Audiobook12 hours
The Ascendant: A Novel
Written by Drew Chapman
Narrated by George Newbern
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
“Like his intriguing protagonist Garrett Reilly, author Drew Chapman possesses startling skills and this first novel just blows the doors off. The Ascendant is a rollicking, globe-hopping, timely, and prescient page-turner—a twenty-first century thriller” (C.J. Box, New York Times bestselling author of Breaking Point and The Highway).
Hidden deep within the figures tracking the ups and downs of the stock market lies a terrifying truth: America is under attack. Our government . . . our economy . . . our very way of life are in the crosshairs of a ruthless enemy . . . and no one knows. Except Garrett Reilly. He has a knack for numbers. He sees patterns no one else can. His gift has made him a rising star on Wall Street. But when he notices that two hundred billion dollars’ worth of U.S. Treasury bonds are being sold off at a terrifying rate, his gift makes him the most wanted man alive.
The U.S. military wants him for his extraordinary abilities. They need someone to lead a crack squad of rogue soldiers to act as the last line of defense in a war that could mean the end of everything America holds dear. And everyone else? They just want him dead.
In this explosive debut novel, ranging from the offices of Wall Street to the casinos of Vegas to the back roads of the Chinese countryside, Drew Chapman introduces readers to a new kind of action hero: one uniquely skilled to fight a new kind of war.
Hidden deep within the figures tracking the ups and downs of the stock market lies a terrifying truth: America is under attack. Our government . . . our economy . . . our very way of life are in the crosshairs of a ruthless enemy . . . and no one knows. Except Garrett Reilly. He has a knack for numbers. He sees patterns no one else can. His gift has made him a rising star on Wall Street. But when he notices that two hundred billion dollars’ worth of U.S. Treasury bonds are being sold off at a terrifying rate, his gift makes him the most wanted man alive.
The U.S. military wants him for his extraordinary abilities. They need someone to lead a crack squad of rogue soldiers to act as the last line of defense in a war that could mean the end of everything America holds dear. And everyone else? They just want him dead.
In this explosive debut novel, ranging from the offices of Wall Street to the casinos of Vegas to the back roads of the Chinese countryside, Drew Chapman introduces readers to a new kind of action hero: one uniquely skilled to fight a new kind of war.
Author
Drew Chapman
Drew Chapman has written on numerous studio movies. He also directed the indie film Standoff. Currently, he creates and writes TV shows for network television, most recently working on the TNT spy show Legends. Married with two children, Chapman divides his time between Los Angeles and Seattle.
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Reviews for The Ascendant
Rating: 3.9383561643835616 out of 5 stars
4/5
73 ratings11 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Leaving a review on the narrator of the audiobook version - I found it challenging to listen to his accented voice rattling off. He read too fast for my liking.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Not a bad thriller. But nothing special in the end. My interest level waned towards the end after a strong start. Book had a degree of wit and a good plot, but it was unpolished, like a first draft, and there was a rather prosaic feel to it overall. Character development was not terrible, the author tried, but characters were broad stereotypes. For example, our hero is a brash, arrogant genius who develops a degree of humility and maturity. Been done a thousand times. Book is clearly intended as a series opener. I'll probably pass on future installments although I wouldn't rule them out, this is a debut novel after all, and really not a bad one.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This had a strong, enticing beginning -- but fell flat about two-thirds of the way through.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Good story premise. Enjoyed the first half of the book as the characters were introduced and they became a team but they needed more substance. Became somewhat standard t.v. personality with predictable qualities but lacking substance. The second half of the book went downhill with unbelievable subplot action. Disappointed as enjoyed that first half. Story had potential but definitely a very light read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved this read. I plowed through this one in three days. Real fun, neat glimpse of big money and stocks.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC copy from the publisher.
I usually don’t stray much from the SF and Fantasy genres but decided to try this after getting selected to try an ARC copy of Drew Chapman’s new novel, The Ascendant. It is a suspense novel detailing conflict between the US and China using technology as weapons. The author does an excellent job in keeping a good pace and excellent story characters and I was engaged throughout the novel.
The main character, Garrett Reilly, divulges from what you would normally expect from a protagonist in an adventure novel to be but the characterization worked for me. He is an offbeat, in your face gamer with a significant financial talent and ability to recognize patterns within the financial numbers (and other areas as it turns out). Watching the growth of his character throughout the novel was one of the things I really enjoyed. The author also uses the current world political balance between the US and China as a plot point that he builds to an entertaining conclusion.
If you enjoy tense political thrillers, you should pick up a copy if this book. 4.5 stars for a really entertaining read. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The overall idea was interesting but that's the only positive thing I have to say. The rest of it either didn't make sense at all or was very improbable. The characters I couldn't relate to, too stereotypical, almost cartoonish.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Garrett Reilly is a Wall Street hot-shot. He notices a huge sell-off of US Treasury's by the Chinese and realizes that this is the start of a cyber war by China against the US.He informs his boss about this and soon people in Washington realize that he knew of this before them and they call him to Washington and ask him to lead a team to strike back against the Chinese.We also become aware of a young rebel in China, Hu Mei also known as The Tiger. She has a growing following.There is good character development as we learn more about Garrett and Hu Mei and the people Garrett finds to be part of his team in setting up the retaliation to the Chinese.I enjoyed the book but find that the reader should suspend their sense of logic as some of the story seems far fetched, such as Garrett meeting with the President soon after being called to Washington. He's only a bond trader in his mid-twenties.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A pretty good thiller because of the plot...the terrorism comes in the form of computer hacks, the stock market, real estate market, ect.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It is no surprise that the author of The Ascendant is an experienced writer of screenplays for both movies and television. It has everything needed for a Summer blockbuster including violence, the possibility of millions of deaths if things don't turn out properly, an authority fighting protagonist and a love interest. The book is fast moving and exciting and there is never a dull moment in the nearly 400 pages. The primary plot involves the threat of an all out shooting was between the United States and China which our hero must somehow avert. This is a great book by a great author. Put Drew Chapman on your radar.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There are many, many books I've enjoyed but it's rare to hit 5 stars, as this one did for me. It is intelligent, complex, suspenseful, fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable to the last word. It hits all the hot spots of today - finance, technology, politics and international relations. I look forward to more from this author and would also love to see his character, Garrett, deal with another adventure.