Only Human

Targon Tales, Book 2

By: Chris Reher

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Captain Nova Whiteside is assigned to the elite Vanguard task force assembled to combat an increasingly dangerous rebel force. Her no-nonsense new commander is of an enigmatic and reclusive species that soon figures most decisively in the balance of power.

Their pursuit of a ruthless rebel leader takes them through the worlds and dangers of the Commonwealth-dominated Targon sector, where the line between their personal lives and their mission quickly begins to blur.

On their quest to recover a dangerous living weapon in rebel hands, it seems that the greatest opposition comes from among their own people, and Nova must choose between duty to her command and loyalty to her friends.

Although the Targon Tales are numbered chronologically, each book is a complete adventure. The volumes describe common themes, settings, and characters but can be listened to in any order.

©2012 Chris Reher (P)2016 Podium Publishing

Entertaining

the series is entertaining enough to keep you listening. next up Book 3 to see how it all ends.

If you want a little more romance with your space opera

Interesting characters, seemed like a good plot.

I couldn’t finish the audiobook. I will start off by saying that it’s probably my personal (male) bias here, but I really do not enjoy romance novels. I felt like “the catalyst” had a better romance/action ratio. My suspension of disbelief kept stumbling over romance getting in the way of the story. Especially at the first major plot twist the pacing felt like it stalled on the romance, breaking me out of the main story. Or maybe I just don’t get that the romance IS the main story, and everything else is background. Not for me, but YMMV.

Liked but with exception

I liked the story, characters, science, and other premises. However, I can't seem to except the depiction that a female, experienced Capt. with such accomplishments would act and speak as a excited, disrespectfull, and irreverent little girl. Not in Nova's character. It took away a lot from a good story. The performer/reader may have exaggerated the dialog however. I have raised three daughters, but not silly girls.

Fun Read

It’s a fun, fast paced and well written novel that keeps you engaged on a unique storyline!

FULL OF BEASTIALITY!!! Humans performing intercourse with ANIMALS!!

What is wrong with this author? She or he or it writes pornographic sexual happenings between humans and alien beasts!! Disgusting garbage!!!

clumsy emotional sci-fi war

Really, this captain Whiteside is so... irritating. I mean, she's supposed to be this tough badass warrior. but nothing, and I mean nothing in the story shows her as tough, other than some misplaced wording here and there.

The story line was good, in general. but Whiteside never became the tough guy battle-hardened warrior that neither the author or the main villain claimed her to be. She just fluctuated as an emotional wreck.

And Ty, devovled from a tough military major into a wimpy civilian-type, for no reason. The author explains what he went through, but his whole character was downgraded from a tough main character to some helpless supporting cast.

Also, there was some insight she was supposed to get and become less nationalistic and less warrior class, but was cutoff abruptly. Then that storyline was just abandoned.

ugh. frustrated. I won't read another one. the first book and it's characters were so good, I had to read this.

this isn't sci-fi this is smut

after listening to the main characters do hardly anything but play hide the sausage in excruciating detail for the first 9 chapters, I gave up. the story had potential, and the narrator wasn't bad. but I came here for sci-fi, not fifty shades of grey with aliens.

An alien love affair??

The main character is weak, overly emotional, and a simpering fool, not what I would expect from one of the best fighter pilots in the universe.
she's screwing her boss within days, is this supposed to be romance? I guess I admit I'm not an expert in romance, but this is hardly science fiction. The plot is as weak as the main character.
Maybe this is supposed to be funny??

Another female narrator who can't do male voices

This is a case of a female narrator ruining a good story. She simply can not do male voices. In fact, she can only do one or two different female voices. She attempts male voices by growling, lowering her pitch or raising her volume. She seems unable to change her voice.

The story itself is excellent with interesting sentient aliens and planets. It was only the interesting story that made me endure the narrator.

Is it really necessary to use vulgarity?

What has caused modern authors to throw away any regard for decency? Why do they feel everyone delights in the profane use of language? Not all of us have cast aside fine upbringing and a love of good stories that do not drag us through the gutter many seem to demand is "normal."