Catalyst Downward Cycle

By: J K Franks

Narrated by: Steven Varnum

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

In the first five minutes, more than a million people will die.... That’s just the beginning of the nightmare.

The super solar storm wasn’t supposed to hit Earth - the odds were against it. And yet it did, and everything changed. The storm causes a global blackout. Society begins to come apart as the planes begin falling from the sky and all traces of normal vanish. Scott Montgomery watches helplessly as pandemonium consumes the world around him. But the loss of electrical power is just the first of the problems facing the survivors in the chaos that follows.

Soon, they discover the loss of electricity was just the beginning of their problems. In a land without laws and few consequences for their actions, individuals must come to terms with their darkest fears and desires. What will Scott do when he learns the draconian plans one secret group has for regaining control and ensuring their own vision for the new world?

Catalyst is a shockingly realistic tale of how society copes when the world is thrust back to a time before technology. If you are a fan of Steve Konkoly, Tom Abrahams, or A. American, you will love this audiobook.

©2016 J K Franks (P)2016 J K Franks

Enjoyable SHTF novel!

I really liked this book. The author obviously put a lot of though behind the storyline and character development. The characters in the story are very relatable, scenarios are detailed to the point that the listener feels like they're in the story themselves. The only downside is I felt the end was a little anticlimactic... I'm fairly certain there will be a follow up, but I wasn't left on the edge of my seat. Besides that, I'd definitely recommend this to any listener that enjoys SHTF or TEOTWAKI type of books.

The narrator did a great job portraying the characters with his accents and change of gender and race. The only part I can really criticize is, at times, I felt they're were pauses in his narration that were unnecessary.

I'll definitely be getting the follow up when it's available.

*This audiobook was provided to me at no cost in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Fantastic CME Story Very Well Done!!!!

What did you like best about Catalyst Downward Cycle? What did you like least?

What I liked best about the audio book was the main character and his personal growth. He was a broken man at the start of the story. He had experienced a bitter divorce that shattered him. His only joy in life was his bicycle. But he grew as a person and his job as Cyber security with DHS managed to help the community once he overcame his aversion to interacting with people and started to build relationships through mutual need.What I liked least was never hearing more from Scott's Brother or Sister in law in Arkansas. He was a Prepper with a bug out location and shielded radio's. He knew Scott was getting his daughter so I think they should have been able to make contact to tie up that loose thread.

What did you like best about this story?

I What I liked best about the story was the main character and his personal growth. He was a broken man at the start of the story. He had experienced a bitter divorce that shattered him. His only joy in life was his bicycle. But he grew as a person and his job as Cyber security with DHS managed to help the community once he overcame his aversion to interacting with people and started to build relationships through mutual need.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene in the book is Scott try to escape from Tyrell's thugs who have stolen Barto's Bronco and are trying to kill Scott. Scott had been trying to evade them on his bike for a long time but has had enough and decide to stand his ground. It is awesome. He has changed so much from the start of the book.

Do you think Catalyst Downward Cycle needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes it does. The author has crafted a great world that needs to be expanded and grown. The story is clearly not over.

Any additional comments?

"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge via Audiobook Boom."

High school quakity

Dialogue and content was amateurish and the reader wasnt great. I would not recommend getting this title

Great Listen

Great story line and character development. Believable and not far fetched. Steven Varnum is a awesome storyteller. Could be the next Kevin Pierce hope to hear him more.

An Exciting Start to a Series

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Downward Cycle was a good start on what looks to be an exciting series. The plot revolves around a CME hitting earth, a solar flare with EMP effects, which causes the failure of electrical devices and the collapse of society. It somewhat reminds me of the television series Revolution. Quite a bit of the book comes across as a guide to prepping which sounds boring, but the author did this in a way which was entertaining. After all the prep work the story picks up about halfway through but this is still definitely the first book of a series with more buildup than plotline. I do however look forward to seeing where this series is going and will follow up with the next book.
The one criticism I have is that I had to suspend belief on some aspects of the book. Quite a bit of the story revolves around the protagonist being a computer nerd (which I am as well) and still periodically having access to communications and the internet through various means. I’m not sure of all the science but this didn’t really make sense to me if there was an actual CME. There was one part involving Amazon that I even said “really” to myself out loud. With that said though it is a work of fiction and it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next.
I found Steven Varnum to be an excellent narrator. He set the tone of the story and really changed up the voices for each character, so I always knew who was talking.

good book but,

good book . But, I had to turn my sound all the way up to hear the too soft voice of the actor. the actor was not very good the way he impersonated the voices. the book ended rather abruptly .

Needed something more!

Just felt rushed. It just wasn’t my style and left me wanting more details of what was actually going on.

Awesome

I am not a person who typically writes reviews . I felt a need to write one for this book and series. I felt a deep connection with the characters in this book and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. sometimes a series can lose steam but this one did not. I felt it actually got better as it went on. I highly recommend this series. Big thanks to the Author

The research.

Engrossing and scary as it can get, real! It is a very well executed story that intertwines the end as seen by one man.

Entertainment and believable.

This post-apocalyptic thriller is more believable than most. Characters are engaging and plot development is well conceived.