Book description
Brandon Sanderson's Sunreach-the first of three Skyward novellas-delivers exactly what you'd expect from an author who's mastered the art of "more of the same, but also somehow less." It's like ordering a sandwich you've had before, only to find it's now served on a slightly smaller plate, with a side of exposition.
This time, we're stuck on Detritus with FM (that's "Flight Mode" to you), Jorgen, and a cast of characters who seem to have wandered in from a military procedural that forgot to bring the stakes. A Delver shows up, does a quick flyby of existential doom, and vanishes-because of course it does. Spensa's off doing important spy stuff in the wider galaxy, leaving FM to hold the metaphorical torch, and maybe literally hold a Taynix slug or two.
And what is a Taynix, you ask? Well, it's a hyperdrive slug. Yes, you read that right. In the caverns. Under the planet. And somehow, these slimy little critters are humanity's ticket to not dying. Also on hand: Alanik, a mysterious alien who's apparently been napping through the apocalypse. FM, Jorgen, and engineer Rig must now buddy up, whisper to slugs, and wake the space elf-or whatever Alanik is-in order to save the day. It's part Lord of the Rings, part Sesame Street Nature Special.
Meanwhile, Minister Cuna is stranded at Sunreach, which is apparently the Galactic Superiority's version of a budget embassy. If she's not rescued, the bad guys win. Roll credits, or in this case, roll the next novella.
Look, Sunreach isn't a bad listen-Sanderson's knack for making even bureaucratic alien politics oddly compelling remains intact. But it does feel like a holding pattern, narrated with the enthusiasm of someone explaining the plot of a movie you'll never watch. The audiobook performance does its best with what it's given, though at times it sounds like even the narrator is waiting for Spensa to come back and take over.
If you're a Skyward diehard, this is a fine snack between main courses. If you're new to the series, start with Skyward-or better yet, just wait for the inevitable omnibus. Either way, Sunreach is best enjoyed at 1.5x speed.
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience