story to life

What did you love best about Emissary?

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Part political thriller, murder mystery and science fiction, Emissary is the story of an alien life force sent to Earth to find a sanctuary for its people.

The story starts off a little slow but develops well into an enjoyable story that is well written. I enjoyed and engaged with the characters in no small part to the audiobook narration capably acted by Jeff Hays.

There is pretty good writing here with fascinating imagery woven into the story, decent language and a nice story of pain, endurance and resolution of the protagonist, Longshadow.

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

The audiobook narrator was very talented and over the course of the book I became even more impressed with his versatility, accents and clever use of voice modulation to create atmosphere and enhance the story.