Aufbruch der BASIS

Tom Jacobs doesn’t just read *Aufbruch der BASIS*—he performs it like a seasoned actor playing all the roles at once. His portrayal of the gruff but weary commander Kershyll Vanne is a standout, dripping with the kind of weariness that comes from centuries of responsibility. The audiobook’s production is top-tier, with subtle sound design that places you right in the cockpit of the *BASIS*, the hum of the engines vibrating through your headphones. My biggest critique? The sheer volume of acronyms and technical terms can be overwhelming in the first few hours. Mahr doesn’t hold your hand, and if you’re not already fluent in Perry Rhodan lore, you might find yourself Googling mid-listening. That said, the payoff is worth it. The novel’s third-act revelations about ES’s disappearance left me gripping my seat, and Jacobs sells the gut-punch moments with a raw emotional punch. The only minor quibble? The political intrigue can feel a bit tangled at times, with factions splintering into obscurity. But as a die-hard sci-fi fan, I appreciated the complexity—even if my brain short-circuited a few times. If you crave a space opera that’s got more brains than your average laser blaster fight, this is your audiobook.