The Descent

Rating:
Summary: Journey to Center of the Earth meets Satan with a lap top.
Review: A wonderful fresh book. A mixture of ancient history, and unique characters,set miles below the earth.Read the opening chapter. Go for a walk in the woods and stare into cave. Then run home to read some more...Great fun.

Rating:
Summary: Totally fulfilling read
Review: Long has succeeded in taking a feasible concept and entwining it with diverse characters to produce a knockout story. His use if personalities and forces of good and evil are spellbinding. A truly remarkable display of talent and delivery.

Rating:
Summary: The best adventure book I've read in twenty years.
Review: What makes a great adventure book? Is it the plot? THE DESCENT is daringly plotted and full of surprises from start to finish. The twists and turns are audacious. But author Jeff Long pulls them off because he writes with clarity, authority and a great deal of vivid and specific detail. There's lots of science in this book; but instead of sounding like reader-feeder, the cool logic of facts makes an expedition to the center of the earth in search of Satan actually believable. Do great characters make great books? If so THE DESCENT is a winner. Ike and Ali are far from typical hero and heroine yet I found myself committed to the story of their survival thousands of fathoms below sea level, reading way after midnight several nights in a row. For the most part, the secondary characters are also strong though occasionally the villains come close to twirling their moustaches. These lapses are rare, however. Besides character and plot points, this book scores ten for writing style. It's popular fiction and there's no chance of THE DESCENT winning the New York Book Critics. But compared to most action adventure stories it is written with elegance and grace. This book deserves a spot high on the best seller list.

Rating:
Summary: Modern update of Vernes' Journey to the Center of the Earth
Review: The story is gripping and a good B-movie type adventure plot. However the story is developed too quickly at the expense of character development. If you loved Jules Vernes' writing then this is a good update. I enjoyed the book, however the writing was sloppy and confusing at times. Jeff Long tries to condense a vast idea that should have taken a series of books into a seemingly short 449 pages. The story switched from believable science fiction to poor fantasy and eventually degenerated into a boy gets girl drivel by the end. The first act held a great deal of promise, but the jump to the second act and subsequent suspension of disbelief ultimately led to this being a B-movie summer read. Enjoyable, but a classic like Journey to the Center of the Earth, this is not!

Rating:
Summary: A nice Idea,misfired
Review: It was a nice idea,but some of the subplots were just stupid. And the Satan thing is just beyond stupid. It was a nice premise that could have been good.

Rating:
Summary: fast paced entertainment but a light weight read
Review: The Descent opens most promisingly. The first chapter will captivate your attention and keep you reading. The story moves well and will ultimately entertain. There are a number of places where the reader will have to suspend his/her mind but the subject matters grants such license. However, the reader looking for a more substantial discussion of good and evil (theodicy if you will), will be disappointed. It is hard for this reader to believe that any writer could entertain the subject of metaphysical evil and yet deal with it in so ephemeral a fashion. The most glaring omission is any place for God (ie, the good, the light, the truth, in the Western tradition). While I respect the courage of any writer to seriously entertain the subject of metaphysical evil and the existence of hell I would say that, in light of genius and influence of the likes of Dante and Milton, it is incumbant upon them to think more deeply.

Rating:
Summary: An incredible electrifying sci-fi adventure thriller!
Review: I found this book to be one of the most intense, gripping and compelling novels that I've ever read!! The subject, though far-fetched , was presented in such a manner as to seem almost believable. The Descent has one on the edge for the entire ride, right from the first page. Anyone who enjoys science fiction, adventure, history, or even just a great story will love this book as much as I did!!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely gripping tale of the underworld
Review: Enthralling. Couldn't put it down. He pulls you into the story immediately, and takes you into one twist after another. His vision of the underworld, of history is engrossing, his underground world, fascinating and horrible at the same time. Try going caving after this read! If you like Anne Rice, you'll love this.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I quite literally could not put this one down--stayed up reading well past midnight last night to finish it. It is chilling and engrossing, and leaves you wondering just what the hell really is going on under our feet... I STRONGLY recommend this book...but don't plan on anything except reading for about 48 hours after you buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and Original!
Review: This book was so engrossing that I could literally not put it down. It was similar to Stephen King's the Stand in that it began by randomly focusing on different characters who all come into contact with the underground beings, but eventually their lives all become connected. It had romantic moments, really scary moments and really chilling moments. And the scientists' search for the existence and identity of Satan also make it a great thriller.