Release Day

Release Day Saga, Book 1

De: Ryan Matthews

Narrado por: GM Hakim

Earth’s surface is no longer ours. Humans thought they were safe underground where the invading Arthropods couldn’t reach them. After centuries of occupation, the antiquated subterranean cities have deteriorated and they have exhausted their supplies. Making matters worse, the hostile invaders have destroyed one of the ten remaining cities.

Now Huck, Ariadne, and Hemant are in a race to destroy the Arthropod Hive before the “inverts” completely annihilate humanity. But before the candidates can begin, they must survive their corrupt government’s population control scheme—a highly-fatal, barbaric event known as RELEASE DAY.

To accomplish their mission, they must enlist the help of a group of dubious transporters to trek across the planet through numerous biomes, infinite swarms of Arthropods, and deranged surface-dwelling humans on their perilous mission to recover a war-ending device and carry it to the creatures’ hive.

©2022 Benjamin Ryan Matthews (P)2024 Benjamin Ryan Matthews

Excited for more!

This book was a joy to listen to and I enjoyed all the characters. The story drops you immediately into a post apocalyptic world but not one we’re use to imagining. The monsters are creative and every time the characters figure one out a new one seems to leap out and challenge the very existence of humans on earth. Looking forward to the next volumes.

Strong story except for the Narrator

If your a fan of Starship Troopers, Love and Monsters, or Silo this book might be for you. Its got a little of something of each wrapped all in one. The story keeps you engaged while not droning on. The only draw back to this book is the narrator in the first half of the book. He speaks in a very monotone voice with no clear differentiation between character. Which makes the switches of perspective hard to pin down. He does find his stride midway through. Other then that small hiccup I loved this book and eagerly await the next one.

A good story, but needs better narration

This gave me immediate City of Ember and Silo vibes.
Pn Earth, the survivors of an alien insects invasion live in underground cities located in various locations. Each year, a group of young adults are sent from one city to other for training while dealing with the invaders.
while the plot line and story was interesting
I could fully embrace the book due to the narration issues. The narrator seemed to just read the works. Very little was done to differentiate the characters. often, I wasn't sure which character was speaking.
I don't think I will continue with the series

Survival hinges on grit, wit, & daring alliances!

Release Day delivers an adrenaline-packed journey through a decimated Earth, where survival hinges on grit, wit, and daring alliances. Ryan Matthews crafts a gripping narrative of humanity’s fight against extinction, perfectly brought to life by GM Hakim’s dynamic and immersive narration. A thrilling mix of high stakes, intense action, and unforgettable characters—this audiobook is an absolute must-listen!

Quite Compelling Plot

I have met the author on a few occasions, and own physical copies of the books, and there is nothing to complain about with this series. It's engaging, suspenseful, and humourous! the narrator is great and the writing style is easy to follow and smooth to read or listen to!

Underground human survival after alien invasion - count me in!

Interesting sci-fi post-apocalyptic concept. Leaves me interested in subsequent books in series. Narration was just so-so for me. Somewhat monotone unless he was imitating accents. I almost gave up but got used to it and am glad I stuck with it because I enjoyed the story.

A Familiar Dystopian Ride with Giant Insects

I'd like to preface this review by saying I was given a copy for review. As with all my reviews, I try to go in as blind as possible. I just have the title, author and narrator. I avoid reading the description or anything else that could give away the details of the overall story.

🔹 Recommended for fans of: The Hunger Games, Starship Troopers, Silo, and dystopian survival stories.

Release Day treads well-worn dystopian ground, drawing heavy inspiration from The Hunger Games, Starship Troopers, and Silo. The premise is intriguing—humanity, driven underground after an Arthropod invasion, faces dwindling resources and internal corruption. Our protagonists, Huck, Ariadne, and Hemant, must navigate government-imposed death trials and a perilous journey across a hostile Earth to destroy the enemy hive.

While the book delivers on action and tension, it falls short in character depth. The leads feel interchangeable with those from any other post-apocalyptic series, lacking unique voices or compelling development. That said, if you're looking for an entertaining dystopian read with giant insect warfare to pass a weekend, Release Day fits the bill.

The biggest drawback, however, is the audiobook narration. While GM Hakim maintains a steady cadence and tone, character differentiation is lacking—male and female voices blend together, making it difficult to track perspective shifts. Even with chapter labels indicating the viewpoint character, I often found myself guessing whose head I was in. This significantly hurt the overall experience.

Would I continue the series? Probably not. But if you enjoy fast-paced dystopian action and don't mind some rough edges, Release Day might be worth a shot.

Engaging

Well written and narrated. Kept my attention. Some humorous sections and riveting. Narrator GM Hakim has a captivating voice.

Bug Filled World

It took me a second to get used to the multiple character shifts in the story but overall I liked listening to our characters and I’m curious as to what the saga has in store next for this world and the characters.

A great book

I really love the concept of this book- but even more than that love the found family that develops throughout the story.
There are a lot of real life issues interwoven in this dystopian story that makes the story really come to life. I enjoyed reading the book from multiple points of view. This book is unique to me because in my opinion there are not many books like this, it took risks and it paid off. If you love survival stories where the underdog is fighting against corruption then this story is for you.