I am going to pull the perfect statement from another reviewer on Goodreads: "This book is one of those annoying cases where it's never quite bad enough to dnf, but also never good enough to entertain."

Prepare for an adrenaline-fueled ride through a post-apocalyptic world in "The Extinction Trials" by A.G. Riddle, expertly narrated by John Skelley. This techno sci-fi thriller takes the concept of survival to a whole new level, leaving me utterly captivated from start to finish.

From the moment I delved into the underground research facility alongside six strangers, I knew I was in for a gripping adventure. The premise of restarting the human race after a global catastrophe known as "The Change" immediately hooked me, and I found myself fully immersed in the story's twists and turns.

Riddle's masterful storytelling introduces us to the selfless and heroic protagonists, Owen the fireman and Maya the neuroscientist, whose courage and determination leap off the pages. Their journey through the Extinction Trials kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for their survival against all odds.

Despite the complex scientific concepts woven into the narrative, the pacing of the story is impeccable, never once allowing me to lose track of the action-packed plot. And just when I thought I had everything figured out, Riddle delivers a plot twist that sent shivers down my spine, leaving me eager to unravel the mysteries that lie ahead.

John Skelley's narration adds another layer of depth to the experience, bringing the characters and their struggles to life with every word. His performance truly enhanced my enjoyment of the book, making it a thrilling listen from beginning to end.

If you're a fan of dystopian, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic tales with a dash of techno sci-fi, "The Extinction Trials" is an absolute must-read. With its compelling storyline, well-developed characters, and unexpected twists, this novel is sure to leave you breathless and craving more.

The Extinction Trials, written by A.G. Riddle and narrated by John Skelley, is a gripping science fiction novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through a post-apocalyptic world. Set in a future where the Earth's resources are depleted, the story follows a group of young adults who are chosen to participate in a series of trials to secure a new home for humanity. The novel expertly combines action, suspense, and thought-provoking themes, making it a captivating read.

This was a good, fast-paced dystopian novel! It kept me interested in the world building, which is vital to a good dystopian story. The only think I wish it had more of was emotion. It was very matter of fact and I found myself wanting to know more about the characters' emotions throughout. I don't know if I'll continue with the series after this first book, but I definitely enjoyed this!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* not super into what im pretty sure was autism? being "Fixed" or more specifically assuming people would want to be "fixed", but i find this is a common theme with scifi, not bad but did take several days to read

The Extinction Trials was a fun romp through what would happen if corporations were enabled to make decisions on where we go as a species... part 1. This was a really well written book with some characters I really wanted to succeed. The ending was unexpected but perfectly set it up for book 2. There were parts of the plot that were not really fluid. Some characters didn't fit right or the direction they were taken was a bit funky for me, but overall I think enough of this book to want to read the next book. The narration was great and A.G. Riddle wrote this really well. I want to know more about where this plot is going.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audio of this book in exchange for an honest review
From the moment this story begins we are in a future world where technology that is depended on begins to go wrong. Gas leaks, fires, lab errors, explosions, robots no longer obeying programming and a virus that removes peoples’ memories set free into the world. So to set the stage for a small group of people who wake up in a strange laboratory who have somehow survived the chaos but have no recollection of how they got to where they find themselves and how to proceed. This is the early set up of this dystopian novel. It is the type of story in which the reader is given only the information the characters have and we travel with them attempting to understand the various changes and to puzzle out why this particular group of individuals was chosen to survive and perhaps recolonize the new world outside and help preserve the human race.
This is the second A.G. Riddle book I’ve read and while his prose can be rough and belabored at times, he does know how to weave a story. In this adventure, for that is certainly what it felt like, a tight group of characters must take chances, solve various clues/riddles and use individual talents to survive and reach a destination where all will be explained and answers as well as safety will be provided.
It is quite a wild ride and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent listening. I could see how the author took much of present day politics and concerns about individual freedom and carried this idea into his future world. The questions of unity and the individual were a most intriguing aspect of this story. I found the love story a little clunky as a backdrop to horrifying world events, and a human race on the edge of extinction and just not well fit into the narrative. Yet the characters were mostly well developed and while predictable at times did stay true to who they were and this gave a solidarity and grounding to a very imaginative storyline. I came to appreciate this as it allowed concentration on the larger ideas the author was presenting. All in all there was a lot to ponder and consider that I will remember this novel by, long after I’ve forgotten the fast paced perils these characters faced. If you like dystopian novels that you only really understand their full impact at the end then this a book for you. I am stuck between 3 and 4 stars for this one. I’ll stick with 3.75 stars, a little too heavy handed at times but well worth my time and much I take way that made me glad to have read it. Not sure how much will stick.

thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book, at first I didn't know how to feel about this book. it was a little confusing at times and I couldn't understand the point of the book but about half way through it started to unravel and I ended up really enjoying this!

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.

Already posted on goodreads, waterstones, kobo and amazon 11/11/21 under my name or ladyreading365
Posted on my blog same date
https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-extinction-trials-by-a-g-riddle-recorded-books-media-4-stars

In a Nutshell: A pretty enjoyable dystopian thriller with an ending I didn’t see coming at all!

Story:
Six strangers wake up in a strange bunker with no memory of how they got there. They learn that they are a part of something called “The Extinction Trials”, which is a scientific experiment to restart the human race after some mysterious event called “The Change” messed up the world. They soon realise that things aren’t quite straightforward and secrets are in abundance. And none of them know whom to trust. As in every dystopian book, there is darkness, there is danger, there is AI, there is an untrustworthy government, and there is hope.


The six characters are quite distinct from each other both personally and professionally. We have a firefighter, a genetics professional, an emergency room doctor, a software engineer, a mechanic, and a child. Most of the characters are well-sketched and leave you in no doubt about what they would do under certain circumstances. But a lot of them had potential that wasn’t utilised properly. One of the female characters starts off as an intelligent go-getter of a woman but ends up more as a love interest. The child has barely anything to do except yell for help when needed. Having a child in a dystopian survivor group would have provided such an interesting angle but it wasn’t explored. One character is shown as having a “limitation” (which is neither named nor explained) and this shortcoming of his is mentioned again and again, as if the readers/listeners would forget it after a few chapters. Such needless repetition killed my enjoyment a little bit.
The writing is fairly straightforward, but the plot isn’t. There are ample twists and turns along the way to keep you hooked, though at times, the author’s foreshadowing prepares you in advance to keep your eyes wide open for clues. I could see some of the twists much before their big reveal, but some others came as a surprise to me. The initial chapters are very action oriented while the middle part becomes more of a suspense and drama, before switching back to action and then more suspense-drama. The content becomes a bit philosophical too at times. The pace is fast during the action and moderate to slow during the rest. The world-building is stupendous.
What struck me most was how no ages or years were revealed at all in most of the story. This does handicap you a bit when you are trying to picture the characters, but trust me, the final twist will make you realise why this information is kept from you. Until then, you just need to use the various adjectives as clues to take a guess at who is how old. At the same time, there were any doubts I had in the story, and after this final twist, I wondered how many of them could actually have been resolved earlier without hinting at the big turnaround. That may have been a difficult writing call to make, so I’ll just ignore those loopholes for now as the ending was really very clever and makes me want to forgive every gap in the earlier logic.
All in all, this is a pretty typical dystopian sci-fi thriller with an atypical ending. While I had my fair share of complaints with some plot holes and some flat characters, I was hooked on to the audiobook and kept listening to know how the story went ahead. That was a big plus point: keeping me hooked regardless of my queries and misgivings.
This was my first book by A.G. Riddle and I might try some more of his works. Sci-fi fans and even newbies who want to try out this genre will find this story enjoyable.

3.75 stars from me.

I heard the audiobook as narrated by John Skelley and I enjoyed his narration thoroughly. He doesn’t force accents or voices onto the characters but just emotes them well enough for you to follow the story perfectly. He doesn’t go nasal for the female characters or squeaky for the child character, both of which sound funny when done by a male narrator. I really appreciated this idea as it showed that good narrators don’t need a variety of voices; they just need great emotive skills. The audio version clocks at almost 11 hours, but for a book where the pace keeps changing, I was happy to have heard the book than read it. Of course, keeping track of the various groups and characters is a bit tricky but experienced listeners will get the hang of what to retain and what to ignore a few chapters down the line. I won’t recommend the audiobook to newbie listeners; they will be better off reading this work.


My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Extinction Trials”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

I am unable to give feedback on this audiobook. I received an e-mail that I was approved for the book on 10/28 & when I went in to listen to & rate it the next morning it had been archived. Sorry.

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.

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.

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!*

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.

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.

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 stars

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

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 naive. 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.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

A 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.

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 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.