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Descent
It’s Christmas Eve, and Lara anxiously anticipates the arrival of her sister, Cleo, so she can reveal a shocking family secret that has been haunting Lara since their mother’s death. By confronting revelations about their grandfather’s shameful past, Lara is hopeful that she and Cleo can make reparations and exorcise this ghost from their lives. The ghost, however, won’t be appeased so easily....
Alexandra Wood’s new play - twisty, suspenseful, and written exclusively for audio - will convince you that you really can’t escape your past.
Playwright Alexandra Wood was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Descent.
This audio play features immersive audio techniques; to maximize the listening experience, headphones are recommended.
Alexandra Wood’s new play - twisty, suspenseful, and written exclusively for audio - will convince you that you really can’t escape your past.
Playwright Alexandra Wood was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Descent.
This audio play features immersive audio techniques; to maximize the listening experience, headphones are recommended.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 24, 2022
2.5⭐ Great sound effects, voice drama, and narration. I listened to this on my PC speaker and a few times I looked around thinking the noise is from another room. Creeps me out!
But there's really no story here...
Audible Original: 1 hr and 9 mins
But there's really no story here...
Audible Original: 1 hr and 9 mins
March 31, 2023
I don't get why the rating is so low as this was a very intriguing story and idea. I did love the full cast as well. could be fun as a series.
January 20, 2023
There was too much screaming, too much squabbling. The characters were not likeable. Waste of time.
June 14, 2022
I love the special effects, that's the only thing that I liked, I didn't like the ending I felt like I never got a conclusion at all, I felt like there was more to say.
January 25, 2022
Can not recommend at all.
I grabbed it because it was "included" in my audible subscription and the blurb sounded promising. There were interesting aspects to the story.
However I felt it was an overproduction of the fairly short story. The voice acting itself was good enough, but the sound effects were too distracting and I found the faux-doppler effects (sound going further and closer) very confusing and often hard to follow. I should point out that I have listened to several other full productions of audiobooks, and they don't have to be so annoying and incoherent.
Because it was short and I was committed, I did finish this one. If you've bothered to read this review so far, save yourself the bother and skip this.
I grabbed it because it was "included" in my audible subscription and the blurb sounded promising. There were interesting aspects to the story.
However I felt it was an overproduction of the fairly short story. The voice acting itself was good enough, but the sound effects were too distracting and I found the faux-doppler effects (sound going further and closer) very confusing and often hard to follow. I should point out that I have listened to several other full productions of audiobooks, and they don't have to be so annoying and incoherent.
Because it was short and I was committed, I did finish this one. If you've bothered to read this review so far, save yourself the bother and skip this.
November 19, 2021
Let me say off the bat that the performances are possibly the best I’ve ever heard on an audiodrama! I can’t think of any better. Really great acting. The story was a little scattered, almost guarded and didn’t give much away as far reasons why what was happening was happening. I felt the woman was undeserving of the actions and that maybe a little more reasoning would be made clear. But still a riveting story for sure and again…the acting was marvelous!!!
December 18, 2021
A full cast, sound effects incredible! The story was missing a bit for my taste but still for a short story it was ok. A woman and her sister get together for the holidays after their mother's passing. Sara has something to share about her mother's past with her sister. Things get weird fast! And the ending is cut short!
March 16, 2022
Pour yourself some hot tea. Fluff up your favorite pillow. Close the blinds ... and the doors. Leave on your phone on with the ringer on high... might need it. Sit down push/press play and descend into the fog.
I found this audio book on audible for free. Deciding why not ..its only an hour and nine minutes. Good for back ground noise while I'm going to work. Once I got to work if it wasn't done, I'd just finish it on my way back. Simple. With my windows up, my AC on low, and my speed set on 65, I was ready. Yep, I pressed play... and, just like madness, it started and stopped on "its" own script.
Released on October 21, 2021 by an award winning London Playwright, this story materialized. Commissioned by the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund this play was given life out side of the stuffy theater and into your speakers.
The play is about two sisters that are going home for Christmas. However, the story shifts and pulls you into the shadows of one character's mind. But these shadows are not like your A typical horror/psychological/ghost story. It's not about the ghost that hosts and haunts the characters (despite the narrative). It about how in madness (possibly the onset or the effects of Alzimers) one's mind is not entirely under their own control, no matter how much you try to clear up the fog. This play also shows that despite how much we try to appease the past, it doesn't matter. The past is the past. Emotions, ideals, moral, and belief effect and belong to the living...not the dead or the past.
I can understand the confusion of some listeners. It is literally designed and exicuted as a play would be done. It's not a play/audio that can be listened to with other things going on. Sounds nostalgic to ghost stories but when the Spirit(s) says, "pay attention its your sanity on the line", this story means it. You're going to get lost if your not in the "moment". The story is short and does give that impression of being almost rushed. However, I think it was just right for this story. It just works. The character descent into the "fog" is what your following. Like fog, it can sometimes come abruptly and leave the same way. Either way you get lost, stub your toe, and get absolutely irritated with yourself for not being able to keep up with the changes. Normal. Sane. Safe. ... maybe.
I've never had nor ever experienced anyone with Alzimers. From what I've ever heard it's just .. hard. The confusion, loss, and miss interpreted feeling of the family, the Person, and expecially on the children that are trying to make sense of it all.
This story is, in my opinion, giving the listener a birds eye view into the mind of someone who believes they are sane but are just getting deeper into the fog. Created by a vengeful ghost or just the on set of a disease of the mind. It proves the mind believes what it's senses tell it. So... if your in complete control of your senses take a listen. Give this character a chance to tell you their story. Perhaps by leaving your phone on you will just ignore it because you are in control and you will deside when you will answer. Or, perhaps that phone call might be what gets you out of your own Desent into the fog.
I found this audio book on audible for free. Deciding why not ..its only an hour and nine minutes. Good for back ground noise while I'm going to work. Once I got to work if it wasn't done, I'd just finish it on my way back. Simple. With my windows up, my AC on low, and my speed set on 65, I was ready. Yep, I pressed play... and, just like madness, it started and stopped on "its" own script.
Released on October 21, 2021 by an award winning London Playwright, this story materialized. Commissioned by the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund this play was given life out side of the stuffy theater and into your speakers.
The play is about two sisters that are going home for Christmas. However, the story shifts and pulls you into the shadows of one character's mind. But these shadows are not like your A typical horror/psychological/ghost story. It's not about the ghost that hosts and haunts the characters (despite the narrative). It about how in madness (possibly the onset or the effects of Alzimers) one's mind is not entirely under their own control, no matter how much you try to clear up the fog. This play also shows that despite how much we try to appease the past, it doesn't matter. The past is the past. Emotions, ideals, moral, and belief effect and belong to the living...not the dead or the past.
I can understand the confusion of some listeners. It is literally designed and exicuted as a play would be done. It's not a play/audio that can be listened to with other things going on. Sounds nostalgic to ghost stories but when the Spirit(s) says, "pay attention its your sanity on the line", this story means it. You're going to get lost if your not in the "moment". The story is short and does give that impression of being almost rushed. However, I think it was just right for this story. It just works. The character descent into the "fog" is what your following. Like fog, it can sometimes come abruptly and leave the same way. Either way you get lost, stub your toe, and get absolutely irritated with yourself for not being able to keep up with the changes. Normal. Sane. Safe. ... maybe.
I've never had nor ever experienced anyone with Alzimers. From what I've ever heard it's just .. hard. The confusion, loss, and miss interpreted feeling of the family, the Person, and expecially on the children that are trying to make sense of it all.
This story is, in my opinion, giving the listener a birds eye view into the mind of someone who believes they are sane but are just getting deeper into the fog. Created by a vengeful ghost or just the on set of a disease of the mind. It proves the mind believes what it's senses tell it. So... if your in complete control of your senses take a listen. Give this character a chance to tell you their story. Perhaps by leaving your phone on you will just ignore it because you are in control and you will deside when you will answer. Or, perhaps that phone call might be what gets you out of your own Desent into the fog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
Where to start..."Decent" was definitely a first time listen by Alexandra Wood, new author to this listener. A short novella using immersive techniques (headphones required) that had you immersed into the story with good sound effects and narration by Tara Fitzgerald, Shobna Gulati, Jason Barnett, Sirine Saba, David Sturzaker, Frida Saba-Storey, Ulyana Dryzhak...all new narrators to this listener. This story, although short was creepy, suspenseful and had me on edge with all the sound effects. My only drawback was I wasn't sure what the story was truly about and left me a bit empty.
April 28, 2022
This was just OK. The ending was a bit bizarre, which I think was the whole point. Quick easy Audible original.
December 18, 2021
The voice acting was great but the story left me wanting more of an explanation...
May 25, 2023
This title was included in Audible Plus for free, so I decided to give it a listen. It's only an hour and 9 minutes, so at my normal listening speed of 1.5x it was super quick!
I want to start off by saying that the audio? 5/5. Hands down. It's immersive 3D audio, complete with surround sound effects and a full cast. The acting was fantastic, and this is one of the best narrations I've ever listened to!
The story itself? Eh, not so much. It wasn't bad; I just think maybe the story was just too short for me to really be invested in it, or to make any kind of connection with the characters. I did enjoy the concept, though, and I'm the black sheep here because I actually liked the bizarre open ending. Leaves it to the imagination! [spoiler]Also leaves you to wonder if any of it was real, or if Lara just lost her mind.[/spoiler]
I want to start off by saying that the audio? 5/5. Hands down. It's immersive 3D audio, complete with surround sound effects and a full cast. The acting was fantastic, and this is one of the best narrations I've ever listened to!
The story itself? Eh, not so much. It wasn't bad; I just think maybe the story was just too short for me to really be invested in it, or to make any kind of connection with the characters. I did enjoy the concept, though, and I'm the black sheep here because I actually liked the bizarre open ending. Leaves it to the imagination! [spoiler]Also leaves you to wonder if any of it was real, or if Lara just lost her mind.[/spoiler]
November 6, 2021
A well-performed not-so-good story...
November 11, 2021
Didn't like the ending. Performances - narration was very good.
May 30, 2023
Meh. At least it was short. The story purports to be about ghosts but has a mundane “twist” at the end. Give it a miss.
May 2, 2023
Good solid audio/radio drama.
Nice sound design.
Nice sound design.
March 12, 2024
Before anything else, the production quality and voice acting were top-notch, which may even be the reason I gave this book three stars, I am not sure.
Why am I not sure? Because the story itself was kind of weak, bordering on non-existent?
Lara and Cleo are sisters and they will be spending Christmas together, but they lost their mother a short while ago and Lara in still under the influence of her mother'd death, since she made a confession before she died. She told Lara that her father, Lara and Cleo's grandfather worked for the Nazis, he killed a lot of people, and his ghost now haunted Lara's mother.
Lara is extremely uneasy the entire story, and it makes the listener uneasy, too, especially when combined with the excellent sound-effects, so I liked that, too.
But the rest was kind of rushed.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Because said grandfather started haunting Lara this time and all of a sudden it was twenty years later, Lara's son was married and had a daughter of his own, and Lara had no recollection of the years past, at all.
Why am I not sure? Because the story itself was kind of weak, bordering on non-existent?
Lara and Cleo are sisters and they will be spending Christmas together, but they lost their mother a short while ago and Lara in still under the influence of her mother'd death, since she made a confession before she died. She told Lara that her father, Lara and Cleo's grandfather worked for the Nazis, he killed a lot of people, and his ghost now haunted Lara's mother.
Lara is extremely uneasy the entire story, and it makes the listener uneasy, too, especially when combined with the excellent sound-effects, so I liked that, too.
But the rest was kind of rushed.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Because said grandfather started haunting Lara this time and all of a sudden it was twenty years later, Lara's son was married and had a daughter of his own, and Lara had no recollection of the years past, at all.
October 25, 2024
I don't understand the low average rating here. Maybe it's disappointment at the mystery and the ending that leaves stuff to interpretation, but I loved it.
The sound was really unnerving, something akin to the opposite of ASMR where the point of the sound effects is to keep you on edge rather than calm.
As for the story, it's fairly simple - two sisters meeting for Christmas discuss their late mother and some of the tales she told of a man who haunted her. They are uneasy as they talk about their grandfather's unsavoury history fighting for the Nazi regime.
This is short, about 70 minutes or so. And well worth a listen.
The sound was really unnerving, something akin to the opposite of ASMR where the point of the sound effects is to keep you on edge rather than calm.
As for the story, it's fairly simple - two sisters meeting for Christmas discuss their late mother and some of the tales she told of a man who haunted her. They are uneasy as they talk about their grandfather's unsavoury history fighting for the Nazi regime.
This is short, about 70 minutes or so. And well worth a listen.
January 2, 2023
A new level in audiobooks.
This immersive audio is about two sisters discovering some dark family history and trying to make sense of it all. But when things get a bit strange, the sisters soon realize that laying family secrets to rest isn’t as easy as it sounds.
It was ok. Not a favorite but not the worst either. Although I loved the immersive news of it all and the sound effects were on point, I couldn’t really get into the vibe of the story. It left me feeling like there was no real conclusion.
This immersive audio is about two sisters discovering some dark family history and trying to make sense of it all. But when things get a bit strange, the sisters soon realize that laying family secrets to rest isn’t as easy as it sounds.
It was ok. Not a favorite but not the worst either. Although I loved the immersive news of it all and the sound effects were on point, I couldn’t really get into the vibe of the story. It left me feeling like there was no real conclusion.
February 4, 2023
This Audible original was downright terrifying in parts. Lara has picked up her sister for Christmas. As they are driving home in the dark, the car stalls. They must walk the two miles home. Lara describes how their late mother was haunted by a ghost during her life. Lara begins to see things along the road. Is this real, or is Lara descending into madness? The ending is a cliffhanger which never answers that.
August 29, 2022
I loved this story. Straight away you see it has great production values. You listen to sound effects, music, and the characters each have their own voice actor. If you have Audible plus then this story is included with it.
I thought this was an amazing ghost story up until the final 2 minutes. I wasn't that fond of the ending, but everything else was an amazing experience.
I thought this was an amazing ghost story up until the final 2 minutes. I wasn't that fond of the ending, but everything else was an amazing experience.
August 10, 2025
Listening to this was an interesting but frustrating experience. The performances are very good. The sound effects help create an immersive and eerie atmosphere. Yet just when the story was getting really interesting and dramatic, it ended! The gradual decline in Lara's sanity makes for intense listening, but I needed to know more! Overall, an intriguing concept that isn't fully executed.
November 4, 2021
I tried but I just couldn't get into this story. The blurb sounded good, but the story was just strange. It may have been in part to the "immersion" style of narrating. This just was a weird story.
March 9, 2022
The performances were ok but the story wasn’t really fleshed out and was kind of anti climatic. I enjoyed it for what it was and I’m assuming it’s purpose was more to demonstrate the onset of dementia but it fell flat for me.
April 21, 2022
I feel like I read a different book than the other reviewers? It felt perfectly coherent, and the ending seemed to indicate . I found the story compelling.
May 8, 2022
Interesting story, but I do not like endings that don't truly end and leave you wondering about the rest of the story. I am hoping this was done because a second episode is being written, however due to the shortness of this episode, that is unlikely.
September 14, 2022
This was a quick dramatic full cast audiobook that was fairly good. A bit too short and slightly vague, ending with a sad realization. The immersive audio was well done and was quite excellent when using earbuds. I enjoyed it even if it was a bit too short.
October 4, 2022
The production value on this was incredible. It reminded me of some of my all time favorite podcast audiodramas. The story was a bit confusing though and never really well explained. The end was abrupt and no "why" was ever revealed.
May 29, 2023
I thought this would be a creepy ghost story. Instead we have a woman who is imagining things. There was no real resolution to the story. Cast was great, so were sound effects. Don’t bother, a waste of time.
December 12, 2023
It’s Christmas Eve so it’s time for families to gather and wait for the ghosts of the past to catch up.
This audio drama with full cast and sound effects was good but the actual story was just ok.
This audio drama with full cast and sound effects was good but the actual story was just ok.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews