Audio Book Review: The Secret World Chronicles: World Divided (Part 2)

The Secret World Chronicles: World Divided (Part 2)
(season 4)
By:  Mercedes Lackey & Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, and Veronica Giguere

Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Publish Date:  2010

Format:  Podiobook

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  3rd book in The Secret World Chronicles series; 1st Book 1/2 ~ Invasion, 1st Book 2/2 (season 2) ~ The Hunt, 2nd Book 1/2 (season 3) ~ World Well Lost

***NOTE: I've learned that the podcasted books are divisions of the printed books as follows:
Printed book 1 is Invasion is podcasted seasons 1 & 2.
Printed book 2, World Divided, is podcasted seasons 3 & 4.
Season 5 podcast, Waiting On, is a bonus season - it's stories of characters between books 2 and 3.
Printed book 3, Revolutions, is podcasted seasons 6 & 7.
Printed book 4, Collision, is podcasted books 8 & 9 (season 8 in progress, season 9 yet to come).

(Podcast season titles:
Season 1: Invasion, Season 2: The Hunt, Season 3: World Well Lost, Season 4: World Divided, Season 5: Waiting On, Tales of the Secret World War, Season 6: Revolutions, Season 7: Run Silent, Run Deep, Season 8: Collision)

Recommendation:  Superheroes!

Synopsis:
From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, Book #3 in a new pulse-pounding saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. The metaheroes deal with supervillain Verdegris, who seeks to destroy them from within, before turning their attention back to the Thulian conspiracy.

It’s go time once again for the meta-heroes including fire-bender John Murdock, hacker-witch Vikki Nagy, healer Belladona Blue, super-quick Mercurye–and most of all for their ghostly ally, Seraphym, the spirit of the world Verdegris knows he must trap and destroy her if he is to take down the metas.

From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey together with a team of topnotch collaborators, the third entry in the blockbuster saga of superpowers–and the very human men and women who must learn to wield them.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

*I'm linking the full length novel for your purchasing.

Listen For Free:
iTunes   /   Secret World Chronicle website

*I listened to this story for my own enjoyment.

First Sentence:
Vickie took a deep breath and another look at the clock.

My Thoughts and Summary:
In her own way, Seraphym shows a future to one person to shift the future of others. Seraphym has put Verdegre into action. Verdegre knows he's on the Tholian's list and what they will do to him. He now works to purchase Black Snake to get ECHO, as they are the only ones that can stop the Tholian's. John Murdock is sent to bring back electric parts, and he finds the Thulian's, Nazi's, are attacking and showing up in many places.

ECHO is really not doing well. It feels like it's falling apart. Meta's are not surviving well. A CEO was thrown in charge with what's happened to the world, which is why Tesla isn't acting like the general who should be in the chair. Then there's the Ide's of March... The prophesies. It's what has Tesla shacking in his chair behind his big desk. It's like a suicide note for ECHO.

I love the early episode, the one with Romona and Bella. This takes things in a different direction, really pulls things together and how people are working with what they know, preparing. And sharing those important tidbits with others. Things then start to turn with what we see and learn with Bella and Vicky.

Vicky...she's different, and has become one of my favorite charaters for it. Her magic is so neat to see. We even learn a bit of her history too. Oh do we learn about her with the help of Red Genie. And in the same token, we learn a bit about Red Genie too. This is where he starts to become more for me and the potential he has to help others. Bella is stepping up to a position that she never thought she'd do, but Bella is crafty enough to do it. I still enjoy John Murdock and the mystery surrounding him. I'm looking forward to what he has to bring to the events. And the Seraphym. Oh the Seraphym. She has a way to send people on a path without telling to act that way. She's not to interfer but she does give supportive talk when someone she needs to follow what they are thinking of doing, that it's the right thing to help.

Each Meta makes a bang of an entrance at the beginning. The world feels as it's trying to pull back together, but the Nazi's are not done with attacking and as our Meta's return to the pages, they all enter with individual flare.

The different Meta organizations, CCCP, Blacksnake, and ECHO, might be coming together to help fight against one common foe, whether they want to or not. But there are those that have their own agendas in mind as well.

The building to the climax is crafted in a way for us to get to know the characters more personally, and make us anticipate the moment it all explodes, or implodes. However the ending didn't feel as huge as I had thought it would. But, we've got a lot to deal with at ECHO in the next podcasted book. I'm diving into the next story as I want to know what comes to pass with ECHO and Verdegris.

We get to see the Thulians up close, face to face. Neat to see them without all there armor.

As for listening to this story. I can't be more amazed with Veronica's vocal accomplishments. There are so many different characters and voices that she does having all distinctly different. The characters have different accents, tones, speaking patterns, and so much more. Veronica does all this. I've even forgotten she's the only voice here with the magnitude of her voice command. Each character is distinct and easy to differentiate. Veronica is a woman of many voices.