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Controlled Descent: Restoration Adventures, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

K. M. Herkes (Author), Brandon McKernan (Narrator), Dawnrigger Publishing (Publisher)
4.1 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

When Alison Gregorio lands a cushy administrative job in a law office, she knows her big paycheck comes with strings attached. She expects long hours and unreasonable demands. She doesn't expect to be dodging assassins before she gets her first raise, but that's exactly what she ends up doing.

A plane carrying the boss's biggest client disappears into limbo, and Alison's work on the estate reveals explosive secrets beneath the law firm's golden façade. Before long Alison is on the run with lethal secrets locked in memory and no idea where to turn for help.

Staying alive is only the first challenge inventor Justin Wyatt faces after sabotage leaves him stranded in a frozen wasteland. Survival isn't enough. He needs to find out who betrayed him before his deadliest creations fall into the wrong hands. His biggest obstacle: the person holding the key to the mystery doesn't know he is still alive...and he doesn't know she exists.

Justin enlists the help of strangers with their own hidden agendas to hunt down his enemies, and once fate brings Alison to their doorstep, there's no turning back. Either they will untangle the mess of corporate intrigue and personal vendettas that brought them all together, or their common foe will destroy them all.

Forty-two years have passed since the Restored United States emerged from decades of chaos and revolution. The future is a brave new world, but some things never change. Money still talks, power still corrupts, and trust is a rare and precious commodity.

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  1. Listening Length
    11 hours
  2. Author
    K. M. Herkes
  3. Narrator
    Brandon McKernan
  4. Audible release date
    January 13, 2016
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Dawnrigger Publishing
  7. ASIN
    B01AH129RI
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 11 hours
Author K. M. Herkes
Narrator Brandon McKernan
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 13, 2016
Publisher Dawnrigger Publishing
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01AH129RI
Best Sellers Rank #143,908 in Science Fiction (Books)
#194,072 in Thrillers & Suspense (Books)
#199,476 in Action & Adventure Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
75 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's well-developed plot and fantastic back story, with one noting how it grabs readers without heavy futuristic technology. They appreciate the characters, with one review highlighting the witty sarcasm, and find it highly humorous. The readability receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as well-researched. The writing style receives mixed reactions, with some customers finding parts difficult to read.

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Story qualityCharacter developmentReadabilityHumorWriting style
24 customers mention "Story quality"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, praising its well-developed plot and fantastic back story. One customer notes that it grabs readers without overwhelming them with futuristic technology, while another finds it surprisingly relatable.

"...that allows a reader's own mind to complete the gestalt in a really adventurous, pleasurable way, the reader has to be willing to give it that effort..." Read more

"This book was a great change from biographies, high priced mysteries, and westerns. I truly enjoyed the story and characters...." Read more

"...Best/Worst aspect of book : Well-developed plot and characters reminding me some of a cross between X-men and Fantastic Four what with mentions..." Read more

"...for superpowered brawn, each character has a rich backstory and set of struggles that makes him or her feel almost as real alone as they do together...." Read more

18 customers mention "Character development"18 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, with one noting that they breathe witty sarcasm.

"...Each of the characters is intensely drawn, lovingly crafted and they, truly drive the story...." Read more

"...I truly enjoyed the story and characters. Loved the interpersonal connections and relationships...." Read more

"...Best/Worst aspect of book : Well-developed plot and characters reminding me some of a cross between X-men and Fantastic Four what with mentions..." Read more

"...rest of the series, if for no other reason than that Herkes’s characters breathe witty sarcasm...." Read more

9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and appreciate its content, with one customer noting it is well-researched.

"...You find yourself riveted to the pages, watching as these rich, thick and colorful characters break and bend and bounce back...." Read more

"...Meaty and intense. Great characters, great action, and excitement that builds throughout...." Read more

"...And she has created the near perfect world: it's funny, intelligent, thrilling, engaging and despite all the dangers in it, it really makes the..." Read more

"...Every one of them is very savvy and observant--except, perhaps, for Tyler, but even he has some startlingly deep insight at times...." Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly humorous, with one describing it as a fun-filled romp.

"...Bottom-line : Author put together a fun-filled romp full of engaging characters that make it well worth reading more of the series!" Read more

"...And she has created the near perfect world: it's funny, intelligent, thrilling, engaging and despite all the dangers in it, it really makes the..." Read more

"...It is highly humorous, thought provoking, a little sexy and overall - a Great Read." Read more

"Exciting, mysterious and funny!..." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it difficult to read.

"...The writing style is very fluid and very nuanced - the author doesn't give you every detail, every tidbit of information...." Read more

"...The story was ok but could have been written better." Read more

"...In combination, verbal snipes and gentle moments capture the best moments of everyday life...." Read more

"...Some parts were difficult to read because bad stuff happens to characters that I came to like...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jennifer Seidler
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thick, meaty thriller. Character-driven. Unique and wonderful.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Controlled Descent reminded me of... well, nothing. Why? Because it's like nothing I've ever read before. It's unique, different, and creates a world that's based in reality but is unreal. It takes place in a future that is entirely possible... probable even. Humans behave the way we expect them to behave, yet they excel beyond. They survive and thrive even in their darkest moments. You find yourself riveted to the pages, watching as these rich, thick and colorful characters break and bend and bounce back. Each of the characters is intensely drawn, lovingly crafted and they, truly drive the story. It's not the plot or what is going to happen generally that concerns the reader... the worry, the care lies in what is going to happen to the characters - to Justin, to Parker, Carl, and Allie and Tyler. These characters live in a world that is an uncertain, volatile place; a crumbling political society underlying a technologically and scientifically leaps and bounds advancing one, and it is the conflict between these two spirals that creates much of what the Restoration is all about. It's a world that a reader can get their boots in and their mind around and live in for a good while.

    On a macro/technical level with this book, there were times when I needed to go back a few paragraphs and re-read to understand what was going on, to catch things I missed when the story seemed to take a sharp turn or the dialogue changed lighting quick. The pace moves that quickly, and at times, the reader needs to slow down in order to catch every bit. The writing style is very fluid and very nuanced - the author doesn't give you every detail, every tidbit of information. While that allows a reader's own mind to complete the gestalt in a really adventurous, pleasurable way, the reader has to be willing to give it that effort, to become part of that world and observe with their own eyes and deduce with their own mind. If that makes any sense whatsoever. Tl;dr - you cannot be a lazy reader with this book. It forces you to interact, and really... that is a very good thing. This book is a thick, action-packed meaty thriller, not a romance (although there is some romance in it that had me cheering and crying). It's a steak, not cereal, and it should be savored.

    I recommend this highly. Now I'm ready to delve into the rest of the Restoration stories.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Bootsiesgirl2
    4.0 out of 5 stars A cross between mystery and science fiction 4****
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This book was a great change from biographies, high priced mysteries, and westerns. I truly enjoyed the story and characters. Loved the interpersonal connections and relationships. I don't like to admit it, but I wanted to read how the villain got paid back. I highly recommend this book. Thank you K. M. Herkes!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Don Kidwell
    5.0 out of 5 stars "I swear to you, we will get them, whoever they are," Justin said. "I will make it happen..."
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    1) Why I chose this book : Random grab based on book description which turned out to be a great read!
    2) Any course language present : Frequent use of expletives making this more a hard-boiled read
    3) Type of book : Complex action story of betrayal/revenge set in a futuristic world
    4) Formatting/Editing : Has a few glitches like "You don't even try o stop most of the time" loc 2856 tho few and far between
    5) Best/Worst aspect of book : Well-developed plot and characters reminding me some of a cross between X-men and Fantastic Four what with mentions of invisibility, mind-bending, mutant powers, supersuits, and the like.
    6) Favorite Passage : Somewhere between ' "Did I hear him ask you to shoot him earlier?" Carl asked. "Oh, yes. Just wait,"Tyler said. "He'll ask you too." and the snarky "Ah kin even plugs it together proper. Ah has smarts jes' like reg'lar folks." (which cracked me up!)
    7) Bottom-line : Author put together a fun-filled romp full of engaging characters that make it well worth reading more of the series!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Shannon Eichorn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sets the bar for flawed, layered, lovable characters
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    KM Herkes sets the bar for flawed, layered, and lovable characters. From the brute-wrangling mercenary who gets counseling when he needs it to the rich tinkerer who traded in brains for superpowered brawn, each character has a rich backstory and set of struggles that makes him or her feel almost as real alone as they do together. In combination, verbal snipes and gentle moments capture the best moments of everyday life. Herkes’s characters struggle with real questions: how to cope with disability, how to handle loss and betrayal, how to rise above circumstance and habit to make oneself a better person. That this all happens amid business intrigue and life-and-death peril hits my bullseye for balancing plot and character. (Granted, I really like character.)

    My biggest gripe? Depth of viewpoint varies between scenes. Some are grounded in a single perspective. Some are harder to discern and turn out to differ from what I expected at the beginning of the scene.

    I struggled to get into this book at first, but it picked up in the second chapter, and I will read the rest of the series, if for no other reason than that Herkes’s characters breathe witty sarcasm. But there are other reasons, too: the breadth of character that shines through her writing and the pure fun of a bunch of smartmouths in stressful situations. Now, onto Turning the Work!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Wiseone
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The story wasn’t smooth. You’d wonder what you missed in some places. The story was ok but could have been written better.
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  • M.A. Ray
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, great action
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I had the pleasure of reading this book in two sittings, and picked up the next right away. Meaty and intense. Great characters, great action, and excitement that builds throughout. Highly recommended for anyone who loves thrillers, especially with a science fiction or military spin.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Denny_O
    2.0 out of 5 stars Writer had a good premise but the execution is poor
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Writer had a good premise but the execution is poor. Followed the story okay at first then lost it as time went on. Got about 50% done and gave up. Characters had unusual and unexplained outburst. Giant holes in the story. Things may have come together at the end but I wasn't wasting any more time trying to get there.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mark O'leary
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Very enjoyable read!
    One person found this helpful
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