Based on reviews this is the bad one of the trilogy. Can’t comment on last one yet. This doesn’t have anything making whole book better like first book’s last third. Nothing like Children of the Worm. This is better than first two thirds of first book but it doesn’t get any better like first book.
Artyom appears few times but this time we follow other characters. There isn’t as much world building and book feels mostly aimless wandering. Characters just go from one place to another and then they enter to finale. This time threat is deadly epidemia. Might have worked differently if not listened during pandemic. Book’s epidemia is deadlier than one we have real world. However it is not given too much time. Characters just wonder around trying to get to place where it currently is to stop it.
When I listened the book I thought it was made because of video game’s popularity but it was published previous year than the game and English translation of first book was published same time as the game. I got feeling there was nothing to say but book had to be published. There aren’t too many memorable parts. Just wandering around the metro. First book was quite similar until it got really good. This doesn’t get really good at any point.