Rating: 
Summary: HELL OF A BOOK
Review: This is one hell of a book. Captures the reader immediately and doesn't let go until the very end. Jeff Long makes the unbelieveable believeable. Horrifying, thought provoking mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: good premises, horrible development
Review: The idea is good, but he tries to cover too much without accomplishing anything. I am still asking myself questions about the plot that went unanswered. Why didn't the main roles underground die? what about the incidents? what happen to the bad guy owner of the corporation? why of the operation? the daughter detail? What happened to the civilization?The involution? They send the "whole army" to kill a character and the "whole army" is 3 soldiers? the details don't match up, nothing makes sense...
He places 1000 theories out there to make his ends meet, so he has an explanation for his storyline, but most of the book goes unexplained and is completely senseless.
Worse, it was like watching Buffy, after 10,000 years of ruling the world killing everyone, the bad guys die after their first face to face with the good ones.
He tried to parallel to stories, but only one keeps you reading, and then you relize that he didn't want to develop the other one because it doesn't make sense and because after the first hint you know the solution.
It also puzzles me why didn't the corporation just send an army to accomplish what they wanted to do. The whole "descent" operation was silly.
Interesting premises, but Tolkien did a superb job, Jeff Long did not. He had material to create a fantastic universe, but he didn't.
By the way, the characters are so unidimensional and lifeless. They change according to the situation.
Rating:
Summary: errors! many, many errors
Review: The author has attempted to write a story with a military backdrop but is obviously entirely ignorant about military practices or protocol. In any novel there must be credibility. The characters have to act consistently and logically according to their own lights to create a plausible reality within the story. Any time the "reality" slips you have to scratch your head and ask, "Where'd that come from". And then work to get back into the story. It's as if you were watching a documentary on U.S. politics and the narrator says, "The President of the United States is Boise, Idaho." Not only is it wrong but it doesn't even make sense. My major complaints with this story are just that, it doesn't make sense and the obvious errors regarding the military and their weapons. A few examples: the author states that the M-16 uses 7.62 rounds. Is there any guy who doesn't know that the M-16 fires .223 (5.56mm) rounds? He claims that a fire team of U.S. Army Rangers just happens to turn out to consist entirely of Negroes. Yeah, right. He has this same Ranger squad fire off multiple claymore mines within a tunnel deep underground while they sit WITHIN the same section of tunnel. He states that the 1st Cavalry Division has a Ranger unit. A quick check on the Web brought me to the 1st Cav's Home page where they list all of their units. The 1st Cav is a heavy-armored division. No Rangers. Hell, there wasn't even regular infantry. Why couldn't the author at least check his facts? I stopped reading at page 399. At this point the author has another military unit expressing grief and remorse over killing some of the 'bad guys' who had minutes before literally ripped apart three of their team members because, get this, the bad guys turned out to be females. I think this author did his research watching JAGG or some other Made-For-TV movies. What kept me going this far through the book though was the promise held out by the first excellent two or three chapters. They were extremely suspenseful and even scary. From there it drops into the implausible and plateaus into the ludicrous. IF you can get past the stupid errors and can stomach the "chick flick" perspective of the story then you might enjoy it. With so many good novels available I'm not investing further time on this one. My advice to the author would be to research what he writes, lose the Politically Correct confusion that taints so much of this book and get another editor. These mistakes shouldn't have gotten through.
Rating:
Summary: Grabbed me from the start and is not letting go!
Review: I just bought this book and read the first 38 pages and it hooked me from page one and kept me reading! Engrossing! Most novels take forever to get to the point, to hook the reader; this one gets you from the start. If you like intelligent sci-fi horror check out this book. I normally would not buy and read such a thick novel (~580 pp)-- I prefer smaller scifi horror, Michael Crichton, Louis L'Amour, etc. But this book looks to be an exciting read.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!
Review: First of all, the book should be about a 10 star review, not a four. It is one of the best books I have ever read. The author's ability to take you from one situation to the other is astounding. I have a job that permits me some down time and I have to pry myself from this book to go back to work. I especially like when he gets on a one to one level with a character, such as the butterfly collector. Poor old Ike is getting a bum rap but I believe he will emerge a hero later in the story. I'm not much of a review writer, but as I said this is one of thee best books I have ever read. Relic and Reliquary just got nudged out. The story makes you wonder "what if"........
Hope there is a sequel. One hell of a buy (...)!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book. Action packed, fast paced.
Review: If you like a book that combines lost civilizations and exploration DEEP under the earth, along with sociology, theology, a little romance and lots of action, this is it! Best of all, the author details the team's exploration miles deep into the earth so that you feel you are right there experiencing the impenetrable darkness, rushing rivers, and dirt caking your skin. And the flying demon-like creatures that haunt them on their trek under the earth are convincing and well crafted. I hope this autor writes more books like this. Best book I've read in ages and I am a voracious reader of thrillers. Don't miss this book! - N.L
Rating:
Summary: An original tour de force, a craftsman at heightened form.
Review: Mr. Long has created a master work. I predict that this book will be around a long time. Since I am usually a reader of literary (versus commercial) fiction, I can attest that The Descent cannot be placed in any singular niche. It is a combination of science fiction, adventure, mystery, and horror; more surprising, the book feels both literary and commercial because while the pages turn quickly, Mr. Long is a prose craftsman. A cross between Steven King and William Styron. Moreover the author is at the top of his form, utilizing the muscular prose that illuminates his previous novels, The Ascent, Empire of Bones, and Angels of Light; as well as the verisimilitude that sustains his non fiction books, Outlaw and Duel of Eagles. But if I had to pick any one book of Mr. Long's to read, The Descent is a good place to start. It is a ripping good yarn, held together by a memorable and creditable protagonist, horns and all. The rich imagery, romance, and imagination of this novel will make a sure-fire Hollywood blockbuster. Descent is in a class all by it self, a story of New Millenial durability. Would 113 other reviewers (below) have taken the trouble to praise it if it wasn't truly excellent?
Rating:
Summary: Compelling, entertaining, believable
Review: It takes a lot to entertain me. I read TimeLine and found it a little lightweight. The Descent however is just outstanding. The story is superb. I have often toyed with writing a book, however I do not believe I could possibly have dreamed up such a complex and entertaining storyline. If you like light science fiction then the Descent is for you. Bordering on the fantasy it will keep you up at night reading.
Rating:
Summary: Knocked my socks off!
Review: A real page turner. By the middle of the book I was disappointed that it was going to end, regardless of the outcome. It is necessary to suspend logic at times, but well worth the adventure. Not for younger readers, but if you like things that go bump in the dark, you'll love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Page Turning Thrillers Don't Get Any Better Than This
Review: This is simply the most fun I've had reading in years. While you may find a few flaws here and there, the pace is so fast and the plot twists, ideas, and charachters are too intriguing for you to worry about it. And like all great page turners, it has a tremendous story, one that could link several ancient myths together. And what myths! He also manages to cover war in Eastern Europe, demons, spelunking, ancient civilizations and their religions, greedy bad guys, mountaineering, torture, and high tech weapons. Let's be clear: this is not Crime and Punishment. This gets my 5 stars the way a good Bond movie gets two thumbs up. Great fun from cover to cover.Yowzaa!
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