Oversight Audiobook By Dennis Batchelder cover art

Oversight

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options
Buy for $21.09

Buy for $21.09

Seventeen-year-old Zelly is a self-proclaimed computer geek growing up in present-day Seattle. She's also one of the last three reincarnated leaders of Soul Identity, an ancient organization that promises to pass people's fortunes and memories to their future selves. Along with her two closest friends, she'll ascend to power when she turns 19...if she lives that long.

Zelly suspects her friend Ying is trying to kill her. Her fears escalate when they both get their hands on a vike portal, a new technology that lets them vividly see, feel, hear, touch, and smell what happened in their past lives. To her dismay, Zelly realizes that Ying is the reincarnation of a power-hungry leader, and their rivalry has played out for centuries.

In a thrilling ride, Zelly scrambles to outwit her friend and rival. She thinks the vike technology will help her predict her future, which she believes is preordained by the past. Each trip to her past life brings Zelly wisdom, but what she uncovers from her shared history with Ying threatens to upend everything she knows about friendship…and her very soul.

©2023 Dennis Batchelder (P)2023 Dennis Batchelder Science Fiction & Fantasy Technology Science Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Difficult Situations Time Travel Fantasy

Critic reviews

“A dramatic tale of past lives, dark treachery, and the true nature of good and evil, Oversight by Dennis Batchelder is a stunning work of YA science fiction.” (The Independent Review of Books)
All stars
Most relevant
In the earlier novels of this series, Soul Identity, Soul Intent, Soul Integrity, author Dennis Batchelder exhibited not only his great storytelling ability but also his rare talent for great storyweaving. Similar to Martha Wells in her Murderbot series, Batchelder weaves for us a world that is even more psychically engaging than it is materially. With Oversight, Batchelder reaches even further, inviting comparisons to Baum's Oz, Lewis' Narnia, and Tolkein's Middle Earth. Thoroughly engaging and spiritually thought-provoking. Bravo!

Broadbrush soulful engagement

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really loved the details, especially in the historical parts. Had twists and turns I did not see coming. Really enjoyed how the narrator brought the characters to life!

Such an intricate story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved the Soul Identity series since the jump, but while I understand it is cheaper to use AI to record an audio book, don't think it doesn't sound like it. The little mispronunciations in ordinary words, the stilted tone, the odd pacing of the voice - all points to an imitation of human behavior that isn't quite real.
If you can get past the voice, the story is good. Batchelder has created a world I like visiting, and will continue to as long as he writes them. But reinvest whatever you can to re-record these.

Love the story, but the AI reader? Not so much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.