The Plan Commences (Rising, #2)

by Kristen Ashley

[stacey_is_sassy]

Teamwork for the win…

You would not believe the lengths I went to to get my hands on and listen to The Plan Commences. The original release date was a week before Christmas, my birthday, and I was on a cruise ship with no Wi-Fi to download a copy. Hubby, being the sweetheart that he is, did some research into how I could download without having to fork out hundreds of dollars (I’m not kidding). We were about to have a stop over in New Caledonia so we decided if worse came to worse, we would go to the local Maccas. Well, we bought two cokes for $15.00 (no joke) and got their Wi-Fi login. SUCCESS!!

No, on returning to the ship I didn’t lock myself in my cabin and hibernate to listen to my audiobook, but I did dedicate an hour or two each day to relax and listen. By the end of the cruise I had finished BUT darling hubby accidentally left my laptop plugged into the TV at home and I had no way to write my review. When I did arrive home, I attempted to get my thoughts down, but it was impossible. Too much had happened. I was overwhelmed when I first listened, but it was hard to remember why. So, after much deliberation, I decided to wait until closer to the release of #3 and listen again.

I loved my second listen as much as the first time if not more. I think you tend to be able to concentrate better the second time around. You know the characters, understand where they’ve been and what they’re facing, and can concentrate on the important parts. Like the first instalment, there are parts that leave you giddy with glee and other parts that have you shaking and shivering in horror. I understand the characters better and I believe we are getting a picture of what it’s all about.

It really is all about things coming together in The Plan Commences. This second instalment sees the couples becoming connected, not just in marriage but in their feeling for each other. Each couple is a team and they’re fighting together. I was worried in the first instalment that the series would be all about them working individually to fight the beast and only coming together at the end. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about. In true Kristen Ashley fashion, each couple work together to fight evil. I LOVED IT!!

I saw Lahn…well, I heard Lahn… It was great that the other Fantasyland characters dropped in but Lahn is still my favourite. He gets all cranky…swoon…

The ending was a cliffhanger which wasn’t a surprise. I did feel a little unsure with how things ended though as I’m not sure who is left standing.

It’s not an easy story to listen to with so many narrators but I’m finally getting to recognise the accents and connect the voices to the characters. I have some favourite characters and surprisingly, they happened to be matched to some of my favourite narrators.

Without having read this story first, you really must pay attention. When Fantasyland came out on audio, I had already read the stories numerous times. I knew the characters, the storyline and their love stories. I could just sit back and enjoy. In this case, it’s INTENSE and any lapse in concentration or distraction can make you miss an integral part of the story.

I’m glad I’ve timed my second listen so well as tomorrow is the release date for The Dawn of the End. I can’t wait to get started because I need to know what happens next. I hate those dodgy priests.