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Settle Down
When Clayton survives a plane crash, he figures the worst is over—but he’s wrong—in this sci-fi genre mashup from the author of the Infinite Timeline series.
Stranded on a thirty-acre island with a handful of art students, a grieving widow, and a growing pile of corpses, Prof. Clayton Reed is forced into a role he never leader. Food is scarce. Water is scarcer. And trust? Practically extinct. When one of the survivors kills in self-defense, the fragile alliance fractures and a subset of the group flees in a dinghy to take its chances in shark-infested waters, leaving Clayton and six others behind.
But soon the night sky turns blue. Strange lights pulse across the horizon, and strings of star-like objects pass by overhead. Something big is happening to the rest of the world, and the professor and his companions are sure it isn’t normal.
Rescued by a drifting luxury yacht loaded with food, weapons, and a fortune in cocaine, the survivors trade one nightmare for another. Earth is under attack, massive beams of light shooting down from space to the surface. As they sail toward home, not knowing whether it still exists, one thing becomes Those looking at Earth with hungry eyes have noticed them . . .
New York Times –bestselling author Jeremy Robinson delivers a razor-sharp, character-driven survival thriller meets postapocalyptic alien invasion story that flips the genre upside down, inside out, and back again.
Stranded on a thirty-acre island with a handful of art students, a grieving widow, and a growing pile of corpses, Prof. Clayton Reed is forced into a role he never leader. Food is scarce. Water is scarcer. And trust? Practically extinct. When one of the survivors kills in self-defense, the fragile alliance fractures and a subset of the group flees in a dinghy to take its chances in shark-infested waters, leaving Clayton and six others behind.
But soon the night sky turns blue. Strange lights pulse across the horizon, and strings of star-like objects pass by overhead. Something big is happening to the rest of the world, and the professor and his companions are sure it isn’t normal.
Rescued by a drifting luxury yacht loaded with food, weapons, and a fortune in cocaine, the survivors trade one nightmare for another. Earth is under attack, massive beams of light shooting down from space to the surface. As they sail toward home, not knowing whether it still exists, one thing becomes Those looking at Earth with hungry eyes have noticed them . . .
New York Times –bestselling author Jeremy Robinson delivers a razor-sharp, character-driven survival thriller meets postapocalyptic alien invasion story that flips the genre upside down, inside out, and back again.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
About the author
Jeremy Robinson
155 books2,780 followersJeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 25, 2026
This is my least favorite book by this author, and I've read more than half a dozen. I was distracted from the plot by three recurring issues. First, Robinson fixates on the characters' respective generations, most noticeably through repetitive Gen Z slang uttered by Horatio (if you drink every time he says “no cap,” you’ll find yourself in the ER with alcohol poisoning), and characterizing the entirety of Gen X as radically independent MacGyver/Navy Seal/survivalist hybrids. The lead character, Clayton, is a 50-year-old art professor who “works out sometimes,” but when the aliens invade, he is suddenly able to take on anyone with guns, swords, and his bare fists. How? He’s Gen X and grew up playing video games, of course!
Then, not only does Robinson make his primary thesis that the alien invasion of Earth is comparable to the “colonization” of North and South America by England, Spain and Portugal, but he has his characters constantly (and I mean constantly) bemoan the many inhumane, horrific events that occurred during said colonization. This is problematic for many reasons. For instance, Robinson narrates in detail many atrocities committed by Christopher Columbus when he conquered the New World; but virtually none of these are actually recognized as historical events by mainstream academics. To up the ante, though, Robinson presents this information through an older African-American woman who was raised as a Southern Baptist and is supposed to be the moral compass of the group. All of the other characters treat her statements as gospel, wringing their hands about yet another era in which white males marginalized those with less power (their words, not mine).
They subsequently and repeatedly draw parallels between the indigenous people of those times and how the aliens have now dealt with the human beings on Earth — notwithstanding the material differences impeding such an analogy (e.g., indigenous tribes did not have established governments, economies and legal frameworks like the modern countries on Earth). No counterpoint, question, or doubt is ever presented on this topic: Robinson acts as if he has the opportunity to instruct his readers on an important subject, and and indeed, many Audible readers thanked Robinson in their reviews for teaching them about this gap in their history classes.
Robinson must have received some flak for this content, because he added an Author’s Note claiming that he was not trying to make any political statements in the book; the characters were merely expressing their own beliefs, and those should not necessarily be mistaken for his own. If your eyes just rolled out of your skull, I’ll give you a minute to pick them up and put them back in. Unintended or not, the manner in which Robinson presented the political views severely detracted from the storyline (that is, if you’re hoping for a science fiction novel). For example, when the group discovers an alien research station already located in what used to be San Francisco, and Clayton launches into the first meaningful discussion with a being from another planet and potential ally, does he ask about the state of the rest of Earth, or whether they are all safe for the time being? No. He wants to know whether the aliens have also held the females submissive to a patriarchy.
The death blow for this work is the deus ex machina ending. Robinson employs such devices frequently: I was recently annoyed by one in 30Seven (also involving aliens), and that in turn was the death knell for Robinson as an author, as far as I’m concerned. In any event I won't share the details, but the grand finale to Settle Down is the equivalent of a third-grader’s assignment, entitled, "How All of My Magical Wishes Suddenly Came True," with all the wondrous occurrences and lack of logic that implies, enabling the characters to achieve all of their objectives within the time allotted for lunchtime recess and still have time left over for dessert. This deprived the book of any claim of being a serious novel. If you still want to read something by Robinson, I recommend Project Nemesis or Parallax.
Then, not only does Robinson make his primary thesis that the alien invasion of Earth is comparable to the “colonization” of North and South America by England, Spain and Portugal, but he has his characters constantly (and I mean constantly) bemoan the many inhumane, horrific events that occurred during said colonization. This is problematic for many reasons. For instance, Robinson narrates in detail many atrocities committed by Christopher Columbus when he conquered the New World; but virtually none of these are actually recognized as historical events by mainstream academics. To up the ante, though, Robinson presents this information through an older African-American woman who was raised as a Southern Baptist and is supposed to be the moral compass of the group. All of the other characters treat her statements as gospel, wringing their hands about yet another era in which white males marginalized those with less power (their words, not mine).
They subsequently and repeatedly draw parallels between the indigenous people of those times and how the aliens have now dealt with the human beings on Earth — notwithstanding the material differences impeding such an analogy (e.g., indigenous tribes did not have established governments, economies and legal frameworks like the modern countries on Earth). No counterpoint, question, or doubt is ever presented on this topic: Robinson acts as if he has the opportunity to instruct his readers on an important subject, and and indeed, many Audible readers thanked Robinson in their reviews for teaching them about this gap in their history classes.
Robinson must have received some flak for this content, because he added an Author’s Note claiming that he was not trying to make any political statements in the book; the characters were merely expressing their own beliefs, and those should not necessarily be mistaken for his own. If your eyes just rolled out of your skull, I’ll give you a minute to pick them up and put them back in. Unintended or not, the manner in which Robinson presented the political views severely detracted from the storyline (that is, if you’re hoping for a science fiction novel). For example, when the group discovers an alien research station already located in what used to be San Francisco, and Clayton launches into the first meaningful discussion with a being from another planet and potential ally, does he ask about the state of the rest of Earth, or whether they are all safe for the time being? No. He wants to know whether the aliens have also held the females submissive to a patriarchy.
The death blow for this work is the deus ex machina ending. Robinson employs such devices frequently: I was recently annoyed by one in 30Seven (also involving aliens), and that in turn was the death knell for Robinson as an author, as far as I’m concerned. In any event I won't share the details, but the grand finale to Settle Down is the equivalent of a third-grader’s assignment, entitled, "How All of My Magical Wishes Suddenly Came True," with all the wondrous occurrences and lack of logic that implies, enabling the characters to achieve all of their objectives within the time allotted for lunchtime recess and still have time left over for dessert. This deprived the book of any claim of being a serious novel. If you still want to read something by Robinson, I recommend Project Nemesis or Parallax.
September 17, 2026
5 Stars 🌟
Thank you, Podium Entertainment, for the physical ARC! 💙
A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world after an alien invasion where the few people left are just trying to survive day by day? Count me in!
To be honest, I went into this one very blind, but I think that was the best thing for me! It created an experience where I had no idea at all what was happening, but I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next! The story was funny, intense, and shocking. Every time I thought that maybe, just maybe, I knew what was happening, I was proven very wrong. The humor to break apart the more serious moments? 10/10. There were so many moments where I found myself laughing as I read. Not to mention, the book had a diverse cast of characters that you couldn't help but root for! I was emotionally invested, yall!!! This is a book that I would recommend!
Thank you, Podium Entertainment, for the physical ARC! 💙
A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world after an alien invasion where the few people left are just trying to survive day by day? Count me in!
To be honest, I went into this one very blind, but I think that was the best thing for me! It created an experience where I had no idea at all what was happening, but I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next! The story was funny, intense, and shocking. Every time I thought that maybe, just maybe, I knew what was happening, I was proven very wrong. The humor to break apart the more serious moments? 10/10. There were so many moments where I found myself laughing as I read. Not to mention, the book had a diverse cast of characters that you couldn't help but root for! I was emotionally invested, yall!!! This is a book that I would recommend!
September 20, 2026
This was pretty good but it felt like 2 completely different stories & I feel like some key questions were never answered.
October 8, 2026
This was quite entertaining. The rating is in regard to the ... level of the book, an easy read, nice story, simple prose, light comedy style. Definitely no literary feat, and quite some logical and narrative errors ("I didn't know if the alien could laugh at all" after "I realised that was their laughter", or skimmers that will "pretty much never run out of energy" and then "these were the tanks with fuel sloshing around" and stuff like that. Editor, where were you?!). And the potentially worn out trope of humans being very special compared to hundreds of other races, almost having superpowers. Slightly too easy, but it worked over all.
But seeing it as simple paperback style, not quite pulp, it did its job. Rather well. And there were some nice ideas included, and the characters were fleshed out enough to be somewhat relatable, even when being comically over the top. The generational differences were fun, and even sometimes very on point.
Overall I am not too fond of comedies, and this one skirted the edge of cringe. But there were some punches when I didn't expect them, enough to draw me in and sometimes laughing out loud as well. Acceptable balance.
Being sucker punched IRL healthwise, good entertainment is medicine for me, escaping unpleasant reality, and offering a few hours of escape and doing what a book is supposed to do - whisk me away into another world. Oh, and a new word of the day - omnicide. Wonderfully macabre.
But seeing it as simple paperback style, not quite pulp, it did its job. Rather well. And there were some nice ideas included, and the characters were fleshed out enough to be somewhat relatable, even when being comically over the top. The generational differences were fun, and even sometimes very on point.
Overall I am not too fond of comedies, and this one skirted the edge of cringe. But there were some punches when I didn't expect them, enough to draw me in and sometimes laughing out loud as well. Acceptable balance.
Being sucker punched IRL healthwise, good entertainment is medicine for me, escaping unpleasant reality, and offering a few hours of escape and doing what a book is supposed to do - whisk me away into another world. Oh, and a new word of the day - omnicide. Wonderfully macabre.
September 27, 2026
Preachy
I usually always enjoy Mr Robinson's books, and this is a little enjoyable. It's also a quick skim read. He fills this with superfluous conversations, diatribe and self-righteousness. Very preachy.
The story is not a serious one at all, not what I expected. A lot of humour, some actually funny, most of the book is a joke really. Like how pathetic the alien soldiers are.
He writes at the end giving us his reasoning for the colonialism story which takes up most of this book - and it seems like the sci-fi story was just quickly tossed together in order to push his thoughts. The irony, and funny thing for me is that he has a go at Columbus (rightly so), but he misses out extremely pertinent info about who Columbus really was. His characters, especially Tal - one of the worst characters I have ever read - are so self-righteous, talking about not killing, taking things from the Bible out of context, hitting out at Hitler and such. It's a pity the author isn't as knowledgeable and well read as he thinks - he'd know a lot more about the Austrian painter if he was. The romance is rubbish, let me be frank, it's clichéd and cringe. If that was deliberate then well executed old chap. Same goes for the silly Gen-X nonsense.
I usually always enjoy Mr Robinson's books, and this is a little enjoyable. It's also a quick skim read. He fills this with superfluous conversations, diatribe and self-righteousness. Very preachy.
The story is not a serious one at all, not what I expected. A lot of humour, some actually funny, most of the book is a joke really. Like how pathetic the alien soldiers are.
He writes at the end giving us his reasoning for the colonialism story which takes up most of this book - and it seems like the sci-fi story was just quickly tossed together in order to push his thoughts. The irony, and funny thing for me is that he has a go at Columbus (rightly so), but he misses out extremely pertinent info about who Columbus really was. His characters, especially Tal - one of the worst characters I have ever read - are so self-righteous, talking about not killing, taking things from the Bible out of context, hitting out at Hitler and such. It's a pity the author isn't as knowledgeable and well read as he thinks - he'd know a lot more about the Austrian painter if he was. The romance is rubbish, let me be frank, it's clichéd and cringe. If that was deliberate then well executed old chap. Same goes for the silly Gen-X nonsense.
August 27, 2026
Settle Down is such a great read! I absolutely loved the characters in this book and enjoyed being along for the ride. And what a ride it was! I was sorry when this book was finished because I didn't want this story to end. Definitely a 5 star read for me.
September 13, 2026
Stranded after a plane crash, survivors see strange lights in the sky, when they return to civilisation, they find it gone with aliens in its place. Interesting story, although the ending was slightly unexpected, with humans taking control.
October 28, 2026
6.0/10 | ★★★☆☆
Jeremy Robinson has been on my radar for a while, with Artifact already sitting on my TBR, but Settle Down became my introduction almost by accident. It appeared among the recommendations after another book, and the premise caught my attention. A survival story that develops into an apocalyptic first-contact adventure sounded close enough to several things I enjoy to warrant a look.
For a good portion of the book, I was happy with that decision. By the end, I was considerably less convinced by the story, although I can’t say I wasn’t entertained.
The setup follows a group of plane-crash survivors stranded on an island. Their immediate concerns are familiar enough: getting their bearings, staying alive, and finding a way home. Strange occurrences gradually suggest that something larger is happening beyond their immediate predicament. Eventually, the island survival story gives way to a broader science-fiction scenario involving alien contact and humanity’s survival.
That combination has potential, and Robinson keeps things moving. The prose is accessible, the dialogue has an informal, contemporary quality, and there is usually another development waiting to pull you forward. I read it quickly and rarely struggled to stay interested. Whatever reservations I developed, boredom was generally not among them.
I also think a book deserves to be judged with some understanding of its ambitions. Settle Down seems perfectly comfortable being an accessible, action-driven adventure. I wasn’t expecting elaborate prose or a profound meditation on humanity’s place in the universe. Sometimes I want an entertaining story that I can tear through, and on that level, this delivers.
My problems were with how that entertainment was assembled.
I recently became familiar with the distinction between “plotters,” who outline their stories in advance, and “pantsers,” who discover them as they write. I have no idea which approach Robinson actually uses, but this book frequently gave me the impression of a story discovering its direction one development at a time. Events keep happening, yet the connections between them can feel loose. The narrative moves quickly while somehow also feeling meandering, because forward motion doesn’t always come with a convincing sense of purpose.
There were threads that seemed insufficiently resolved, decisions I struggled to accept, and developments whose implications didn’t appear to carry through consistently. I found myself wondering whether the story had fully considered what its own revelations meant. Once a book establishes something as true, I expect subsequent events to account for it.
The ending brought that concern into focus. It does provide resolution, which I appreciated. My frustration was that the route to that resolution felt insufficiently prepared. I could see where Robinson wanted to leave the characters, but I didn’t feel that everything leading there had been arranged with enough care. It had the feeling of an answer reached because the story needed to finish, rather than an outcome made persuasive by what came before.
The cast also took longer to settle into place than I would have liked. We meet a substantial group early on, before we have much basis for understanding whose stories deserve our attention. Some become important, others recede, and initially I found myself trying to remember people before I had much reason to care about them. I tend to connect more easily with an ensemble when introductions happen gradually, allowing each relationship to establish itself.
Then there is the science fiction itself. I don’t require speculative fiction to be scientifically conservative. I’m happy to accept an extraordinary premise, provided its consequences remain reasonably consistent. Here, the capabilities of the alien technology seemed difficult to reconcile across different situations. Without getting into spoilers, the scale of what that technology can accomplish in one context makes its limitations elsewhere hard to understand.
That inconsistency weakened the tension for me. If I can’t develop a reliable sense of what a threat can do, it becomes harder to judge either the danger or the ingenuity required to overcome it.
Ultimately, I enjoyed reading Settle Down more than I admired it afterward. That earns it 3-stars on Goodreads, and a 6.0/10 on my personal scale. There is enough momentum here to make it a reasonable companion for a long flight, but too many structural and logical problems for me to recommend it without qualification. I’m still interested in trying Artifact. I just suspect that, a year or two from now, I may remember very little of this particular adventure.
Jeremy Robinson has been on my radar for a while, with Artifact already sitting on my TBR, but Settle Down became my introduction almost by accident. It appeared among the recommendations after another book, and the premise caught my attention. A survival story that develops into an apocalyptic first-contact adventure sounded close enough to several things I enjoy to warrant a look.
For a good portion of the book, I was happy with that decision. By the end, I was considerably less convinced by the story, although I can’t say I wasn’t entertained.
The setup follows a group of plane-crash survivors stranded on an island. Their immediate concerns are familiar enough: getting their bearings, staying alive, and finding a way home. Strange occurrences gradually suggest that something larger is happening beyond their immediate predicament. Eventually, the island survival story gives way to a broader science-fiction scenario involving alien contact and humanity’s survival.
That combination has potential, and Robinson keeps things moving. The prose is accessible, the dialogue has an informal, contemporary quality, and there is usually another development waiting to pull you forward. I read it quickly and rarely struggled to stay interested. Whatever reservations I developed, boredom was generally not among them.
I also think a book deserves to be judged with some understanding of its ambitions. Settle Down seems perfectly comfortable being an accessible, action-driven adventure. I wasn’t expecting elaborate prose or a profound meditation on humanity’s place in the universe. Sometimes I want an entertaining story that I can tear through, and on that level, this delivers.
My problems were with how that entertainment was assembled.
I recently became familiar with the distinction between “plotters,” who outline their stories in advance, and “pantsers,” who discover them as they write. I have no idea which approach Robinson actually uses, but this book frequently gave me the impression of a story discovering its direction one development at a time. Events keep happening, yet the connections between them can feel loose. The narrative moves quickly while somehow also feeling meandering, because forward motion doesn’t always come with a convincing sense of purpose.
There were threads that seemed insufficiently resolved, decisions I struggled to accept, and developments whose implications didn’t appear to carry through consistently. I found myself wondering whether the story had fully considered what its own revelations meant. Once a book establishes something as true, I expect subsequent events to account for it.
The ending brought that concern into focus. It does provide resolution, which I appreciated. My frustration was that the route to that resolution felt insufficiently prepared. I could see where Robinson wanted to leave the characters, but I didn’t feel that everything leading there had been arranged with enough care. It had the feeling of an answer reached because the story needed to finish, rather than an outcome made persuasive by what came before.
The cast also took longer to settle into place than I would have liked. We meet a substantial group early on, before we have much basis for understanding whose stories deserve our attention. Some become important, others recede, and initially I found myself trying to remember people before I had much reason to care about them. I tend to connect more easily with an ensemble when introductions happen gradually, allowing each relationship to establish itself.
Then there is the science fiction itself. I don’t require speculative fiction to be scientifically conservative. I’m happy to accept an extraordinary premise, provided its consequences remain reasonably consistent. Here, the capabilities of the alien technology seemed difficult to reconcile across different situations. Without getting into spoilers, the scale of what that technology can accomplish in one context makes its limitations elsewhere hard to understand.
That inconsistency weakened the tension for me. If I can’t develop a reliable sense of what a threat can do, it becomes harder to judge either the danger or the ingenuity required to overcome it.
Ultimately, I enjoyed reading Settle Down more than I admired it afterward. That earns it 3-stars on Goodreads, and a 6.0/10 on my personal scale. There is enough momentum here to make it a reasonable companion for a long flight, but too many structural and logical problems for me to recommend it without qualification. I’m still interested in trying Artifact. I just suspect that, a year or two from now, I may remember very little of this particular adventure.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Darude Meets Eminem. In this tale, the New God of Science Fiction gets more overtly political than in any other book I've ever read from him - and I met the guy back in *MySpace* back when he had just two books available (both via Print On Demand in the pre-Kindle era before this was anywhere near as common as it is now), so I've read them *all*. And yet he gets political in ways that I had to point blank ask him "Is this characterization based on *me*?", as in the very first scene where the politics is directly introduced, the character espousing it is said to be a former Southern Baptist from Georgia who now more wrestles with their faith, but the exact topics discussed here are things that I *know* I have openly discussed a few times over the years in arenas where Robinson could have seen those discussions.
Beyond the directly personal and/ or overtly political though, this really is Robinson going yet again into areas even long time fans like me would have never guessed. Yes, he has done some elements of various pieces of this story in other ways and in other overt setups, but he has never before put the together in quite this manner or with really even close to this actual sequence. Thus keeping even long time fans on our toes... while still ultimately delivering the same kind of kickass balls to the wall scifi thriller adventure that we've come to know and love from him.
So come for an adventure unlike any you've ever seen. Seriously, this tale ranges from at times Emily Bleeker to at other times Orson Scott Card or even Richard Phillips (his "Second Ship" trilogies in particular), and it even has at least some elements of the 2000s era Battlestar Galactica remake... (Let's see who catches *that* connection other than myself. ;) ) It has heart. It has humor. It has action. It has thought provoking moments and moments that will make you question everything you know and believe.
And yes, it has elements such that apparently Dr Dre *also* sent one Jeremy Robinson along with Marshall Mathers to "piss the world off". Seriously, if you're not at least mildly offended by *something* in this book, I'm going to start questioning your humanity, truly. And yet, even here, even at his most overtly political... everything included here is in direct service to the story Robinson is telling here. Your mileage will absolutely vary on the politics at hand, but see the earlier sentences of this paragraph and read the damn book anyway. You'll have fun, no matter your politics - and again, I'm going to question your humanity if you don't. Because this book has bits of damn near everything anyone could want in a book - showing how Robinson truly is the New God of Science Fiction.
Very much recommended.
Beyond the directly personal and/ or overtly political though, this really is Robinson going yet again into areas even long time fans like me would have never guessed. Yes, he has done some elements of various pieces of this story in other ways and in other overt setups, but he has never before put the together in quite this manner or with really even close to this actual sequence. Thus keeping even long time fans on our toes... while still ultimately delivering the same kind of kickass balls to the wall scifi thriller adventure that we've come to know and love from him.
So come for an adventure unlike any you've ever seen. Seriously, this tale ranges from at times Emily Bleeker to at other times Orson Scott Card or even Richard Phillips (his "Second Ship" trilogies in particular), and it even has at least some elements of the 2000s era Battlestar Galactica remake... (Let's see who catches *that* connection other than myself. ;) ) It has heart. It has humor. It has action. It has thought provoking moments and moments that will make you question everything you know and believe.
And yes, it has elements such that apparently Dr Dre *also* sent one Jeremy Robinson along with Marshall Mathers to "piss the world off". Seriously, if you're not at least mildly offended by *something* in this book, I'm going to start questioning your humanity, truly. And yet, even here, even at his most overtly political... everything included here is in direct service to the story Robinson is telling here. Your mileage will absolutely vary on the politics at hand, but see the earlier sentences of this paragraph and read the damn book anyway. You'll have fun, no matter your politics - and again, I'm going to question your humanity if you don't. Because this book has bits of damn near everything anyone could want in a book - showing how Robinson truly is the New God of Science Fiction.
Very much recommended.
November 1, 2026
*Settle Down* by Jeremy Robinson sounds like a thrilling and unpredictable science-fiction adventure that takes the familiar idea of survival after a disaster and turns it into something much bigger and more terrifying. The premise immediately draws readers into a desperate situation: a plane crash, a remote island, limited supplies, growing distrust, and a group of strangers forced to depend on one another when every decision could mean life or death.
What makes the story especially intriguing is the way it appears to build tension in stages. Clayton Reed begins by trying to manage the immediate challenges of survival, but the strange lights in the sky and the mysterious activity beyond the island gradually reveal that their predicament is only a small part of a much larger catastrophe. The arrival of the luxury yacht adds another unexpected twist, replacing one dangerous environment with a new set of uncertainties just as the scale of the threat becomes clear.
The combination of psychological tension, survival drama, dark humor, and an alien invasion gives the novel an appealing genre-mashup quality. Clayton's reluctant leadership also offers an interesting character-driven dimension, particularly as the survivors struggle with fear, grief, scarcity, and the difficulty of trusting one another.
Based on its description, *Settle Down* promises a fast-moving, imaginative thriller that keeps raising the stakes while challenging expectations about what a survival story can become. It's an intriguing choice for readers who enjoy science fiction with high-pressure situations, unpredictable developments, and an apocalyptic threat that makes even the most immediate dangers seem small.
What makes the story especially intriguing is the way it appears to build tension in stages. Clayton Reed begins by trying to manage the immediate challenges of survival, but the strange lights in the sky and the mysterious activity beyond the island gradually reveal that their predicament is only a small part of a much larger catastrophe. The arrival of the luxury yacht adds another unexpected twist, replacing one dangerous environment with a new set of uncertainties just as the scale of the threat becomes clear.
The combination of psychological tension, survival drama, dark humor, and an alien invasion gives the novel an appealing genre-mashup quality. Clayton's reluctant leadership also offers an interesting character-driven dimension, particularly as the survivors struggle with fear, grief, scarcity, and the difficulty of trusting one another.
Based on its description, *Settle Down* promises a fast-moving, imaginative thriller that keeps raising the stakes while challenging expectations about what a survival story can become. It's an intriguing choice for readers who enjoy science fiction with high-pressure situations, unpredictable developments, and an apocalyptic threat that makes even the most immediate dangers seem small.
October 16, 2026
A plane crash, a deserted island, and an ALIEN INVASION?! This book really said surviving a plane crash was just the beginning. 😂
Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson was such an entertaining, fast-paced sci-fi read! I loved how the story started with a group of survivors stranded on an island, struggling to find food and water, only for things to escalate into something so much bigger and more chaotic than they could have imagined.
One of my favorite aspects was the post-apocalyptic setting. I love a good end-of-the-world scenario, especially when characters are forced to navigate unpredictable situations and figure out how to survive when everything around them is falling apart. This book definitely delivered on that front!
I also really enjoyed the characters and the pacing. There was always something happening, and I found myself wanting to know what would happen next. I appreciated how the stakes continued to rise throughout the story, taking the characters from a survival situation to something on a much larger scale. The escalation made the whole experience incredibly entertaining.
And can we talk about the luxury yacht stocked with food, weapons, and a fortune in cocaine? Because WHAT?! 😂 That was one of those moments where I genuinely had to pause and process everything happening.
Overall, if you enjoy fast-paced science fiction, alien invasions, survival stories, and post-apocalyptic chaos, Settle Down is definitely worth adding to your TBR. It kept me entertained and turning the pages, and I had a great time with this one!
Thank you to Podium Entertainment for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson was such an entertaining, fast-paced sci-fi read! I loved how the story started with a group of survivors stranded on an island, struggling to find food and water, only for things to escalate into something so much bigger and more chaotic than they could have imagined.
One of my favorite aspects was the post-apocalyptic setting. I love a good end-of-the-world scenario, especially when characters are forced to navigate unpredictable situations and figure out how to survive when everything around them is falling apart. This book definitely delivered on that front!
I also really enjoyed the characters and the pacing. There was always something happening, and I found myself wanting to know what would happen next. I appreciated how the stakes continued to rise throughout the story, taking the characters from a survival situation to something on a much larger scale. The escalation made the whole experience incredibly entertaining.
And can we talk about the luxury yacht stocked with food, weapons, and a fortune in cocaine? Because WHAT?! 😂 That was one of those moments where I genuinely had to pause and process everything happening.
Overall, if you enjoy fast-paced science fiction, alien invasions, survival stories, and post-apocalyptic chaos, Settle Down is definitely worth adding to your TBR. It kept me entertained and turning the pages, and I had a great time with this one!
Thank you to Podium Entertainment for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
September 23, 2026
I really enjoyed Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson and give it 4.5 stars.
The story starts with survivors of a plane crash stranded on an uninhabited island, which would have been enough of a survival story on its own. But when they finally escape, they discover that something much bigger has happened: an alien invasion has wiped out most of the world’s population. From there, the survivors have to figure out what happened, how to survive in this completely changed world, and eventually how they might fight back.
I loved the premise, but what really kept me listening was how quickly the story moved and how unpredictable it was. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, the story would take another turn. The characters were interesting and well developed, and I especially liked the relationships between them. Alien-invasion stories don’t always have this level of characterization, and I thought that made the story much more interesting and engaging.
I finished this book in just a few days, which is much faster than I normally get through an audiobook. I kept wanting to find out what happened next, and that’s always a sign that a book has really hooked me.
And, of course, R.C. Bray’s narration was excellent. He’s one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and he was a great fit for this story.
Fast-paced, suspenseful, and fun. Definitely worth a listen. 4.5 stars.
The story starts with survivors of a plane crash stranded on an uninhabited island, which would have been enough of a survival story on its own. But when they finally escape, they discover that something much bigger has happened: an alien invasion has wiped out most of the world’s population. From there, the survivors have to figure out what happened, how to survive in this completely changed world, and eventually how they might fight back.
I loved the premise, but what really kept me listening was how quickly the story moved and how unpredictable it was. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, the story would take another turn. The characters were interesting and well developed, and I especially liked the relationships between them. Alien-invasion stories don’t always have this level of characterization, and I thought that made the story much more interesting and engaging.
I finished this book in just a few days, which is much faster than I normally get through an audiobook. I kept wanting to find out what happened next, and that’s always a sign that a book has really hooked me.
And, of course, R.C. Bray’s narration was excellent. He’s one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and he was a great fit for this story.
Fast-paced, suspenseful, and fun. Definitely worth a listen. 4.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2026
I have never felt so conflicted on a book. To start, these are some of the most obnoxiously written characters I have ever read. This is probably peak competence porn right here. The main character can do practically anything just because he is a Gen X'er. And when something needs done one random member of the group is, for whatever reason, an expert in it. This is the mostly poorly thought out group of college students I have read since Johnstone's Trigger Warning. The constant reference to each character's generation, as if that were short hand to any sort of character development. The utter abuse of slang was cringy at best. And the description of every female character... even the aliens once they learn which ones are female. I nearly DNF'd about 1/3 of the way in. The story awkwardly starts in the middle of things already happening, which sometimes works, but here left me feeling like I missed a few chapters. I stuck with it and the story didn't go where I was expecting it to. There were some interesting ideas in here, and even potentially some commentary on colonialism and the culpability of individuals in such activities. This could have been great in much more skilled hands. There is really something interesting hidden beneath all of this crap. But who wants to dig through that? Two stars is as generous as I can be here.
August 25, 2026
I came to Settle Down, Jeremy had other plans…
Writing reviews is quite challenging for me. I read a book, finish it, and when it comes time to Settle Down and write a review, I can’t remember everything I loved about the story. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I get so engulfed in it that I forget to settle down and take mental notes.
What I do remember is how I felt the entire time I was reading. Most nights I read after getting the kids to bed, and it usually settles me down and nearly puts me to sleep. Unless… it’s a Jeremy Robinson book. Settle Down is no exception.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers, this is another one that deserves a spot in your library. It’s got the intense imagination, relentless pacing, and trademark humor I’ve come to expect from JR.
And, well… being a Millennial, this book introduced me to a whole new vocabulary I’d never heard before. No cap. (Did I use that right?)
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: if you’re looking for a fast-paced, fun, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller loaded with pop culture references, this one absolutely slaps.
Now quit reading my review, Settle Down, and go read this book.
Writing reviews is quite challenging for me. I read a book, finish it, and when it comes time to Settle Down and write a review, I can’t remember everything I loved about the story. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I get so engulfed in it that I forget to settle down and take mental notes.
What I do remember is how I felt the entire time I was reading. Most nights I read after getting the kids to bed, and it usually settles me down and nearly puts me to sleep. Unless… it’s a Jeremy Robinson book. Settle Down is no exception.
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers, this is another one that deserves a spot in your library. It’s got the intense imagination, relentless pacing, and trademark humor I’ve come to expect from JR.
And, well… being a Millennial, this book introduced me to a whole new vocabulary I’d never heard before. No cap. (Did I use that right?)
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: if you’re looking for a fast-paced, fun, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller loaded with pop culture references, this one absolutely slaps.
Now quit reading my review, Settle Down, and go read this book.
August 31, 2026
I really enjoyed Settle Down. Maybe it’s because I’m Gen X and found the protagonist unusually relatable, or maybe part of me is just waiting for someone to interrupt normal middle-aged life with an adventure. Either way, this book really worked for me.
It was refreshing to read an adventure with a protagonist at a stage of life I could identify with. The humour, perspective, relationships and frustrations felt familiar, and that made it much easier to become invested when ordinary life started becoming anything but ordinary.
The story moves quickly, has a great sense of fun, and kept making me want to read just one more chapter. What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed simply going along for the ride. I finished it wishing the adventure wasn’t over yet.
If you’re Gen X, I suspect there are going to be quite a few moments in Settle Down that feel particularly familiar. Even if you’re not, there’s plenty here for anyone looking for a fast, entertaining adventure.
I received an advance reader copy of Settle Down. This is my honest review.
It was refreshing to read an adventure with a protagonist at a stage of life I could identify with. The humour, perspective, relationships and frustrations felt familiar, and that made it much easier to become invested when ordinary life started becoming anything but ordinary.
The story moves quickly, has a great sense of fun, and kept making me want to read just one more chapter. What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed simply going along for the ride. I finished it wishing the adventure wasn’t over yet.
If you’re Gen X, I suspect there are going to be quite a few moments in Settle Down that feel particularly familiar. Even if you’re not, there’s plenty here for anyone looking for a fast, entertaining adventure.
I received an advance reader copy of Settle Down. This is my honest review.
August 26, 2026
Blew Away My Expectations!
Settle Down is wild, genre blending/bending thriller that absolutely blew me away. I had high expectations going in, as I do for everything Robinson writes, but got so much more than I imagined. Robinson has officially reached auteur status! The opening chapter is all it will take to get you hooked, and give you one insight into just how different Settle Down is compared to other first contact/ alien invasion thriller. Despite the dark nature of the writing, there are a few laugh-out-loud interspersed throughout the death and destruction, making it that much more enjoyable! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended for fans of apocalyptic survival thrillers, alien invasion thrillers, sci-fi thrillers and anyone interested in what might be the most interesting book I've read all years. Kudos to Robinson for somehow setting the bar even higher than the also phenomenal 'Parrallax', it couldn't have been easy!
Settle Down is wild, genre blending/bending thriller that absolutely blew me away. I had high expectations going in, as I do for everything Robinson writes, but got so much more than I imagined. Robinson has officially reached auteur status! The opening chapter is all it will take to get you hooked, and give you one insight into just how different Settle Down is compared to other first contact/ alien invasion thriller. Despite the dark nature of the writing, there are a few laugh-out-loud interspersed throughout the death and destruction, making it that much more enjoyable! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended for fans of apocalyptic survival thrillers, alien invasion thrillers, sci-fi thrillers and anyone interested in what might be the most interesting book I've read all years. Kudos to Robinson for somehow setting the bar even higher than the also phenomenal 'Parrallax', it couldn't have been easy!
October 7, 2026
This was one heck of a surprise- after I'd finished the most recent Bobiverse installment, this was the "recommended preview" that Audible threw my way. Admittedly, I had another book in mind that I was going to start- but after maybe 5 minutes of reading that, I went "nah, fuck this, I want to know more of what was going on in that preview book." Here I am throwing 5 stars at it and thinking "wow, that was fresh, interesting, fun, engaging, simultaneously light enough to be a fun read and heavy enough to be thought provoking, and different." I have some very minor complaints- but those are nowhere near outshining the fun i had with this
November 11, 2026
Cozy Dystopian/ First Contact?
If you think surviving a plane crash on a remote island is the worst luck imaginable, Jeremy Robinson is here to prove you wrong. While the world is literally falling apart, Robinson injects sharp wit and absurd situations that keep the pacing fast and addictive.
At its core, Settle Down ★★★★ is a fantastic story of human resilience. Watching a mismatched group of ordinary people—art students, a grieving widow, and an unprepared professor—adapt, clash, and ultimately fight to endure against impossible odds gives the chaos real heart.
If you are looking for a sci-fi thriller that will have you laughing out loud, this one is an absolute must-read. I am glad I stumbled upon it.
366 pages on Kindle accompanied by Audible narrated by the great R.C. Bray who also was the original voice of the Martian.
If you think surviving a plane crash on a remote island is the worst luck imaginable, Jeremy Robinson is here to prove you wrong. While the world is literally falling apart, Robinson injects sharp wit and absurd situations that keep the pacing fast and addictive.
At its core, Settle Down ★★★★ is a fantastic story of human resilience. Watching a mismatched group of ordinary people—art students, a grieving widow, and an unprepared professor—adapt, clash, and ultimately fight to endure against impossible odds gives the chaos real heart.
If you are looking for a sci-fi thriller that will have you laughing out loud, this one is an absolute must-read. I am glad I stumbled upon it.
366 pages on Kindle accompanied by Audible narrated by the great R.C. Bray who also was the original voice of the Martian.
August 31, 2026
I'd give it more stars if I could.
I love to read, but struggle to find books that immediately grab my attention. I need this, or I quickly become bored and have a hard time getting through a book. Jeremy Robinson hasn't disappointed me yet, but Settle Down not only managed to grab me in the first chapter and not let go, it also made it hard for me to focus on my daily tasks. 😄 I'm a rather slow reader, but I completed Settle Down in three days, which is very fast for me. I never thought I was into UFO/alien novels until I started reading Jeremy Robinson. This book puts a very different spin on that genre. From start to finish, I absolutely loved this book. The action and humor are great. I love the characters, and alien pets.😄
I love to read, but struggle to find books that immediately grab my attention. I need this, or I quickly become bored and have a hard time getting through a book. Jeremy Robinson hasn't disappointed me yet, but Settle Down not only managed to grab me in the first chapter and not let go, it also made it hard for me to focus on my daily tasks. 😄 I'm a rather slow reader, but I completed Settle Down in three days, which is very fast for me. I never thought I was into UFO/alien novels until I started reading Jeremy Robinson. This book puts a very different spin on that genre. From start to finish, I absolutely loved this book. The action and humor are great. I love the characters, and alien pets.😄
September 7, 2026
I like Jeremy Robinson. His books are fun and inventive and this is certainly true of Settle Down. But for as readable and clever as it is, it is also the preachiest book I have read from him. In the afterward, he says that it was not written in response to any current controversies and I believe him, but it also fails to recognize that many people today don’t want to be preached at, considering the amount of preaching we have to endure in any given day. I don’t fault him for preaching any more than he could fault me for not liking it. Again, the story and characters are great and aside from this glaring issue (as well as theological pronouncements that illustrate a lack intensive study), Settle Down was an enjoyable read.
October 12, 2026
Lightweight, but enjoyable
I'll tell you this much. Read the author's notes first. It might change the way you look at this novel. I didn't find it until after, and now I wonder if my perception of the book would be different.
The source material seems light by comparison. I found it to be an enjoyable read with a decent mystery up front and shallow-to-mid character development.
But here's the thing: It still gets four stars—primarily because of the strength of the first half of the book. That's the real gem here
After San Francisco, there's a steady decline in pacing and direction. Too much hand wavy stuff and no real sense of peril—which, given the inspiration, should have been much weightier. The payoff at the end wasn't there for me.
I'll tell you this much. Read the author's notes first. It might change the way you look at this novel. I didn't find it until after, and now I wonder if my perception of the book would be different.
The source material seems light by comparison. I found it to be an enjoyable read with a decent mystery up front and shallow-to-mid character development.
But here's the thing: It still gets four stars—primarily because of the strength of the first half of the book. That's the real gem here
After San Francisco, there's a steady decline in pacing and direction. Too much hand wavy stuff and no real sense of peril—which, given the inspiration, should have been much weightier. The payoff at the end wasn't there for me.
August 25, 2026
Read this book!
If you've never read anything by Jeremy Robinson, this is a great introduction to his work. It combines all of the greatest things that he includes when he tells a story.
There's humor, there's pop culture references, there are rich characters, and the descriptions of each "scene" in the novel are so detailed you can clearly see in your mind what is happening.
I highly recommend to anyone who loves sci-fi, or anyone who is looking for a new author.
You won't be sorry, I promise!!
If you've never read anything by Jeremy Robinson, this is a great introduction to his work. It combines all of the greatest things that he includes when he tells a story.
There's humor, there's pop culture references, there are rich characters, and the descriptions of each "scene" in the novel are so detailed you can clearly see in your mind what is happening.
I highly recommend to anyone who loves sci-fi, or anyone who is looking for a new author.
You won't be sorry, I promise!!
September 14, 2026
Good, fast, and funny sci-fi thriller
This was "just the thing" I needed inbetween other longer, more dense (and more challenging) reads. A beach read. It's light, fast, and a lot of fun. The characters are all well developed and supported so that, as in any well-crafted story, I came to care what happened to each of them. There are sections where the author gets a big bogged down and some of the descriptive language is a bit over the top but all in all, the story moves along nicely and I enjoyed from start to end.
This was "just the thing" I needed inbetween other longer, more dense (and more challenging) reads. A beach read. It's light, fast, and a lot of fun. The characters are all well developed and supported so that, as in any well-crafted story, I came to care what happened to each of them. There are sections where the author gets a big bogged down and some of the descriptive language is a bit over the top but all in all, the story moves along nicely and I enjoyed from start to end.
September 28, 2026
What a wild ride it took me on. My TV fandom Lost loving heart especially enjoyed the first half, where a professor is stranded on an island with some of his students and other unique characters. Their survival journey turned into a dystopian level fight as the world they found again wasn’t the same they left (there was aliens!). Each character was well developed and the plot was fast-moving. As a reader who doesn’t normally pick up books in the sci-fi genre, this one kept my interest.
3.5 stars
Thanks to Podium for the paperback
3.5 stars
Thanks to Podium for the paperback
August 25, 2026
Another fantastic adventure from Robinson
I always look forward to a new book from this author and he rarely disappoints. This was one of his better stand alone stories (I don't know but I'm willing to bet that it'll be referenced again in another book like 5 years from now). Anyway, I liked the story and the last act was pretty sweet. Jeremy , please keep up the fantastic work and as someone who was born in 81' you nailed it!
I always look forward to a new book from this author and he rarely disappoints. This was one of his better stand alone stories (I don't know but I'm willing to bet that it'll be referenced again in another book like 5 years from now). Anyway, I liked the story and the last act was pretty sweet. Jeremy , please keep up the fantastic work and as someone who was born in 81' you nailed it!
September 1, 2026
Take me to your Leader
Another solid Sci-fi adventure from my favorite author. A tail of Alien vs Human as well as a little Young vs Old. There are some horrid goings on but the way Mr Robinson meshes humor throughout the story kept me from focusing not on the things that were done but rather on the developing story. In the end you're pretty psyched to be human even if there's not that many of us left. I highly recommend this book and you can see what I mean for yourself.
Another solid Sci-fi adventure from my favorite author. A tail of Alien vs Human as well as a little Young vs Old. There are some horrid goings on but the way Mr Robinson meshes humor throughout the story kept me from focusing not on the things that were done but rather on the developing story. In the end you're pretty psyched to be human even if there's not that many of us left. I highly recommend this book and you can see what I mean for yourself.
September 26, 2026
One reviewer said he was preachy in this book. I didn't see it that way. To me the motive of preachy is to sway people to one particular side. Mr. Robinson was more like contemplating the different aspects of colonization. But in an entertaining way. Once again the imagination of Mr. Robinson shows through by providing us with another amazing story completely unique to all other stories he has written, and likely rarely, if ever, written in the past.
November 4, 2026
I wanted to give this 5 stars because the writing and storytelling is, as usual with Jeremy Robinson, amazing. I had to knock at least one star for spewing progressive uninformed attitudes and untruths about Christopher Columbus, but he isn’t the only one who has accepted those lies. Otherwise however the science fiction and character building is excellent, and it is kind of refreshing to get a fully stand alone novel instead of being pulled into a new book series.
August 25, 2026
Excellent story
Another excellent story from Jeremy. Along with being a great story it is also very thought provoking. Without giving any spoilers I would like to state that I would NEVER do what the characters of my age group did. Also I fully support what you know who did to you know who. Now comes the hard part, waiting for his next book.
Another excellent story from Jeremy. Along with being a great story it is also very thought provoking. Without giving any spoilers I would like to state that I would NEVER do what the characters of my age group did. Also I fully support what you know who did to you know who. Now comes the hard part, waiting for his next book.
August 30, 2026
As is usual with Mr Robinson, ANOTHER cracking read, this time a different take on the ‘Earth invasion’ genre. As is the way with Jeremy’s stories there are strong characters, good story, action all wrapped up with his unique brand of humour, if your a fan of Jeremy’s work, or yet to experience any, give it a go.
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