The Catalyst
Targon Tales, Book 1
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The Catalyst
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Narrated by:
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Emily Woo Zeller
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Written by:
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Chris Reher
About this listen
It's no easy tour of duty for Lt. Nova Whiteside when her interstellar transport is taken by pirates, and she is then tagged for termination. Could it have something to do with the mysterious alien they were transporting? Having gone from merely MIA to technically AWOL, any chance of escape leaves her no choice but to rely on Sethran Kada, a former lover, for help. Unfortunately, she realizes, they are now on opposite sides of an escalating war between the Commonwealth Union of Planets and an increasingly dangerous rebel organization.
In trying to find who is threatening her life, they discover a plot to destroy a distant planet - a world inhabited by creatures that are the key to Nova's survival - and a conspiracy that threatens the stability of the Union Commonwealth. Can Nova go beyond her strict military training to cooperate with people whom she is sworn to destroy?
©2012 Chris Reher (P)2016 Podium PublishingWhat listeners say about The Catalyst
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-12-14
Interesting 'Star Wars'- styled Concept
..but the focus of this story is Romance (albeit - unfortunately - unimaginative Romance).
Chris Reher has envisioned an interesting universe - teeming with intelligent species - that had me thinking of the Old Republic in George Lucas's canon. An active Rebellion is underway - which - in a twist - protagonist Lieutenant Nova Whiteside has been deployed to combat.. on the Imperial side. In Reher's vision, there is also a brisk smuggler/pirate/prostitution/drug dealer element to society in the Targon Sector that absolutely brings to mind the "hive of scum and villainy" that is Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
Unfortunately, Reher wastes an opportunity to develop an intriguing space opera with a strong female lead.. instead focussing on a sexual tension plot device between Whiteside and an impossibly handsome 'Centauri' scoundrel-rogue with firm muscles and glowing eyes: one-time lover 'Sethran "Seth" Kada'. Seth rescues Nova (and hides her in his spacecraft - the 'Millenium Falcon'.. *ahem*.. jk.. the 'Dutchman') after she is ambushed transporting an alien that was harboring a valuable biological element with technical applications.
Prepare to be underwhelmed: there is precious little real Science in this purported "SciFi" tale (the "secret-biotechnology-that-everybody-wants" plotline is poorly-explained & overly-complicated).. nor are there any hardware/tactics informing the "Military" aspects of the chronicle. What you'll get if you decide to give 'The Catalyst' a try is a capable but fairly pedestrian/unoriginal relatonship exposé with intermittent laser battles in a fascinating setting.
Sadly, Emily Woo Zeller isn't a great reader, either. Don't get me wrong - her diction, timbre, and pacing are unassailable - but her tone is waaaay too serious for this markedly unserious narrative.. and her voice-acting repertoire is limited (including some cartoonishly husky male character interpretations).
In toto, this 5/10 star audiobook wasn't terrible - but appropriately included in the 'Plus' catalogue. Paying a Credit for it would be hard to defend.
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