Rating: 
Summary: Don't Waste your Time
Review: Let me begin with a few words about myself....I love reading. Ever since I can remember I've always had a book in my hand. Between classes in school, on the metro on the way to work, waiting in line at a movie theater. I love reading so much and I generally like every thing I read. This book was an exception. I didn't even finish it it was THAT bad. First off it begins with three disjointed tails, ok that's fine I read a lot of Tom Clancy I'm used to that. The point is by almost page 200 (practically the middle of the book) the story lines still aren't solidly connected forcing the reader to jump around from plot line to plot line....extremely annoying. When I read the dust cover of this book I was scared, I thought I would be totally scared, biting my nails at 3 am in the morning too scared to keep reading but even more scared to fall asleep. NOT. If anything this book put me to sleep. After a while the premise of the world moving to colonize hell and the quest to see if a real Satan really exists becomes tedious and annoying. Bottom line, don't waste your time on this book, it's not worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Potential but Alas....
Review: The Descent is one of those books that had all the promise of greatness but squandered it by overreaching, logical lapses and I suspect an inability to answer its own questions.The premise was outstanding and frankly, the entire book could have centered on any one of several threads. For instance, the war between Hadal and our world. (This is also one of my complaints) The battle that erupts between the two sides had all the earmarks of a classic confrontation that could have been the basis for the entire book. But nope - after a bit of development, the war is over and we move on to an unlikely corporate expedition to find an enemy who has all but died off. All but died off...hmmm...these guys take out 1,000,000 troops in one battle and then...retreat? Then they are defeated? My simple mind doesn't understand. I wanted this book to fulfill its promise and I, unlike many others here, did like the ending. However, I should have kept notes so I could keep track of many of the minor characters who became prominent in the end. I kept flipping back to try and recall how they were initially presented. I could go on and on (and feel like I already have...) but when I book or movie shows such great intent it is doubly disappointing when it fails to fulfill said promise.
Rating:
Summary: The Descent
Review: Under the earth's surface, a hidden civilization has existed for millennia. Now, they have come to threaten humanity. Wonderful speculative ideas and some gorgeous images and turns of phrase. The execution seems flawed, though. It's never quite clear why the hadals become a threat at this particular moment in time. The moments when they and their underworld are discovered are told in pure exposition, robbing the narrative of potential drama. The hadals and their culture are the most fascinating part of the book, yet Long chooses to focus on human military weirdos, keeping the hadals mysterious throughout. Having mystery for part of the novel would have been a good way to maintain tension, but I wanted to get to the bottom of things eventually and never did. The novel's conclusion seemed to degenerate into an action movie without really addressing the larger themes. Characters are fairly appealing, and there are some wonderfully grotesque moments.
Rating:
Summary: Great start, but falls apart in the end.
Review: This was the first book I read by Jeff Long. I would recommend Year Zero, which is a far better book than the Descent. The problem was not that the Descent was a bad book and not worth reading. The problem was its ending. Jeff Long does an excellent job in pulling you into the story. I couldn't put the book down. About 200 pages in, though, he begins to slow down. You begin to wonder what happened to the editor as much of this could of been cut out. None-the-less I was still intrigued and continued reading. The Descent does build to a what you expect is to be a great climatic ending. All the meat was there, the problem becomes Jeff Long forgets to cook the meat in the end. You finish the book with a major let down. 500 plus pages and this is it? The ending was in one simple word... lame. Now don't get me wrong, the book is worth reading, just be prepared for a let down in the end. One other note, is this book has some pretty graphic sexual descriptions. Not of sex, but of certain parts and many unfortunate, none sexual uses of them. This also brings down the book. The only other problem is to believe a Nun, strong in her faith, decides to take pitty on the main character and his, umm deformities and decides to start having sexual thoughts for this character. It's a leap, but okay. Either way, I would recommend Year Zero first as it is a much better effort. If you enjoy Year Zero, then go for the Descent, its not bad, but definately will not be one of his most recommended in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the Rest?
Review: Although this book was great, it felt like only about half of the story. As the book was winding down, I kept wondering how in the world the rest of the story was going to come together. Had it been about another 250 pages longer, it could have been superb. Still quite worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: one helluva read!
Review: If you want a really, really hair-raising read about that which is miles beneath our feet, that which has scared us forever, that which curdles the blood & is the stuff of our collective worst nightmares, then THE DESCENT will do it. Well-written with a ton of details about spelunking, Jeff Long is long on trekking details, imagination & drama! Absolutely gripping, mind-blowing & marvelous with enough of a redemption to leave you very glad for the life you have! Hard to categorize: science fiction? Horror? Mystery?; Thriller? All of the above & a fantastic adventure too!
Rating:
Summary: A page burner indeed!
Review: On the cover of the book someone writes it is a page burner - this is still too weak a characterization of what this novel really is. It leads us into a fantasy world that is very similar to ours populated by very credible characters and fantastic beings that, in their interactions, create most exciting and breathtaking plots. The idea of a sub-planet is not a new one, with Jules Verne being one of the first authors to lead us down there. But this novel is one of the most sophisticated ones I have ever read. It is not only that Long has thoroughly researched human history to create a dark background for his yarn, it is also the language, its rich imagery that is never ridiculous, and the powerful language that he uses, which force you to read the book in one go. Never is there a boring line in 561 long pages.
If you ask about the genre this novel belongs to, the answer is not easy: There is some SF, some fantasy, a lot of horror, and also mainstream. So you would imagine this could be a book for everybody to read. But beware: those who are afraid of blood and gore should think twice before reading it - although the book would be nothing without that. A page burner indeed!
Rating:
Summary: Hang on for the ride
Review: From the moment the characters find a body with mysterious tattoos... To when one by one they disappear... To when they find out what is below the surface of the earth... You will be totally engrossed. This book was awesome. The concept was well thought out & you get pulled into the story. It is a very long book & sometimes I felt a little lost, but it was well worth the effort. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read!
Review: This was an excellent book. I could not put it down. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: THE ROAD TO HELL
Review: THE DESCENT is a long, arduous trek to the farthest depths of the earth. Long has certainly delivered one of the most unusual novels I have read in some time. People with tons of characters and subplots, the story follows a team into the depths of earth to find Satan. There are several hints that Satan is really one of the Beowulf Society, a gathering of elderly scholars intent on discovering the true origins of the Satanic master. The resultant discovery is predictable, yet still has a sense of chills when the culprit is unmasked. Before that, though, you get several really creepy scenarios, particularly the opening chapter focusing on Ike Crockett and his doomed tour group; the hellish damnation of Branch, to name only a few.
This book has some real chills, some philosophical food for thought, and yes would make an interesting cinematic experience. Quite a different read.
RECOMMENDED.
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