The Second Ship

Reviews

"There is a new force to be reckoned with in the realm of Science Fiction Literature. Let me assign my absolute highest recommendation to anything you can get your hands on written by Richard Phillips, I have just finished "The Second Ship: Book One of the Rho Agenda" and "Immune: Book Two of the Rho Agenda" and am finding it difficult to contain my excitement at the prospect of imbibing "Wormhole: Book Three of the Rho Agenda." The first two books defy conventional critique and stand alone as a monument to excellence not only in the Science Fiction genre, but in the broader context of modern literature. The imagery and emotion evoked by Phillips is every bit as palpable as watching Avatar in 3D at the IMAX on a pot of Honduran coffee containing ground coca leaves.

"Phillips' literary style is characterized by the use of language that is as evocative and eloquent as it is efficient. Transitions are intuitive and seamless. Character development is incredibly strong, leading to true concern, affection, sympathy, and disdain for his rich tapestry of characters that all manage to strike common enough chords within the reader to impart an uncanny sense of realism in the characters' emotional states and interactions. Plot elements are interwoven so cleverly as to produce a sense of satisfaction I can scarcely describe upon being whipped through each twist and turn. Scientific and technical story elements are presented in a such a way as to be easily followed by the lay person, while remaining sufficiently sophisticated as to not insult any science snobs in his audience. Phillips takes risks psychologically and emotionally challenging plot elements, and the payoff is great - some made the blood run from my face in revulsion while others ignited a very real hatred of some of the darker characters.

"It has been a long while since I have considered myself a voracious reader, but Phillips' books have ushered in an abrupt change to that assessment. Perhaps the most glowing recommendation I can give is that my wife, who has always "tolerated" my love for science fiction fought with me over whose turn it was to read as we were reading it concurrently, so we stayed up the last few nights reading it aloud to one another. Upon concluding each reading session, we were as energized as we'd have been just exiting the latest multi million dollar summer blockbuster. In short, these books will utterly ROCK you out of your run-of-the-mill-sci-fi-induced ennui. Truly a new bar has been set."
Lambert Review