Havemercy

Cornell Collins nails the narration with a voice that oscillates between gravel-voiced exhaustion and sharp, sardonic wit, perfectly capturing the pilots’ weary camaraderie and the dragons’ mechanical roars. His delivery of the Ke-Han’s guttural curses and the Volstov airmen’s rapid-fire banter makes the crew feel like a real, ragtag family, complete with the kind of bickering that only comes from people who’ve shared too many close calls. The pacing is relentless, with Collins’ energy mirroring the story’s breakneck air battles—except when the plot slows to focus on the pilots’ personal demons, where his voice softens into something more introspective. That contrast works well, but it’s jarring in the first act when the story feels bogged down by setup, as if Jones is still figuring out her footing. The audiobook’s production is top-notch, with immersive sound design that makes the dragons feel like living, breathing beasts rather than just machines. The only misstep is the occasional muffled line when the dragons rev up, though Collins’ performance carries the moment. What lingers, though, is the story’s refusal to flinch from ugly truths: the war’s moral ambiguity, the cost of survival, and the pilots’ addiction to the very machines that keep them flying. It’s not a comfortable listen, but it’s a compelling one. If you’re here for tidy heroics, look elsewhere—but if you love stories where the heroes are exhausted, flawed, and just trying to make it to the next paycheck, Havemercy will leave you breathless.