Second Wave, the second installment in the Amargosa Trilogy, continues the story of teenage survivors JT Austin, Davra Andraste, and Eric Yuwono as they resist the Gelt occupation of the colony world Amargosa.
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Opening:
JT Austin, Davra Andraste, and Eric Yuwono live underground with the resistance in the Founders' Mine after the Gelt invasion of Amargosa. They witness the crash of a Gelt colonial transport and a Compact Navy vessel (Ban Ki-moon), hinting at a failed liberation attempt. -
Resistance Mission:
Suicide forms a team—including Ellie Nardino and Connor Duffy—to reach the Ban Ki-moon survivors by traveling overland to commandeer a fishing trawler on the west coast. JT, Eric, and Davra are initially left behind, but JT plans to secretly join Suicide’s team. -
Runaways:
JT, Eric, and Davra sneak out of the Founders’ Mine, navigating dangerous terrain, lycanths (sapient wolf-like creatures), and Gelt patrols. They are eventually caught by Tyler Wat, a controversial former Goshenite rebel now working for Suicide. -
Consequences:
Suicide chews them out harshly for deserting but allows them to join her team en route to the coast. Along the way, the team faces more lycanth encounters, showing these creatures may be sapient or evolving. -
Approach to the Ban Ki-moon:
The resistance splits. JT and Eric scout Edoras to secure the Edoras Transit Center. Meanwhile, Suicide’s team plans to retrieve the Ban Ki-moon survivors. Tyler Wat’s past as a Goshenite insurgent and the brewing danger from Kray’s rogue forces create additional tension.
Major Themes and Developments
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Survival and Maturity:
JT, Eric, Davra, and others are forced to grow up quickly, facing not just physical threats but moral and emotional challenges. -
Leadership and Betrayal:
The contrast between Suicide’s disciplined leadership and Kray’s brutal opportunism deepens the themes of loyalty, command, and what makes a true leader. -
Rise of the Lycanths:
The lycanth, previously feral creatures, are showing signs of intelligence and organization, hinting at a future major shift in the conflict. -
Enemy of My Enemy:
Characters like Tyler Wat—former enemies—become uneasy allies against greater threats, forcing the resistance to make morally questionable alliances.
Preceded by: The Children of Amargosa
Followed by: Storming Amargosa