Apostles of Mercy (Noumena Series #3)

by Lindsay Ellis Narrated by Abigail Thorn, Angel Pean, Neil Hellegers, Stephanie Willis

Overview

This program features multicast narration.

"Listeners shouldn't make any plans once they hit play on this fast-paced, emotionally fraught audiobook." -AudioFile on Truth of the Divine

Apostles of Mercy is the new alternate history first contact novel from the instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal and LA Times bestselling Lindsay Ellis.

First Contact has not been going well. The nations of Earth are rapidly militarizing against the arrival of the Superorganism, an alien civilization that promises to destroy humanity before it can develop into a real threat. The Superorganism has done it before-to their distant transient relatives-and they could easily do it again. But the alien Ampersand and his human interpreter Cora Sabino are done with trying to save humanity from both the Superorganism and itself; to them, this is a civilization that does not deserve to be saved.

When a strange new form of communication between the two of them reveals to Cora how alien Ampersand truly is, she begins to question her blind devotion. But she soon learns of a danger that may force them to leave Earth before either of them are ready: a group of superorganism enemies that have been wreaking havoc on Earth for decades. Existence on the margins has made them desperate and bent on revenge against any of Ampersand's race whose path they cross. Before Cora and Ampersand can make their final escape, these hostile aliens stage an attack, and take that which is most dear to both of them.

Ampersand's enemies will not consider any form of truce; the greatest threat to them is not from the Superorganism, but from an increasingly fearful and violent human civilization newly aware of their existence. Cora and Ampersand must go to extreme measures to take back what was stolen and prevent wholesale human extermination-but in doing so they may be no better than the civilizations they are trying to escape.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Gripping and relentless, Apostles of Mercy is the strongest book yet in a thrilling and addictive series. I absolutely tore through it, devoured it in a day, and find myself still hungry for more of these fierce, desperate, passionately loving characters, working so hard to save each other and all of their worlds." - Amal El-Mohtar, co-author of the New York Times bestselling This is How You Lose the Time War

"Apostles of Mercy takes an already terrific series to new heights. It's equal parts interstellar warfare, geopolitical thriller, and hard-earned romance, with a gripping ending. " - Emily St. James, co-Author of Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files and writer for Yellowjackets

"Lindsay Ellis shows us that humans are just as much the other as their alien counterparts with incredible detail, humor, and empathy, and never better than in this un-put-downable continuation of the Noumena saga. Cora Sabino has officially joined the pantheon of first contact heroines." - Jamie Loftus, New York Times bestselling author of Raw Dog

“Immersive, action-packed...does not disappoint.” - Publishers Weekly

“Between the political intrigue and well-defined cast, this is a lovely reading experience. A charming but taut political SF thriller in which the readers are the only winners" - Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

2024-03-23
As humanity reckons with the existence of intelligent beings from beyond the stars, another alien threat rises.

Early in the latest installment of Ellis’ Noumena series comes a moment in which Ampersand, aka Jude Atheatos—one of the amygdalines, an alien race that’s made first contact with Earth—removes a young boy’s brain tumor via telekinesis, with the caveat that the boy’s family must never tell anyone about the incident. The fact that the alien uses the same alias as the patron saint of hopeless causes is not lost on anyone. That tension serves as the glue that holds Ellis’ narrative together. This is the story of Ampersand’s human companion, Cora Sabino, with whom he can communicate wordlessly as the amygdalines do. But the story also belongs to his estranged ex-compatriot Nikola Sassanian, whose basic right to a dignified death is the subject of an intense political battle that could grant the aliens personhood. As Cora’s crush, a journalist named Paris Wells, attempts to bond with Nikola, Cora and Ampersand find themselves investigating a years-old massacre—one that could prove the presence of another race of aliens, the amygdalines’ worst enemies. Ellis deftly weaves a complex, often heady story here. The cast is large, the terminology and state of affairs complicated and unfamiliar. Although the author at times gets too caught up in reminding us that the aliens are, well, alien, such moments are not only few and far between, but also barely noticeable in light of the novel’s charm. Weird-fiction fans will enjoy the subtle subversions of Lovecraft and his fellow mythos authors, and internet fan communities will likely spot more than a few cheerful references to their favorite TV shows, films, and video games. Between the political intrigue and well-defined cast, this is a lovely reading experience.

A charming but taut political SF thriller in which the readers are the only winners.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159377111
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	06/04/2024
Series:	Noumena Series , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,131,996