First time with Ronald Malfi. And a little underwhelmed. I wouldn't necessarily call this horror. Having been familiar with Nepal and Himalayan mountaineering I didn't think the shock factor of this one was impressive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼𝙣 “𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡”.

I read Black Mouth by this author earlier this year, and I really enjoyed his writing and descriptive settings. I have never heard of this book prior to requesting it, and I didn’t know it was already released before… but I decided to listen to the audio.

This was such a quick listen and it was very engaging with the plot line. The synopsis had me very intrigued so I was excited to dive into this one. Without a doubt, this author definitely knows how to write an eerie setting. I’m always spooked out by them and could never imagine being in that situation.

The build-up in this book is fantastic, however, I found myself less intrigued after the first half of the book. The ending was also way too predictable.

I liked the idea behind an expedition to the Himalayas, but Tim was just a very irritating character. I get he lost his wife and almost lose his own life, but I didn’t like the way he was portrayed.

Also, I feel like the plot was all over the place and took a direction that I didn’t enjoy too much.

While I do feel like this book has potential for certain readers, I do wish I would’ve enjoyed it a bit more. The idea behind the book was definitely there and I enjoyed the setting, I just felt that the plot was a bit messy… and it wasn’t as thrilling as Black Mouth was. It was still an enjoyable and quick listen on audio, there’s just a small amount of readers I would recommend this to.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the review ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately, Malfi just might not be an author I enjoy. This is my third and my least favorite of his. The first half of this book was incredibly boring to me; I didn't care about any of it. The second half is a little better but at that point I had checked out and just wanted it to be done.

After a caving accident left him severely injured, Tim finds himself spending his recovery making the rounds on the local bar scene. Peppering his life with drugs and alcohol, Tim doesn't really see a reason to get sober.... especially because he does see the ghost of his deceased wife. Then, a chance encounter with an old acquaintance suddenly provides him with an opportunity to join an expedition climbing the Canyon of Souls and suddenly Time finds himself back on the type of adventure he's always loved.

I really enjoyed this one and something about it reminded me of an Indiania Jones movie. I love how it started in a normal east coast city and takes off into crazy wild places. For some reason the scene at the lodge when everyone has assembled and are introducing themselves while they wait for their eccentric host, sharing stories and skirting around the issue of them being warned off, was just really well written in a gritty, feel-like-you're-there way.

I do think it was a little slow going in a lot of places, which I thought was very weird because the settings are crazy.... but overall I really enjoyed it!

Narrated by Joe Hempel ⭐⭐⭐
The Ascent by Ronald Malfi ⭐⭐⭐


The Ascent by Ronald Malfi offers an intriguing premise that initially drew me in. The concept held promise, and I was excited to see how it would unfold. However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters throughout the book.

Ronald MALFI is a talented story teller however overall was an okay read, but it didn't leave a lasting impression or make me love it.

This may be my last Malfi for a while. I’ve now read Bone White, Ghostwritten, and The Ascent, and none of his books have been particularly gripping or memorable. I had high hopes for this because I love Himalayan mountaineering stories and can appreciate a good atmospheric thriller, but honestly, I got quickly bored of the story and completely lost interest in the fate of the main character. Thank you to Tantor Audio for the audio ARC.

The Ascent by Ronald Malfi is a great suspenseful thriller with a great twist at the end.
After the death of his wife, Tim Overleigh is invited on a climbing adventure in the Himalayas. Tim struggles with emotional and physical challenges.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ascent is a gripping and deeply sinister atmospheric thriller. There's something about Ronald Malfi's writing style that completely captivates me, with his incredible writing style and the narrators excellent performance this audiobook had me hooked from the very start until the very end.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Joe Hempel
Content: 3 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

I’m not into sports novels, but Malfi is an author I really liked before. The Ascent was my fourth book by Ronald Malfi. I previously read: Come With Me, Black Mouth, and a set of short stories Ghostwritten, and I liked them all.

Tim Overleigh almost died in a caving accident. He is sure his late wife, Hannah, saved his life then. Later, his old friend Andrew invites him on an expedition to the Himalayas. The Canyon of Souls is a place that no human has conquered yet.

The plot is a bit messy, as is the MC’s state of mind. It shuffles from one event to another. The Ascent is a solid eerie thriller, and I think other readers may like it. But I enjoyed other works by Ronald Malfi much more than this novel.

Thanks to Tantor Audio for the advanced copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I am a Malfi fan. I have read 4 of his books and own 2 more. December Park is a classic story of boyhood and secrets. Mr Cables was harrowing and dark. Night Parade was bleak and tense.

The Ascent is the story of Tim, a lapsed artist, drunk and hurting and haunted after the death of his wife. Tim meets up with Andrew, an old friend of hers and is offered the chance to join him and others on a trip to Nepal to find a spiritual hidden valley. This trip becomes much more than Tim could ever know.

Tim is an emotional mess, literally haunted by his dead wife’s ghost. I love a wounded MC. The environment was dire and dangerous and the description of the team’s battle with the weather and terrain of Nepal is fascinating and gripping.

But this is not my favorite Malfi book. The story line was a little flimsy and the team’s backstories were blah and unfortunately interchangeable. Thank goodness the narrator gave the Australian team member an accent so I could tell him from the others.

There were parts that were incredibly exciting but as a whole the book left me a little flat.

Synopsis:
"Six months after he almost died in a caving accident, sculptor Tim Overleigh spends his time crutching his broken body from bar to bar in downtown Annapolis. He has told no one that it was his dead wife, Hannah, who helped him survive—and that he's still seeing her . . .

But a chance meeting with an old friend—and a plane ticket to Kathmandu—reawaken Tim's passion for adventure. He agrees to join an expedition to one of the last unexplored places on earth: the Canyon of Souls in the Himalayas. The daunting climb will pit Tim and the other climbers against icy winds, mysterious forces, and the ghosts that live within each of them."

My Thoughts:
I absolutely love Ronald Malfi's writing. His books usually have an eerie feeling that often give me goosebumps. This book was different. Told through Tim's POV as he's coming to terms with the loss of his wife; Tim has lost his creative edge as a sculpture and is struggling to just live each day. When he is given an opportunity to hike with a group to the Canyon of Souls he decides to take the dangerous trip. Things begin to go wrong before even starting the hike, with items stolen and ominous warnings from the locals. As the hike pushes on the group quickly finds themselves in challenging and dangerous situations, wondering are they alone? Are they being stalked? Is it something super natural?
I wouldn't call this a horror book. It sets up for an epic Malfi horror, but we quickly realize that the horrors are closer to home. I was engaged, waiting for that creepy twist but it unfortunately didn't come.

Thank you to @netgalley and @tantoraudio for the gifted copy of this book.

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. I've read Ronald Malfi before and enjoyed the books, but this one really hit the spot. Great characters, great pacing, and a great story. Not sure if he can top this one, but look forward to reading more from him. I also really enjoyed the narrator. #TheAscent #NetGalley

I am a fan of Ronald Malfi's work. However, I could definitely tell that this was an earlier book in his career. While it has his special flair, it wasn't as polished as his later work.

I listened to the audiobook that was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I think the narrator was fantastic and truly brought Malfi's words to life.

I did enjoy the story itself, but as I said, not as much as his newer material. It had some nice suspenseful moments,a little bit of body horror and a nice twist at the end. I just feel it needed a little more editing to keep the story moving more fluidly.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ronald Malfi and the publisher for this audiobook. I gave it 4⭐️ due to the good work of the narrator.

3.5 stars
It was fun going to Tibet on a climbing expedition fraught with danger in this atmospheric adventure thriller. This author knows how to blend horror and tension in his books and The Ascent is a perfect example.

Tim is a broken man drowning in guilt since the death of his wife Hannah. He used to be a sought after sculptor but now spends his time drinking heavily. For awhile he was doing extreme sports, walking on the edge of death, but it’s been a year since he seriously injured himself falling in a crevasse. When an old friend invites him to climb a sacred mountain in Tibet with a team of adventurists, Tim decides to take this opportunity with hopes of cleaning himself up.

This book reminded me of an “adventure gone wrong” movie but with a couple of intriguing twists at the end. It is part adventure, part mystery and part horror. The audio performance was on the weaker side. There was very little voice inflection so all of the characters sounded the same. This made it confusing at times as it was difficult to know which character was talking and sadly impacted my enjoyment of this story.

A gracious thank you to Netgalley for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Just looking at the cover peaked my interest in this book. Even though I don't climb, I am fascinated by the idea of it. This book had a good ratio of story and technical climb stuff. I found it hard to put down and loved the idea of the secret, never been discovered canyon. I also liked the different characters and personalities. I listened to this on audio and the narration was very good. A recommended read.

Roland Malfi’s The Ascent is an excellent survival thriller. Tim Overleigh’s life is spiraling. In the last few years he lost his wife, barely survived a climbing accident, his hitting the bottle way too much, and he’s lost his motivation/ability to sculpt. When an old acquaintance, Andrew Trumbauer, invites him on a dangerous adventure of a lifetime that’s he’s organizing and funding: a climb in the Himalayas in search of the Canyon of Souls, Tim doesn’t know why but he agrees to go. Even before they set out things seem off, Tim’s warned not to go and someone breaks into his room. And once they set out it’s not long before things go sideways with new dangers constantly popping up. Are they all random accidents or is there something more sinister happening? This is an intense thriller with a griping story where the tension is constantly being ratcheted up. I’d like to thank Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of The Ascent.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R8LSO9I6I0KQZ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I really like Malfi's work. Horror, adventure/thriller, whatever, dude has skills.

I could feel the cold seeping into my bones as I was reading this one. Strangely enough, like another reviewer mentioned, I enjoyed this one a bit more before the reveal of what was going on. Still Malfi kept my engagement throughout and provided some very good backstory and character development.

Definitely one of my must read authors.

This was a real fun to read. Great mystery triller which actually trills. I did not expect that mountain climbing adventure can be written in the such enjoyable way.
The story is so atmospheric that the reading as watching the movie.
I couldn’t to put it down.
Fantastic descriptive writing.
Was surprised that the book was written in 2010. And now also published in audio format. Definitely will check other books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook.

Ronald Malfi is one of my favorite authors. Reading one of his books is like sitting at a campfire with an old friend and having them tell you a story. The Ascent is one of his older titles, having first been released in 2010. It's now being released in audiobook format, as of today, June 6, 2023, thanks to Tantor Audio.

I was so excited when I learned this was happening, as I always love a survival story, particularly if it involves mountaineering, or hiking.

In this story we follow Tim Overleigh, a sculptor, who after the tragic death of his wife, quit his craft and took up extreme sports as a way to escape his pain. After a solo-caving accident left him close to death, Tim is in worse shape than ever. His rehabilitation was long and arduous, just ask his nurse. It took time and work before he could even walk again.

Six months later, back on his feet with the aide of crutches and visiting his local watering hole, Tim runs into an old friend, who makes him an intriguing offer. The man's name is Andrew and he is arranging an expedition to the infamous Canyon of Souls in the Himalayas. It's clear to Andrew that Tim needs a life-changing experience like this. This trip could be helpful for his long-term mental health.

Tim initially is against it, but Andrew points out it won't take place for another year. There's plenty of time for Tim to prepare himself physically. Eventually Tim caves.

Using a plane ticket provided by Andrew, Tim flies to Kathmandu, where he meets up with the rest of the men that Andrew has recruited for the expedition. With Andrew acting as their unofficial leader, the men set out on a journey up to the Godesh Ridge. Let's say, things don't go as planned.

The Ascent was such a fun read. It was quick and hooked me from the first moments. The audio narration was so believable as being from Tim's perspective. It really added to my experience. Malfi sure knows how to tell a tale. This is a freaking great story, layered and textured. It was compelling from the very start, all the way through to the final pages.

The tone of Malfi's writing and the way he set-ups and builds his stories always reminds me of Stephen King, in the best ways. It's so comfortable to read. I knew immediately that this one was going to work for me.

I think anyone who enjoys a tense Survival Story, especially involving mountaineering, will love this and be able to connect to it. Tim is a likeable character. He's fighting to try to get himself out of a dark place and I think we all can relate to that in one way or another.

The intensity of this story builds throughout. It does get fairly wild, but never stops being page-turning. I was really impressed with this.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I may not have gotten to this one if it hadn't been for the audio format, so I truly appreciate it. I definitely need to continue working my way through Malfi's backlist!

The Ascent tells the story of Tim Overleigh, a talented sculptor who has been struggling with the loss of his wife, Hannah. However, his life takes a turn when he receives an invitation to join a mysterious expedition to the Himalayas, led by a man named Andrew Trumbauer.

As the plot unfolds, Tim embarks on a perilous journey filled with danger, adventure, and intrigue. Along the way, he meets a group of fellow travelers, each with their own hidden motives and secrets. The group must face not only the treacherous mountains but also their own personal demons as they make their way towards the summit.

The characters in The Ascent are all richly developed and intriguing, making it easy for the reader to become invested in their stories. Tim Overleigh is a complex protagonist whose grief and guilt make him a relatable and sympathetic character. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic Andrew Trumbauer and the various members of the expedition, are equally well-drawn and add substantial depth to the story.

Audiobook format and narration quality
The audiobook version of The Ascent is a treat for the ears, as it is expertly narrated by Joe Hempel. Hempel’s masterful performance brings the characters to life, giving each of them a unique voice and personality. His pacing and tone are spot-on, creating an immersive listening experience that keeps the listener engaged from start to finish.

One of the elements that make this audiobook stand out is the sound quality. The production is crisp and clear, with no distracting background noise or other audio issues. This allows the listener to fully focus on the story and the narrator’s performance.

The Ascent also benefits from Hempel’s ability to convey the emotions and tension within the story. As the plot becomes increasingly suspenseful and the characters face their own inner conflicts, Hempel’s narration keeps the listener on the edge of their seat, eager to find out what happens next.

Comparing The Ascent to other works by Ronald Malfi
While some of Malfi’s other works, such as The Night Parade or Bone White, lean more heavily into the horror genre, The Ascent offers a unique blend of adventure, mystery, and psychological suspense. This makes it a great choice for readers who may be new to Malfi’s work or for those who are looking for a change of pace from his darker tales.

That said, fans of Malfi’s other novels will still find plenty to enjoy in The Ascent, as it contains his trademark attention to detail and character development. The story also showcases his ability to build atmosphere and tension, with the treacherous Himalayan setting playing a key role in the overall tone of the book.

Final thoughts and overall rating of The Ascent by Ronald Malfi
In conclusion, The Ascent is a powerful and gripping story that showcases the best of Ronald Malfi’s storytelling abilities. The characters are well-developed and relatable, the plot is suspenseful and engaging, and the audiobook format, with its excellent narration by Joe Hempel, makes for an immersive and enjoyable listening experience.

As a fan of Malfi’s other works, I found The Ascent to be a standout title in his collection, offering a unique and thrilling story that is both different from his other novels yet still containing his skillful writing style. The combination of adventure, mystery, and psychological suspense makes it a must-read (or listen) for fans of the author or those seeking a gripping and well-crafted story.

For my overall rating, I give The Ascent a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only reason it falls slightly short of a perfect score is due to a few minor plot points that could have been further explored. However, this does not detract from the overall quality of the story and the audiobook experience. If you have not read a novel by Ronald Malfi, The Ascent is a perfect place to start.