Tremendous voice acting/design, weak plot.

I love listening to the sbt team interact, but the characters behind those interactions often felt like one-dimensional caricatures with token arcs. The heavy use of Deus ex System, while within the lore presented, robs the characters of opportunities to overcome challenges through their own abilities. The early half of the book felt devoid of any meaningful tension.

I really liked the first book and the sbt crew carried me through this one. I’d probably be willing to try a third, but with a chip on my shoulder raising expectations going in.