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Deep: The Climb of Truth
A young woman, a world of threats and zombies! *****
"It was hard to imagine my father as anything other than that to me, I couldn't think of him as a killer"
A young woman named Dee steps into a world of discovery and fear. Having been brought up isolated from civilisation she is separated from her father and her so-called home. She sets out on a journey through a world of danger and mystery; risking everything to stay alive and reunite with her father Eli. Eli who leads a secret life, entwined in dark and dangerous military experiments that threaten human existence.
"This book had me gripped from the beginning to the very end. I can't wait to read the next book 5*"
"I read the first few lines I was gripped! Thrilling and leaving you anticipating what on earth was going to happen next. Couldn't wait to read the following chapters."
"Really enjoyed this book. A real page-turner with twists and turns and unexpected surprises aplenty! Looking forward to more from this author 5 *"
- GenresZombies
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2019
11 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Christopher CJ Aggett
3 books14 followersChristopher Aggett is an author, podcaster, and passionate advocate for the writing community. As the founder and co-host of The Writing Community Chat Show, he has built a platform that connects writers, authors, and creatives from around the world. Through insightful interviews, engaging discussions, and a touch of humor, Christopher has helped demystify the publishing industry while inspiring countless aspiring writers.
Beyond podcasting, Christopher is a dedicated storyteller with a love for crafting compelling narratives, particularly in the sci-fi and horror genres. His work often explores thought-provoking themes, pushing the boundaries of imagination while remaining deeply human at its core.
In addition to writing and podcasting, Christopher is expanding his creative ventures by developing a clothing brand for The Writing Community Chat Show, launching digital resources for writers, and even stepping into filmmaking with a community-led horror movie project in South Wales.
Driven by a desire to uplift and support fellow creatives, Christopher continues to grow The Writing Community Chat Show into a thriving hub for storytelling, education, and entertainment. Whether through the written word, live conversations, or innovative new projects, his mission remains the same: to celebrate writers and their stories.
Beyond podcasting, Christopher is a dedicated storyteller with a love for crafting compelling narratives, particularly in the sci-fi and horror genres. His work often explores thought-provoking themes, pushing the boundaries of imagination while remaining deeply human at its core.
In addition to writing and podcasting, Christopher is expanding his creative ventures by developing a clothing brand for The Writing Community Chat Show, launching digital resources for writers, and even stepping into filmmaking with a community-led horror movie project in South Wales.
Driven by a desire to uplift and support fellow creatives, Christopher continues to grow The Writing Community Chat Show into a thriving hub for storytelling, education, and entertainment. Whether through the written word, live conversations, or innovative new projects, his mission remains the same: to celebrate writers and their stories.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 23, 2020
The writing of this book stands out as the literary equivalent of an indisputably entrancing movie, one in which you’d rather thirst than miss pieces of the whole.
The protagonist, Daisy’s character sketch was beautiful. I felt the parade of emotions that swept through her as she accidently found herself into the chaos she had no clue about, having lived in the forest all her life.
Ask yourself: How, just how dismal can it be to discover right in the middle of a town slowly being engulfed by flames and almost-invincible zombies, that every single bit of your life has been a lie?
I refuse to reveal much about what I have read but there are two important segments in the novel where you are bound to be ambushed. It is here that I knee-jerked beyond what one could expect out of the story that lead up to it. It was difficult to accept what I met with at these conjectures, as Daisy secures an odd comfort amongst people who have overturned the only vestige of knowledge she carried about the world.
Beyond all reader experience, my involvement with a couple of the chapters meshed so deep, that I recall refraining myself from reading on into the night around that time, deterring myself from the uninterrupted immersion that a zero-traffic nighttime could offer. You guessed the reason I believe—-the tension in those parts had me walking on eggshells!
This only goes to show the writer’s expertise in pushing the reader on edge.
A small line of the story sketch—-a town is coming to a demolition. Why? Because an experiment has horribly gone wrong. Who is Daisy? The protagonist.
What is she discovering? ________
What will you discover? ________________
😉
You will love it!
You will hunger for the sequelae at the end of the book!
My review can also be found here--> http://nilanjanahaldar.com/book-revie...
The protagonist, Daisy’s character sketch was beautiful. I felt the parade of emotions that swept through her as she accidently found herself into the chaos she had no clue about, having lived in the forest all her life.
Ask yourself: How, just how dismal can it be to discover right in the middle of a town slowly being engulfed by flames and almost-invincible zombies, that every single bit of your life has been a lie?
I refuse to reveal much about what I have read but there are two important segments in the novel where you are bound to be ambushed. It is here that I knee-jerked beyond what one could expect out of the story that lead up to it. It was difficult to accept what I met with at these conjectures, as Daisy secures an odd comfort amongst people who have overturned the only vestige of knowledge she carried about the world.
Beyond all reader experience, my involvement with a couple of the chapters meshed so deep, that I recall refraining myself from reading on into the night around that time, deterring myself from the uninterrupted immersion that a zero-traffic nighttime could offer. You guessed the reason I believe—-the tension in those parts had me walking on eggshells!
This only goes to show the writer’s expertise in pushing the reader on edge.
A small line of the story sketch—-a town is coming to a demolition. Why? Because an experiment has horribly gone wrong. Who is Daisy? The protagonist.
What is she discovering? ________
What will you discover? ________________
😉
You will love it!
You will hunger for the sequelae at the end of the book!
My review can also be found here--> http://nilanjanahaldar.com/book-revie...
April 28, 2020
What a ride! I read DEEP: THE CLIMB OF TRUTH by Christopher John Aggett (@CJAggett) in one sitting. Aggett hooked me from the start with stellar action sequences and a kinetic flow. It’s thrilling and suspenseful, saturated with mystery and impulsion. I LOVED Daisy — she’s fierce, dogged, and charismatic. The world is reminiscent of THE WALKING DEAD, and the writing is cinematic, episodic, and visually evocative — I could easily see this book adapted for television.
July 10, 2020
This book has so many mistakes, spelling errors, wrongly used words and grammatical errors it was hard to read.
There are holes in the story that are too big to ignore and the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic.
I think the author should get an editor, and some beta readers to help him fix it up.
The story idea was pretty good but...
There are holes in the story that are too big to ignore and the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic.
I think the author should get an editor, and some beta readers to help him fix it up.
The story idea was pretty good but...
April 21, 2021
This story will grab you by the throat and drag you! Couldn't put it down.
Disclaimer: Yes, this book could have used a proofreader (not an editor, that is different). If you're not willing to give a book a chance if there's some missing punctuation and a few bobbles then this book is not for you.
If you ARE willing to ignore that, this book WILL drag you in so hard you won't even notice it after a while. The punctuation got a little away from the writer in the writing and you can tell because you won't be able to see where it's missing unless you're LOOKING for it either.
I usually hate both female leads (especially teenagers) AND first-person point of view. This book grabbed me so hard I didn't care. This author is a MASTER storyteller and I am an avid reader. This is better than 99% of the zombie genre books I've read including ones published by huge Houses. The way the story is pieced together a little at a time is absolutely enthralling. I didn't want to sleep, I couldn't put it down because I was so desperate to know what happened next.
If you're looking for a perfectly proofread book (again editing implies there are story/plot problems, there definitely are not, the problem is punctuation related and a few POV bobbles), this isn't it. I have read MUCH worse, this is not unreadable like some.
If you're looking for a killer thrill ride that will leave your heart pounding, don't miss this one. What an awesome book. It might actually go on the fabled re-read favorites shelf which very few books achieve.
Only giving it 4 stars because of the proofreading issue otherwise it'd be a solid 5 stars from me.
Disclaimer: Yes, this book could have used a proofreader (not an editor, that is different). If you're not willing to give a book a chance if there's some missing punctuation and a few bobbles then this book is not for you.
If you ARE willing to ignore that, this book WILL drag you in so hard you won't even notice it after a while. The punctuation got a little away from the writer in the writing and you can tell because you won't be able to see where it's missing unless you're LOOKING for it either.
I usually hate both female leads (especially teenagers) AND first-person point of view. This book grabbed me so hard I didn't care. This author is a MASTER storyteller and I am an avid reader. This is better than 99% of the zombie genre books I've read including ones published by huge Houses. The way the story is pieced together a little at a time is absolutely enthralling. I didn't want to sleep, I couldn't put it down because I was so desperate to know what happened next.
If you're looking for a perfectly proofread book (again editing implies there are story/plot problems, there definitely are not, the problem is punctuation related and a few POV bobbles), this isn't it. I have read MUCH worse, this is not unreadable like some.
If you're looking for a killer thrill ride that will leave your heart pounding, don't miss this one. What an awesome book. It might actually go on the fabled re-read favorites shelf which very few books achieve.
Only giving it 4 stars because of the proofreading issue otherwise it'd be a solid 5 stars from me.
September 27, 2020
I went DOUBLE DEEP™️
I’m writing one review for deep one and two. I will refer to them as climb and embers.
Truthfully climb needed a few more passes on proof reading. Luckily the story is quite good and has a few unexpected turns!
Embers is a marked improvement in, well... everything. Amazing growth in character development and in editing and overall writing. Jade definitely adds an important element and I LOVED HER and DAISY doing all the normal things Daisy never got to growing up!
I think it’s wholly fair to take climb and embers as a whole and to rate the series as a 4-4.5 rounding up to 5.
I love giving 5s as writing a book is a monumental feat and deserves being celebrated.
Having CJ’s anecdotes on the writing community Show is helpful too he’s been transparent about his editing and what he’s doing now over what he did with book one.
He’s a very helpful and passionate member of the indie book community and gave much of his royalties to charity in a time of crisis and that too, is to be celebrated!
I’m writing one review for deep one and two. I will refer to them as climb and embers.
Truthfully climb needed a few more passes on proof reading. Luckily the story is quite good and has a few unexpected turns!
Embers is a marked improvement in, well... everything. Amazing growth in character development and in editing and overall writing. Jade definitely adds an important element and I LOVED HER and DAISY doing all the normal things Daisy never got to growing up!
I think it’s wholly fair to take climb and embers as a whole and to rate the series as a 4-4.5 rounding up to 5.
I love giving 5s as writing a book is a monumental feat and deserves being celebrated.
Having CJ’s anecdotes on the writing community Show is helpful too he’s been transparent about his editing and what he’s doing now over what he did with book one.
He’s a very helpful and passionate member of the indie book community and gave much of his royalties to charity in a time of crisis and that too, is to be celebrated!
July 19, 2020
I’m happy I read “Deep” at the same time that I was watching “Kingdom,” a series on Netflix about zombies in Korea during the Joseon dynasty. One would think that zombies during this time period would feel awkward and anachronistic. Nope. It works well. The costumes, landscapes, and attention to detail in Kingdom are exquisite, and the tension and horror added by the zombie storyline make this series addictive. I found something similar in Deep. The description is darkly beautiful at times. The tension and action sequences give this book a gripping edge to it. Fans of horror and (of course) zombies will love this book.
July 15, 2020
Deep, written by CJ Aggett, is a modern day horror story about a girl who lives peacefully in the woods until she hears an explosion. Being curious, Dee sets a foot through the trees, when she reaches the edge of the forest, she discovers a city under siege.
This is an exciting and fast-paced read with strong female characters. The author does a great job keeping the horror at peak and sprinkles just enough twists to keep you turning the page.
If you like stories about government secrets and tension around every corner you will love this book. There are editing issues that can be jarring, but they didn’t keep me from enjoying the story.
This is an exciting and fast-paced read with strong female characters. The author does a great job keeping the horror at peak and sprinkles just enough twists to keep you turning the page.
If you like stories about government secrets and tension around every corner you will love this book. There are editing issues that can be jarring, but they didn’t keep me from enjoying the story.
March 27, 2020
This is such a great read! It reminded me of The Last of Us - it just had that tone and vibe. Fantastic novel and a brilliant debut.
I found this book on Twitter and I must say the audio from the Christopher Aggett is also worth listening to - I hope it gets commissioned as an audiobook.
My girlfriend is called Paige and this gave the characters a whole new perspective for me, but they were very believable and the dialogue is truly realistic - I loved Daisy and Eli.
I don’t like it when reviews give anyway details of the story, but I wasn’t expecting the ending and I’m really looking forward to the next instalment.
I found this book on Twitter and I must say the audio from the Christopher Aggett is also worth listening to - I hope it gets commissioned as an audiobook.
My girlfriend is called Paige and this gave the characters a whole new perspective for me, but they were very believable and the dialogue is truly realistic - I loved Daisy and Eli.
I don’t like it when reviews give anyway details of the story, but I wasn’t expecting the ending and I’m really looking forward to the next instalment.
January 17, 2021
I would have liked to give 5*
The story is good and quick to read, I liked the characters and the way Daisy's life was explained, it reminded me a bit about The Passage which I didn't mind as it was still enjoyable, there's some typos and wrong words used that could easily be fixed by a good editor, I'm looking forward to reading book 2 now.
The story is good and quick to read, I liked the characters and the way Daisy's life was explained, it reminded me a bit about The Passage which I didn't mind as it was still enjoyable, there's some typos and wrong words used that could easily be fixed by a good editor, I'm looking forward to reading book 2 now.
July 14, 2020
What an Ending!
If you like Z Nation and The Walking Dead, you’ll love this novel. This author really knows how to keep you turning the pages. It is action from start to finish. There’s a cliff hanger ending which will leave you longing for book two!
If you like Z Nation and The Walking Dead, you’ll love this novel. This author really knows how to keep you turning the pages. It is action from start to finish. There’s a cliff hanger ending which will leave you longing for book two!
January 16, 2021
Potential of a good story
Unfortunately, the story is buried under a draft that desperately needs an editor. If edited, the story I began to read would be one I’d try again, but as it stands right now it is difficult to read.
Unfortunately, the story is buried under a draft that desperately needs an editor. If edited, the story I began to read would be one I’d try again, but as it stands right now it is difficult to read.
February 12, 2020
A great read
A breathless, action packed tale that never lets up in its intensity and passion. Looking forward to the sequel very much.
A breathless, action packed tale that never lets up in its intensity and passion. Looking forward to the sequel very much.
May 13, 2020
Great story, hard to put down
It is easy to fall for Daisy in The Climb of Truth. The characters are attaching and fit in this very exciting story.
It is easy to fall for Daisy in The Climb of Truth. The characters are attaching and fit in this very exciting story.
February 29, 2020
A gripping page turner that kept me wanting more. I really enjoyed the MC and hopes her story is as good in book 2. Very much looking forward to the sequel.
April 28, 2020
An adrenaline rush of a book
This is one very fast paced adrenaline ride. Non-stop action throughout! Daisy, or Dee, is in for a grueling journey and some fast learning. It’s a frenetic exploration of things going wrong written by someone who really knows their genre. There are some great twists and drops in the story that shift perspectives of the characters, or your view of them. There’s characters I hope to see again and definitely some big questions raised. Great start, there better be more! Reminded me of the walking dead and resident evil in parts, awesome!
This is one very fast paced adrenaline ride. Non-stop action throughout! Daisy, or Dee, is in for a grueling journey and some fast learning. It’s a frenetic exploration of things going wrong written by someone who really knows their genre. There are some great twists and drops in the story that shift perspectives of the characters, or your view of them. There’s characters I hope to see again and definitely some big questions raised. Great start, there better be more! Reminded me of the walking dead and resident evil in parts, awesome!
August 4, 2020
This is a gripping story which has a dramatic, and effective, change of pace about half way through.
If you like zombie stories and stories involving post-apocalyptic, dystopian and survival tropes and features, you'll probably like this.
There are some issues with the writing - namely strange changes in tense and person, and several errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
They don't massively detract from what is a punchy story which is pretty easy to get into and enjoyable, although they can be irritating at times. There is a very effectively executed dream scene near the end, and the ending itself is decent, too.
If you like zombie stories and stories involving post-apocalyptic, dystopian and survival tropes and features, you'll probably like this.
There are some issues with the writing - namely strange changes in tense and person, and several errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
They don't massively detract from what is a punchy story which is pretty easy to get into and enjoyable, although they can be irritating at times. There is a very effectively executed dream scene near the end, and the ending itself is decent, too.
December 13, 2020
Woah. This story takes MANY interesting turns. Even though they weren't always huge leaps, it was as though every turn nearly changed the entire story, even down to its genre at some points. With each new shift, it feels like you're getting closer to understanding the characters and the world, yet then comes another revelation that raises more questions...and fears.
That's not to say any of it felt forced as throwing too many curveballs can sometimes do. The plot is thick and the author did an amazing job of pulling the audience in to the mind of the main character while also keeping the reader on their feet. I truly felt as scared and uncertain as if I were living the plot myself.
There's plenty of suspense, action, and drama to please fans of adventure, dystopia, and horror. It was very well written at a fast pace and the world was well built. The ominous atmosphere of the story was kept up superbly, even through book 2 which I had to immediately jump into when I was done.
That's not to say any of it felt forced as throwing too many curveballs can sometimes do. The plot is thick and the author did an amazing job of pulling the audience in to the mind of the main character while also keeping the reader on their feet. I truly felt as scared and uncertain as if I were living the plot myself.
There's plenty of suspense, action, and drama to please fans of adventure, dystopia, and horror. It was very well written at a fast pace and the world was well built. The ominous atmosphere of the story was kept up superbly, even through book 2 which I had to immediately jump into when I was done.
November 9, 2020
I was a little nervous about reading a horror story that involves zombies. It's not my usual read, but I was swept along and finished it within two hours. OK it's a short book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
At first I thought the switches in tense were a mistake, but mostly in the past tense, the story switches up a gear in present tense when the action occurs. This may not be to the liking of grammar perfectionists, but it works and is refreshingly original and creative in it's style.
There is a twist at the end and it sets the story up for a series. As I read, I imagined it on Netflix and in fact would liken it to Wayward Pines. I loved that despite the flesh eating creatures beyond the wall - and I loved Deep despite the zombies. Now I'm looking forward to book two.
At first I thought the switches in tense were a mistake, but mostly in the past tense, the story switches up a gear in present tense when the action occurs. This may not be to the liking of grammar perfectionists, but it works and is refreshingly original and creative in it's style.
There is a twist at the end and it sets the story up for a series. As I read, I imagined it on Netflix and in fact would liken it to Wayward Pines. I loved that despite the flesh eating creatures beyond the wall - and I loved Deep despite the zombies. Now I'm looking forward to book two.
November 21, 2019
Without giving any spoilers away the author has clearly taken time to bring story telling back to a "grass roots" level where you connect with subtle details that help construct images in your mind with each word you read. An innocent plot that delves deep twisting and turning out great characters with real depth, I for one am already eagerly awaiting his next publication.
November 21, 2019
Absolutely worth a read the 1st book written from Chris, kept me interested all the way through and could picture myself in the situation which also made me won’t to find out what happens through the story, . Looking forward to the 2nd book. Very big thumbs up 👍
August 16, 2020
Saddle up for a hair-raising adventure of the ‘might be the end of the world’ type. DEEP: The Climb of Truth is a delicious mix of military conspiracy gone wrong mixed with zombie horror and survival action violence. Author Aggett cracks out a pleasingly fast-paced adrenaline ride which boasts a lead character in Daisy who you’ll actually care about.
With a plot that packs in devious human baddies as well as the aforementioned zombies (you getting Resident Evil vibes or is that just me??) – Aggett imbues his plot with some nice attention to detail that allows him to show off some of his Army Air Corps British Army soldier experience. As military jets decimate zombie hoards and frantic gunfights erupt at regular points – this is the sort of action that feels very cinematic. Throw in some freaky dreams and other threats it would be a shame to spoil, all in all you’ve got yourself a book that you really don’t want to miss out on!
I was hooked from the start and enjoyed this rip-roaring adventure which keeps you turning pages like you’re swiping right on the hottest pics tinder ever.
With a plot that packs in devious human baddies as well as the aforementioned zombies (you getting Resident Evil vibes or is that just me??) – Aggett imbues his plot with some nice attention to detail that allows him to show off some of his Army Air Corps British Army soldier experience. As military jets decimate zombie hoards and frantic gunfights erupt at regular points – this is the sort of action that feels very cinematic. Throw in some freaky dreams and other threats it would be a shame to spoil, all in all you’ve got yourself a book that you really don’t want to miss out on!
I was hooked from the start and enjoyed this rip-roaring adventure which keeps you turning pages like you’re swiping right on the hottest pics tinder ever.
July 12, 2020
I looked at the cover of this book and read the blurb and although I’ve never read a book about Zombies, this book did catch my eye.
I do like “dark” storylines and not phased at all by blood and gore and I honestly thought this book would tick some of the boxes.
It is a bit dark, and does contain some gruesome descriptions but it just didn’t grab me at all.
This book has some great descriptive writing in it, but for me, it was too descriptive on the general storyline and I think that is what took away and suspense or fear factor as it made the pace quite slow. This is just my personal opinion as I like a story to grab me and run away with me, but I just didn’t get that with this book sadly.
I do like “dark” storylines and not phased at all by blood and gore and I honestly thought this book would tick some of the boxes.
It is a bit dark, and does contain some gruesome descriptions but it just didn’t grab me at all.
This book has some great descriptive writing in it, but for me, it was too descriptive on the general storyline and I think that is what took away and suspense or fear factor as it made the pace quite slow. This is just my personal opinion as I like a story to grab me and run away with me, but I just didn’t get that with this book sadly.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews