Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini

A new blockbuster science fiction adventure from world-wide phenomenon and #1 New York Times bestseller Christopher Paolini, set in the world of New York Times and USA Today bestseller To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly. On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII:a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide. Its curve not of nature, but design. Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why. But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space. For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe. Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. And the ghosts of their past follow.

I got strong Andy Weir vibes from this (maybe emo Weir). This is ultimately a story about grief couched in a sci-fi setting but I think it worked well. Like the characters, I felt oddly compelled to tear through this one.

Fractal Noise was 3.5 ⭐s for me. Loved diving back into the world of the Fractalverse.

This story gave me a sense of dread and anxiety about the story's past and unknown of the future for our characters.

The inner dialogue of the main character was hard to read in a good way as it dealt with real world issues of deep loss and existential pain.

THUD

I enjoy this for the bit of detail it gave about the universe. It's an interesting enough character story, but I'm not sure how much I really recommend it, and if you're not already a fan of the series than I'm not sure it'll do much for you.

This is the prequel novel to To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, or Book ‘0' in the Fractalverse, and it was long awaited for me for sure. I received the audiobook via NetGalley, and I was so stoked to get it early.
This was definitely a story meant to deepen the lore that's within TSIASS, but what I liked the most was that it's also a full story on its own. A small team of scientists leave the Adamura in 2243 after discovering the Anomaly—a 50km, circular pit found on Talos VII. The pit appears to be by design, not nature, and wouldn't it be incredible to be the first to ever step foot there? Find out when this drops this month!
Jennifer Hale does a fantastic job with the audio performance. She brings personality and style to each character, bringing them to life. The author does a great job also creating a diverse cast that highlights the universe and lore he's already created. The science reads as believable, and that's always my favorite kind. The emotional thread the author uses throughout also does a fantastic job to draw you in and hold you tight.
My only nitpicks are that some of the thuds the production added in kind of sound like someone literally just tapping a microphone. Then the other one is that I did find the ending to leave a bit to be desired. It's by no means bad, I just wish for more.
Personally a 4/5*. I can definitely see this stuff being turned into film.