Dark City

The Travelers, Book 2

By: Nathan Hystad

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s a year after the invasion of Bell Island, and things are looking up.

Elliot graduates from college and needs to decide what his future holds. Kim has been missing for a few months, with only the rarest of phone calls, but surprises him on Bell Island for his celebratory dinner.

When Elliot receives a bizarre letter from Buzz, he’s told to meet the soldier in Seattle. When they arrive, the clues dry up, and Buzz is nowhere to be found.

As more homicides are reported in the city, the police think a serial killer is on the loose. But Elliot and his friends know its far worse than that. Someone is hunting Spheres....

Dark City is the thrilling sequel to Dark Invasion, from best-selling author Nathan Hystad.

©2023 Nathan Hystad (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

Clean, and Fun

it is hard to find a story, either movie or book, that doesn't have some junk in it, but the author managed to do a superb job with this book (book one as well) keeping it clean throughout, all while providing a fun and entertaining story. Additionally, the narrator did a superb job of telling the story, more than just reading it, he successfully transported you into the story allowing you to feel all of the emotional ups and downs. Well done, everyone.

So far, excellent.

Enjoying following this story, lighthearted in some ways, but
great characters. and pacing.
On to the next.

Repetitive plot lines and dialogue but good story

I'm still in the series going to grab the third one but I was a little annoyed by the repetition. Like how many times can you do the whole 'spontaneous action cuts off dialogue' when they're about to say something important. I really like the aliens and visuals I get when listening to this book, would make a really cool movie!

good read 📚 👍

very good second installment, can't wait for the third one. story was on point and the narration was top notch

Exceptional Sequel as the Travelers Strike Seattle

Dark City picks up almost a year after the events in book 1, with Elliot just graduating his degree, and everyone coming together to congratulate him, with the exception of Kim and Buzz.
As the gang move to their favourite diner, they run into Kim, learning that she has come across another Guide. They also learn that in Seattle, there is something happening, leaving a string of bodies behind disposed of in a similar fashion, and Buzz is in Seattle. Thinking that the Travelers have returned, the Scooby Gang, Elliot, Bones, Kim and Cindy decide to head to Seattle to help bones, and work out what is happening. But they also get a message from Buzz telling them to meet him there, and where to go.
The story moves from Bell Island them, to Seattle, and it is here that Travelers #2 starts to unfold, as Elliot and his friends discover that the Travelers have indeed returned, but it is not them that are killing those humans that have been inhabited by Spheres. There is a vigilante group on the lose in Seattle, The Samaritans, being led by some unknown, wealthy force, who is using mercenary thugs to hunt and kill Sphere hosts.
The Gang now have several missions, locate Buzz, stop The Samaritans, stop the Travelers, locate the Spheres and get them to their ship, and free Kim. But they are outgunned, with little resources. That is, until they find some useful allies, the first being Sherriff Parker, who followed them from Bell Island, knowing what they were going to do, and joins them. There are others, but I won’t give away spoilers. Buzz also returns to the story.
Dark City does not follow the same set of events that happened on Bell Island, as this time it isn’t just the Travelers that are hunting the Spheres, but the Samaritans. They are working for some power, that wants each of the hosts killed, releasing the contained Sphere so that it can be captured or killed by a Traveler.
There is a desperation in this book, as the group try to follow clues left not only by Buzz, but the various murders of the hosts of former Spheres. It makes for a fast flowing and thrilling story, with not only the elements of the Alien Invasion/Action, but a strong Mystery Thriller aspect as well.
Hystad continues to show his exceptional character work, with each of his main characters getting great development in this story, from Elliot as the young man, trying to work out his future, and who he is, to Bones, having just found his purpose, but now dealing with personal tragedy. Kim who has been struggling to find herself since her Guide left, and now with a new one, a renewed purpose as saviour of Spheres of Earth, and young Cindy, eager to prove herself. There are numerous other side characters, Parker and Buzz being standouts.
The world building also continues to be brilliant, with the stunning backdrop of Seattle and this dark overtone of alien invasion permeating every aspect of the city, as the Travelers, and these zealots the Samaritans are lurking around every corner, ready to strike at our heroes.
This is a brilliant sequel to the original book, with a clever continuation to the story, a gritty, thrilling plot, outstanding characters that have continued to grow from book 1, all set against this amazing city. If you liked the first book, you will love this second one, Hystad continues to impress as one of the foremost Authors in Sci-Fi, Alien Invasion, Mil Sci-Fi and Space Opera – this is yet another in his extraordinary list of titles that just shouldn’t be missed.
Jonathan Davis is a brilliant Narrator, with a really clear and concise voice. He has a fantastic range of voices, both male and female that are really easy to understand and distinguish, with each character having their own separate voice. Davis also does a really wonderful job of capturing the emotional state of the character and portraying that for us, so that we can really understand what the character is thinking at that time in the story, whether they are angry, happy, sad or upset. It adds so much extra to the story, really bringing it to life.
This is easily one of those books that you want to listen to rather than read, as the audiobook provides such a better experience than just reading the book on its own – absolutely worth the listen!!

Even worse than the first one

These are not Nathan Hystad's best work. I've read several of his books in other series and loved them.The Travelers series is dull & unimaginative.