EXPEDITION.

*A special thanks to Chris Babu and Permuted Press for providing me with an eCopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Blurb:

Having survived the Initiation, Drayden and his gang must go on a deadly mission to contact other civilizations (if they still exist!). The New America’s solar and battery power is failing and they need help in other for the colony to survive. But Drayden has his own plans: he wants to find out what truly happened to his mother and the reason why Guards are accompanying them. It couldn’t really be for their protection now, could it…?

Introduction:

I was offered the opportunity to review the first two books in Chris Babu’s dystopian trilogy by Permuted Press. I jumped on it because, as you lads and lasses know, I’m a big lover of dystopian. The blurb appealed to me. It seemed to have anything I love: logic, realism, courage, quests, trials, a dystopian setting… and I could go on! So, here’s my review of the second book, The Expedition . Enjoy!

Thank you so much for this pleasant opportunity, Chris Babu and Permuted Press!

The Positive Sides:

What did I love the most about this book? The stakes! They’re greater than ever; yes, even than the Initiation! It’s now a deadly mission against the Aeru virus that destroyed most of the human population across the world. It only seems like a simple boat ride Drayden and company need to go on… but you know it’s going to get pretty nasty. Indeed, I enjoyed (big time!) how progressively worse it gets for the characters as the story unfolds. My excitation was high because the suspense kept building on and on. These were delicious steps I had to climb!

Speaking of characters, I liked how they clearly have evolved (like Drayden being more confident in his own abilities and self) to be a more fulfilled version of themselves. I felt as though they were more “complete” to themselves. Plus, their relationships followed the same path, what with Drayden now having a girlfriend in his group of friends. This group of friends is also more tightly knit in the face of danger. It’s fun that they learned from the Initiation and build on it.

Now, something else that I appreciated about The Expedition : secrets are everywhere! You think all’s good but uh! Oh! someone overhears officials talking about a plan and later other secrets come out into the light-Drayden’s light and ours, that is. This was quite entertaining as, while it was obvious the boat mission wasn’t all it appeared to be, it was awesome to catch glimpses of what was truly going on underneath the whole situation.

Moreover, I was happy to find that the puzzles were back and have evolved along with the rest! Indeed, they’re more discreet and while they have you working out the whole plot, there are other puzzles on the side and under (in the subplots!) It was a real delight as I feared the puzzles and general intrigue would be gone… But no, they just took on a different shape!

The Negative Sides:

Frankly, what really stuck out to me was the info dumping. Unfortunately, it happens at the beginning of the book. Even though it’s spaced, it’s still apparent, which is a slight disappointment. Then, the info dumping happens further along the book.

BUT since it’s not big info dumps (they’re cut in smaller bites), that makes them easier to swallow. I told myself “Meh, okay, I’ll roll with it for the sake of this book.”

And I have to admit that the ones at the beginning do help in situating us better, so it’s not that bad.

Of course, if you hate those, it’s a negative point. Most people dislike them, but you can roll with the few in this book for the sake of the awesome story, great writing and the sheer suspense!

And that’s it; I don’t have any more issues with this book.

In Conclusion:

Since I really enjoyed this story, I give The Expedition a rating of 5 out of 5 . I kept wanting to jump back in and read more and more of it. What happened to Drayden? What about THAT secret? Now, now, I’m not trusting those guys…

See? It’s just captivating. I’m genuinely hooked to this series and will be waiting for the third (and last) one to come out eagerly.

Can I read it now?

Oh. What, it’s not out yet?

But maybe… just maybe… I could take a peek at-

No?

Oh.

I WANT THE THIRD ONE, OKAY?!