Something strange is happening on Earth. A new virus, the Klaria virus, is attacking the population and there is no cure. At the same time, a technical virus named Twister is also on the rise. Hannah, a reporter who has been in the business for a decade or so, starts to believe that the two viruses are connected. She is considered a rogue and someone wasting everyone's time when she starts to ask questions about the two viruses and their possible connection. But Hannah is correct and the author of the viruses contacts her, telling her that she is correct and agreeing to work only with her.

Several weeks in, billions of humans have died. Other characters are introduced. One is a rookie female policewoman. Another is a spaceship captain who has outlived all his Earth family by taking long space voyages and remaining in suspended animation. The two characters are related as the female policewoman is the space captain's great great granddaughter and he returns to Earth long enough to rescue her and Hannah along with some soldiers from the disaster on Earth. Will they end up as the sole survivors of the human race?

Ryk Brown has created an entire universe which he calls The Frontier Sagas. There are over forty books in the series and this one is a prequel which explains the origin of the universe he has created. The characters and the plot are both intriguing and the action is fast and furious. The plot of a virus that kills off much of the world is quite reminiscent of the Covid pandemic the world has recently gone through. I listened to this book and it a great choice as the narrator was perfect. This book is recommended for science fiction readers.

This is an interesting story with intrigue until the end. My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

The four main characters are facing a bio and digital virus that has them on different paths to the same destiny. The reporter wants to question the connection between the viruses over the objections of her production manager. Because she is willing to push a little, a mysterious entity contacts her and pushes her further through intimidation that includes putting an interview guest to death in her presence.

The rookie officer is lucky to get a smart, experienced, and mentoring partner. He helps her manage the day-to-day issues as matters intensify during the early days of fear and social chaos. After being suspended due to possible exposure to the virus, she is shocked to have her great (great?) grandfather show up at her door to give her an alternate future.

The space cargo ship captain has been extending his life by living in space while hoping that a cure for his terminal illness will be discovered. When faced with the potential death of most humans on Earth, and who knows where else, the captain determines to meet his (great?) grandson and offer him the chance to live off-world. He is surprised to meet his great (great?) granddaughter instead but still wants her to join him.

A very tough, bounty hunter has a prisoner on the cargo ship. She plans to deliver him to authorities on Earth and receive her bounty. Unfortunately, by the time the ship is approaching Earth, the bio and digital virus is close to eliminating the authority chain and penal facilities.

These four come together late in the story, joining resources with a gang boss to make a last-ditch effort to save the human race. Ironically, they may have to rely on the character who started the virus.

This is my first book by this author, so I had no conflicting series or expectations to overcome as some reviews seem to mention. There is some environmental ‘preaching’ and debate regarding the possible dangers of AI sentience. I didn’t let any of that bother my enjoying the story. The story is set in the 25th century where all things are (mostly) peaceful on Earth and there are many inhabited planets and space colonies.

I found it interesting following the different threads until they met. I appreciated that the intrigue continued until the end which had a bit of a last-chapter twist. I would be interested to know what happens to the survivors and how the other planets fared. I recommend this to fans of AI issues and space sci fi.

Audio Notes: I have enjoyed the narration of Jeffrey Kafer on other books, and he delivered well on this story too. He provides distinct voices and energy so that there was no confusion in the characters. I actually selected the audiobook because of Kafer and I am glad that I had the opportunity to listen to this.

Source: 2022 NetGalley.

Follow a ships captain running from a terminal illness, a new reporter putting the pieces together, a cross worlds bounty hunter who isn’t afraid to die, and a rookie Public Service Agent who always wants to do the right thing. Follow them as their paths intertwine, trying to stay one step ahead of the dangers in a crumbling society.

Best part- Ryk Brown is not afraid to kill off beloved characters!

This is a sprawling sci-fi tale that follows three main characters. They are well developed and easy to relate with. The story itself has a novel premise with an interesting plot. I really couldn’t tell what was coming next for most of the story, though I did guess one element early on. The narration was okay, but not exceptional.

I rather enjoyed this book. It is a stand alone, which is nice in this age of the never ending story with multiple books and seventy eleven characters. The conclusion was not predictable and won’t satisfy everyone, though it did make sense to me.

Four and a half stars for Brown’s “Fall”. Listening to it over several days - it’s 15-1/3 hours long - was pleasant, though the story required some concentration. You’ll miss some things if your attention wanders. My thanks to Tantor Audio and Ryk Brown via Netgalley.

In the twenty-fifth century, a plague capable of infecting both technology and people is at risk of eliminating the human race. We follow a freelance reporter wanting to make it to the big time, a new police officer, a cargo ship captain, and a bounty hunter returning the fugitive she has captured to Earth as they grapple with the changing universe and look for ways to survive.

Jeffrey Kafer did a fantastic job narrating this audiobook. This is a prequel to Brown’s Frontier’s Saga but can easily be read as a standalone. It definitely makes me want to check out that series! I loved that we got to see the crisis from such varying viewpoints, and each character’s story was engaging.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

A suburb sci-fi thriller with different characters on their survival as humankind is decimated by a virus (through implants). The narration was flawless.

I received this audiobook from Trantor audio via Netgalley for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

A virus has killed more than half of humankind has died. The book follows a reporter and her team; a cargo ship captain comes to earth to find his great great grandson; a new police officer learns the ropes.

After I started listening to the book I realized it was multiple novellas combined. I didn’t feel connected to the characters.

Fall of the Core by Ryk Brown, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer

It's the early days of the 25th century and we follow several groups of humans as they grapple with a virus that will kill off almost every human in existence. Even for the humans who are immune to the virus, life as they know it will be decimated, leaving them to die by the chaotic violence of the still living, starvation, or from eventually being reduced to living the horse and buggy days followed by being back to the days of the caveman. Bleak doesn't begin to define the future of humans.

We meet:

A freelance reporter, looking for the big story that will set her up for life and fame, who stumbles on information that alerts her to disturbing connections between two viruses. Then things get worse.

A crusty old cargo ship captain, with an incurable terminal illness, who uses space and the ability to spend decades in suspended animation, to hopefully allow him to live long enough for a cure to be found for his disease. This is his young pilot's first job and the ship captain
will be her backup since he knows all the tricks of his trade.

An idealistic rookie officer whose first days on the job shatter her vision of protecting the public by following what she learned in "cop school". When deadly violent mobs are attacking, the rule book goes out the window, despite the rookie's protests to her on the job trainer.

A bounty hunter who has spent thirty years (two not counting time spent in suspended animation) pursuing her big fish and catching him, only to find herself stymied by a plague that makes her chances of picking up her bounty very questionable. The very traits that make this woman someone you do not want to mess with also make her someone to follow when things fall apart.

I felt more than a little uncomfortable with this story when we've been living with our own real life virus problems. Things in this story are so out of control that they are unstoppable but each of the humans, mentioned above, try to deal with immediate and future problems as best as they can. There is no time to think but one wrong step can mean the end of each life and/or humanity.

Running at a narration time of fifteen hours and twenty one minutes, I enjoyed the story so much that the long running time seemed a breeze. I liked how the narrator handled the conversation parts of this Sci Fi thriller. He'd insert the "he said, she said" parts in a quieter voice, so you knew who said what but the flow of the actual conversations weren't hindered by the "he said, she said" insertions.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.