Mass Effect: Ascension

Drew Karpyshyn

Dec 2008 · Mass Effect Book 2 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by David Colacci

About this audiobook

When they vanished 50,000 years ago, the Protheans left their advanced technology scattered throughout the galaxy. The chance discovery of a Prothean cache on Mars allows humanity to join those already reaping the rewards of the ancients' high-tech wizardry. But for one rogue militia, the goal is not participation but domination. Scientist Kahlee Sanders has left the Systems Alliance for the Ascension Project, a program that helps gifted "biotic" children harness their extraordinary powers. The program's most promising student is twelve-year-old Gillian Grayson, who is borderline autistic. What Kahlee doesn't know is that Gillian is an unwitting pawn of the outlawed black ops group Cerberus, which is sabotaging the program by conducting illegal experiments on the students. When the Cerberus plot is exposed, Gillian's father takes her away from the Ascension Project and flees into the lawless Terminus Systems. Determined to protect Gillian, Kahlee goes with them, unaware that the elder Grayson is, in fact, a Cerberus operative. To rescue the young girl, Kahlee must travel to the farthest ends of the galaxy, battling fierce enemies and impossible odds. But how will she be able to save a daughter from her own father?

Ratings and reviews

Book itself is pretty good, especially for Mass Effect fans. You don't feel like you need to know ME to read or listen to the book. I learned some cool lore stuff even as a fan. There is an autistic character which is great but they're written will full clichés and the 'r' word is thrown in there for no reason. The book is also written blatantly and needlessly for the male gaze (or, I guess, male ear). The narrator is quite good but it would have benefitted from at least one other person to voice some characters.

About the author

Drew Karpyshyn is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and other fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as an award-winning writer/designer for the computer game company BioWare.

David Colacci has been an actor and a director for over thirty years, and has worked as a narrator for over fifteen years. He has won AudioFile Earphones Awards, earned Audie nominations, and been included in Best of the Year lists by such publications as Publishers Weekly, AudioFile magazine, and Library Journal.