The Nekropolis Empire (Dramatized Adaptation)

Twilight Imperium, Book 2

By: Tim Pratt

Narrated by: Amanda Forstrom, Andy Brownstein, Bradley Foster Smith, Bruce Alan Rauscher, Christopher Graybill, Dawn Ursula, James Konicek, Joel David Santner, Julie-Ann Elliott, Karen Novack, Ken Jackson

The key to controlling the galaxy is hidden on a distant planet, and interplanetary powers will do anything to unlock its secrets, in this epic space opera from the best-selling game, Twilight Imperium.

Bianca Xing has spent a lifetime on a provincial planet, dreaming of travelling the stars. When her planet is annexed by the Barony of Letnev, Bianca finds herself being taken into custody, told that she’s special–the secret daughter of a brilliant scientist, hidden away on a remote planet for her own safety. But the truth about Bianca is stranger. There are secrets hidden in her genetic code that could have galaxy altering consequences. Driven by an incredible yearning and assisted by the fearsome Letnev Captain, Dampierre, Bianca must follow her destiny to the end, even if it leads to places that are best left forgotten.

Featuring Ken Jackson, Amanda Forstrom, Andy Brownstein, Bradley Foster Smith, Bruce Alan Rauscher, Christopher Graybill, Dawn Ursula, James Konicek, Joel David Santner, Julie-Ann Elliott, Karen Novak, Lydia Kraniotis, Marni Penning, Nanette Savard, Nhea Durousseau, Richard Rohan, Ren Kasey, Scott McCormick, Terence Aselford, Valentina Vinci, and Yasmin Tuazon.

©2022 Fantasy Flight Games (P)2023 Graphic Audio LLC

So much better than the first book!

I panned the previous book in this series. But I wanted to give the author another shot, and the ending was just intriguing enough that I bought this sequel anyhow. I'm so glad I did! This is a much more fully realized narrative, not just a bunch of under-explored ideas and undeveloped characters chasing a macguffin.

Only one character carries over, and it doesn't continue the previous storyline, which... annoying! But also understandable, since half the reason I was intrigued by the ending is that I couldn't wait to see how the author was going to dig himself out of the literal hole he had ripped in the continuity of the storyline! Apparently he gets back to that in the next book, so I guess I'm on the hook for a third installment. But now I'm looking forward to it, rather than feeling like I can't tear my eyes away from the car wreck I'm passing.

Anyhow , this one isn't really a sequel so much as an independent novel set in the same narrative universe. Said universe turns out to be based on a table-top strategy game I had never heard of but sounds really interesting. (Apparently this isn't even the only novelization, so obviously I'm not alone in thinking so.) I took a look at the wiki for the game part way through listening to this, because I was curious how much was drawing on established canon. Having known nothing about the game, I'm impressed with how well the author references game lore in ways that will immediately tweak players' recognition but weren't at all confusing for someone unfamiliar with the material. The plot is really perfect for what would otherwise be excessive amounts of expository writing. And the exposition is itself well written, broken up in a way that lets the reader share in a sense of the pieces falling into place, rather than "here's the backstory."

The music levels are still too high, but not as intrusive. At least there isn't loud '70s funk playing over a deadly serious knife fight between lovers in the dark, like there is in the first book!

The voice acting and directing are again very good, striking just the right balance of serious and comedic to reflect the author's quirky tone. I especially enjoyed the silly fake Russian accents.

Overall, this was a very fun coming of age in outer space adventure.

Splendid follow-up

Similar pacing and tone as the first book in the series. Of which I thoroughly enjoyed both. For the most part it’s a new set of main characters and the story takes place briefly after the finale of the last book.

More message over content and story

Not everything has to be slap you in the face with the modern message. It is almost as if editors read the book and force the author to show horn current affairs into a story thousands of years distant. Not for me. Good luck.