Down

Project Eden #7

by Brett Battles

Matt Hamilton’s last words have led Daniel Ash and his team to the snow-covered town of Everton, Vermont. On a field just outside city limits sits an unassuming hut.

But this is no innocent building. Inside is the entrance to the secret Project Eden base known as Dream Sky, the key to the Project’s success. Or its defeat, as Ash hopes.

To give the team the best chance to succeed, Resistance groups have moved into position outside Project installations around the globe. The purpose: to create diversions that will draw Project attention away from Dream Sky.

These groups have been waiting for the signal to attack. The wait is over.


Dream Sky is best read after completing volumes 1-6 (Sick, Exit 9, Pale Horse, Ashes, Eden Rising, and Dream Sky)

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Thriller, Apocalyptic, Action, Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2014

About the author

Brett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn series and its Excoms spinoff, the Project Eden series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series. He is one of the founding members of Killer Year, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He lives and writes in Ventura County, California.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go Right! For A Fitting Conclusion. OK, so the "Go Right!" bit is somewhat of an inside joke you'll get to when you read this book. Overall, with this book Battles once again collapses the global to the personal, and in so doing gives us a very fitting end to the series - while allowing other tales in this world. We get answers for one central character somewhat early in this book, but overall the arc of this book truly is Captain Daniel Ash's final revenge against the organization that took nearly everything from him before he even knew they existed. The ending, in particular, was a bit mind bending in a very cool way that is not unique, but is fairly rare. Absolutely a fitting end to an excellent series, and one that leaves the reader with an adequate sense of closure.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series was excellent! This is a definite must read. From book one, through book 7, the suspense is high! There will be a few times that you shed some tears, but there will also be times of celebration. Most of all, you will be rooting rooting rooting for things to work out!

[Page Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the seven books in this series were fast paced page turners. It was hard to put down. I read the whole series straight through and enjoyed all of it. The subject matter of a group wanting to end life as we know it and begin again frightens me and yet I believe in humanity and trust that we are a people who care about others and work towards the good of all. All of the books are a good read! 👍🏼

[Dee Haddrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it's over... and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit sad about that. What a fantastic roller coaster ride of a story. If you like a great post apocalyptic tale, you would be nuts to not read this series.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic series. I'm sad it's over.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Down by Brett Battles

The final book in the Project Eden series and I would have to say the weakest of them all however Battles does give us a satisfying ending.
Overall this is a fabulous series and one I urge you to read.
Well worth your time and hard earned cash.

four stars for the series

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world population is down to just over seven hundred million in the months since Project Eden’s implementation day and the release of the Sage Flu virus from specific points across the world. Daniel Ash and Chloe White have learned what Matt Hamilton’s last words meant; Dream Sky is Project Eden’s top secret base and the one they need to neutralise in order to stop the Project once and for all.

Working in conjunction with each other, individual groups from the Resistance are targeting Project Eden facilities with the purpose of giving Ash, Chloe and their team the chance to take Dream Sky. Robert and Estella from Isabella Island are part of the team in Everton, Vermont at Dream Sky. Sanjay, Kusum and Darshana in Jaipur, India, working in direct contact with the Resistance headquarters in the US, play their very important part in the drama. In Cairo, Miami, Berlin, Shanghai, Madrid, Tokyo and Guangzhou in China the teams rescue survivors and destroy installations. Pax, Gabriel and Nyla are in Los Angeles after liberating the survivors centre there.

But what the Ash and the team find at Dream Sky defies belief… and Chloe begins to remember…

I really enjoy the way the narrative spends time with each group, building up the tension and moving the story along while giving an overview of everything that’s happening. The storylines are all brought together wonderfully in this final episode with no loose ends. The characters are authentic and engaging, as they have been throughout, the books so well written and with a succession of really good action sequences.

This is an extremely tense and exciting series that kept the suspense going throughout, and is one that I’ll definitely revisit. It’s a realistic, if utterly chilling and very sad, sequence of events which lead to an enormous question. How do you restart humanity?

If you’re a fan of the genre it comes highly recommended, MacLeod Andrews does an amazing job with the pacing, voices, accents and expressing the mood of the narrative.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

You could not ask for a better end to the procession. Down is non-stop action with a plot that stays true to the Project Eden series.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series about a group of elitist anti-humans who believe if they can only wipe the world clean of the vast majority of humanity, they can begin again and build a tree-hugging fanaticized world in which people are forever subservient to the environment. To that end, the elitists, who call themselves Project Eden, crafted a virus they called the Sage Flu. They unleashed it in ingenious ways throughout the globe until only a few million people remained alive.

But a group of resistors fought the project throughout this series, and that’s what made it an always-magnificent, never-disappointing read.

In book seven, the various resistance groups around the world are ready to cripple and destroy Project Eden installations everywhere so they can distract its members from their real mission—to find and destroy the nerve center of the entire project. You get chapters here from varying points of view of small resistance pockets throughout the world, and you’ll cheer as their heroism slowly strangles a truly evil organization. Whether they ultimately succeed is something you have to learn by reading the series including book seven.

[Kaylee Dorle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this whole series. I think this might be the first long series I've read as well. From the start of the book "Sick", I was hooked. It had everything I needed to keep me entertained, scared, engaged, etc. I love how the book went into the pathogenesis of the flu and how it spread out of control so fast (both times). It's just a scary premise to think about, like could this be real life??

I am very hopeful the author will continue with some more books exploring this world. Like what are they going to do with the literal billions of bodies?? Were there anymore people like Ash's family that are naturally immune? Will Ash and Chloe be together? Who will govern the millions of people leftover, will they all live on one continent together?? SO much to know!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!

A fantastic conclusion to a fantastic 7- book series!!

If you haven't read the Project Eden series that starts with "Sick", grab a copy now!

A nefarious group called Project Eden plans to release a virus on the world to kill 99% of the population so they can remake the planet the way they want it.

A small group known as the Resistance plans to stop them...

So begins a roller coaster ride that doesn't stop. Lots of action, great characters, and a page-turning, stay-up-late-reading plot will have you on the edge of your seat. Check out this series! You won't regret it!!

[Barb Martino · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride

I just got done reading the last book in the series. What a ride it was! I really enjoyed these books, in fact I couldn't out them down. It is kind of frightening that this story isn't that far from being true. Some parts kind of thought, well I'm not sure that can happen, but surprisingly the majority of it could be, maybe not an organization that big but the premise of the virus , absolutely. I thought this series was well written and loved how each book left you hanging, I would recommend these books to anyone.

[Cheryl A. Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want more...

What a great series. I am disappointed it’s finished. The story kept my attention and there were enough additional story lines that it was never boring and kept moving along. The characters were real and nothing was left hanging. It did feel like the story could continue. I thoroughly enjoyed this series!

[Monica E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triple rainbow wow!!

Oh, no you don't Brett, you 'might' get round to more adventures of the Ash Family et Al?!! Come on, more please!! I have read all the books in pretty much one sitting, and have ignored my texts, Facebook and emails, not to mention the housework, in order to finish this marvellous series! Fantastic!

[Sarah Morvay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book has to be life changing for me to give it 5 stars- I wouldn't call this series life changing but it was definitely a great read. Ash and Chloe have been my best friends over the past year during our own pandemic. I'm a bit sad to see them go.

This ending was satisfying and not too cheesy... Or maybe just cheesy enough.

[Rita McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Entertaining!

Just finished this.final book of the series and it is well worth your time to read the whole series in order! Extremely well written.and it will grab your attention.in the very first book and keep it to the very last period! Outstanding job! Enjoy!

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Eden series

Bet he did not know that we would be experiencing a lesser but similar situation a few short years after writing this series.

Read all seven in a little over 8 days. Could not put them dow.

[barbara letchworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

I vacillated between ratings..pretty decent story but I became lost between myriad groups and where different loyalties lay.
probably would have been better to have been condensed to possibly 4 books.

[Maryann Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end to an amazing series. This book tied up all the storylines in the other 6 books and brought an end to the storyline

[Marika Steenblock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal ending to a series I highly recommend. Please check it out!! Sad that it's over with.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome end to a great series. Loved it!

[Tammy carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Project Eden Series

I enjoyed every book in this series. Hopefully, Mr. Battles will write a follow up series with the same characters.

[Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great series. The ending is very satisfying. Highly recommended for all virus pandemic books lover.

Please note that you need to start from book 1 : sick

[Karen Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

You blew it again good reads! A one name title and it was necessary to locate via author

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good series with a satisfying conclusion. especially liked all the different perspectives. wouldn't mind a series covering the restart of society.

[John LeClair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent finish to astounding series

A powerful series in a time when conspiracies around the Corona virus prevail hard to belive this series was written so long ago.

[Kimberlie Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely one of the best series I've read in quite some time.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Finish

To bad it's the last book in the series, there is so much more possible. None the leads it was great

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll try to keep this review short and to the point. This review will be for the complete series and not the individual novel(s).

It's been a while since I read an apocalyptic series, and I try to limit my exposure to them since they tend to really mess with my head, but I had an opening in my schedule and wanted some sci-fi(ish) after reading the Harry Potter series. I'm not sure how I stumbled across Brett Battles' Project Eden series, but I'm glad I did. As a story arch, the idea of a secret global organization hell bent on destroying civilization is not unique, viral infection killing the world is not unique, and having ragtag group(s) of individuals trying to stop Evil, Inc. is again, not unique. Despite this, Battles' Project Eden is a well written, and a complete look at how all of these tropes could be combined to create a story arch that is eerily believable (to a point).

Without repeating other well written reviews/summaries, I would like to offer what I liked about the series. I really enjoyed the various perspectives/point-of-views various events were written in. It was interesting to see what the various characters thought and responded to various situations, while at the same time being offered a look at how the opposite end also responded to the same event(s). This back and forth look into the thought processes and point-of-views of various characters offered a more complete picture of the action(s) taking place. There was a few occasion where this became a bit confusing and the story drag a bit, but those instances was few and far between.

I also like that there was no single hero or villain, but a cast of characters that we got to love, know, and even hate. This approach to offer various characters ample space to grow into themselves was a welcome change to other books series I've read. This character building approach not only offer the reader a more complete understanding of various character motives, but also gave them a more realistic feel to them. For instance, by the end of the series, my imagination gave Pax the look and feel of a middle-age Sam Elliot. Oddly enough, he was the only character that I put a recognizable face to, all others where ambiguous faces, but something about Pax made me give him Sam Elliot's face.

I did have some complaints, mostly technical ones like satellite phones working deep within buildings or underground, but this was mainly due to the knowledge I gained on sat-phones after reading Eccentric Circles. I also had issues with the way people responded to the shipping containers once they began to operate. I felt as is the government (both local/state/national) responded a bit hap haphazardly when it came to them. Sure they would explode if they were messed with, but I believe that the real life folks within our government would have likely opting to bombing/detonating them as opposed to allowing them to spew out its content unhindered. If not exploding them, then setting up some kind of containment apparatus around them. One only has to look at how today's law enforcement responds to a mysterious package found on the street post 9-11, with your average bomb disposal unit not short to step in and attempt to defuse any mysterious package regardless of what they know about it. This might be well wishing on my end that our government would be more proactive, if not more rash in how they would handle the situation, but was nonetheless in my forefront thought process as I read the chapters that contained the way people responded to the shipping containers. That being said, this is Battle's world, so real world mechanics might not translate exactly as they might in Project Eden's world.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and spent many sleepless nights enthralled in its pages. I am now a new fan of Brett Battles, and now working my way through his Rewinder series, after which I his Jonathan Quinn books will shortly follow.

[Joe Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun series.