The Dark Beneath

The Nexus #2

by J. Kraft Mitchell

THEY SAY THE FLOATING CITY OF ANTERRA IS LIKE THE HUMAN HEART...

It shows very little on the outside – mere glimpses of its true self to the casual observer. Underneath lies much, much more, understood only by those who know it well.

Three months have passed since Jill Branch abandoned a life on the streets and joined the classified crime fighting force known as The Nexus. Something big is brewing among Anterra’s criminal elite, and the department is hot on the trail. The chase will take Jill and her team into the darkest depths of the city – and face to face with the past they’ve tried so desperately to forget.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fiction

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2012

About the author

J. Kraft Mitchell writes speculative fiction. He can’t help it. He doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. His first book, The Nexus, reached number one on Amazon’s juvenile science fiction best seller list. The series, which includes The Dark Beneath and Earth’s Shadow, continues to gain fans around the world.

He and his wife trained for ministry at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, and now work with students and young adults at their church in Colorado. You can often find them surrounded by droves of hyperactive teenagers. They do it on purpose. Call them crazy.

He is the proud father of two beautiful daughters. Yes, being in a house full of girls creates an overabundance of drama in his life, but then again drama is something an author should be familiar with.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is more than the secret agency that Jill works with happening in the bowels of the satellite - in the unmapped tunnels is the Dark Beneath and a group is working to set up a system that goes beyond Sherlock, and the team is working hard to stop them.

This is a clean read.

[ShingetsuMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic follow up to the first book in the series. I like that there is more character development in this book and that it also ties into the plot as well. The mystery of Anterra continues as the group discovers that something is stirring in the long abandoned tunnels used to help build and maintain the satellite.

But what is going on down there and how do they stop it? The truth is hardly what they could have expected and as in the first book brings a twist that I certainly didn't see coming but was excited to see revealed nonetheless.

Jillian is a good character and deep inside is a good person as well. I think this book brings out that fact in different ways then the first one did. She bonds more with the others of the group (minus Bradley) and even reaches out to Amber as well. The romance and tension did make me grimace a bit but in the end it was good to see Jillian step up to try and put Amber more at ease and to be a better partner and friend to Cory as well.

The plot with Sketch and his criminal ring continues as part of the plot in this book but isn't concluded. There are hints as to what Sketch is planning but we'll have to wait and see how things finally finish up.

New revelations, more character development and more world building. This was a great sequel and has definitely helped to strengthen this sci fi/crime series.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Dark Beneath" is the second book in the "Nexus" series. It has been 3 months since Jillian Branch joined a special branch of the government tasked with fighting rogue criminal elements on Anterra, a satellite city above Earth. In this novel, they are on the trail of Sketch, a master criminal with plans for the city.

Complicating matters is a member of the oversight board who doesn't believe in what Jillian and her department do. He tries to show that the department is corruptible like the rest of the government.

I thought this was a good second novel in the series. Definitely worth the read, and I look forward to the third installment.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wait for the next book from J. Kraft Mitchell was well rewarded with The Dark Beneath. The character development building from the first book, The Nexus, was very good.

Love the story line in the book. I was drawn in from the first few pages through the last page. Left a nice set up for the next book. Hope the wait is not too long.

This will be a gift for all the teenagers in our family this year.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Beneath picks up where The Nexus left off; I would recommend reading it first. J. Kraft Mitchell does a great job further developing the characters in the second book. You begin to understand through their back stories what drives them and the various decisions they make. Mitchell's plot twists and turns made this a fun don't won't to put it down read. This series is well written and book one flows perfectly into book two. I can not wait to see what he has in store for the third book.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I really appreciated that the author contacted me and thanked me for rating the first book in this series. It encouraged me to read this one!

This book had just the right amount of suspense, combined with more character development. It was fun to get to know Jill & company a bit more while following them on their new adventures. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the first book in this series, I liked this one as much or more. In my comments on "The Nexus", I said that I'd like to read more about the central technology's effect on society. "The Dark Beneath" has started to explore this, and it looks like the third book, "Earth's Shadow" will continue that. I look forward to reading it.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another home run for J. Kraft Mitchell. This one continues off of The Nexus and moves right along. I love the style of writing and ease of read. I was through the book in 2 days and I want more of the characters and what is going on at MS9.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, too. Really good characters, plot, and writing. I'm excited to read the next one!