“Jailbreak” epic end to Tattler Series

One sign of a good book is it leaves you wanting more, even when you know it’s the end. You’ve become so invested in the characters and the world that you’re not quite ready to let go. And that’s exactly what Chad Descoteaux delivered in the last installment of his Tattler series, “The Tattler: Multiverse Jailbreak.”

When he handed me the first one, I wouldn’t have believed I’d become so invested in his alien sci-fi story. But Descoteaux has built a world, and more importantly, characters that I truly care about. In my review of the first book in the series, “The Tattler,” I pointed out that Barry Young, the directionless, young male main character, left a lot to be desired as far as leading men went. But by the third book “The Tattler: Cancelled,” I was rooting for the guy. I couldn’t wait for this one to be published to find out what would happen to Barry and the other multi-species cast of characters Descoteaux had made me care about over the past three books.

Multiverse Jailbreak finds good old Barry locked up in an interstellar jail, alongside a familiar face from previous installments. He’s been missing from Earth for five years, and his friends have all but given up. But armed with some new, inside information, they make a last ditch effort to rescue Barry. What ensues afterward is an interdimensional, interstellar battle of the ages. Rife with characters ripped from the pages of history, comic, and sci-fi books, Barry and his friends rush to save the planet from imminent doom.

Descoteaux’s expertise has long been creating “monsters” that are more human than the humans, making most of them easier to relate to than the humans. In the past two books, the humans have finally made enough in the way of character growth to really connect to just as much as the non-humans. And this time around, he flips his usual modus operandi on its head. Faced with temptation too great, one of our beloved characters becomes a villain, changing the timeline for his own benefit. But really, most of us couldn’t blame him. If faced with the same decision, we’d all likely do the same.

Like most sci-fi authors, Descoteaux builds his worlds filled with social commentary about our own. He weaves it into the narrative in a comedic and clear way without beating the reader over the head with it. He points out ridiculous thinking in our own world and helps make it a little clearer what we should do to make our world better. If only it were as simple as it was in the sci-fi novels. From autism vaccines to fly over Covid powder vaccines, his ideas are creative and timely.

Overall, my favorite thing about the Tattler series has been watching Descoteaux’s near magical ability to take an almost cringe-worthy main character and turn him into a loveable hero that almost anyone would root for in the end. If you enjoy hilarious quips, epic character arcs, and imaginative worlds with near ridiculous design, Descoteaux’s Tattler series is absolutely for you.

I received the audiobook for free from the author, and I’m grateful to be introduced to it.

It’s worth mentioning that in my first review, I didn’t enjoy the audiobook performance. However, the audiobook actor has improved.