The Descended

De: Michelle Park Lazette

Narrado por: Lisa Beacom

Monsters rule the surface. Secrets teem in the Underground. And one young woman may be the chosen weapon to destroy them both.

Abandoned by her father years ago, journalist Audrey Kelly now fears her partner is abandoning her, too. He’s blindsided her with the admission he won’t marry her. Embroiled in a heated argument, the couple is interrupted by ferocious beasts crash-landing in Ohio, screeching and attempting to annihilate everyone around them, including Audrey’s partner.

Audrey flees for her life and is rescued by a stranger who whisks her to safety through a hidden red door cut into the side of a mountain. It’s a portal to an underground shelter built by a secretive society, and Audrey is afforded food and a bedroom but is forbidden to explore. A good reporter doesn’t stop just because people say no, however, and when Audrey begins to investigate, she witnesses unsettling things: A man loses his leg only to walk the underground shortly thereafter, and people answer questions she’s never voiced aloud.

When Audrey unearths a crimson folder bearing her name, its secrets begin to peel back truths: Those in the underground harness supernatural powers and have unspeakable connections to her tragedies. What Audrey ultimately unleashes—or doesn’t—will mean the difference between life and death for those closest to her—and for the world.

©2025 Flying Snake Press LLC (P)2025 Flying Snake Press LLC

This is fun!

I'm a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction. This book is scary and captures your imagination. It's well-paced and held my attention from beginning to end. The characters are believable as they navigate incredible situations. The narrator does a great job bringing it all to life.

A Wild Roller Coaster Ride to the Very Last Page

The Descended is an imaginative and gripping story that blends suspense with deep emotional undercurrents... revealing an eerie and layered world that holds plenty of intrigue. I can’t wait for the sequel!!!

Twists and Turns

I loved the twists and turns in this book. It kept me on my toes but it came together so well at the end!

Dystopian Story Comes to Life

Audrey Kelly thinks it's finally time. Either her partner needs to commit to their relationship long term, or perhaps it's time to let it go. She worries about being abandoned down the road, as her father left her mother and her, then disappeared from her life all together. After attending a family wedding she and Kevin, her partner, begin the drive home. She knows they must address the things that have been happening. What she doesn't know is that in the next few moments none of what she's been worried about with their relationship will matter. Instead they will find themselves running for their lives. Something is happening on a catastrophic scale. Aliens, beasts, creatures of some kind have just crashed landed all around them. Their only choice is to run from their car and try to survive.

As they try to escape they are forced to separate. Audrey watches with horror as Kevin pushes her away and convinces her to just run. She is terrified by what she thinks she just saw, but when a stranger reaches for her and tells her to get up and keep running her fear causes her to act. Eventually, he leads her to a red door in the middle of the woods, and the safety of an underground bunker. Yet her reporter instincts begin to kick in. Something isn't right. Something is being hidden from her. As she begins to discover what the secrets are she will discover not only is the world not what she thought it was, she also is not really who she thought she was. While she must trust these people as they are her only hope of survival, she's beginning to uncover the fact that they have been controlling her life for far longer than just the here and now. Will she uncover what really is happening? Who she can really trust? Who she really is?

The story is woven together so well that you will be drawn in quickly to the world that Audrey is now living in. You will find yourself picking sides, and hoping for answers. As the truth is revealed you too will be shocked at how deep the deception lies. I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads .

I couldn't stop listening!

This was one of those audiobooks that sucks you in and keeps your attention the entire time you listen. The characters are well thought out and I was left caring deeply about each one of them. The unexpected twists and turns had me not wanting to stop listening for the entirety of the book, and after it was over I was left wanting more.