Rescue

I went into *Rescue* expecting another installment in a familiar series, but Dahners and Bannister turned it into something far more compelling. Bannister’s narration is the standout—she doesn’t just read the lines; she *performs* them. The way she shifts between Ell’s clipped, no-nonsense delivery and the slow-burn dread of a trap being sprung is masterful. There were moments where I forgot I was listening to an audiobook at all and just *lived* the tension. That said, the story’s biggest strength—its relentless pace—is also its occasional weakness. A few sequences blur together in the middle act, and the corporate jargon can feel dense without enough grounding to make it immediately gripping. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise flawless execution. What kept me hooked was Ell herself. She’s not just a genius; she’s a *force of nature*, and Dahners writes her with a rare balance of arrogance and vulnerability. The sci-fi elements feel grounded in real science, which makes the high-stakes escapes and AI-driven twists all the more thrilling. Bannister sells the emotional beats just as hard as the action, and I found myself grinning at Ell’s one-liners or holding my breath during a near-miss spacewalk. If you’ve never tried this series, *Rescue* is a perfect entry point—it stands alone well enough to be enjoyed solo, while still rewarding longtime fans with deeper lore. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is that one subplot involving a secondary character felt underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more payoff. Still, this is easily one of the best sci-fi audiobooks I’ve heard this year.