It took me awhile to get around to reading this, which I’m now regretting. It had been long enough between the publication of the first book and this one that I had lost some of the urgency to find out what happened next for all our characters. So I kinda let this one languish on the TBR for too long. But let me just say, when I finally picked it up, I got back into the story so quickly and effortlessly that, to be honest, it was a little surprising (very impressive work on the author’s part). And yet again I find myself in the position of waiting impatiently for the next installment (hopefully I won’t let it get away from me so much next time…).

The story telling style, the collection of the series titular “files” ranging from recordings to letters to journal entries to interviews, remained the same (as expected, as that was a central characteristic of the first book). And it was handled just as well as before. It’s “jump around” style allowed for quick pacing and plot development, including the major points of character growth, without getting bogged down by unnecessary exposition and detail. Again, it left a lot up to us as readers, regarding filling in blanks between events and conversations, but in a way that was flexible and fun and didn’t require too much effort to be enjoyable.

As far as the characters, the background information that we get on them in this second book really fills in a lot of blanks. Our main “narrator,” our mystery agent, has the same caustic attitude and decision making style as before, but we definitely get to see more and more of what I suppose you could call his personality shining through. What happens to Dr. Franklin is explained (phew) and we get either some good wrap ups on previous supporting characters (like Ryan Mitchell), plus the introduction of some great new ones (like Eva). And, no spoilers, but OMG some of the people that we have to say good-bye to are a huge surprise! I mean, there’s just a lot of death in general, but a lot of it is written about distantly (and in such numbers that it’s hard to fully grasp what it means). However, there are a couple main losses that are gutsy and unexpected – and hats off to the author because I was skeptical about things moving forward after that but the author pulls it off.

A little differently than the first book, the plot of this novel, I felt, moved even faster. The first one was a bit more set-up and scientific process, in discovering and learning about Themis and bringing all our characters together. But here, now that she is more “understood” we really get into the meat of the interstellar sci-fi interaction action (check out that phrase –that would be a bit of a tongue twister if you tried to say it out loud.) Anyways, things really pick up here. While there is still discussion of genetics and other scientific concepts and theories, this book is less intellectual and much more like the typical conflict-based sci-fi that we see in blockbuster movies: the aliens have come and their technology is better so what sneaky loophole can we find? Plus, the author really moves into addressing some larger, more philosophical questions, like what it actually means that we found something we didn’t create on our Earth (and if it happened once, what else can’t we take credit for) or what (if anything) makes us as humans special, or individual? This focal transition was handled well, not too abruptly. Plus, the sprinkling of metaphor stories from our eyebrow-less man (Mr. Burns – he has a name now!), keeps us grounded and connected to the first book nicely.

All in all, just like the first one, I couldn’t put this book down. It was entertaining and exciting and terrifying and really kept you on the edge of your seat. Although still compelling in all the ways the first one was, there were a couple plot points that I thought were a little…borrowed, maybe? I’m not sure exactly what I’m trying to say but, in essence, even though it was a great page turner, it didn’t feel quite as original as the first one did. And some of the emotional responses of the characters are not quite as in depth as they were in the first book. That could be because the action picked up and they didn’t have time for it all or because we already know the characters and can maybe insert some of their reactions on our own, but still, it was a difference that I definitely noticed.

Regardless, this was a fantastic read. It never fell prey to the “filler” book feel that I think second books can often have. It moved the story and characters forward at breakneck, but well written and developed, speed. And yet again, I am left on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book to answer a cliff-hanger (seriously, where are they?!?!). Two books in and I still give this series my full recommendation – so good!