Spaceside by Michael Mammay

Spaceside by Michael Mammay is the second book in the PlanetSide series and picks up the action shortly after the first book ends. It is possible to read this book without having read the first book, PlanetSide, however, some of the key events from the first book are referenced in Spaceside. Minor spoilers ahead.

Following his Mission to Cappa, Butler is discharged from the service and settles on Talca Four. To some he is a hero and to others he is a monster. Butler has settled into his job as a corporate vice-president in charge of security. His work isn't very strenuous as he is mainly there to shake hands and impress people.

When a corporate competitor’s computer network is hacked, Butler's boss asks him to find out what happened, fearing their own company may be in jeopardy. As Butler digs into the case it becomes clear that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. The first person Butler reaches out to turns up dead. It's clear that Butler is onto something bigger than simple corporate espionage. Butler has a healthy dose a paranoia, but paranoia is just smart when someone is actually out to get you. Once again Butler finds himself at the heart of a mystery with the fate of two worlds hanging on his decisions.

Mammay absolutely nails the complex sci-fi/mystery genre. The tantalizing mystery pushes the story forward and the sci-fi setting and action pieces ramp up the excitement. Butler dominates the story and that only works when you have a great character. He’s a little self-destructive but he hasn’t lost touch with his compassion or moral compass. Mammay lays out the crumbs of the mystery and springs surprises on you at every turn. He turns up the action in an exciting climax. He brings events to a satisfying conclusion, once again leaving some ambiguity as to how things will ultimately turn out.

R.C. Bray does his usual amazing job with the narration. His voice conveys all the complicated emotions of Butler. He inhabits that character so completely that you sometimes forget it is him doing all the other voices as well. Bray keeps you immersed in the story and matches the pace of the story perfectly. This type of narration makes audio the preferred way to take in this story. No matter whether you read or listen, Spaceside is an excellent story and the continuation of a great series. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

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