Freedom was only the start. The crew of the Wanderer face ever greater challenges as their journey continues. Knowing the Empire will hunt them down Jess and the others must seek help from another source.
Turning to the criminal underworld seems like their only option, but it soon threatens to end in disaster. Especially when past events return to haunt the present.
Will even the incredible Wanderer be enough to keep Jess, and those he cares about, safe?
A lot better than volume 1, and picking right back up from where we left off in the first volume. This second volume introduced some interesting new characters, and an intriguing goal to say the least. We learn more about the evil empire in place. My curiosity was piqued with the suggested age of the Wanderer (the main ship) and also by the unknowns around potential alien species. One of the new characters, Dash, should prove interesting. Also liking the no-BS approach to characters that may or may not meet an early demise. Straight to the point, nothing unrealistic. Payment comes when payment is due :-)
This book picks up where 'Wanderer's Escape' left off. Our intrepid travelers Jess, Ali, Elizabeth and Teeko have decided to seek out the origin of Wanderer, and quickly discover a number of obstacles that they will have to overcome.
This book is a far more satisfying read than I expected, a definite improvement over 'Wanderer's Escape'. There is a thread where we are introduced to the origins of a pirate, a character that our adventurers eventually meet.
There's almost none of the fumbling around discovering what the ship can do this time around, but there is a peek at both the age of the ship, and the age of the human Empire itself. There's also a nice setup for book 3 in the series. Speaking of the Empire, we learn a bit more about that too.
I could nitpick a bit, but really, if you liked 'Wanderer's Escape' at all, go ahead and continue with this volume. You won't be disappointed.
Wanderer’s Odyssey #2 continues this delightful space adventure series with freed slaves and a sentient ship. Jess is an appealing character as he copes with everything new: freedom, first love, unexpected friends, and an impressive connection to a sentient ship/friend. This book has non-stop action and plot twists. Well done!
Better than the first and starting to develop more interesting concepts. Needs more Mr. Goodson! I think this series has potential if the author would dive even a little more deeply into the characters.
I really like this book. It is science fiction with a twist. I loved the characters - very believable. This book ended on a good note but left alot of questions - can't wait until book 3
I’ve finally returned to this series after a year and a half. I had to read my own review on book 1, “Wanderer” to get caught up. This is a story about a human slave who happened to come upon a mysterious ship. He was accompanied by his owners, other humans who were definitely in the slave market. This is in the far future so humanity hasn’t learned much and the Empire is even worse than we could imagine.
Anyway, Jess, is ordered by his owners to board the space ship, but only after the first two slaves were killed by booby traps while moving towards the bridge. So, he’s not all that sure he’ll survive, but he has no choice. He and two other slaves board the ship and tentatively head toward the bridge. Surprisingly, they make it. Jess sits in the pilots set and that’s when things start happening. The ship grabs Jess’ head and starts a physical merging with his brain. His head is fixed to the seat and he can’t move. Then he finds out that he ship is not his enemy and has designated him to be the new pilot and Captain. All the doors shut and their slave collars drop off. Jess, Sal and Matt are now free for the first times in their lives. Obviously, they take off in their new ship. That’s a re-cap of book one.
But, the ship has a yearning to return to its home system. That happens to be on the far, far side of known space almost beyond what man has explored. To get there, they have to travel through a very narrow corridor of slip-space which is highly guarded and protected by the Empire. They need new papers to disguise who they are. Of course, getting new papers means they might have to do some illegal trading so they head to a planet that might have the resources. Again, this is where things start getting good. Their ship is unlike anything in the Empire; it’s almost as if it’s a live! It’s going to have to be something special to get them out of the trouble they soon find themselves in. Great reading and very interesting.
I’m going to get the next book in the series, “Wanderer - Tainted Universe (Wanderer’s Odyssey Book 3)” which is already available on Amazon.
Before you start this book, please note it is the second in a series. You need to read Wanderer's Escape (Wanderer's Odyssey Book 1) first or this one won't make much sense to you. As I type this review, the first book in the series is free for your Kindle.
This installment of the book was good overall, but I was a little disappointed in the lack of character development and seemed rather rushed and short: not much progress is made on the way home for Wanderer and Jess is really turning into an immature child. Adult science fiction fans will find this a little thin in terms of believability, but the young adult crowd will probably enjoy this one tremendously. As a parent, however, I wouldn't let my child read it because the author has his characters preoccupied with having sex in every horizontal or vertical surface at the drop of a hat - sure, that's what's on a lot of teenager's minds but it's either a science fiction tale or something to get the YA crowd excited.
There's a lot more out there that could be told with this tale and, while I was a little disappointed in how this chapter of the story turned out I'm looking forward to seeing where book #3 in the series takes us.
It’s #2 in the series. It was a year ago that I read the first book, and it was easy to pick right up where the first book left off. The main characters were the same, so the transition was seamless. It is space opera with all the trimmings: space battles, an Empire, skullduggery, betrayals, and a love story. Add to that a forward movement in the general themes of taking on the Empire and getting back to Wanderer’s original home.
I like sci-fi, and this series is pretty good. Some new characters emerge in this book, and that adds to the spice. There is a bit of philosophy regarding ethics. How many innocents can be saved; how to justify the killing of folks just doing their jobs for the Empire, and what do the answers do to one’s personality? Those are tough questions, and the answers are muddy.
These books are fun if a person likes space opera. It’s a long series, and I hope to continue to read some more of the books. Be advised, the stories are full of action and rather engaging, and the end of the second book promises more conflict in the next book. The Empire knows where they are headed and is coming after them. Oh, yes, there is still lots to come.
This series challenged me to follow through the story in book (1) and in book (2) as well !!
I couldent grasp just how the characters and the original neginnin setting could keep me interested enough to keep me to want to keep reading it !!!
Next thing i was chewing on into book (2) !!! And grateful I am for seeing the out of this world of a ship discovery of having neen created by non human hands !!! Advanced beyound expectatiom and able to hrow itself - thevship even more !!!
Turned out to be a very Science Fiction at its best and yet it still had a very human element through out !!!
Well done !!! And ready to step into book 3 now !!! Looking forward yo going to its current 6 bolumes !
Kind of book that you really do not want it to stop !!! But kust keep goinh on like many who are over 18 or more books and keep churning out new volumes !!
I RECOMEND this book for several reasons but What I said already is enough !!
“Wanderer - Echoes of the Past”, second in the 'Wanderer's Odyssey' series, continues from where the reader left off. Jess's connection to the ship continues to deepen, maybe too much so. Sal, living with young love (Jess and Ali), is unhappy and, despite it being impossible, wants to try and find her only love, Markus. But Markus is not who she thought he was and the galaxy can be a very small place when an author sets things in motion. As in the first episode a lot of pages are concerned with broadening the story and introducing new characters - it is well past the halfway point before the book gets into its stride. 'Wanderer', a fantastical alien spaceship, is both a curse and a blessing - it makes almost anything possible and the author takes advantage at every opportunity. While “Wanderer's Odyssey” was quite juvenile in places (in particular Jess's moral problem over the death penalty) this second outing is more adult (and I am not targetting the sex scene!). 4 Stars.
The author creates problems for the crew to solve with its overpowered ship. "Oh no! Eating breakfast will be hard when the floor is lava." And the solutions are laughably simplistic. "I'll tweak the ship's engines a bit to get more power." Is the most detailed explanation we get. Very lazy.
IMO this is a better book than the first book in the series. I thought the characters were better developed. And the plot revealed a lot more about the potential future story lines. I gave it 4 stars.
I gave book 1 a slightly generous 4, but feel that book 2 deserves a solid 4: fairly simple space opera, still with a 'magic' alien ship, but very readable and mostly engaging
I enjoyed the book and was entertained. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series. But the book Sunday morning finished it by Monday night.
Well, what a surprise, more excitement, got caught by action I don't see coming. I love that. I hope it continues in the next several books in this series.
So... it's OK. As the second book in the series, you're given no opportunity to rediscover the characters... I'd forgotten there was a tame rescued alien aboard ship, until it popped out! Fortunately, I remembered enough of that plot line to not be completely swamped.
On to the story. 20 years ago an imperial marine refuses to kill civilians and flees rather than die. Now he's the captain in charge of a pirate crew and regularly takes slaves and kills far more people than he left the empire for before. The crew of the Wanderer, meanwhile, are trundling around the universe looking for a planet that probably doesn't exist, a lost love (surprise, it's him... or is it....?) and to free as many slaves as possible.
So yep, the plot is a bit weak, and the leaps of faith we go through when transitioning from one plot line to the next are... well giant.
That said, I did not spot the plot twist near the end (although in hindsight, there were plenty of clues it was coming) and the climactic battle sequence was quick and to the point (many space opera battles relate the intricate display lines and stress the delays of space battles, when really all we want is "pew-pew, boom") so, I can't be exceptionally critical...
I can't believe no-one else has rated this book. It's amazing. Full characters for whom you find yourself truly rooting for. Action, a bit of suspense, full on sci fi! Just as good as the first book, maybe a bit better but that would be hard. I can't wait to read the third book in the wanderer series!💚✌
Like I said before it's not the grammar,or the spelling,IT'S the storytelling, and this a very good one.you will not whont to put book one or two down.and rush for three to read.
A must read from the start of the season series. Intrigue, deception, and a plan. Can they do it??? Wow threw me for a loop will buy next book immediately. Must Buy!!!!
Excellent follow up to the first novel. the author has corrected the issues with the first novel, and has created a story that has much more depth than the first one. Great read!