Flora’s Reviews > Ascension > Status Update

The voice the audio book reader is doing for this antagonistic character is so bad and also weirdly like Harlan Ellison's AM voice in the video game

I'm trying to define why I'm interested in the flashbacks, but feel like the climb up the mountain really falls flat. I think that it's because the main character has no idea what's going on (to the same degree or even moreso than the reader), and the situation around him is so unconvincing that any relevation seems as likely or unlikely as anything else. It's not grounded in anything.

If I need to read one more conversation like,
"[Talking about basic evolutionary concepts like they're revolutionary]"
"[Brings up religion for no reason]"
"[Atheist irrationally angry at the mention of God]"
"[Insistence that they need to work together to solve this poorly defined mystery]"
I'm gonna lose it

The flashbacks are really the strongest parts of the narrative so far. As they encounter dangers on the trek up the mountain I feel like I have no idea what is motivating the main character or most of the side characters to do this. Why is this bunch of scientists climbing this mountain? They don't seem to have any choice but also seem weirdly cool with this death-march.