Book: The Saga of Nocturne -- II -- Salus Noctis: A Post Apocalyptic LitRPG by JD Glasscock
Reviewed by Suzy Wickedly Good Reads
Rating: 3.5/5
After listening to the previous installment, I decided to continue with Salus Noctis, which picks up right where the earlier story leaves off. As someone who has played World of Warcraft for over 20 years, I'm certainly familiar with immersive gaming worlds, but LitRPG isn't typically my go-to audiobook genre. And one thing became even clearer with this installment: I would strongly recommend starting this series from the beginning!
There's an established world, ongoing storyline, and plenty of background that I think would make a significant difference in how a listener connects with the characters and events. Jumping into the later installments felt a little like joining a high-level gaming campaign without knowing how everyone got there.
That said, Michael Norman Johnson and Jessica Threet are fantastic narrators! Their performances are engaging, expressive, and bring an energy to the story that kept me listening even when the heavier science-fiction elements weren't particularly my thing. I also think J.D. Glasscock's first-person storytelling translates especially well to audio. The internal dialogue and conversational style feel natural when performed, and the relatively short runtime makes this an easy audiobook to finish.
Ultimately, while I appreciated the narration and the creativity behind the world, the story itself didn't resonate strongly enough with me to make me want to continue the series. But I can absolutely see the appeal for established fans of Nocturne and listeners who enjoy sci-fi-heavy LitRPG adventures. For me, this was another case where the audiobook performance stood out more than my personal connection to the story.
🎧 My verdict: Excellent narration and a quick listen, but definitely one I'd recommend approaching from the beginning of the series.
I received access to this audiobook for review purposes. All opinions are my own.