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The Extinction Trials
THE END... IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
After a mysterious global event known only as "The Change," six strangers wake up in an underground research facility where they learn that they're part of the Extinction Trials—a scientific experiment to restart the human race.
But the Extinction Trials hides a very big secret.
And so does the world outside.
After a mysterious global event known only as "The Change," six strangers wake up in an underground research facility where they learn that they're part of the Extinction Trials—a scientific experiment to restart the human race.
But the Extinction Trials hides a very big secret.
And so does the world outside.
Audible Audio
First published November 2, 2021
4901 people are currently reading
5446 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Riddle
22 books5,752 followersA.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,000 reviews
November 2, 2021
We know the truth: we can’t stop what’s coming. We can’t prevent the next extinction event. What we can do… is control what happens after.
I was curious and googled the major extinctions in the past. According to The National Museum of Natural History there were 5 major ones. The first was due to global cooling, the second is still unknown, the third and fourth were from super volcanos, and the fifth was from an asteroid.
You've probably heard about the eruption of the La Palma volcano (Canary Islands) since Sept 19. What I didn't know was that there are 48 volcanos continuously erupting at the moment and that's pretty average...scary.
image: Smithsonian Institute
I'm not saying volcanos are the cause in this book. You'll just have to read to find out. I love the premise!
If apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic is your jam, do not miss A.G Riddle's new novel, The Extinction Trials. This is a techno sci-fi thriller, but the selfless and heroic main characters; a fireman Owen and a neuroscientist Maya, are very well written and will pull you in. The story is engaging and suspenseful that I completely forgot all the sciency stuff I don't understand. The pacing is excellent, with a plot twist that gives me goosies! John Skelley is a terrific narrator. This will be an excellent re-read/listen for details I missed the first time.
I have so many questions! I hope there will be a discussion group on Goodreads once this novel is released. Let's talk!
THANK YOU RB Media/Recorded Books via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC for review.
Now available.
I was curious and googled the major extinctions in the past. According to The National Museum of Natural History there were 5 major ones. The first was due to global cooling, the second is still unknown, the third and fourth were from super volcanos, and the fifth was from an asteroid.
You've probably heard about the eruption of the La Palma volcano (Canary Islands) since Sept 19. What I didn't know was that there are 48 volcanos continuously erupting at the moment and that's pretty average...scary.
image: Smithsonian Institute
I'm not saying volcanos are the cause in this book. You'll just have to read to find out. I love the premise!
If apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic is your jam, do not miss A.G Riddle's new novel, The Extinction Trials. This is a techno sci-fi thriller, but the selfless and heroic main characters; a fireman Owen and a neuroscientist Maya, are very well written and will pull you in. The story is engaging and suspenseful that I completely forgot all the sciency stuff I don't understand. The pacing is excellent, with a plot twist that gives me goosies! John Skelley is a terrific narrator. This will be an excellent re-read/listen for details I missed the first time.
I have so many questions! I hope there will be a discussion group on Goodreads once this novel is released. Let's talk!
THANK YOU RB Media/Recorded Books via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC for review.
Now available.
April 1, 2022
This book is one of those annoying cases where it's never quite bad enough to dnf, but also never good enough to entertain.
The story is basically a treasure hunt with everything about it being very average. Characters, world building, prose, plot, pacing ... None of it was good. None of it was terrible. Okay, the riddles and their repetitive (and often lame) nature were pretty bad. But other than that it was okay. Never anything more, though.
You've probably experienced this as well; where you are waiting and waiting for a book to get better (why has it a 4+ average rating?) but it never does, and then you are so far in that you might just as well finish it. Well, it took me 3+ weeks. I've been wasting my time. But I have only myself to blame.
The story is basically a treasure hunt with everything about it being very average. Characters, world building, prose, plot, pacing ... None of it was good. None of it was terrible. Okay, the riddles and their repetitive (and often lame) nature were pretty bad. But other than that it was okay. Never anything more, though.
You've probably experienced this as well; where you are waiting and waiting for a book to get better (why has it a 4+ average rating?) but it never does, and then you are so far in that you might just as well finish it. Well, it took me 3+ weeks. I've been wasting my time. But I have only myself to blame.
October 28, 2021
I’m a bit of a sucker for A.G. Riddle’s work. I really enjoyed his the Long Winter Trilogy. Sure, I know the books have similar plots - post apocalyptic scenarios on a grand scale and that the stories get a little corny but, for me, that’s part of the charm. I know what I’m getting (more or less) and that, generally, the good guys (minus a few who don’t make it) will prevail. I also know that I’ll become absorbed in the world that Riddle creates and I’ll be rooting for his characters. What’s not to love?
This one ticks all those boxes. The world is going to h*ll in a hand basket (it’s an old expression) and certain characters must come together to save the day. Some will not know what they know. Some will have secrets and, in any case, they have no idea what is going on. This is a good thing because what is going on is very bad. Governments and technology companies are in a war to the death, both claim that they are the only path to salvation for humanity. In a nutshell.
Many dangers are faced along the way and the intrepid group battles on. The ending was a nice little twist that I didn’t see coming but it makes sense. After reading this I’m even a bit more kindly disposed to artificial intelligence. Just a little bit. Also, Riddle has written some books previously as a series called Extinction Files so you need to be careful. I was caught out on Goodreads and the plots are both different but similar sounding. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this though. It makes a lovely change from dark books even if you find post apocalyptic books themselves dark. Many thanks to Netgalley and Legion Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
To be published on 2 November 2021.
This one ticks all those boxes. The world is going to h*ll in a hand basket (it’s an old expression) and certain characters must come together to save the day. Some will not know what they know. Some will have secrets and, in any case, they have no idea what is going on. This is a good thing because what is going on is very bad. Governments and technology companies are in a war to the death, both claim that they are the only path to salvation for humanity. In a nutshell.
Many dangers are faced along the way and the intrepid group battles on. The ending was a nice little twist that I didn’t see coming but it makes sense. After reading this I’m even a bit more kindly disposed to artificial intelligence. Just a little bit. Also, Riddle has written some books previously as a series called Extinction Files so you need to be careful. I was caught out on Goodreads and the plots are both different but similar sounding. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this though. It makes a lovely change from dark books even if you find post apocalyptic books themselves dark. Many thanks to Netgalley and Legion Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
To be published on 2 November 2021.
June 28, 2022
This post apocalyptic story felt like one (very long) treasure hunt. The characters followed cryptic clues to escape from a variety of threats in order to reach safety. There was too much going on, including: The Change, storms, fires, androids, secret identities, lost memories, a virus, robot spiders, mad scientists, a deadly atmosphere, warring factions, etc. It was all very confusing for most of the book and I didn’t care about the characters. I wouldn’t have selected anyone in this group to save humanity. I also thought that the ending was saccharine. 2.5 stars
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
October 31, 2021
Wow, what a wild ride this was!
The Extinction Trials had a distinctly claustrophobic Wool Omnibus feel to it, plus a pace so fast I couldn't catch my breath.
I need more time to wrap my head around this post-apocalyptic novel from one of my favorite sci-fi authors. After finishing it in a mere two days, I'm still reeling .
Is this going to be a series? Please, please, please tell me this will be a series.
The Extinction Trials had a distinctly claustrophobic Wool Omnibus feel to it, plus a pace so fast I couldn't catch my breath.
I need more time to wrap my head around this post-apocalyptic novel from one of my favorite sci-fi authors. After finishing it in a mere two days, I'm still reeling .
Is this going to be a series? Please, please, please tell me this will be a series.
November 5, 2021
In a Nutshell: A pretty enjoyable dystopian thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming at all!
Story:
The six characters are quite distinct from each other both personally and professionally. We have a firefighter, a genetics professional, an emergency room doctor, a software engineer, a mechanic, and a child. Most of the characters are well-sketched and leave you in no doubt about what they would do under certain circumstances. But a lot of them had potential that wasn’t utilised properly. One of the female characters starts off as an intelligent go-getter of a woman but ends up more as a love interest. The child has barely anything to do except yell for help when needed. Having a child in a dystopian survivor group would have provided such an interesting angle but it wasn’t explored. One character is shown as having a “limitation” (which is neither named nor explained) and this shortcoming of his is mentioned again and again, as if the readers/listeners would forget it after a few chapters. Such needless repetition killed my enjoyment a little bit.
The writing is fairly straightforward, but the plot isn’t. There are ample twists and turns along the way to keep you hooked, though at times, the author’s foreshadowing prepares you in advance to keep your eyes wide open for clues. I could see some of the twists much before their big reveal, but some others came as a surprise to me. The initial chapters are very action oriented while the middle part becomes more of a suspense and drama, before switching back to action and then more suspense-drama. The content becomes a bit philosophical too at times. The pace is fast during the action and moderate to slow during the rest. The world-building is stupendous.
What struck me most was how no ages or years were revealed at all in most of the story. This does handicap you a bit when you are trying to picture the characters, but trust me, the final twist will make you realise why this information is kept from you. Until then, you just need to use the various adjectives as clues to take a guess at who is how old. At the same time, there were many doubts I had in the story, and after this final twist, I wondered how many of them could actually have been resolved earlier without hinting at the big turnaround. That may have been a difficult writing call to make, so I’ll just ignore those loopholes for now as the ending was really very clever and makes me want to forgive every gap in the earlier logic.
All in all, this is a pretty typical dystopian sci-fi thriller with an atypical ending. While I had my fair share of complaints with some plot holes and some flat characters, I was hooked on to the audiobook and kept listening to know how the story went ahead. That was a big plus point: keeping me hooked regardless of my queries and misgivings.
This was my first book by A.G. Riddle and I might try some more of his works. Sci-fi fans and even newbies who want to try out this genre will find this story enjoyable.
3.75 stars from me.
I heard the audiobook as narrated by John Skelley and I enjoyed his narration thoroughly. He doesn’t force accents or voices onto the characters but just emotes them well enough for you to follow the story perfectly. He doesn’t go nasal for the female characters or squeaky for the child character, both of which sound funny when done by a male narrator. I really appreciated this idea as it showed that good narrators don’t need a variety of voices; they just need great emotive skills. The audio version clocks at almost 11 hours, but for a book where the pace keeps changing, I was happy to have heard the book than read it. Of course, keeping track of the various groups and characters is a bit tricky but experienced listeners will get the hang of what to retain and what to ignore a few chapters down the line. I won’t recommend the audiobook to newbie listeners; they will be better off reading this work.
My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Extinction Trials”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
Six strangers wake up in a strange bunker with no memory of how they got there. They learn that they are a part of something called “The Extinction Trials”, which is a scientific experiment to restart the human race after some mysterious event called “The Change” messed up the world. They soon realise that things aren’t quite straightforward and secrets are in abundance. And none of them know whom to trust. As in every dystopian book, there is darkness, there is danger, there is AI, there is an untrustworthy government, and there is hope.
The six characters are quite distinct from each other both personally and professionally. We have a firefighter, a genetics professional, an emergency room doctor, a software engineer, a mechanic, and a child. Most of the characters are well-sketched and leave you in no doubt about what they would do under certain circumstances. But a lot of them had potential that wasn’t utilised properly. One of the female characters starts off as an intelligent go-getter of a woman but ends up more as a love interest. The child has barely anything to do except yell for help when needed. Having a child in a dystopian survivor group would have provided such an interesting angle but it wasn’t explored. One character is shown as having a “limitation” (which is neither named nor explained) and this shortcoming of his is mentioned again and again, as if the readers/listeners would forget it after a few chapters. Such needless repetition killed my enjoyment a little bit.
The writing is fairly straightforward, but the plot isn’t. There are ample twists and turns along the way to keep you hooked, though at times, the author’s foreshadowing prepares you in advance to keep your eyes wide open for clues. I could see some of the twists much before their big reveal, but some others came as a surprise to me. The initial chapters are very action oriented while the middle part becomes more of a suspense and drama, before switching back to action and then more suspense-drama. The content becomes a bit philosophical too at times. The pace is fast during the action and moderate to slow during the rest. The world-building is stupendous.
What struck me most was how no ages or years were revealed at all in most of the story. This does handicap you a bit when you are trying to picture the characters, but trust me, the final twist will make you realise why this information is kept from you. Until then, you just need to use the various adjectives as clues to take a guess at who is how old. At the same time, there were many doubts I had in the story, and after this final twist, I wondered how many of them could actually have been resolved earlier without hinting at the big turnaround. That may have been a difficult writing call to make, so I’ll just ignore those loopholes for now as the ending was really very clever and makes me want to forgive every gap in the earlier logic.
All in all, this is a pretty typical dystopian sci-fi thriller with an atypical ending. While I had my fair share of complaints with some plot holes and some flat characters, I was hooked on to the audiobook and kept listening to know how the story went ahead. That was a big plus point: keeping me hooked regardless of my queries and misgivings.
This was my first book by A.G. Riddle and I might try some more of his works. Sci-fi fans and even newbies who want to try out this genre will find this story enjoyable.
3.75 stars from me.
I heard the audiobook as narrated by John Skelley and I enjoyed his narration thoroughly. He doesn’t force accents or voices onto the characters but just emotes them well enough for you to follow the story perfectly. He doesn’t go nasal for the female characters or squeaky for the child character, both of which sound funny when done by a male narrator. I really appreciated this idea as it showed that good narrators don’t need a variety of voices; they just need great emotive skills. The audio version clocks at almost 11 hours, but for a book where the pace keeps changing, I was happy to have heard the book than read it. Of course, keeping track of the various groups and characters is a bit tricky but experienced listeners will get the hang of what to retain and what to ignore a few chapters down the line. I won’t recommend the audiobook to newbie listeners; they will be better off reading this work.
My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Extinction Trials”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
November 30, 2021
2.5 ⭐
The Extinction Trials had quite a few things going for it and I enjoyed some parts quite a bit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Not that I didn’t like them or anything, they just weren’t relatable to me.
As a result, I didn’t really feel just how high the stakes were. When you don’t care, it doesn’t matter what can happen. Even some really big revelations felt a bit meh to me.
Based on the description, I thought the story would be way more engaging. But a lot of it was just plain confusing and I spent a lot of time banging my head over details that ended up being not that important for the plot.
The ending was good, if a little bit naïve. I liked it overall.
I don't really have anything too bad to say about this book, it's just that it really wasn't for me.
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Extinction Trials by A.G. Riddle in exchange for an honest review.
The Extinction Trials had quite a few things going for it and I enjoyed some parts quite a bit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. Not that I didn’t like them or anything, they just weren’t relatable to me.
As a result, I didn’t really feel just how high the stakes were. When you don’t care, it doesn’t matter what can happen. Even some really big revelations felt a bit meh to me.
Based on the description, I thought the story would be way more engaging. But a lot of it was just plain confusing and I spent a lot of time banging my head over details that ended up being not that important for the plot.
The ending was good, if a little bit naïve. I liked it overall.
I don't really have anything too bad to say about this book, it's just that it really wasn't for me.
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Extinction Trials by A.G. Riddle in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2021
Maybe you have seen the 1997 movie The Cube. If so, something in this book will sound a little familiar to you. In the movie, 7 people awake in a cube shaped maze with deadly traps. This time around, we get a bunch of people in an underground research facility. And no obvious traps. But not less deadly. Only we don't start at this point like the movie.
******************************
Read the interview with A. G. Riddle!
******************************
Instead, we start into a world of tomorrow that seems to be a bright world at first glance - AIs being utilized the right way, robots relieving mankind from the most dangerous activities (like firefighting). It looks to be a promising world!
The world could be so bright!
And then, of course, everything goes south. Looks can be deceiving. It's true in everyday's life, and it is especially true in the world of the extinction trials. Before we reach them, though, we get a good look at our two main heroes. Immediately likeable characters are a boon for every story, but especially for stories of dystopian suffering that want you to suffer alongside their characters.
When the real part of the trials begin, our two protagonists will be joined by a bunch of other characters. Those are as much of an enigma to the heroes as to us, and soon everything starts to look like a (deadly) game. A game that begs the question - who can you trust?
Not sure who to trust? Yeah, me neither.
There is some mistrust here, and as stories of prior members of the Extinction Trials emerge, those are given more substance.
The world is intriguing (and there is far more than meets the eye), everything after The Change is shrouded in mystery, characters are relatable as well as likeable. So how about pace?
I think it's done just right. It starts with a good pace, followed by a build up that will have you turning page after page without even realizing it. Scene changings between characters feel natural and happen at moments that are dramaturgical right, further increasing the action and the pace. I love it when an author thinks about where their scene changes should be, and it just feels good here.
That's the most prominent question. What is actually happening here?
I've talked about The Cube at the start, and while our group is not in a maze filled with deadly traps, their situation is similar: They are - kind of - trapped in a small underground research facility (with failing power), fighting for their survival and totally unaware of any details - where they are, how they got there, how long they've been there, what happened in the meantime. The only person who could shed some light unto those questions suffers from partial memory loss.
Speaking about memory: There are also philosophical ideas and concepts spread throughout the book. How do our memories of the past shape or future? If our memories could be altered, what would that mean for us?
Besides some of these questions, our heroes are also facing riddles (the author lives up to his name) they have to solve with the breadcrumbs of clues they have been given. And it soon becomes clear they make an excellent pair.
Not our heroes, but if this book gets a movie, they would be a logical choice.
There are some psychological things here coming into play, what with all the mistrust going around. And - not too surprising - we find some philosophy at the core of the story. And at the very heart the conclusion that mankind itself is it's greatest adversary. Homo homini lupus, as Thomas Hobbes wrote (or lupus est homo homini in the original words by Plautus).
I also had a feeling that A. G. Riddle was, at least in parts, taking a bow to George Orwell. Because if you reach a certain point in the story, you can't help but notice the 1984 vibes.
And then there's the final twist. I'm not telling you anything, but it did not come totally unexpected. And the prologue was rounding up everything in a very satisfactory way.
*****
When all is said and done, this is an excellent book! I rate it 4.5 out of 5 (rounded up to 5 on sites that don't support half stars).
The half star reduction is because there are some minor inconsistencies here. Like (sorry, minor spoiler) - where does Bryce's (severed) thump come from that Maya is suddenly wielding? I would have thought the thump walked out of the airlock together with the rest of Bryce. And where did the flashlights everyone is brandishing come from? I know these are really minor details, but since the whole story is so gripping, it's actually something that registers with me, disturbing my immersion into the story.
There are also some other things that seem to be slightly off for me, and I can't tell you about without spoilering too much. But that's really criticism on an absurd high level.
You can also read this review on my Blog.
******************************
Read the interview with A. G. Riddle!
******************************
Instead, we start into a world of tomorrow that seems to be a bright world at first glance - AIs being utilized the right way, robots relieving mankind from the most dangerous activities (like firefighting). It looks to be a promising world!
The world could be so bright!
And then, of course, everything goes south. Looks can be deceiving. It's true in everyday's life, and it is especially true in the world of the extinction trials. Before we reach them, though, we get a good look at our two main heroes. Immediately likeable characters are a boon for every story, but especially for stories of dystopian suffering that want you to suffer alongside their characters.
When the real part of the trials begin, our two protagonists will be joined by a bunch of other characters. Those are as much of an enigma to the heroes as to us, and soon everything starts to look like a (deadly) game. A game that begs the question - who can you trust?
Not sure who to trust? Yeah, me neither.
There is some mistrust here, and as stories of prior members of the Extinction Trials emerge, those are given more substance.
Tonight, they are evil.
Tomorrow, they are survivors.
The next day? They are visionaries.
About 38 % in
The world is intriguing (and there is far more than meets the eye), everything after The Change is shrouded in mystery, characters are relatable as well as likeable. So how about pace?
I think it's done just right. It starts with a good pace, followed by a build up that will have you turning page after page without even realizing it. Scene changings between characters feel natural and happen at moments that are dramaturgical right, further increasing the action and the pace. I love it when an author thinks about where their scene changes should be, and it just feels good here.
That's the most prominent question. What is actually happening here?
I've talked about The Cube at the start, and while our group is not in a maze filled with deadly traps, their situation is similar: They are - kind of - trapped in a small underground research facility (with failing power), fighting for their survival and totally unaware of any details - where they are, how they got there, how long they've been there, what happened in the meantime. The only person who could shed some light unto those questions suffers from partial memory loss.
Speaking about memory: There are also philosophical ideas and concepts spread throughout the book. How do our memories of the past shape or future? If our memories could be altered, what would that mean for us?
Besides some of these questions, our heroes are also facing riddles (the author lives up to his name) they have to solve with the breadcrumbs of clues they have been given. And it soon becomes clear they make an excellent pair.
Not our heroes, but if this book gets a movie, they would be a logical choice.
There are some psychological things here coming into play, what with all the mistrust going around. And - not too surprising - we find some philosophy at the core of the story. And at the very heart the conclusion that mankind itself is it's greatest adversary. Homo homini lupus, as Thomas Hobbes wrote (or lupus est homo homini in the original words by Plautus).
I also had a feeling that A. G. Riddle was, at least in parts, taking a bow to George Orwell. Because if you reach a certain point in the story, you can't help but notice the 1984 vibes.
And then there's the final twist. I'm not telling you anything, but it did not come totally unexpected. And the prologue was rounding up everything in a very satisfactory way.
*****
When all is said and done, this is an excellent book! I rate it 4.5 out of 5 (rounded up to 5 on sites that don't support half stars).
The half star reduction is because there are some minor inconsistencies here. Like (sorry, minor spoiler) - where does Bryce's (severed) thump come from that Maya is suddenly wielding? I would have thought the thump walked out of the airlock together with the rest of Bryce. And where did the flashlights everyone is brandishing come from? I know these are really minor details, but since the whole story is so gripping, it's actually something that registers with me, disturbing my immersion into the story.
There are also some other things that seem to be slightly off for me, and I can't tell you about without spoilering too much. But that's really criticism on an absurd high level.
You can also read this review on my Blog.
January 17, 2022
This is possibly the worst book I’ve ever read. Why did I complete it? Well, it was easy to read, and I like the apocalypse genre so I wanted to know what happened and how on earth the writer was going to tie up his millions of loose ends. Spoiler alert; he didn’t.
Such poor character development, unlikeable characters as a whole. Plus the writing is so poor. Owen is a hero, he’s a fireman, he gets dressed fast because he was a fireman. Reference maybe 50. Maya and Owen can sense things are wrong but can’t put their finger on what. Reference, 247. Sleep overtook them. Reference 1003.
Why spend so much time code breaking and trekking/sailing only to have the final act be the main crux of the plot and be over in 3 chapters. So weird.
It’s one of those books written to be a movie. Probably 3. Very Lazy writing. Ryan Reynolds in the wise cracking lead. Also, it’s the apocalypse, why all the jokes?
Such poor character development, unlikeable characters as a whole. Plus the writing is so poor. Owen is a hero, he’s a fireman, he gets dressed fast because he was a fireman. Reference maybe 50. Maya and Owen can sense things are wrong but can’t put their finger on what. Reference, 247. Sleep overtook them. Reference 1003.
Why spend so much time code breaking and trekking/sailing only to have the final act be the main crux of the plot and be over in 3 chapters. So weird.
It’s one of those books written to be a movie. Probably 3. Very Lazy writing. Ryan Reynolds in the wise cracking lead. Also, it’s the apocalypse, why all the jokes?
January 21, 2023
I chose this book after seeing reviews of A G Riddle’s “Lost in Time” which was a goodreads finalist in 2022 in the Science Fiction category. I loved this story – it was imaginative, fast paced and engrossing, though many structural elements of the story feel familiar.
There is a sketchy reference early on to ‘The Extinction Trials’ – an initiative to repopulate the earth with humans in the case of a catastrophe. Technology has reached a point where robots do a lot of the work, directed by humans. Owen is a fire fighter and duty takes him to a high-rise building. He is taken aback as he sees many casualties and it is unclear what is killing people. It seems to be something in the air and then are massive fires in the building and he finds all over the city. A robot attacks him and he has a close escape. He does his best to save the few people he can. That is the last he remembers.
Owen wakes up in a capsule and they are six people in that particular station. Maya, who also wakes up with the others cannot recall what happened before. As they speak to each other, they realize ‘The Change’ has occurred; a fight between two factions has destroyed the world they knew and ‘The Extinction Trials’ has been kicked off. The fight was about different versions of control – both groups want to police and restrict wrong-doing but in different ways. There are also some notes left behind for them.
I loved the characters of Owen and Maya, their concern for the right and the initiative they take for the greater good. The others characters are also unique but less developed. The story weaves in some subtle philosophy as many good science fiction novels do, a lot of it feels quite natural, but some it feels force fitted. There is no bad violence, and it is a story which is very readable for all. The aspect of preservation (as in Blake Crouch’s ‘Wayward Pines’ series), thought control are not new concepts but the overall story still feels very original.
The end is especially charming and quite unexpected. A page-turner - definitely recommended!
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
I hope to read next ‘Lost in Time’ sometime soon, and maybe more of his books.
There is a sketchy reference early on to ‘The Extinction Trials’ – an initiative to repopulate the earth with humans in the case of a catastrophe. Technology has reached a point where robots do a lot of the work, directed by humans. Owen is a fire fighter and duty takes him to a high-rise building. He is taken aback as he sees many casualties and it is unclear what is killing people. It seems to be something in the air and then are massive fires in the building and he finds all over the city. A robot attacks him and he has a close escape. He does his best to save the few people he can. That is the last he remembers.
Owen wakes up in a capsule and they are six people in that particular station. Maya, who also wakes up with the others cannot recall what happened before. As they speak to each other, they realize ‘The Change’ has occurred; a fight between two factions has destroyed the world they knew and ‘The Extinction Trials’ has been kicked off. The fight was about different versions of control – both groups want to police and restrict wrong-doing but in different ways. There are also some notes left behind for them.
I loved the characters of Owen and Maya, their concern for the right and the initiative they take for the greater good. The others characters are also unique but less developed. The story weaves in some subtle philosophy as many good science fiction novels do, a lot of it feels quite natural, but some it feels force fitted. There is no bad violence, and it is a story which is very readable for all. The aspect of preservation (as in Blake Crouch’s ‘Wayward Pines’ series), thought control are not new concepts but the overall story still feels very original.
The end is especially charming and quite unexpected. A page-turner - definitely recommended!
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
I hope to read next ‘Lost in Time’ sometime soon, and maybe more of his books.
November 16, 2022
Interesting sci-fi novel with a good plot and an intriguing premise that leads to an ending with surprises.
November 4, 2021
The Extinction Trials is a stand-alone post-apocalyptic thriller by a new author to me. I’m not sure what made me request it, as I’m trying to reduce my NetGalley backlog, so generally only going for authors I already know, but I am a sucker for PA scenarios - especially ones that don’t involve zombies! I enjoyed this despite the preposterous premise, mainly because of the highly likeable main characters.
Owen is a firefighter, but worries that he will lose the job he loves to robots. Maya only has fragmented memories of her past, but knows she was doing something important. When they awaken in an underground bunker, alongside a small group of strangers, they discover that the world they knew has changed irrevocably - and that they are possibly the last hope for the human race - in an experiment called The Extinction Files.
The beginning of this reminded me of the Wool books from a few years ago - I need to be careful with my comparisons to avoid giving anything away - a small group of survivors from a deadly world-changing event in an unspecified future where the very air outside can kill you. It then heads in a different direction - with a lot more more sci-fi than supernatural elements. You spend most of the book wondering what on earth is going on - rather than keeping me in suspense I found myself disengaging in mild frustration - especially when the characters experience a revelation that is not shared with us until chapters later, something I find particularly annoying in fiction. I’d been warned about the twist ending but didn’t see what was coming and can’t decide if I like it or not - it’s certainly clever.
I did like the relative absence of violence and cruelty - unusual in a genre that often crosses over into horror, and avoidance of unnecessary sex and swearing - I don’t mind that where it’s necessary for the plot but here it really isn’t. I would definitely be keen to read some of the author’s other books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Legion Books for the ARC, and apologies that my review is a couple of days late (for some reason I thought publication was not til next year.) I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Owen is a firefighter, but worries that he will lose the job he loves to robots. Maya only has fragmented memories of her past, but knows she was doing something important. When they awaken in an underground bunker, alongside a small group of strangers, they discover that the world they knew has changed irrevocably - and that they are possibly the last hope for the human race - in an experiment called The Extinction Files.
The beginning of this reminded me of the Wool books from a few years ago - I need to be careful with my comparisons to avoid giving anything away - a small group of survivors from a deadly world-changing event in an unspecified future where the very air outside can kill you. It then heads in a different direction - with a lot more more sci-fi than supernatural elements. You spend most of the book wondering what on earth is going on - rather than keeping me in suspense I found myself disengaging in mild frustration - especially when the characters experience a revelation that is not shared with us until chapters later, something I find particularly annoying in fiction. I’d been warned about the twist ending but didn’t see what was coming and can’t decide if I like it or not - it’s certainly clever.
I did like the relative absence of violence and cruelty - unusual in a genre that often crosses over into horror, and avoidance of unnecessary sex and swearing - I don’t mind that where it’s necessary for the plot but here it really isn’t. I would definitely be keen to read some of the author’s other books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Legion Books for the ARC, and apologies that my review is a couple of days late (for some reason I thought publication was not til next year.) I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
October 22, 2021
The Extinction Trials is a modern science fiction adventure that owes a lot to the television show Lost with its hidden hatches and secret puzzle clues of numbers. One difference though is none of the participants here know how they got where they are, entombed in chambers or what’s going on in the rest of the world. It’s also a dark apocalyptic story about a future where the human race is nearly wiped out and the few survivors are at war with each other, never trusting each other, always spying on each other. It further posits what could become of the utopians who ask you to hand over control of your thoughts and sublimate them to the greater good. There is a lot going on here and each curtain lifted only makes things murkier, telling several stories at the same time. The plot line follows one group of survivors as they venture out of their pods, not knowing if the air is poisoned or if the weather had been weaponized against them, an odd grouping they are, often a bit clunky as they interact.
September 27, 2022
Stars: 1 out of 5.
I DNFed this book at 55%. You would think that reaching the halfway point there would have been some exciting action, right? With a name like Extinction Trials, you would think there would be some high stakes, trials, etc., right? Wrong.
Yes, there seems to have been a mass extinction event, but even halfway through the book I'm not sure how long ago it had happened or how the characters ended up in Station 17. And apart from them leaving the station and getting on a boat, there hadn't been any trials either. Unless you count them trying to repair the boat as a trial. But then one man was working on it and the rest were just mulling around waiting, so that's a boring trial.
And that's the crux of it - this book is boring. The characters are uninspiring. Heck, I am not sure I can remember most of them after dropping this book a few days ago. I mean who the heck is Blair and what is her purpose in this story anyway? They have no personality, no quirks, no inner strengths or weaknesses. And even though the book is told from the perspective of two of those characters, we never really get familiar with them.
The reason for that is because the author doesn't know how to show things. What we get instead is never-ending exposition. Each character has to tell their backstory. Then they find a journal and a character needs to read every single entry out loud. Then they find video recordings, so those are narrated as well. Heck, at one point, the two character even read excerpts from a self-help book... Yawn.
By the time I reached the halfway point and discovered that nothing major had happened yet and I didn't particularly care about any of the characters, I decided that continuing this struggle wasn't worth my time. So I skipped to the end just to see how this whole mess was resolved and... let's just say that the ending is very disappointing. If you want the events in a book to make sense and abide by the rules of the world that the author created, this book is definitely not for you.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I DNFed this book at 55%. You would think that reaching the halfway point there would have been some exciting action, right? With a name like Extinction Trials, you would think there would be some high stakes, trials, etc., right? Wrong.
Yes, there seems to have been a mass extinction event, but even halfway through the book I'm not sure how long ago it had happened or how the characters ended up in Station 17. And apart from them leaving the station and getting on a boat, there hadn't been any trials either. Unless you count them trying to repair the boat as a trial. But then one man was working on it and the rest were just mulling around waiting, so that's a boring trial.
And that's the crux of it - this book is boring. The characters are uninspiring. Heck, I am not sure I can remember most of them after dropping this book a few days ago. I mean who the heck is Blair and what is her purpose in this story anyway? They have no personality, no quirks, no inner strengths or weaknesses. And even though the book is told from the perspective of two of those characters, we never really get familiar with them.
The reason for that is because the author doesn't know how to show things. What we get instead is never-ending exposition. Each character has to tell their backstory. Then they find a journal and a character needs to read every single entry out loud. Then they find video recordings, so those are narrated as well. Heck, at one point, the two character even read excerpts from a self-help book... Yawn.
By the time I reached the halfway point and discovered that nothing major had happened yet and I didn't particularly care about any of the characters, I decided that continuing this struggle wasn't worth my time. So I skipped to the end just to see how this whole mess was resolved and... let's just say that the ending is very disappointing. If you want the events in a book to make sense and abide by the rules of the world that the author created, this book is definitely not for you.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2022
I pre-ordered this book as I liked A.G Riddle's other books. While not really a strong writer, in my opinion, the topics of his books were interesting.
But this book... hohuuum... halfway and nothing's happening yet. I kept thinking... move along, move along...
But there it stayed and I just had to open another book every now and then so as not to ruin my evenings. It's like an old B movie with a bad ending. It droned on and on with characters you can't care about. And the ending... I can't understand why some scifi writers turn preachy. Just stick to the scifi, please!
It does not deserve that orange Amazon bestseller badge. It's like the author just had to publish something, knowing it will sell. I was expecting an exciting sci-fi novel about the end of civilization and got one of the most boring books I've ever read in my life.
I'm sorry, but what a disappointment.
But this book... hohuuum... halfway and nothing's happening yet. I kept thinking... move along, move along...
But there it stayed and I just had to open another book every now and then so as not to ruin my evenings. It's like an old B movie with a bad ending. It droned on and on with characters you can't care about. And the ending... I can't understand why some scifi writers turn preachy. Just stick to the scifi, please!
It does not deserve that orange Amazon bestseller badge. It's like the author just had to publish something, knowing it will sell. I was expecting an exciting sci-fi novel about the end of civilization and got one of the most boring books I've ever read in my life.
I'm sorry, but what a disappointment.
April 28, 2022
La idea principal se me hacía interesante. Un libro postapocalíptico siempre puede gustarme, por desgracia este no fue el caso. El desarrollo no terminó de convencerme, los personajes se me hicieron bastante simplones y el libro tienen tantas inconsistencias que llegó a desesperarme.
Lo peor para mí fue el final. Siento que le quiso dar un giro a la historia, pero acaba en algo realmente absurdo. En fin, tal vez no fue para mí, dado que a mucha gente le ha gustado este libro.
Lo peor para mí fue el final. Siento que le quiso dar un giro a la historia, pero acaba en algo realmente absurdo. En fin, tal vez no fue para mí, dado que a mucha gente le ha gustado este libro.
March 9, 2024
3.3 stars. I could not stand A.G’s prose. However, I’ll be giving him another chance with another novel. Maybe Extinctions Trials just wasn’t a good starting place.
December 11, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley for the audio of this book in exchange for an honest review
From the moment this story begins we are in a future world where technology that is depended on begins to go wrong. Gas leaks, fires, lab errors, explosions, robots no longer obeying programming and a virus that removes peoples’ memories set free into the world. All to set the stage for a small group of people who wake up in a strange laboratory who have somehow survived the chaos but have no recollection of how they got to where they find themselves and how to proceed. This is the early set up of this dystopian novel. It is the type of story in which the reader is given only the information the characters have and we travel with them attempting to understand the various changes and to puzzle out why this particular group of individuals was chosen to survive and perhaps recolonize the new world outside and help preserve the human race.
This is the second A.G. Riddle book I’ve read and while his prose can be rough and belabored at times, he does know how to weave a story. In this adventure, for that is certainly what it felt like, a tight group of characters must take chances, solve various clues/riddles and use individual talents to survive and reach a destination where all will be explained and answers as well as safety will be provided.
It is quite a wild ride and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent listening. I could see how the author took much of present day politics and concerns about individual freedom and carried this idea into his future world. The questions of unity and the individual were a most intriguing aspect of this story. I found the love story a little clunky as a backdrop to horrifying world events, and a human race on the edge of extinction and just not well fit into the narrative. Yet the characters were mostly well developed and while predictable at times did stay true to who they were and this gave a solidarity and grounding to a very imaginative storyline. I came to appreciate this as it allowed concentration on the larger ideas the author was presenting.
All in all there is a lot to ponder and consider that I will remember this novel by, long after I’ve forgotten the fast paced perils these characters faced. If you like dystopian novels that you only really understand their full impact at the end--then this a book for you. I am stuck between 3 and 4 stars for this one. I’ll stick with 3.75 stars rounded up, a little too heavy handed at times but well worth my time and much I take way that made me glad to have read it. Not sure how much will stick.
From the moment this story begins we are in a future world where technology that is depended on begins to go wrong. Gas leaks, fires, lab errors, explosions, robots no longer obeying programming and a virus that removes peoples’ memories set free into the world. All to set the stage for a small group of people who wake up in a strange laboratory who have somehow survived the chaos but have no recollection of how they got to where they find themselves and how to proceed. This is the early set up of this dystopian novel. It is the type of story in which the reader is given only the information the characters have and we travel with them attempting to understand the various changes and to puzzle out why this particular group of individuals was chosen to survive and perhaps recolonize the new world outside and help preserve the human race.
This is the second A.G. Riddle book I’ve read and while his prose can be rough and belabored at times, he does know how to weave a story. In this adventure, for that is certainly what it felt like, a tight group of characters must take chances, solve various clues/riddles and use individual talents to survive and reach a destination where all will be explained and answers as well as safety will be provided.
It is quite a wild ride and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent listening. I could see how the author took much of present day politics and concerns about individual freedom and carried this idea into his future world. The questions of unity and the individual were a most intriguing aspect of this story. I found the love story a little clunky as a backdrop to horrifying world events, and a human race on the edge of extinction and just not well fit into the narrative. Yet the characters were mostly well developed and while predictable at times did stay true to who they were and this gave a solidarity and grounding to a very imaginative storyline. I came to appreciate this as it allowed concentration on the larger ideas the author was presenting.
All in all there is a lot to ponder and consider that I will remember this novel by, long after I’ve forgotten the fast paced perils these characters faced. If you like dystopian novels that you only really understand their full impact at the end--then this a book for you. I am stuck between 3 and 4 stars for this one. I’ll stick with 3.75 stars rounded up, a little too heavy handed at times but well worth my time and much I take way that made me glad to have read it. Not sure how much will stick.
May 3, 2022
I'd like this more - if it was better.😆
Geez. Aren't there a lot of post-apocalyptic books around these days? I've tried a few other books by this author and haven't enjoyed them (even abandoning one of them), but I managed to plough through this one.
Soooo, Hoomans have fallen off their perch from "The Change". Hmm...we never did find out exactly what The Change was. My guess was giant gang warfare. There were lots of A.I.s making our future robots go troppo (bonkers); maybe that was it. Anyway, a heap of survivors are bundled up in preservation tubes (super-tupperware, hehehe) and wake up a lot later to find they're part of The Extinction Trials. They have to solve a sequence of riddles to move on to the next part of the trial. If you think that sounds like The Da Vinci Code, you'd be right. Startling similarities. The story also sounded a lot like The Hunger Games. I'm not saying Riddle ripped off those ideas - but maybe just borrowed from them a bit. These riddle-solvings go on until the last three short chapters, where the author wraps things up rapidly.
Speaking of chapters; there's 83 of them! Some only a couple of pages long. It doesn't detract from the storyline much though. Even a giant dildo head like me could keep track of what was going on. The action was enough to keep me going - barely, and the ending nicely wrapped up the loose ends, AND there was a pretty good twist at the end. (The ending made me laugh out loud.)
Since I'm not a big fan of cryptic-problem-solving novels like The Da Vinci Code, (I don't hate them - I like them in small doses), I'll give it the same score.
Geez. Aren't there a lot of post-apocalyptic books around these days? I've tried a few other books by this author and haven't enjoyed them (even abandoning one of them), but I managed to plough through this one.
Soooo, Hoomans have fallen off their perch from "The Change". Hmm...we never did find out exactly what The Change was. My guess was giant gang warfare. There were lots of A.I.s making our future robots go troppo (bonkers); maybe that was it. Anyway, a heap of survivors are bundled up in preservation tubes (super-tupperware, hehehe) and wake up a lot later to find they're part of The Extinction Trials. They have to solve a sequence of riddles to move on to the next part of the trial. If you think that sounds like The Da Vinci Code, you'd be right. Startling similarities. The story also sounded a lot like The Hunger Games. I'm not saying Riddle ripped off those ideas - but maybe just borrowed from them a bit. These riddle-solvings go on until the last three short chapters, where the author wraps things up rapidly.
Speaking of chapters; there's 83 of them! Some only a couple of pages long. It doesn't detract from the storyline much though. Even a giant dildo head like me could keep track of what was going on. The action was enough to keep me going - barely, and the ending nicely wrapped up the loose ends, AND there was a pretty good twist at the end. (The ending made me laugh out loud.)
Since I'm not a big fan of cryptic-problem-solving novels like The Da Vinci Code, (I don't hate them - I like them in small doses), I'll give it the same score.
February 18, 2025
I am trying to read sci-fi books occasionally, and this was reasonable, if a little predictable.
December 30, 2021
Meh
A shallow and poorly thought out post-apocalyptic novel based on a strained premise. Limited character development. Disjointed and nonsensical at times. Do not recommend.
A shallow and poorly thought out post-apocalyptic novel based on a strained premise. Limited character development. Disjointed and nonsensical at times. Do not recommend.
June 25, 2025
guessed a lot of it but didn't see that final twist at the end!
October 18, 2021
The “change” is killing humanity. No, this isn’t a post menopausal book. Rather it’s a post apocalyptic story.
This book begins with utter chaos—a clash of intentional, manmade catastrophes. There’s not just one but multiple threats to kill off all or most of humanity, in a Big Brother eugenics-type campaign. Fade to black.
During the human species cleansing, our protagonist (a fire fighter with expressive agnosia), a women with amnesia, and several others awake. The firefighter can’t understand facial expressions or body language, so he’s at a loss in social situations. The amnesiac can’t remember the past. They gravitate together, recognize that the other must be innocent of any ulterior motive, and rely on each other to survive. I like having characters with interesting brain issues, and I give two thumbs up for this couple of unique characters!
No one knows—including us—what’s going on, who’s in charge, or why. We learn there are secrets among the team members and elsewhere, but like the protagonist, we are required to wait and find out the answers along with him, solving problems while on the run as they try to save themselves—and humanity. The puzzle-solving is a bit formulaic, but if you like interacting with your books, you‘ll enjoy solving puzzles along with the characters. The team’s focus and the book’s themes are sweet, life affirming, and a little corny.
This page-turner is very easy to read in one sitting and ends in a unique head scratcher of a twist.
Two and a half stars. I received this free from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.
This book begins with utter chaos—a clash of intentional, manmade catastrophes. There’s not just one but multiple threats to kill off all or most of humanity, in a Big Brother eugenics-type campaign. Fade to black.
During the human species cleansing, our protagonist (a fire fighter with expressive agnosia), a women with amnesia, and several others awake. The firefighter can’t understand facial expressions or body language, so he’s at a loss in social situations. The amnesiac can’t remember the past. They gravitate together, recognize that the other must be innocent of any ulterior motive, and rely on each other to survive. I like having characters with interesting brain issues, and I give two thumbs up for this couple of unique characters!
No one knows—including us—what’s going on, who’s in charge, or why. We learn there are secrets among the team members and elsewhere, but like the protagonist, we are required to wait and find out the answers along with him, solving problems while on the run as they try to save themselves—and humanity. The puzzle-solving is a bit formulaic, but if you like interacting with your books, you‘ll enjoy solving puzzles along with the characters. The team’s focus and the book’s themes are sweet, life affirming, and a little corny.
This page-turner is very easy to read in one sitting and ends in a unique head scratcher of a twist.
Two and a half stars. I received this free from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.
May 19, 2022
Started for the Spring 2022 Kindle Reading challenge
Current status: Dnf'ed at 57%.
Just skimmed a little bit ahead and found even MORE infodumps. Sorry, can't do it anymore.
You'd think with a title like "The Extinction Trials" the story would be action-packed and full of nail-biting suspense. Unfortunately that is not the case here.
It was such a slog reading all six characters' infodumpy backstories (Chapters 33-39) which were basically walls of text disguised as dialogue. That is, cringey, long-winded monologues that went on for paragraphs while everyone else just sat there. Oh, there was a reaction or two occasionally to demonstrate that they still existed. I thought the others had fallen asleep, because I was starting to.
Suddenly the crew discovers videotape recordings. Cue the infodumps (again).
Where's all the promised suspense? Thrills? Anything besides scavenger-hunting (and infodumps)?
If the characters were likable or at least engaging I might have considered sticking out it, infodumps be damned, but I didn't care about any of them. Too bad the main MCs are insufferable with their "I know the answer to everything based on my HUNCH...and I'm right" bs, and meanwhile all the other members of the ragtag team are either forgettable (uh, who's Blair again?) or basically props to make the MCs look good (well hello there, Alister the strawman village idiot). The "romance" between Owen and Maya was nonexistent. No sparks, nada.
I dunno...nothing seems to be working for me.
Current status: Dnf'ed at 57%.
Just skimmed a little bit ahead and found even MORE infodumps. Sorry, can't do it anymore.
You'd think with a title like "The Extinction Trials" the story would be action-packed and full of nail-biting suspense. Unfortunately that is not the case here.
It was such a slog reading all six characters' infodumpy backstories (Chapters 33-39) which were basically walls of text disguised as dialogue. That is, cringey, long-winded monologues that went on for paragraphs while everyone else just sat there. Oh, there was a reaction or two occasionally to demonstrate that they still existed. I thought the others had fallen asleep, because I was starting to.
Suddenly the crew discovers videotape recordings. Cue the infodumps (again).
Where's all the promised suspense? Thrills? Anything besides scavenger-hunting (and infodumps)?
If the characters were likable or at least engaging I might have considered sticking out it, infodumps be damned, but I didn't care about any of them. Too bad the main MCs are insufferable with their "I know the answer to everything based on my HUNCH...and I'm right" bs, and meanwhile all the other members of the ragtag team are either forgettable (uh, who's Blair again?) or basically props to make the MCs look good (well hello there, Alister the strawman village idiot). The "romance" between Owen and Maya was nonexistent. No sparks, nada.
I dunno...nothing seems to be working for me.
May 15, 2022
Naked and Afraid
Uhm, what the hell is going on?
You ever watch the reality show that airs on the Discovery Channel where they chronicle the lives of survivalists who meet for the first time naked and are given the task of surviving a stay in the wilderness? Well imagine after an apocalyptic event you wake up with a couple naked people in a bunker.
What?
Most of his books are garbage
So why did I try again?
ORDER PLACED
May 8, 2022
TOTAL
$1.49
For less than a cup of coffee I figured I would give this book 50 pages or so.
I gave it 100 pages and jumped to the end.
Plausible: seeming reasonable or probable.
It comes from the Latin plausibilis ("worthy of applause")
The crowd is silent watching this show. No applause.
So poorly written.
Shame on the 5 star shills.
Uhm, what the hell is going on?
You ever watch the reality show that airs on the Discovery Channel where they chronicle the lives of survivalists who meet for the first time naked and are given the task of surviving a stay in the wilderness? Well imagine after an apocalyptic event you wake up with a couple naked people in a bunker.
What?
Most of his books are garbage
So why did I try again?
ORDER PLACED
May 8, 2022
TOTAL
$1.49
For less than a cup of coffee I figured I would give this book 50 pages or so.
I gave it 100 pages and jumped to the end.
Plausible: seeming reasonable or probable.
It comes from the Latin plausibilis ("worthy of applause")
The crowd is silent watching this show. No applause.
So poorly written.
Shame on the 5 star shills.
July 27, 2022
This was astonishingly bad. I wasn't thrilled at a couple of things during the story: The story was only okay up to that point, and those almost made me quit. But I'd read enough so far, I figured I'd go ahead and finish it.
Which turned out to be an absolute waste. The ending is so astronomically unlikely as to be simply impossible. Not to mention trite and clichéd to the point of absurdity. Warning: I'm going to spoil the entire ending to show how bad it is, so if you plan to read this, don't read this spoiler:
I really regret taking the time to finish the book for such a weak, trite ending. I strongly recommend spending your time on something else.
Which turned out to be an absolute waste. The ending is so astronomically unlikely as to be simply impossible. Not to mention trite and clichéd to the point of absurdity. Warning: I'm going to spoil the entire ending to show how bad it is, so if you plan to read this, don't read this spoiler:
I really regret taking the time to finish the book for such a weak, trite ending. I strongly recommend spending your time on something else.
October 30, 2021
This is the first book I’ve read of A.G. Riddle, and it looks like I’ve found a new author to read. I’ll need to check out his backlist.
In The Extinction Trials, six people wake up in a research facility and find they’ve been saved from the recent apocalypse that wiped out most of the people and created a toxic atmosphere. They are told they’re part of the trials to restart humanity.
From there, they follow abstract clues to make their way to another location where they hope to find answers as to what, why, where!
I read a lot of apocalyptic books, so the premise started out as another of those. But then it shifted into something like an episode of Lost and became much more than your typical apocalyptic story.
But my oh my, that ending!!! I’ve never seen anything like it and had to go back and reread it just to make sure I got it right. That ending pretty much blew my mind and gave me one of the most unique endings ever. Well done!
I switched back and forth between the ecopy and the audiobook. The audiobook was performed by John Skelly and did a decent job.
*Thanks to Legion Books and NetGalley for the advance copy, and thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the early audiobook!*
In The Extinction Trials, six people wake up in a research facility and find they’ve been saved from the recent apocalypse that wiped out most of the people and created a toxic atmosphere. They are told they’re part of the trials to restart humanity.
From there, they follow abstract clues to make their way to another location where they hope to find answers as to what, why, where!
I read a lot of apocalyptic books, so the premise started out as another of those. But then it shifted into something like an episode of Lost and became much more than your typical apocalyptic story.
But my oh my, that ending!!! I’ve never seen anything like it and had to go back and reread it just to make sure I got it right. That ending pretty much blew my mind and gave me one of the most unique endings ever. Well done!
I switched back and forth between the ecopy and the audiobook. The audiobook was performed by John Skelly and did a decent job.
*Thanks to Legion Books and NetGalley for the advance copy, and thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the early audiobook!*
February 11, 2023
There is a lot to like in this book and not just for hardcore sci-fi fans. In fact the strongest aspect of this book is the relationships among the main characters and the themes of loyalty, friendship, family and integrity, all of which are very well explored. Also the action in this book, although in small doses, was well written and you could feel the suspense rising. As for the sci-fi fans, I think you'll like what you'll find here, but not be blown away by its originality or complexity. The ending was quite clever but still I could use with some more explaining.
I didn't have any big issues with mr. Riddle's book besides one or two things I wasn't a fan of.
Firstly I found some choices/decisions from the main duo of protagonists not that convincing and finally I also felt that the first part of the book was a bit too slow for my liking and it took me a while to get totally hooked on the story.
As I said above, this is a book that will appeal to a lot of readers sci-fi fans or not.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I didn't have any big issues with mr. Riddle's book besides one or two things I wasn't a fan of.
Firstly I found some choices/decisions from the main duo of protagonists not that convincing and finally I also felt that the first part of the book was a bit too slow for my liking and it took me a while to get totally hooked on the story.
As I said above, this is a book that will appeal to a lot of readers sci-fi fans or not.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 28, 2023
5 stars, The world as they knew it has ended, now what?
THE EXTINCTION TRIALS by A.G. Riddle
A small group of people wakes up in a fallout shelter and as they are learning about what is going on, one of the people waking up murders the man who was telling them about the state of the world at this time. They find that they have to work together to get any further with their escape.
Highly recommend a great dystopian science fiction novel.
Many thanks to #netgalley #legionbooks for the complimentary copy of #theextinctiontrials I was under no obligation to post a review.
THE EXTINCTION TRIALS by A.G. Riddle
A small group of people wakes up in a fallout shelter and as they are learning about what is going on, one of the people waking up murders the man who was telling them about the state of the world at this time. They find that they have to work together to get any further with their escape.
Highly recommend a great dystopian science fiction novel.
Many thanks to #netgalley #legionbooks for the complimentary copy of #theextinctiontrials I was under no obligation to post a review.
July 22, 2022
Extinction Trials
Como un survival post-apocalyptico esta bien, las aventuras del grupo que despierta y como van descubriendo cosas lo hace interesante, aunque si usan algunos de los trucos tipicos.
Te entretiene.
3 stars
Reto Popsugar 30. Un libro con el nombre de un juego de mesa en el título. Extinction
Como un survival post-apocalyptico esta bien, las aventuras del grupo que despierta y como van descubriendo cosas lo hace interesante, aunque si usan algunos de los trucos tipicos.
Te entretiene.
3 stars
Reto Popsugar 30. Un libro con el nombre de un juego de mesa en el título. Extinction
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