Audiobook Review – Totality (Eclipsed Evolution, Book 2) by Kim Harrison, Narrated by Xe Sands (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Paranormal
Length: 4 hours and 41 minutes
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Release Date: May 07, 2024
ASIN: B0CKWFMW7W
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Eclipsed Evolution series
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 3/5 stars

“Dr. Renee Caisson never expected that her scientific expertise would lead to a role playing interpreter between humans and the demonic-looking Neighbors. When the door between their worlds opened, she was drafted by the government to study the otherworldly beings and was able to prove her the Neighbors had been to Earth before—and now they simply wanted to save their dying planet.

At least, that’s the story, and everyone—both human and Neighbor—is sticking to it. The Neighbor in charge of the new portal’s operation, Noel, isn’t that sure anymore. Having succeeded in finding a new planet to inhabit, the leaders of her world have made the dark truth of their existence clear to the Neighbors forcibly tried to make a foothold on Earth in the past—and they can’t afford to fail again.

But the Neighbors’ ability to magically teleport from place to place has convinced Major Jackson that the only way to keep control of the situation is to embrace it and tell the world of the Neighbors’ existence.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees..”

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Eclipsed Evolution series. I got this on audiobook from Audible.

Thoughts: This was okay but they whole story feels a bit predictable and kind of just…well..blah. The idea presented in the first book was intriguing and fresh, but here it just feels like things are slowly playing out without any push or pull from the characters.

Dr. Renee Caisson has succeeded in getting the Neighbors (otherworldly beings) reunited and allowed some small freedoms. However, now comes the hard part. The Neighbors have a portal open on Earth, and now Earth’s fractured leadership has to deal with the Neighbor’s fractured leadership. When the Neighbor in charge of the portals, Noel, finds out that the Neighbors have visited Earth before she is torn about the Neighbors’ goals. Meanwhile, on Earth the lab Renee is involved with is in conflict with other parts of the US Government. All Renee wants is to learn more about the Neighbors and help them save their home world. August just wants to help his people find species to bring home to help his world thrive. Renee and Jackson want to let the world know about the Neighbors but there are heavy ramifications of doing that for both species.

I still enjoyed a lot about the adaptive biology that is discussed in this book. Renee is a well done character but a bit passive at times. August is also well done, but comes off as a bit too passive. He seems unwilling to go against his supervisor’s (Noel’s) wishes despite knowing that there is a better course of action. I understand Jackson is bound by his loyalty to the Army, but he also could have be more proactive in moving things in a good direction.

I think that was my main issue with this. The story moves slowly, and the characters feel very passive throughout. This is a momentous things that has happened, contact with an alien life form! However, everyone who could have a beneficial impact seems to be sitting back and letting things take their course. It’s the more nefarious characters that are taking aggressive actions.

I also think that this doesn’t work well as a multi-book series. There isn’t enough completeness to each book for them to stand alone. It would have been better to have all three novellas in one book; the way this is released seems like a money grab to me.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator’s voice is a bit deep and gravely. This makes it hard to listen to in instances where there is a lot of background noise; in the car, outside walking. It’s better over headphones, but if you are trying to listen to it over a speaker you have to turn it up really loud to clearly understand the narration.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay but not great. I like the concept of adaptive evolution and the paranormal twist to an alien race. I think the characters are decent; they are easy to relate to and pleasant to read about. However, they also seem strangely passive in a fantastic situation. I am not loving this short novella format; I think it makes the story seem slower since each book doesn’t stand alone well. I will probably finish the series since I already have the third book. Despite the unique premise, the storyline is taking a very mundane and overdone route, which I am not enjoying. The last thing I read by Harrison before reading this was the 14th book in The Hallows series and I DNF’d that. I think I am just not a huge fan of the way Harrison’s writing style has changed over the years.