This was a strong start to the Preservation of Species series, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this. It had that horror element that I was looking for and worked as a opening chapter. Geoff Jones has a strong writing style and am excited to read more in this series.

I couldn’t put this book down. Fast paced, action packed and thought provoking.
A cataclysmic comet is heading for earth. Survival seems impossible. Society is collapsing as the human race counts down the days to their extinction.
Then the pods arrive.
Faced with the impossible and the unknown, how do you choose?
Thousands take a chance on survival.

The author has a sophisticated and immersive writing style. I read this book in one sitting. There’s multiple POV’s switching between earth before the comet hit and the new world our characters find themselves in. Jones navigates this really well. Helping us piece together the characters and their lives without it becoming too confusing. There’s a lot of chaos pre-comet, but there’s also people still fighting to protect and take care of those who need it. Disaster brings out the best and the worst of humanity.

After they leave the pods, our characters have to figure out how to survive the new world and each other.
There are good people and there are bad people. The rest fall into the grey area between. Not everyone who survives the end of the world will do so with good intentions.
A spectrum of morality is explored.
What are you willing to do to survive? Who are you willing to sacrifice to ensure you see another day? What type of world are you looking to create and how do you get there?

The characters are fantastic , fleshed out and complicated. Each is driven by their history, experiences and hopes for the future. Ultimately these goals can’t Co-exist and we watch them grapple for control.
Jones is ruthless in the deaths of characters. No one is safe, just like the real world. Nature is indifferent.

The lines between a fresh start and prison become blurred. How do we feel about preservation of species in an artificial environment when we’re the specimen ? Can something be a saviour and a captor at the same time?

Geoff Jones delivers a breathtaking apocalyptic narrative that challenges the boundaries between survival and morality. "Rule of Extinction" transcends typical end-of-world storytelling, offering a profound exploration of human nature when confronted with absolute destruction.
As a devastating comet threatens human extinction, mysterious rescue pods emerge as a tantalizing lifeline. Jones crafts a universe where survival becomes a moral battleground, presenting imperfect, multidimensional characters navigating a brutal and unpredictable landscape.
The masterful narrative weaves multiple perspectives, revealing intricate layers of humanity: some rising to their noblest potential, others descending into primal darkness. Tension builds relentlessly, capturing readers in an emotionally charged and intellectually provocative journey.
Jones demonstrates exceptional skill in painting nuanced characters, rejecting simplistic archetypes and embracing the complexity of human choices. Each character carries a universe of motivations, fears, and hopes that extend far beyond mere survival instinct.
A bold and immersive novel that pushes the boundaries of post-apocalyptic fiction, "Rule of Extinction" is a compelling work that interrogates what it truly means to be human when all seems lost.

Summary
A comet is coming, and it's going to wipe out life on Earth. But just two days before, mysterious white pods start landing, mostly in the midwest USA. Touch them and they open for a few minutes before taking off again. This is the story of what happens to those who got in them.
Review

I picked up Rule of Extinction based solely on the listed premise – that mysterious pods rescue humans just before a comet hits Earth. I was disappointed to find that while that’s accurate, the ensuing plot is far more familiar – that the pods randomly drop a few people on a mysterious archipelago.

This is a trope that’s very well established in science fiction. The book is even very reminiscent of Lost, the show I’m only now getting around to watching. And any ‘abandoned on an island’ story is going to echo Robinson Crusoe one way or another. I’ve literally had dreams that were essentially this plot, and I’ve read a lot of books with the same theme.

Disappointing plot aside, Rule of Extinction is well put together. The characters are engaging, credibly flawed, and the author kills them off left and right. We get backstory for each as we go, and the whole fits together well. There’s a little repetition in how strong men keep taking charge, but, sadly, that’s probably a reflection of human nature.

If this were the first time I’d seen this idea, I’d have scored the book higher. Jones does a good job, and, despite the familiarity, I’m interested to keep on with the series.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled ride that keeps you on edge from start to finish. Geoff Jones delivers a gripping mix of action, suspense, and just the right amount of mystery, making it impossible to put down. The characters are compelling, their struggles feeling real as they navigate a world on the brink of collapse. While some moments feel a bit rushed, the nonstop tension and high stakes make this a thrilling and highly entertaining read.

Good book. Interesting idea and I never knew what was going to happen next, it totally kept me guessing. Good characters and a rip-roaring tale.