The Extinction Trials

By: A.G. Riddle

Narrated by: John Skelley

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's 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 harbors a very big secret.

And so does the world outside.

From A.G. Riddle, the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal best-selling author with over four million copies sold worldwide in 20 languages, comes an epic stand-alone adventure with a surprise ending unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.

©2021 A.G. Riddle (P)2021 Recorded Books

Addictive and enthralling

I am always pulled in to books by this author. I absolutely love the way the story is described and detailed. This book, like all the others, is suspenseful and adventurous and has you to wanting more.

good speculative fiction

large sections of the book are fun to read, other parts seem to drag on as if the author was simply trying to fill up space. there are some really fun ideas and plot twists but most of them occur in the first 10% and last 15% of the book. the characters are good but not very deep. the book is kind-hearted and warm which is perhaps its greatest strength.

Fun Summer Apocalyptic Science Fiction

Obviously, with any science fiction story you must be able to suspend disbelief. But this was a fun summer read with lots of twists and turns.

Excellent! (Spoiler free Review)

I will admit that at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this story. But the as the story went on, it grew on me. What really sealed the deal was the TWIST at the end. Wasn't sure what I was listening to, and thought that I missed something along the way. Turns out it was just a clever piece of writing. 5-5⭐s for me. If you really enjoy other A. G. Riddles stories you will probably like this one too. Good characters, decent plot and with mystery all wrapped in to one excellent tale.

The fact that I turned my lecture of to decompress and eat and still got a lecture

I liked the science fiction and the doomsday background but my god it got so dry in some places I was pressing the skip button. Please ok I don’t need to here him reading a book

An okay story by a great writer

I fell in love with AG Riddle when I read the Extinction Files (Books 1&2). I found the Long Winter to be a great trilogy as well (though I'll admit a bias for books 1 & 2 there).

I'll echo what a few other reviewers have said: This feels like an earlier work that was published after a successful career. The concept of the story is great. However, the Extinction Trials feels like it could have been the first draft of the Extinction Files. Either that, or that Riddle tried to create a new story based on the Extinction Files template. I loved the way in which Riddle used the theme of memory to such great effect in the Extinction Files. It feels like it was lazily borrowed in this book. I thought the twist at the end of Genome was brilliant. Sadly, it made the ending of the Extinction Trials feel somewhat recycled.

Now don't get me wrong. I still LIKED the book. I just didn't love it the way I've loved Riddle's other stuff. I consider Riddle to be an A level author, and this was more of a B-. Still good, and certainly above average, but not on par with what I've come to expect from him.

As far as the narration went, I think John Skelley did a wonderful job. His performance is reminiscent of Edoardo Ballerini, who I've come to associate with Riddle's books. I appreciate that I didn't need to experience the cognitive dissonance that so often occurs when an author's "normal" narrator isn't reading a book.

Summing up: Good. If you like Riddle's work, its worth a listen. Just don't expect something that feels entirely fresh or new.

very interesting

Definitely an unexpected twist at the end. Well written and read, although not A.G. Riddle's best.

Good Listen

Compelling. Easy to listen to and digest. My only complaint is that I wish they did a bit more world building.

Another masterpiece.

A.G. Riddle has done it again. Another captivating, can’t put it down, exhilarating work of art. I have enjoyed all of his books and this one is no different.
This was the first I’d done completely on audible and nothing was lost. You can feel how much research and time he puts in to every part of his writing.
The only disappointment is that I have to wait for another book!!!!!

Another great read by A.G. Riddle!

The narration and the narrative kept moving to the very end.... thank you for both!