Lindsay Ellis’s debut novel, Axiom’s End, is my first encounter with a science fiction novel that is all about first contact with extraterrestrial beings. I must confess that, while most of the typical first contact tropes are present—Area 51’s presence being a huge one—I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobooks narration. Stephanie Willis does a solid job of conveying Cora’s emotions in dealing with Ampersand, government officials, and even her own family who are knee-deep in concealing Ampersand’s existence alongside the other extraterrestrials (Similars). Oliver Thorn does the same for conspiracy theorist, Nils Ortega, by reading off excerpts from the Broken Seal between chapters.

Between the both of them, they made Ellis science fiction novel feel more like a thriller from the word “go” to its conclusion. I would sometimes listen to it for a couple of hours—almost non-stop, because I did not want to be left in the lurch as to what happened next.

I’ve watched Ellis’s video essays on YouTube in the past, and there are some minor references—at least one of them anyway. While Willis does emphasize said reference, they do very little to dampen the narrative.

In sum: Axiom’s End is an interesting take on alien encounters and government conspiracy with an audiobook duo who hit the right notes.