Maddie is hired to cross the desert on a mission at the most dangerous time of the year, when the Tromoal are breeding, which means killing and eating everything that moves. Maddie works alone because she has a problem, a built-in mechanism that causes her to fall in love. Yep, she’s an NPC (non-player character), but not just any NPC, she knows what she is, has adapted, changed and grown. She’s modified her vehicle, weapons, and herself.
It is a great concept and gets the listener interested in her life as a living person, not a machine. She’s vulnerable, real and tough as nails when she needs to be. Her passenger, part of her cargo, is an enigma to her, kind and risking much to travel with her. It doesn’t jibe and she wants simultaneously to get rid of him and fall in love. It makes for an interesting battlefield romance.
The RPG experience from the inside looking out, though no longer unique, is still fresh enough to be intriguing for the listener. A good story with appealing characters makes this a fun listen with plenty of action and character development.
Andrea Parsneau is a good choice to perform the story. She becomes the role of Maddie, and does it well. The male character voices are as good as well. She gets out of the way and the story progresses at the right tone and mood from her voice. An excellent performance from a pro. Sound quality is flawless as well.
This is a short novel, a little more than an introduction, but less than a full novel and clearly part of a much longer series. You’ll want to continue right on to book 2 and so on as available. An enjoyable listen and recommended.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
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