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Reviewed by Olga Markova for Readers' Favorite
The Second World is a brilliant satirical sci-fi fantasy by Jake Korell. The story takes us to Mars. It is the year 2117. Flip Buchanan is a 28-year-old native-born second-generation Martian of Earthlink descent. We follow Flip from age eight, when he made his lifelong friends, and they formed the mischievous, delinquent Catfish Trolls gang. Flip’s story then takes us through his coming-of-age adventures, romances, achievements, failures, and moments of grief and happiness in the chaos prevailing on Mars as it diverged from Earth. Flip’s father is the most powerful person on Mars. From an early age, Flip rebels against his father and seeks his own path, defying his father’s ambition for Flip to rank first in his endeavors. But will Flip succeed in shaping his own life?
Jake Korell’s The Second World impressed me with an eventful story that balanced perfectly character depth and the horizons of the Martian world. I enjoyed following Flip and his friends as they experienced the chaos and political intrigue of an independent Mars and its standoff with Earth. I followed with great interest the heartwarming friendship of the Catfish Trolls and how their relationships evolved over the years. The humor was lovely, especially the Catfish Trolls' antics – Flip’s inciting a doughnut riot at a high-profile public event was one of my favorites! On a deeper level, I appreciated the pervasive theme of Flip’s relationship with his father; how the story addressed excessive parental expectation and dysfunctional families; the thought-provoking roles and status of clones; and inter-species romance.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by talented voice actor Ted Evans, whose experience spans many audiobooks and genres. It was thoroughly enjoyable – the sound recording was flawless, and the narration was excellent, with each character afforded their own voice and their emotions perfectly expressed. Ted’s ability to voice-act characters of all ages and genders, even the Martian names and native Martian cuisine, was beyond praise. All in all, this audio production was wonderfully satisfying. I highly recommend this fabulous book to fantasy fans curious about life on Mars in the not-too-distant future.
