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  • The Ghost Brigades

  • Old Man's War, Book 2
  • By: John Scalzi
  • Narrated by: William Dufris
  • Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (324 ratings)

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The Ghost Brigades cover art

The Ghost Brigades

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
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Publisher's Summary

The military SF sequel to his extraordinary Old Man's War, John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades is the second in The Old Man's War series.

Who can you trust, if you can't trust yourself?

Three hostile alien races have united against humanity, determined to halt our expansion into space. The mastermind behind this lethal alliance is a traitor Charles Boutin. He was a Colonial Defence Force scientist, with access to their biggest military secrets. Now the CDF's only hope is to discover Boutin's plan. Trouble is, Boutin's dead.

As a super soldier created from Boutin's own DNA, Jared Dirac may have answers. However, when Dirac fails to access the scientist's memories, he's transferred to the Ghost Brigades for training. These elite troops are also cloned from the dead, so he might fit in. But will Dirac's memory return as the enemy plots the fate of humankind? And whose side is Dirac really on?

Continue the gripping space war series with The Last Colony.

©2008 Macmillan Audio (P)2017 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Critic Reviews

"A mix of Starship Troopers and Universal Soldier, Ghost evokes awakening, betrayal, and combat in the best military sci-fi tradition." ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Scalzi's prose harkens back to the Golden Age of science fiction while still remaining fresh and vibrant ( Strange Horizons)
"Like Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades is thinking fans' space opera.... The Ghost Brigades maintains Scalzi's standing as one of SF's most rewarding purveyors of thrilling, gut-wrenching, and thoughtful space opera." ( SF Reviews)
"If anyone stands at the core of the American science fiction tradition at the moment, it is Scalzi." ( The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction)

What listeners say about The Ghost Brigades

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

She said he said

Rather a lot of She said he said she said he said. If you can get over that, it’s an excellent and exciting story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Science fiction at its best

Science fiction at its best! well rounded characters, great plot and ties in nicely in the series. This author hasn't let me down yet. Will be buying and reading the next book in this series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A most excellent story

Well written and well told.

I was a captured audience from the first 5 mins. would stay awake just to be able to listen more.

I loved the naked truth of life story told as matter of fact.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good reading, but…

… the tone of the character’s voices can be quite jarring. Often Jarrod comes across as a whiny teenager. When the performer is reading sex scenes, or alluding to the act (which happens quite frequently) the voice he puts on, especially for the female characters, sounds like your alcoholic aunt’s best friend (who hasn’t had any action since her divorce 15 years ago) trying to drum up some much needed action at a family get together. While trying to emulate genetically engineered, highly sexy and sexual characters, it’s just not the voice performance to match unfortunately.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love this universe.

The next story in the old man's war universe delivers in spades! Continuing along the timeline, but not the protagonist, from the first book delves the listener into the special forces and fleshes out what makes them special and vulnerable at the same time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • K
  • 13-06-2023

Great combination of sci-fi and philosophy

Once again John takes you on a journey wrapped in a great story to investigate what makes an individual. Carrying on from his previous book, The Old Man’s War, he’s capture your imagination as a well as your security.

The quality of Narration is also of a very high standard.

Overall, most enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

The first part was better but still it’s a very good story

The second part of the series does not continue the characters from the first part but introduce new characters who are only related to the actors from the first book. The story is exiting enough but feels at times a bit dragged out and complicated. Apart from this a very good book again.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

build up

A bit slow with the build up however it was a great story and appropriate end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Couldn't stop listening , great stuff... all of it. Very original concepts and strong description.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

puerile pap

The mid 20th century dressed up with aliens. No interesting speculative concepts. Thin characters and interpersonal interactions. Cliched army culture. Even has a mad scientist. If this was supposed to be knowingly cornball it lacks the wit to save it from just being cornball.

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