I have become seriously addicted to this series, and preordered book eight. The narration, as usual, is incredible. Fantastic performance by Jeff Hays.
Unfortunately, much of the actual story feels like it is on rails. There are bright spots and some big surprises, but they are within an overall narrative arc that doesn’t seem to give the characters the freedom to stretch that we have seen in previous volumes.
This does improve near the end, and once again the characters ‘Carl it up’ with surprising and often hilarious results. The AI is becoming more aware of itself and its history, adding another element of unpredictability.
Overall, a great listen but not the best story in the series so far. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just that the author has set himself a high bar.