Watch the Skies (Daniel X Series #2) »

Not making any bones about his bid for success, James Patterson once declared he wanted to be known as the king of the page-turners. While that may seem like a pretty grand ambition, Patterson is as worthy of that title as any author working today.

Daniel X thought he'd seen it all in his dangerous days of hunting outlaws-but there's no business like show business, and Number Five on his list of deadly targets is the most appalling criminal yet. An intergalactic reality television producer, he's orchestrated-literally-the extermination of millions, with a soundtrack and laugh track to accompany it. The evil entertainer's catching it all on film, and he's looking for a big-ticket draw. Who better to star than the Alien Hunter himself? Daniel finds himself cast in the lead role of a terrifying season premiere... of the gravest show on Earth.

Publishers Weekly

Patterson jumps on the superheroes bandwagon with contributor Ledwidge and delivers the adventures of Daniel X, a superpowered alien whose mission is to defend Earth from more malignant, threatening aliens. In his first adventure, listeners hear the typical origin story (parents killed by the most vile alien on Earth), his early adventures (growing up on his own with amazing powers) and his first real step into manhood (facing off against another alien). The story throws in a few interesting twists, but isn't particularly dynamic as superhero narratives go. The production is sparsely sprinkled with sound effects, which work quite well and add to the story, but there is a lack of consistency to their execution. However, Milo Ventimiglia makes it worth the listen. His timing and inflection match perfectly with Daniel, the first-person protagonist. He sounds youthful enough to be believable as Daniel and easily transitions to other character voices within the story. A Little, Brown hardcover. (July)

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