Science Fiction

The Extinction Trials

The Extinction Trials

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  • Create Date：2021-11-03 21:21:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：A.G. Riddle
  • ISBN：B09C2RPLCY
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Summary

THE END。。。 IS ONLY THE BEGINNING。

After a mysterious global event known only as "The Change，" six strangers wake up in an underground research facility where they learn that they're part of the Extinction Trials—a scientific experiment to restart the human race。

But the Extinction Trials hides a very big secret。

And so does the world outside。

From A。G。 Riddle， the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with over FOUR MILLION COPIES SOLD worldwide in twenty languages， comes an epic STANDALONE adventure with a surprise ending unlike anything you've ever read before。

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Reviews

Kyra ，

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley I enjoyed listening to this in spurts as I went about my day。 It was the perfect companion to my dishes and laundry as I heard about the characters’ backstories， struggles， and how it was all resolved。 It was written well and I cared for all of them。 Thanks for the listen。

Lady reading365 ，

This book was brilliant it had that air of hunger games to it， the fight to survive and not knowing who to trust。 There were plenty of mysteries to solve。 It was jam packed with action and adventure。 Along with so many twists and turns。 I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next。 To be honest sci-fi is not my favourite genre as I struggle to find books I like。 This one is a little more realistic I could see it happening years into the future minus the creatures of course。 I felt that This book was brilliant it had that air of hunger games to it， the fight to survive and not knowing who to trust。 There were plenty of mysteries to solve。 It was jam packed with action and adventure。 Along with so many twists and turns。 I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next。 To be honest sci-fi is not my favourite genre as I struggle to find books I like。 This one is a little more realistic I could see it happening years into the future minus the creatures of course。 I felt that this book would make a really good film it would be better than war of the worlds。 I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator really created a brilliant sense of atmosphere and tension。What I loved about this story is you never know who you trust so you were always on the edge of your seat ， page turning to find out what happens。 The way the characters were portrayed with limited memories so it added greatly to the tension。 The ending was brilliant I really wasn't expecting it and found myself saying out wait what ！！ No way！ It was very unique。 Many thanks to the author and publishers for bring such a brilliant tension filled novel。 。。。more

Monita Mohan ，

I received an eARC from Netgalley。 A fireman and a scientist find their worlds turned upside down during a sudden uprising。 But that's just the start of their worries。 They wake up in an unfamiliar world， surrounded by strangers， and they're told one thing—they are all part of the Extinction Trials。This book was very atmospheric and arresting。 It reminded me of a lot of my favourite science-fiction/dystopian films。 The characters are central to the plot as they try and gauge who they can trust a I received an eARC from Netgalley。 A fireman and a scientist find their worlds turned upside down during a sudden uprising。 But that's just the start of their worries。 They wake up in an unfamiliar world， surrounded by strangers， and they're told one thing—they are all part of the Extinction Trials。This book was very atmospheric and arresting。 It reminded me of a lot of my favourite science-fiction/dystopian films。 The characters are central to the plot as they try and gauge who they can trust and what they can trust。 I felt like more of the characters' points of view would have added even greater depth to this story。 The third act is where this book stuttered。 Up until then， it seemed to be concise enough to be gripping， but in the third act， there was information overload and the essence of the story became utterly convoluted。 Worse， the author attempted to explain and justify everything—especially the science—and that dragged down the story。 I do wonder why we needed a central romance to propel the story。 I feel like， because of the romance， the characters weren't able to develop as organically as I would have liked。 It also meant that we didn't get any other perspectives。 I understand writing multiple points of view is tough， but I think the mystery and suspense of the novel would have been improved had we had more than two compatible viewpoints。 My main grouse is that I think the characters， though compelling， could have been a little more unique and progressive。 Maya was introduced as a complex， layered character， but she was quickly reduced to a love interest/maternal figure/diseased damsel。 I kept expecting a twist in the character of Blaire， but she was just a child and her character went nowhere。 Will， Alastair and Kara deserved to be fleshed out。 For the most part， Owen was a great character。 He didn't suffer from toxic masculinity， he was good， kind and kept it together。 He felt a little like a Gary Stu since he could do anything and everything and he was almost always right。 Plus， his 'limitation' （hated that term） made him more endearing than the other male characters。 [SPOILER ALERT]I have a real problem with Owen's limitation being 'fixed' in the final pages。 It's a rampant， ableist issue in pop culture—whenever there's a character with a disability， there is a magical cure for it。 Since magical cures do not exist in real life， this kind of writing just erases an entire community。Owen is obviously on the autism spectrum， but he's high functioning， so I don't even know why he had to be 'fixed'， because he was a relatively easy character to write。 His inability to read faces made him a much more interesting character。 Really disappointed with that plot choice。[END SPOILER]The narrator was great。 His tone and pitch were even and he added only slight changes to differentiate among the characters。 I especially liked that he didn't go silly/nasally for the female characters。 That's so off-putting。 John Skelley had a good sci-fi voice for this book。I really like the last line of the book。 It was just too good and kinda makes me want to read more of this series。 However， the author would need to fix the problematic issues， and most importantly， make all the characters a little more nuanced， not just one of them。 。。。more

Karen’s Library ，

This is the first book I’ve read of A。G。 Riddle， and it looks like I’ve found a new author to read。 I’ll need to check out his backlist。 In The Extinction Trials， six people wake up in a research facility and find they’ve been saved from the recent apocalypse that wiped out most of the people and created a toxic atmosphere。 They are told they’re part of the trials to restart humanity。From there， they follow abstract clues to make their way to another location where they hope to find answers as t This is the first book I’ve read of A。G。 Riddle， and it looks like I’ve found a new author to read。 I’ll need to check out his backlist。 In The Extinction Trials， six people wake up in a research facility and find they’ve been saved from the recent apocalypse that wiped out most of the people and created a toxic atmosphere。 They are told they’re part of the trials to restart humanity。From there， they follow abstract clues to make their way to another location where they hope to find answers as to what， why， where！ I read a lot of apocalyptic books， so the premise started out as another of those。 But then it shifted into something like an episode of Lost and became much more than your typical apocalyptic story。 But my oh my， that ending！！！ I’ve never seen anything like it and had to go back and reread it just to make sure I got it right。 That ending pretty much blew my mind and gave me one of the most unique endings ever。 Well done！I switched back and forth between the ecopy and the audiobook。 The audiobook was performed by John Skelly and did a decent job。*Thanks to Legion Books and NetGalley for the advance copy， and thanks to RB Media， Recorded Books， and NetGalley for the early audiobook！* 。。。more

Tom Burkholder ，

In the book The Extinction Trials， author A。G。 Riddle writes about six strangers who wake up underground in a research facility。 Can they trust each other？ How did they all get there。 But as they work to figure it all out they have more questions than answers。 But it is evident that they are part of a scientific experiment to try to restart the human race。 An experiment called the Extinction Trials。This was a good story。 Seemed like a futuristic treasure hunt。 But the story seemed to lag and the In the book The Extinction Trials， author A。G。 Riddle writes about six strangers who wake up underground in a research facility。 Can they trust each other？ How did they all get there。 But as they work to figure it all out they have more questions than answers。 But it is evident that they are part of a scientific experiment to try to restart the human race。 An experiment called the Extinction Trials。This was a good story。 Seemed like a futuristic treasure hunt。 But the story seemed to lag and then it was all rushed at the end。 The narration was well done。 I would recommend this book。 I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Laura ，

This is a hard one to describe the plot without giving anything away， this is one of those books you kind of want to go into blind。 This was a really tough one for me to figure out how to rate。 The overall plot was creative and great in concept， but the execution just didn’t cut it for me。 Bit disappointed because I do remember really liking another of A。G。 Riddle’s books a few years back， and his other series seem to be very popular！ So let me say that while I won’t give this one a resounding r This is a hard one to describe the plot without giving anything away， this is one of those books you kind of want to go into blind。 This was a really tough one for me to figure out how to rate。 The overall plot was creative and great in concept， but the execution just didn’t cut it for me。 Bit disappointed because I do remember really liking another of A。G。 Riddle’s books a few years back， and his other series seem to be very popular！ So let me say that while I won’t give this one a resounding recommendation， I would definitely recommend checking out others by him。 I also am seeing other really high ratings for this book so perhaps this just wasn’t right for me。Overall rating， with a maybe too generous bump for the plot: 3 StarsWriting style rating: 2 starsWhere it went wrong for me: The characters were either bland and nondescription or overly described in a way that made them very Mary Sue。 I developed zero attachment for any of the characters。 The plot， while overall had great potential， most of the book I felt like we were going nowhere and all of the hurdles and challenges the characters had to overcome were exceptionally easy to solve。 There was too much philosophical and pensive content that made my brain a bit numb。 The romance seemed to develop without any rational explanation nor relationship building or chemistry。 The ending- while very interesting and clever- I have seen done before。 There were several other nuances with the writing that frustrated me but as I got further into the book I realized a very good reason was hiding。 Finally， as usual my background in the medical field makes me frustrated with some of the medical references in the book， especially with the character that is the ER doctor who apparently also knows how to perform autopsies and regularly does surgeries as well…。 Doctors have specialties for a reason- ER docs stay in the ER， surgeons stay in the OR， and medical examiners/pathologists stay the hell out of both of those places and only work with the dead。Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC！ 。。。more

Neville Townsend ，

I received this Audiobook from Recorded Books via Netgalley for a review。 A G Riddle is the master of apocalyptic novel， the narrator carries this book along nicely。

Faith ，

This post apocalyptic story felt like one （very long） treasure hunt。 The characters followed cryptic clues to escape from a variety of threats in order to reach safety。 There was too much going on， including: The Change， storms， fires， androids， secret identities， lost memories， a virus， robot spiders， mad scientists， a deadly atmosphere， warring factions， etc。 It was all very confusing for most of the book and I didn’t care about the characters。 I wouldn’t have selected anyone in this group to This post apocalyptic story felt like one （very long） treasure hunt。 The characters followed cryptic clues to escape from a variety of threats in order to reach safety。 There was too much going on， including: The Change， storms， fires， androids， secret identities， lost memories， a virus， robot spiders， mad scientists， a deadly atmosphere， warring factions， etc。 It was all very confusing for most of the book and I didn’t care about the characters。 I wouldn’t have selected anyone in this group to save humanity。 I also thought that the ending was saccharine。 2。5 starsI received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher。 。。。more

Stacy ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review。3。5 starsA group of strangers wake up in an underground facility。 They learn they are part of a research group called the Extinction Trials。 They have little supplies， don't know what the world is like， and are left clues to figure out how to survive。I love dystopian/end of world type books。 Some interesting ideas in the last 25% of the book to think about。 Several twists。 Random thought but given Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review。3。5 starsA group of strangers wake up in an underground facility。 They learn they are part of a research group called the Extinction Trials。 They have little supplies， don't know what the world is like， and are left clues to figure out how to survive。I love dystopian/end of world type books。 Some interesting ideas in the last 25% of the book to think about。 Several twists。 Random thought but given this is a survival story， there was focus on food but not water。I had both audio and digital copies and flipped between them。 The narrator was easy to listen to。 。。。more

Caitlan McLean ，

Review in 10-ish words: Confused for the majority of the plot。 Cardboard characters。 Synopsis:'The change' has occurred。 A global event which no one understands。 Six strangers wake up in a research facility together and must figure out wtf has happened。 My thoughts: I didn't love this book。 It was confusing and I found it a little corny。 The premise was interesting- It gave me similar vibes to the TV show 'Lost'- if you loved the twists and turns and multiple story lines/complex plot of that sho Review in 10-ish words: Confused for the majority of the plot。 Cardboard characters。 Synopsis:'The change' has occurred。 A global event which no one understands。 Six strangers wake up in a research facility together and must figure out wtf has happened。 My thoughts: I didn't love this book。 It was confusing and I found it a little corny。 The premise was interesting- It gave me similar vibes to the TV show 'Lost'- if you loved the twists and turns and multiple story lines/complex plot of that show， you'll probably love this。 This book gives the reader a lot to think about （human condition， mind control/thought alteration， apocalypse， government/science authoritarianism）。 I just held a general air of not really knowing what was happening。。 who was fighting who etc。 It was not clear enough for me。 I also feel towards the end I was just being told a bunch of stuff over and over and it got a little boring。 Thank you to Netgalley for providing a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 The opinions in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more

Elli Lewis ，

Riddle Wraps A Mystery Inside An Enigma💛 Secrets， mysteries and forgotten truths are tangled together in the latest offering from the sci-fi sage himself， A。 G Riddle。 The story unpicks each one， dropping clues like breadcrumbs， enlightening the listener little by little。 Then it drops a final reveal like the ultimate mic drop。 💚 I loved that there were new discoveries at every turn as well as a constant doubt as to the trustworthiness of characters。 I was kept on my toes。 I’m also fascinated b Riddle Wraps A Mystery Inside An Enigma💛 Secrets， mysteries and forgotten truths are tangled together in the latest offering from the sci-fi sage himself， A。 G Riddle。 The story unpicks each one， dropping clues like breadcrumbs， enlightening the listener little by little。 Then it drops a final reveal like the ultimate mic drop。 💚 I loved that there were new discoveries at every turn as well as a constant doubt as to the trustworthiness of characters。 I was kept on my toes。 I’m also fascinated by the concept of AI and its relationship with humanity。 💙 There was a good mix of characters whose relationships developed well along the way。 ❤️️ Having read pretty much everything Mr Riddle has written， this is an exciting new world that fits in perfectly with his other creations。Soundbite 🎧 This was my first John Skelley listen。 He has a thoughtful， authoritative air that suited the story。 Very much the overseeing， wise narrator。 🎧 This was an easy listen。 Whilst being detailed， it was easy to pick up and put down。 A nice bit of escapism while going about my day。Shall I Compare Thee To。。。There’s more than a bit of Asimov in this story。 And if you enjoy this， check out Riddle’s other works。 Another book this brings to mind is Zero Hour: Omnibus Edition by Eamon Ambrose， another robots/humans frolic。 Big thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review。/i> 。。。more

Pat ，

I’m a bit of a sucker for A。G。 Riddle’s work。 I really enjoyed his the Long Winter Trilogy。 Sure， I know the books have similar plots - post apocalyptic scenarios on a grand scale and that the stories get a little corny but， for me， that’s part of the charm。 I know what I’m getting （more or less） and that， generally， the good guys （minus a few who don’t make it） will prevail。 I also know that I’ll become absorbed in the world that Riddle creates and I’ll be rooting for his characters。 What’s not I’m a bit of a sucker for A。G。 Riddle’s work。 I really enjoyed his the Long Winter Trilogy。 Sure， I know the books have similar plots - post apocalyptic scenarios on a grand scale and that the stories get a little corny but， for me， that’s part of the charm。 I know what I’m getting （more or less） and that， generally， the good guys （minus a few who don’t make it） will prevail。 I also know that I’ll become absorbed in the world that Riddle creates and I’ll be rooting for his characters。 What’s not to love？ This one ticks all those boxes。 The world is going to h*ll in a hand basket （it’s an old expression） and certain characters must come together to save the day。 Some will not know what they know。 Some will have secrets and， in any case， they have no idea what is going on。 This is a good thing because what is going on is very bad。 Governments and technology companies are in a war to the death， both claim that they are the only path to salvation for humanity。 In a nutshell。Many dangers are faced along the way and the intrepid group battles on。 The ending was a nice little twist that I didn’t see coming but it makes sense。 After reading this I’m even a bit more kindly disposed to artificial intelligence。 Just a little bit。 Also， Riddle has written some books previously as a series called Extinction Files so you need to be careful。 I was caught out on Goodreads and the plots are both different but similar sounding。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this though。 It makes a lovely change from dark books even if you find post apocalyptic books themselves dark。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Legion Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly。To be published on 2 November 2021。 。。。more

Kay ，

We know the truth: we can’t stop what’s coming。 We can’t prevent the next extinction event。 What we can do… is control what happens after。I was curious and googled the major extinctions in the past。 According to The National Museum of Natural History there were 5 major ones。 The first was due to global cooling， the second is still unknown， the third and fourth were from super volcanos， and the fifth was from an asteroid。 You've probably heard about the eruption of the La Palma volcano （Canary Is We know the truth: we can’t stop what’s coming。 We can’t prevent the next extinction event。 What we can do… is control what happens after。I was curious and googled the major extinctions in the past。 According to The National Museum of Natural History there were 5 major ones。 The first was due to global cooling， the second is still unknown， the third and fourth were from super volcanos， and the fifth was from an asteroid。 You've probably heard about the eruption of the La Palma volcano （Canary Islands） since Sept 19。 What I didn't know was that there are 48 volcanos continuously erupting at the moment and that's pretty average。。。scary。image: Smithsonian InstituteI'm not saying volcanos are the cause in this book。 You'll just have to read to find out。 I love the premise！If apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic is your jam， do not miss A。G Riddle's new novel， The Extinction Trials。 This is a techno sci-fi thriller， but the selfless and heroic main characters; a fireman Owen and a neuroscientist Maya， are very well written and will pull you in。 The story is engaging and suspenseful that I completely forgot all the sciency stuff I don't understand。 The pacing is excellent， with a plot twist that gives me goosies！ John Skelley is a terrific narrator。 This will be an excellent re-read/listen for details I missed the first time。I have so many questions！ I hope there will be a discussion group on Goodreads once this novel is released。 Let's talk！THANK YOU RB Media/Recorded Books via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC for review。Now available。 。。。more

Quiinn （forever_quiinn） ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The Extinction Trails by A。G。 Riddle 4。5 Stars Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and RB Media for gifting me with this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review。 I picked up Extinction Trails in the hope for a sci-fi dystopian mystery perfect for escapism。 And that’s exactly what I got！ From the first page I was hooked into this story - first following the everyday lives of Owen and Maya until suddenly ‘The Change’。 Now it’s up to six ‘strangers’ to survive the now hazardous world and The Extinction Trails by A。G。 Riddle 4。5 Stars Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and RB Media for gifting me with this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review。 I picked up Extinction Trails in the hope for a sci-fi dystopian mystery perfect for escapism。 And that’s exactly what I got！ From the first page I was hooked into this story - first following the everyday lives of Owen and Maya until suddenly ‘The Change’。 Now it’s up to six ‘strangers’ to survive the now hazardous world and follow the clues to their salvation。 I quite enjoyed all the characters within this story （Though my favourite will continue to be Will）。 I do agree that some could have been fleshed out a little more - however due to the genre of the book and the circumstances they were under I think it fits more that we were left with only a glimpse into these characters lives before the world ‘ended’。 I really liked the character of Owen。 I found him quite real in the situations he was placed in and liked following the connections of knowledge he already had in emergency situations and placing it in a more broad survival sense。 One part I quite enjoyed was watching the pattern recognition that allowed him to solve complex clues that the others overlooked。 In any other character these situations would have seemed far fetched without explanation however due to the way in which his character is portrayed it didn’t feel like a cheap guess when he would suddenly know the answer。 One thing I do want to touch on however is the part within the book were they ‘fix’ his limitation。 Throughout the book Owen’s condition is only referred to as his limitation， though it is never explicitly stated， through context clues such as his inability to read facial expressions or body language， his pattern recognition and medical statements within the book， Owen is autistic。 I for one cannot speak on this representation or how people in the community will feel about the belief held in this book; that it is ‘necessary’ to ‘fix’ Owen。 I simply wanted to bring attention to this point and am interested in hearing further from the community as I have yet to see mention of this aspect in reviews。 Nearing the end the plot did start to feel a little rushed， puzzles and situations started to be solved far too quickly for proper tension to build。 The entry into the Garden State I feel could have been extended a little bit with the lack of oxygen and a code pad some real suspense could have been developed instead of being solved in the first guess。 Minor details but kind of took me out of the reading experience near the end。 Following on from that the audiobook switching to three perspectives 40 pages from the end （at least in the audiobook arc I was given） and the decision to mashed them together into each chapter rather then spread one chapter to one character （as for the rest of the book previously） made it more difficult to differenciate the different POV’s。 I found myself having to replay the same parts having realised it had suddenly changed perspective with no warning or chapter break。 This may however just be an error in the ARC or an odd transcription of what is printed in the book。 Regardless this did begin to impact my enjoyment nearing the end as it pulled me out of what was otherwise an amazingly imperative storyThe ending twist was amazing， the way it was executed in making you rethink entirely how you imagined the world throughout the story was such an interesting writing technique that I have never come across quite in this manner。 I highly commend the author for turning what could otherwise have been a generic sci-fi trope into an interactive reading experience， being able to totally reconstruct this imagined world right at the end of the novel was a stroke of genius I haven’t seen it praised nearly enough in other reviews。 Overall I highly enjoyable reading experience， exactly the type of sci-fi I enjoy and I wish this wasn’t a standalone， I would love to continue learning about these characters and definitely miss Will’s personality。 For lovers of Maze Runner， Dune and Planet of the Apes。 Thank you again to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC。 This is my first time reading A。G Riddle and I look forward to picking up more of his work。 。。。more

Pam ，

Thank you NetGalley， the author ， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book。This dystopian， science fiction book is all about 7 characters that are awakened from glass chambers in an unknown site without knowing how they got there and what they need to do to get out。 It reminded me a bit of the old Rod Sterling Twilight Zone tv series。The world has changed。 It has literally been destroyed by a war。 However， disease and AI also play a role in this world’ Thank you NetGalley， the author ， and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book。This dystopian， science fiction book is all about 7 characters that are awakened from glass chambers in an unknown site without knowing how they got there and what they need to do to get out。 It reminded me a bit of the old Rod Sterling Twilight Zone tv series。The world has changed。 It has literally been destroyed by a war。 However， disease and AI also play a role in this world’s destruction。 The characters in this novel take on the task of finding other humans that may be left in this changed world。 There are clues， and puzzles to solve before they can get to their final destination。 The characters all seem to be linked together in some mysterious manner。I admit， I have issues with the hokey ‘science’ in science fiction literature。However， I took this book on in order to be openminded and to dispel any prejudices I may have about science fiction。 I believe this is a great book for science fiction lovers。 It just wasn’t the book for me。 。。。more

mel ，

Format: audiobookAuthor: A。G。 Riddle ~ Title: The Extinction Trials ~ Narrator: John SkelleyContent: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 starsComplete audiobook reviewStrangers wake up in an underground research facility。 They learn that in the meantime The Change happened and that they are part of The Extinction Trials， a scientific experiment to restart the human race。 I don’t want to give away any spoilers， so that’s all for the plot part。The Extinction Trials was my first novel by A。G。 Riddle， and I have Format: audiobookAuthor: A。G。 Riddle ~ Title: The Extinction Trials ~ Narrator: John SkelleyContent: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 starsComplete audiobook reviewStrangers wake up in an underground research facility。 They learn that in the meantime The Change happened and that they are part of The Extinction Trials， a scientific experiment to restart the human race。 I don’t want to give away any spoilers， so that’s all for the plot part。The Extinction Trials was my first novel by A。G。 Riddle， and I have to say that this was a pleasant surprise。 It is a fast-paced， dystopian science fiction。 I liked short and gripping chapters。 I would recommend it especially to fans of futuristic， dystopian， and sci-fi thrillers。John Skelley narrated the complete novel， and he did great。Thanks to Recorded Books for the ARC and the opportunity to listen to this！ All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Nikki ，

The Extinction Trials by A。G。 RiddleNarrated by John SkelleyPublisher: Recorded BooksPublication Date: November 2， 2021 Genre: Sci Fi & FantasyThe Extinction Trials by A。G。 Riddle is a standalone， futuristic， dystopian science-fiction thriller。 I could have used a lot more adjectives， but it's more fun to just read it and find out for yourself！This is a fast-paced thrill ride that I could not get enough of！ The survival aspects reminded me of Lost and had me questioning EVERYTHING！This book was The Extinction Trials by A。G。 RiddleNarrated by John SkelleyPublisher: Recorded BooksPublication Date: November 2， 2021 Genre: Sci Fi & FantasyThe Extinction Trials by A。G。 Riddle is a standalone， futuristic， dystopian science-fiction thriller。 I could have used a lot more adjectives， but it's more fun to just read it and find out for yourself！This is a fast-paced thrill ride that I could not get enough of！ The survival aspects reminded me of Lost and had me questioning EVERYTHING！This book was fascinating， built around interesting characters and the unknown future。 I was captivated by the conspiracies woven throughout and the divide created within the world。I also found it intriguing that this book initially is set in the "near" future， but the actual timing quickly became irrelevant。 When the government and other factions can keep people asleep without aging for an indefinite amount of time， the year no longer matters。 The narration by John Skelley was amazing！ He brought this story to life！I highly recommend reading this book！ I was on the edge of my seat all the way to the very end！I'm so grateful to A。G。 Riddle， Recorded Books， and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Coralee Hicks ，

Moving back to Legion Books， the independent publisher that issued Riddle's early works， The Extinction Trials is another of his science fiction thrillers。 Similar in theme to the previous， The Departure， the novel opens by introducing the reader to six individuals who are awakened in an underground dwelling。 Soon they learn through the communication with Artificial Intelligence， that they are part of an experiment -- one that is intended to jump start humanity。 Told both in flash back and in th Moving back to Legion Books， the independent publisher that issued Riddle's early works， The Extinction Trials is another of his science fiction thrillers。 Similar in theme to the previous， The Departure， the novel opens by introducing the reader to six individuals who are awakened in an underground dwelling。 Soon they learn through the communication with Artificial Intelligence， that they are part of an experiment -- one that is intended to jump start humanity。 Told both in flash back and in the present day， the characters must deal with a cataclysm that has wiped the past， leaving the present in ruins， and leaving the future without hope。 Unfortunately， while the ethical issues are intriguing， the characters remain more wooden and less human。 The plot sags with passages that are overwritten。 Nevertheless， a reader will not leave the story。 Not quite the page turner from Riddle's earlier novels。 However it does work as a simple stand alone。 RecommendedFull disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and Legion Books in exchange for an unbiased review。 Thank you for this opportunity。 。。。more

Caroline 'reading with Buddy' ，

The narration was brilliant for this book and really suited the story。 This was the first time that I have read/listened to this author and I was not disappointed。 I could really imagine this being a movie as I could really get involved in the story。 I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own。

Lori ，

Received as an audio review copy from NetGalley， this is an honest review。 Narrated by John Skelley， he delivers an immersive vocal adventure that will have you captivated as you follow the mysterious journey that is " The Trials"。 The story is not only a very personal journey that Owen， Maya and the other that awake within the walls of Station 17 are affect by the world falling apart but also a complex jigsaw puzzle that is slowly and deliberately pieced together that delivers a memorable adven Received as an audio review copy from NetGalley， this is an honest review。 Narrated by John Skelley， he delivers an immersive vocal adventure that will have you captivated as you follow the mysterious journey that is " The Trials"。 The story is not only a very personal journey that Owen， Maya and the other that awake within the walls of Station 17 are affect by the world falling apart but also a complex jigsaw puzzle that is slowly and deliberately pieced together that delivers a memorable adventure。 Each character feels raw and realistic with ideals and secrets that have a profound effect upon those around them as they search for answers to the Trials as well to find safety in the unforgiving world they have been trusted into。 This story delivers a poignant reminder that even as the world changes in ways we may not understand at the moment it happens; it's out of the ashes that humanity will still find each other and a way forward the future holds。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Kelly ，

3。5 stars The Extinction Trials is a standalone dystopian science fiction thriller from author AG Riddle。 I initially was confused by the title assuming this was another entry in Riddle's Extinction files series and was excited to find this one is a standalone book。 There is alot to like about this book。 Riddle delivers a complex， richly layed plot which poses thought provoking questions about humanity， the greater good and morality。 I felt pulled back and forth with regards to which side I was 3。5 stars The Extinction Trials is a standalone dystopian science fiction thriller from author AG Riddle。 I initially was confused by the title assuming this was another entry in Riddle's Extinction files series and was excited to find this one is a standalone book。 There is alot to like about this book。 Riddle delivers a complex， richly layed plot which poses thought provoking questions about humanity， the greater good and morality。 I felt pulled back and forth with regards to which side I was on and whose motive was greater， never being quite sure who the 'good' guys were。 The story is part epic adventure， part science fiction dystopia and part apocalyptic thriller。 The pace was good with each section providing new and fresh situations and challenges for the characters。  I read the whole thing in one sitting as I wanted to know more and more。 The two main dislikes for me were the characters and generally the sense that this had been done before。 It felt very similar to me to Riddle's other novel， Departure。 People lost with limited memory， struggling with who to trust， technology， a futuristic aspects， and heavy handed messages about society。 The characters could have been fleshed out a little more for me。 The romance subplot between the two main characters felt unnecessary or in need of more development。 The ending is well crafted and packs a punch。 I did actually find myself gasping out loud。 This part put a whole new spin on the story and gave an interesting perspective which was an intriguing and compelling was to finish。 The plot all wraps up with no cliffhangers。 Overall， a solid and entertaining book which I'd recommend。 Thank you to the author， publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book。 。。。more

Courtney ，

This was an excellent， heart pumping， unputdownable book！ I am always down for a good post-apocalyptic adventure and this one did not disappoint。 Short chapters， each ending with mini-cliffhangers， leaves the reader hungry for more and makes for a quick and exciting experience。 This is the first time I've read any of AG Riddle's novels but it certainly won't be the last。The story starts off with a cyber terror-attack causing fires and mass chaos throughout the city。 The main character， Owen， a f This was an excellent， heart pumping， unputdownable book！ I am always down for a good post-apocalyptic adventure and this one did not disappoint。 Short chapters， each ending with mini-cliffhangers， leaves the reader hungry for more and makes for a quick and exciting experience。 This is the first time I've read any of AG Riddle's novels but it certainly won't be the last。The story starts off with a cyber terror-attack causing fires and mass chaos throughout the city。 The main character， Owen， a firefighter is among the first to respond to the attacks。 The world crumbles around him， the hospitals are overrun， the apocalypse is now。Later he wakes up in a bunker， among a group of strangers who soon find out that they've been captured to participate in the "Extinction Trials" -- and their mission is to work together and figure out a way to save the human race from extinction。 What follows is an adventure with shocking and unexpected plot twists at every turn。 Will they choose their own survival？ Or head straight into the eye of danger， face the unknown， and potentially save all of mankind？This story is an excellent account of the value of human connectedness and interpersonal relationships。 And the power of the choices we make， and their consequences， when faced with danger。 Oh， and the ending！！！ Without giving anything away， the ending is completely unexpected， will blow your mind and leave you grinning ear to ear。 This review pertains to the audiobook version， with excellent narration by John Skelley。Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of The Extinction Trials in exchange for an honest review。 The Extinction Trials is expected to be released on Nov 2nd and if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic / dystopian adventures then I highly recommend putting this on your TBR list！ 。。。more

BreeAnn （She Just Loves Books） ，

This was a fun， interesting， and different book！ It's a story set in world where everything is collapsing。 A chosen few are put into the extinction trials to find people that can live to help save the human race。The group that we follow has a variety of characters with very different talents and personalities。 I enjoyed learning about them and what they can do。 I loved the surprises that we get along the way。 It made the story exciting！ I felt like we had twist after twist， and I enjoyed each of This was a fun， interesting， and different book！ It's a story set in world where everything is collapsing。 A chosen few are put into the extinction trials to find people that can live to help save the human race。The group that we follow has a variety of characters with very different talents and personalities。 I enjoyed learning about them and what they can do。 I loved the surprises that we get along the way。 It made the story exciting！ I felt like we had twist after twist， and I enjoyed each of them！I would recommend this one for any reader that enjoys post-apoc type stories！I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free。 I am leaving my review voluntarily。 。。。more

William Rham ，

I’ll say right up front that while I enjoyed some of this apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel， I also had major problems with it， including instances of unwillingness to suspend my disbelief and an ending I found disappointing。 I can give it only a three-star rating。Talk about world-building！ In “The Extinction Trials，” A。G。 Riddle first constructs a seeming near-future world where mankind has become increasingly dependent on AI。 Next， he fashions a post-apocalyptic world into which seven individ I’ll say right up front that while I enjoyed some of this apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel， I also had major problems with it， including instances of unwillingness to suspend my disbelief and an ending I found disappointing。 I can give it only a three-star rating。Talk about world-building！ In “The Extinction Trials，” A。G。 Riddle first constructs a seeming near-future world where mankind has become increasingly dependent on AI。 Next， he fashions a post-apocalyptic world into which seven individuals awake。 Their challenge？ To figure out where and when they are and how to reach a place of permanent safety （or a third “world”） while navigating various dangers including a war for the soul of humanity。The first part of the story poses mystery upon mystery， a little bit like the TV series “Lost。” Who are these characters？ What has happened， and is happening， to them？ Where and when are they？ What’s the next danger lurking on the horizon and how will they， and the rest of humanity， survive it？ That’s what kept me going。 And， to his credit， Riddle ultimately supplies answers to all the mysteries posed。 But along the way， I found some of the explanations and descriptions， especially about just who was at war with whom， to lack specificity， relatability， and most of all， credibility。 The use of two deus ex machina type characters didn’t help。And speaking of characters， I found them somewhat stock—not cartoonish， but not all that deeply drawn， and often seen in popular entertainment: e。g。， the heroic firefighter; his beautiful scientist love interest， the constantly complaining but oh-so-competent， blue-collar mechanic。 And I found it odd that some characters were given traits， or deficiencies， that had little to do with advancing the plot， and that other characters important to the plot were barely described at all。 I thought the settings not as compelling as they could have been， strange certainly， but either sterile and repetitive （as in the repeated use of below-ground， laboratory-type facilities） or wild but not very dangerous （as in forests and oceans that， except for storms， really don’t include a lot of perilous features）。And while the ending wraps up the story neatly and finishes answering the mysteries raised， I found it pat， cliched， and more than a little preachy， causing me to think: I came all that way for this？Grammatically， the novel is pretty well-written。 The prose and dialogue are straightforward and clear。 You’d expect that from a novelist who is the veteran of nine previous works， some of which I’ve enjoyed。 This one， for me， was not of the same caliber。 However， others may well feel differently。 。。。more

Dave ，

The Extinction Trials is a modern science fiction adventure that owes a lot to the television show Lost with its hidden hatches and secret puzzle clues of numbers。 One difference though is none of the participants here know how they got where they are， entombed in chambers or what’s going on in the rest of the world。 It’s also a dark apocalyptic story about a future where the human race is nearly wiped out and the few survivors are at war with each other， never trusting each other， always spying The Extinction Trials is a modern science fiction adventure that owes a lot to the television show Lost with its hidden hatches and secret puzzle clues of numbers。 One difference though is none of the participants here know how they got where they are， entombed in chambers or what’s going on in the rest of the world。 It’s also a dark apocalyptic story about a future where the human race is nearly wiped out and the few survivors are at war with each other， never trusting each other， always spying on each other。 It further posits what could become of the utopians who ask you to hand over control of your thoughts and sublimate them to the greater good。 There is a lot going on here and each curtain lifted only makes things murkier， telling several stories at the same time。 The plot line follows one group of survivors as they venture out of their pods， not knowing if the air is poisoned or if the weather had been weaponized against them， an odd grouping they are， often a bit clunky as they interact。 。。。more

donna backshall ，

Wow， what a wild ride this was！The Extinction Trials had a distinctly claustrophobic Wool Omnibus feel to it， plus a pace so fast I couldn't catch my breath。I need more time to wrap my head around this post-apocalyptic novel from one of my favorite sci-fi authors。 After finishing it in a mere two days， I'm still reeling （view spoiler）[and more than a bit startled by the Planet of the Apes-styled ending I never saw coming （hide spoiler）]。Is this going to be a series？ Please， please， please tell m Wow， what a wild ride this was！The Extinction Trials had a distinctly claustrophobic Wool Omnibus feel to it， plus a pace so fast I couldn't catch my breath。I need more time to wrap my head around this post-apocalyptic novel from one of my favorite sci-fi authors。 After finishing it in a mere two days， I'm still reeling （view spoiler）[and more than a bit startled by the Planet of the Apes-styled ending I never saw coming （hide spoiler）]。Is this going to be a series？ Please， please， please tell me this will be a series。 。。。more

Sherron ，

The “change” is killing humanity。 No， this isn’t a post menopausal book。 Rather it’s a post apocalyptic story。 This book begins with utter chaos—a clash of intentional， manmade catastrophes。 There’s not just one but multiple threats to kill off all or most of humanity， in a Big Brother eugenics-type campaign。 Fade to black。 During the human species cleansing， our protagonist （a fire fighter with expressive agnosia）， a women with amnesia， and several others awake。 The firefighter can’t understand The “change” is killing humanity。 No， this isn’t a post menopausal book。 Rather it’s a post apocalyptic story。 This book begins with utter chaos—a clash of intentional， manmade catastrophes。 There’s not just one but multiple threats to kill off all or most of humanity， in a Big Brother eugenics-type campaign。 Fade to black。 During the human species cleansing， our protagonist （a fire fighter with expressive agnosia）， a women with amnesia， and several others awake。 The firefighter can’t understand facial expressions or body language， so he’s at a loss in social situations。 The amnesiac can’t remember the past。 They gravitate together， recognize that the other must be innocent of any ulterior motive， and rely on each other to survive。 I like having characters with interesting brain issues， and I give two thumbs up for this couple of unique characters！ No one knows—including us—what’s going on， who’s in charge， or why。 We learn there are secrets among the team members and elsewhere， but like the protagonist， we are required to wait and find out the answers along with him， solving problems while on the run as they try to save themselves—and humanity。 The puzzle-solving is a bit formulaic， but if you like interacting with your books， you‘ll enjoy solving puzzles along with the characters。 The team’s focus and the book’s themes are sweet， life affirming， and a little corny。This page-turner is very easy to read in one sitting and ends in a unique head scratcher of a twist。Two and a half stars。 I received this free from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion。 。。。more

Jovana （NovelOnMyMind） ，

2。5 ⭐The Extinction Trials had quite a few things going for it and I enjoyed some parts quite a bit。 Unfortunately， I couldn’t connect with any of the characters。 Not that I didn’t like them or anything， they just weren’t relatable to me。 As a result， I didn’t really feel just how high the stakes were。 When you don’t care， it doesn’t matter what can happen。 Even some really big revelations felt a bit meh to me。Based on the description， I thought the story would be way more engaging。 But a lot of 2。5 ⭐The Extinction Trials had quite a few things going for it and I enjoyed some parts quite a bit。 Unfortunately， I couldn’t connect with any of the characters。 Not that I didn’t like them or anything， they just weren’t relatable to me。 As a result， I didn’t really feel just how high the stakes were。 When you don’t care， it doesn’t matter what can happen。 Even some really big revelations felt a bit meh to me。Based on the description， I thought the story would be way more engaging。 But a lot of it was just plain confusing and I spent a lot of time banging my head over details that ended up being not that important for the plot。The ending was good， if a little bit naïve。 I liked it overall。I don't really have anything too bad to say about this book， it's just that it really wasn't for me。 Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Extinction Trials by A。G。 Riddle in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Extinction Trials

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Extinction Trials&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Extinction Trials&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0