...where all the Hork-Bajir and humans started cheering together. In the books, we never really heard the perspective of any long-time controllers, but I can imagine a sort of camaraderie forming between the two enslaved species while they're locked up in the Yeerk pool.

I've only read the first two chapters, but I can actually imagine this happening, and not too implausably either. It makes quite an interesting topic for discussion, on a sort of post-apocalyptic hope sort of thing.

But the heavy handedness of chapter 2 turned me off too badly to keep reading.

That is excellent. I was kinda iffy at the start, because it's so easy to get heavy-handed and lose track of the story with these things, but... Wow. Very, very well done story. Props to the author for sure.

I actually know this author somewhat...I'm working with him on a Batman fanfic. He's one of those people whose religion is with him all the time, but he deals with any issues that arise with a stoic grace. I really enjoy his work...though I haven't read this one yet.