Reviews

Ronald Malfi's “The Ascent” takes readers on a mountain climbing expedition in the Himalayas of Nepal. Andrew Trumbauer, a rich thrill seeker invites six men to join him on this dangerous quest. Each man for his own reasons, agree to go with him. Six men attempting the impossible must rely on each other or die. One of these men has a whole different agenda putting them all at a much greater risk.

Interwoven in the daring climb is the story of Tim, a sculptor who has lost his thirst for the beauty in his craft, still hurting over the loss of his wife and his part in why it happened. He is drinking too much and questioning what really happened to make her walk out on him before her death in a car accident. He is quickly losing hope in himself and life in general as he tries to figure out why they were never able to reconcile. He may come unraveled as he hears and sees his dead wife and wonders if he’s finally gone over the edge or if her spirit is truly guiding him to safety.

This is so much more than a mountain climb, it’s about love and the emotional rollercoaster that we all ride and how we must put our differences aside and band together to survive.

“The Ascent” is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride that should not be missed. Don't let the title fool you, it is less about a mountain and more about life in general. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, this is a must read.

(this review appeared in the December 2010 issue of Suspense Magazine)

sarahmiller's review

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adventurous tense medium-paced

4.75

queenofgotham's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

terriblelynne's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

aunt13soc1al's review against another edition

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4.0

This was an interesting book. Richly detailed and filled with mysteries all around, I couldn’t wait to find out what was happening to Tim. Malfi manages to tell the story without giving too many hints as to what is going to happen and the ultimate reason behind the trip to Nepal. There wasn’t as much mysticism as I expected from the description, but there was enough to justify the references to it as the story unfolds. For someone who would love to trek across the mountains of Nepal, but will probably never actually do so, I found this book to be a great way to experience some of the highlights and pitfalls of an expedition such as this. There is a darker side to the trek that only adds to the pitfalls the team encounters.

I would suggest this book to anyone with a heart for adventure and looking for a good mystery.

opinionhaver69's review against another edition

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3.0

ronald malfi the characters you put on this earth to objectify women are constructing intricate rituals which allow them to touch the skin of other men

saltycorpse's review against another edition

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3.0

If you want to read a banger of a horror novel that involves caving and climbing, Sarah Lotz's The White Road did it better in my opinion. But The Ascent definitely has some solid merit.

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