​Independence Day: Crucible: The Official Movie Prequel

Audiobook Review by Paul Fiander

Written by: Greg Keyes
Narrated by: William Hope
Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins 
Publisher: Audible Studios

This is a prequel to the 2016 movie and in listening it certainly plays out in this way. The idea of the novel seems to be to write certain characters out of the Resurgence movie and introduce us to the new players in the game. Independence day was a huge hit when it first came out, it was over the top but as an action romp you could not really ask for more. In many ways Crucible is not cut from the same place. Instead of the aerial battles we get character development, there is till action contained but to a lesser degree.

The story follows the central trio from the first film but adds in the next generation in Dylan Hiller, Amanda Whitmore and a new character in Jake Morrison. However we begin our tale in Roswell during the first contact with the Aliens in 1947 and from there time jump to the events straight after the 4th. This idea of focusing on the aftermath is interesting and in some ways I wish they delved into a bit deeper, but that would have created a completely different story. Instead we get a brief look into the politics of the situation and the formation of the Earth Space Defence. This sets up David Levinson in the story and his course is one that sees the removal of more than one previous character. His portrayal is perhaps the most complex as he tries to deal with something he does not do well responsibility.

​This though is more of a global story as we get to meet young Chinese pilot Rain Lao and the son of an Congolese dictator Dikembe Umbutu. Their stories are mixed in the timeline and show that the breadth of the catastrophe was wider than just that of the United States. This does however show a little flaw in the narration by William Hope. His accents are a bit of a mix, some are good but others are a little shaky. None are narrative breaking but they are a little on the irritating side.

As an entry into the narrative for Resurgence this book does it’s  job. It sets out the timeline from the 5th of July 1996 to the cliffhanger at the end of the book. The characters feel generally well rounded though you get the sense their descriptions for the movie were paramount in writer Greg Keyes mind when writing and while this mostly feels cohesive the turn of Jake feels a bit forced. This however does not break the character or the narrative.

Independence Day Crucible is a well presented production and acts as a link between stories.If you treat it that way then you will not be disappointed especially if you are afn of the earlier film.