Something happened between Book 1 and Book 2 of The Rho Agenda series, as if Phillips got dramatically more tuned in to the characters he'd created. The dialogue still feels somewhat stilted, but it's more natural now than in Book 1, and the hard science and hacking shenanigans (quite fascinating and imaginative) are frequently left to narration instead of what would sound like curiously dry and uninteresting conversations between teenagers -- who, by the way, aren't featured quite as prominently as they were in Book 1.

More importantly, Phillips injected about 100x more evil and ruthlessness into the villains this time around, and although they're repulsive at every turn, I was much more intrigued by them than the protagonists (with the exception of Jack aka The Ripper). Every scene with Raul and El Chupacabre gave me chills.

It's an improved story at every turn, especially the pacing. Immune's chapters are short, structured to feel like about 145 cliffhangers, which results in quite the page-turner.

I especially enjoyed the ramifications that selectively unleashing the alien technology had on 3rd world countries, and would have loved to see those effects expanded on. If only because they painted a horrifying picture of how immortality can go horribly wrong...

Overall, it's just darker, more violent, and more exciting than the first novel. Not only has Phillips better developed his characters, but now he's understanding his audience.

I'm glad I stuck with the series, despite the niggling issues I have with it. On to Book 3!