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Descent: From Here to There Series - Book 2
The transition has begun — and it won’t be smooth.
In the wake of the events set in motion in Catapult, the forces shaping the next phase of human civilization are accelerating. What once appeared stable is beginning to shift, and the distance between today’s systems and tomorrow’s possibilities is growing more visible — and more dangerous.
As new alliances form and buried truths surface, the characters are pulled deeper into a high-stakes journey that spans technology, power, and the fragile human relationships that must hold through it all. Progress toward a more resilient and sustainable world is underway, but every step forward reveals new risks, new resistance, and new uncertainty.
Descent, Book Two of the From Here to There series, blends page-turning suspense, emerging technological realities, and human drama into a compelling look at what the real-world transition toward a protopian future might actually require.
The road ahead is not utopian.
But it is already unfolding.
Hang on to your seats for Descent, a wild ride into our near future.
In the wake of the events set in motion in Catapult, the forces shaping the next phase of human civilization are accelerating. What once appeared stable is beginning to shift, and the distance between today’s systems and tomorrow’s possibilities is growing more visible — and more dangerous.
As new alliances form and buried truths surface, the characters are pulled deeper into a high-stakes journey that spans technology, power, and the fragile human relationships that must hold through it all. Progress toward a more resilient and sustainable world is underway, but every step forward reveals new risks, new resistance, and new uncertainty.
Descent, Book Two of the From Here to There series, blends page-turning suspense, emerging technological realities, and human drama into a compelling look at what the real-world transition toward a protopian future might actually require.
The road ahead is not utopian.
But it is already unfolding.
Hang on to your seats for Descent, a wild ride into our near future.
511 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 20, 2024
About the author
Zev Paiss
22 books37 followersAbout the Author
Zev is a lifelong observer of current events and global trends, with more than 40 years of experience as a nationally recognized educator and sustainability consultant. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to advance practical solutions for a more resilient future championing sustainable land use, walkable communities, renewable energy, urban agriculture, low-carbon transportation, and local self-reliance.
Originally from Los Angeles, Zev has called Colorado home since 1985. In 2023, he relocated to Costa Rica, where he now consults on the development of a visionary eco-village and permaculture farm.
Zev’s emergence as an author of positive future mysteries and thrillers is a natural evolution of his lifelong values. He believes deeply in the power of protopian storytelling narratives that are both optimistic and grounded in reality to inspire meaningful change and help guide humanity toward a more hopeful, life-affirming future.
We invite you to explore his work and hope it sparks your imagination and your own vision for a better tomorrow.
Enjoy the journey!
Zev is a lifelong observer of current events and global trends, with more than 40 years of experience as a nationally recognized educator and sustainability consultant. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to advance practical solutions for a more resilient future championing sustainable land use, walkable communities, renewable energy, urban agriculture, low-carbon transportation, and local self-reliance.
Originally from Los Angeles, Zev has called Colorado home since 1985. In 2023, he relocated to Costa Rica, where he now consults on the development of a visionary eco-village and permaculture farm.
Zev’s emergence as an author of positive future mysteries and thrillers is a natural evolution of his lifelong values. He believes deeply in the power of protopian storytelling narratives that are both optimistic and grounded in reality to inspire meaningful change and help guide humanity toward a more hopeful, life-affirming future.
We invite you to explore his work and hope it sparks your imagination and your own vision for a better tomorrow.
Enjoy the journey!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 10, 2025
Descent
I enjoyed this book. It filled in a lot of the blank spots of the first book. However, it’s clear that the story is not finished. There is more to come.
I enjoyed this book. It filled in a lot of the blank spots of the first book. However, it’s clear that the story is not finished. There is more to come.
October 14, 2026
Zev Paiss's Descent, the second installment in the From Here to There series, is a triumph of speculative fiction, a book that grips you with page-turning suspense while simultaneously challenging you to think deeply about the world we're building. With 37 ratings averaging 4.2 stars, this novel has clearly found its audience, and it deserves to find many more.
Picking up in the wake of the events set in motion in Catapult, Descent thrusts readers into a world where the transition has begun—and, as the tagline warns, it won't be smooth. The forces shaping the next phase of human civilization are accelerating, and what once appeared stable is beginning to shift. Paiss captures this disorientation masterfully, creating a narrative landscape where the distance between today's systems and tomorrow's possibilities grows more visible and more dangerous with every chapter. This is near-future fiction at its most immediate and unsettling.
What makes Descent so compelling is its commitment to complexity. Rather than offering easy answers or simplistic heroes and villains, Paiss presents a world of new alliances and buried truths, where characters are pulled deeper into a high-stakes journey spanning technology, power, and the fragile human relationships that must hold through it all. The novel understands that real change, the kind that reshapes civilizations, is never linear and never without cost. Progress toward a more resilient and sustainable world is underway, but every step forward reveals new risks, new resistance, and new uncertainty. This is the messy, contested reality of transformation, and Paiss renders it with intelligence and authenticity.
The blend of elements here is remarkably well-balanced. The suspense keeps the pages turning, the emerging technological realities feel grounded and plausible rather than fantastical, and the human drama provides the emotional core that makes the stakes matter. Paiss demonstrates a rare ability to make big ideas feel personal, to show how macro-level shifts in technology and power play out in the lives, relationships, and choices of individual people. The result is a novel that satisfies on multiple levels: as a thriller, as a work of speculative imagination, and as a meditation on what it will actually take to build a better world.
The concept of a protopian future, as opposed to a utopian one, is central to the series, and it's a sophisticated and welcome framing. Descent doesn't promise perfection. The road ahead is not utopian. But it is already unfolding, and that sense of momentum, of possibility mixed with peril, gives the novel its distinctive energy. Paiss invites readers to consider not what an ideal world would look like, but what a better world might actually require, and what we might have to endure to get there.
As Book Two of the From Here to There series, Descent builds effectively on its predecessor while also functioning as a compelling narrative in its own right. Readers who appreciate thoughtful, character-driven science fiction that engages seriously with the challenges of our present moment will find much to admire here.
Picking up in the wake of the events set in motion in Catapult, Descent thrusts readers into a world where the transition has begun—and, as the tagline warns, it won't be smooth. The forces shaping the next phase of human civilization are accelerating, and what once appeared stable is beginning to shift. Paiss captures this disorientation masterfully, creating a narrative landscape where the distance between today's systems and tomorrow's possibilities grows more visible and more dangerous with every chapter. This is near-future fiction at its most immediate and unsettling.
What makes Descent so compelling is its commitment to complexity. Rather than offering easy answers or simplistic heroes and villains, Paiss presents a world of new alliances and buried truths, where characters are pulled deeper into a high-stakes journey spanning technology, power, and the fragile human relationships that must hold through it all. The novel understands that real change, the kind that reshapes civilizations, is never linear and never without cost. Progress toward a more resilient and sustainable world is underway, but every step forward reveals new risks, new resistance, and new uncertainty. This is the messy, contested reality of transformation, and Paiss renders it with intelligence and authenticity.
The blend of elements here is remarkably well-balanced. The suspense keeps the pages turning, the emerging technological realities feel grounded and plausible rather than fantastical, and the human drama provides the emotional core that makes the stakes matter. Paiss demonstrates a rare ability to make big ideas feel personal, to show how macro-level shifts in technology and power play out in the lives, relationships, and choices of individual people. The result is a novel that satisfies on multiple levels: as a thriller, as a work of speculative imagination, and as a meditation on what it will actually take to build a better world.
The concept of a protopian future, as opposed to a utopian one, is central to the series, and it's a sophisticated and welcome framing. Descent doesn't promise perfection. The road ahead is not utopian. But it is already unfolding, and that sense of momentum, of possibility mixed with peril, gives the novel its distinctive energy. Paiss invites readers to consider not what an ideal world would look like, but what a better world might actually require, and what we might have to endure to get there.
As Book Two of the From Here to There series, Descent builds effectively on its predecessor while also functioning as a compelling narrative in its own right. Readers who appreciate thoughtful, character-driven science fiction that engages seriously with the challenges of our present moment will find much to admire here.
September 14, 2024
📚✨ Book Review: Descent (From Here to There Series - Book 2) by Zev Paiss 🌟📖
Rating:5/5
Review:
👉Descent, the second installment in Zev Paiss’s From Here to There series, takes readers on a thrilling and thought-provoking journey that blends romance, high-octane action, and innovative environmental solutions. This sequel builds upon the excitement of the first book and deepens the narrative with new challenges and intriguing developments.
👉Plot Overview: The story picks up with Danielle Woodson recovering in the hospital after surviving a dramatic assassination attempt. She’s offered a significant opportunity by Rudi Vondershoot, a famous film actor and philanthropist. His offer allows Danielle to advance her groundbreaking AI-powered urban transformation project, which promises to revolutionize city living and promote sustainability.
👉Amidst this professional upheaval, Danielle’s personal life takes a dramatic turn as she meets the dashing Professor Arthur Pearl, who captivates both her intellect and her heart. Their burgeoning relationship adds a rich layer of romance to the narrative, while Arthur’s innovative ideas play a crucial role in combating the environmental and economic crises facing their world.
👉The plot thickens with a tantalizing offer from a charismatic Middle Eastern prince, who proposes a role where Danielle’s expertise could significantly benefit his kingdom. Meanwhile, the threat of her former nemesis, Roy Smathers, who has been released from prison with a deadly vendetta, looms large, adding a pulse-pounding edge to the story.
👉Why You’ll Be Hooked: Descent excels in its seamless integration of fast-paced action and intellectual stimulation. Zev Paiss’s narrative is a masterclass in combining suspense with futuristic vision, drawing readers into a world where every decision has profound implications. The character development is strong, with Danielle’s personal and professional dilemmas providing a compelling backdrop for the unfolding drama.
Happy reading 😁 😁
#bookreview
Rating:5/5
Review:
👉Descent, the second installment in Zev Paiss’s From Here to There series, takes readers on a thrilling and thought-provoking journey that blends romance, high-octane action, and innovative environmental solutions. This sequel builds upon the excitement of the first book and deepens the narrative with new challenges and intriguing developments.
👉Plot Overview: The story picks up with Danielle Woodson recovering in the hospital after surviving a dramatic assassination attempt. She’s offered a significant opportunity by Rudi Vondershoot, a famous film actor and philanthropist. His offer allows Danielle to advance her groundbreaking AI-powered urban transformation project, which promises to revolutionize city living and promote sustainability.
👉Amidst this professional upheaval, Danielle’s personal life takes a dramatic turn as she meets the dashing Professor Arthur Pearl, who captivates both her intellect and her heart. Their burgeoning relationship adds a rich layer of romance to the narrative, while Arthur’s innovative ideas play a crucial role in combating the environmental and economic crises facing their world.
👉The plot thickens with a tantalizing offer from a charismatic Middle Eastern prince, who proposes a role where Danielle’s expertise could significantly benefit his kingdom. Meanwhile, the threat of her former nemesis, Roy Smathers, who has been released from prison with a deadly vendetta, looms large, adding a pulse-pounding edge to the story.
👉Why You’ll Be Hooked: Descent excels in its seamless integration of fast-paced action and intellectual stimulation. Zev Paiss’s narrative is a masterclass in combining suspense with futuristic vision, drawing readers into a world where every decision has profound implications. The character development is strong, with Danielle’s personal and professional dilemmas providing a compelling backdrop for the unfolding drama.
Happy reading 😁 😁
#bookreview
October 16, 2025
not the authors best work
I’ve read a lot of zevs work and have found them mostly entertaining - solid beach reads. Unfortunately I found this one disappointing.
The dialogue is stilted, there’s seemingly endless descriptions of meals as well as other details that at least to me were irrelevant, didn’t develop the characters or move the plot forward.
While the plot started in the first book is interesting it completely stalled in this 2nd installment.
I’m hoping the last book in the series picks up where book 1 left off
I’ve read a lot of zevs work and have found them mostly entertaining - solid beach reads. Unfortunately I found this one disappointing.
The dialogue is stilted, there’s seemingly endless descriptions of meals as well as other details that at least to me were irrelevant, didn’t develop the characters or move the plot forward.
While the plot started in the first book is interesting it completely stalled in this 2nd installment.
I’m hoping the last book in the series picks up where book 1 left off
June 23, 2024
As the author of Descent, my perspective is totally biased. However, I am proud to offer entertaining storytelling that offers realistic solutions to many of our most pressing challenges. I hope readers will feel the same.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews