Reviews with content warning for Child death - Ascension

I found Ascension is a fun horror read with Lovecraftian tropes. There are scenes that are memorable in their shock value, and the abiding sense of cosmic horror is well done. Basically all the characters, except the narrator, are flawed in their two dimensionality. This leaves several reveals in the book quite wanting, especially the final ones.

Content Warnings

whatellisreadnext's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This isn't a bad book by any means, I actually really enjoyed it for the most part. There just seems to be a bit of a disconnect for me later in the story. I love a character driven narrative, and I couldn't get enough of the main protagonist telling us about his past. But as the story got more and more ridiculous, I think it lost that element a little. Plus, it is structured as letters, and you know where he's going to end up right at the beginning, so this took away the danger element for me. Overall, it was fun but didn't come close to Annihilation.

Content Warnings

torismazarine's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

Content Warnings

misshelenjune's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I'm really not sure how to rate this book. I went into it looking for an adventure/mountain climbing novel with elements of weird, and found one of the most complex and challenging (on a scientific level) books I've ever read. I even wondered a few times if I just wasn't smart enough to be reading it, but I persisted.

The premise lulls you into a false sense of preparedness by being so simple. A mountain appears out of nowhere and a team of various scientists are gathered to investigate it - after only two members of the previous team come back alive but very changed. One of these survivors is the ex-wife of our protagonist - Harold - and the story is largely told in the form of letters written to his estranged niece, which have been discovered after his death and his surviving family is now trying to make sense of.

The book does not shy away from the realities of mountaineering in extreme weather conditions, but as well as that the team soon begin to realise that the fabric of reality works differently in this place. There are questions about time, about the place of humanity in the universe, and our scientific understanding of how our planet works and why. I found these questions fascinating, as well as the slow reveal of Harold's own past, and the tragedies therein.

This story is far more sci-fi than horror, but there are deaths, injuries, and other moments of unease, with a pleasing Lovecraftian edge to the goings on. Like the characters you will find yourself questioning everyone and everything as the situation deteriorates and paranoia increases. It is not a story I think anyone could rush - but I think how slowly you'll engage with it depends on how well you can follow the ideas.

For all this - and all my admiration for it - I struggle to give this 4 stars. There is a reveal at about 84% that's so silly, and honestly felt so juvenile, I felt it took the wind out of the sails. I understand what the author was going for with it, but looking at those words on paper I burst out laughing instead of feeling horror, which is a huge shame.

I feel this is a book that won't appeal to everyone - or possibly not many at all because of how heavy the science and thought experiments are - but I do think it's worth the effort. If you're looking for a challenge, this is it.

Content Warnings