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gabmc's review
3.0
A very different type of political thriller, with a secret war being waged on the US by China ... secret in the sense that Google is attacked, Las Vegas real estate falls, the US Bond Rate falls, etc. One person sees a pattern with the bonds and he is approached by the Defense Intelligence Agency to lead a team to combat this series of attacks. I liked the fact that this book was so different but I did roll my eyes more than a few times at unrealistic situations that the main character got himself into. Having said that though, I enjoyed this book enough that I would read more in the series.
njlanzetta's review
4.0
I listened to this as an audiobook. It tells the story of Garrett Reilly, who is a genius financial analyst with a bit of an attitude problem (he's sort of an egotistical asshole). He gets handpicked to join the Ascendant project by the military after he discovers American bonds are being sold at alarmingly high numbers and rates, which is not good for the economy. I honestly hated Reilly at first, but he did grow on me as the novel progressed. This was a fast paced thrill ride as Reilly and his team try to figure out what is happening and who is attacking America. There were some things that felt very far fetched to me and I'm not sure how the conclusion wrapped up so neatly, but I really enjoyed it. I liked the author's style of writing and I am curious to see what happens in the sequel.
hollandsays's review
4.0
One of those books that I picked up from the library and forgot why I had requested it but am so glad that I did. Read cover to cover in one sitting as it was an 'fun' read if a thriller can be fun. Suspicious trading on Wall Street, a character who can detect patterns (in everything)that captures the interest of the government and a slew of characters paired up to solve the next possible declaration of war on America.
vkemp's review
5.0
Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. Garrett Reilly is a bond trader on Wall Street who can see patterns. One day, he discovers the Chinese are dumping Treasury bonds and when he alerts his boss, the Defense Intelligence Agency comes looking for him. Garrett is a slacker, he likes working after a few bong hits and he hates the military for killing his beloved older brother. The DIA has been looking for someone like Garrett, someone who can fight the next war that won't be fought on battlefields but is already being fought in cyberspace. When they turn Garrett lose along with a team of other hackers and slackers, the results are impressive. What follows is mayhem. This is a riveting read with enormous implications for cybercrime. Recommended reading for every Pentagon and CIA operative.
manyyarns's review
4.0
Full disclosure: I picked this up at work as an unsolicited ARC and enjoyed myself quite a bit reading it. The Ascendant is a digital age thriller, focused on the possibility of a subtle cyber-financial war in our modern era. I can't say that it was revelatory, but it was fun. Snowy day, stay inside, winter fluff fun. Political machinations are involved, which is right up my alley. The protagonist actually experiences personal growth over the course of the book, which is even better - this does not read like a "character growth can come later" first installment. A very strong debut novel for Drew Chapman, good enough that I'm passing my ARC along to my father and freely recommending the title at work.
conalo's review
4.0
Disclosure: I received this book as an ARC copy from the publisher.
I usually don’t stray much from the SF and Fantasy genres but decided to try this after getting selected to try an ARC copy of Drew Chapman’s new novel, The Ascendant. It is a suspense novel detailing conflict between the US and China using technology as weapons. The author does an excellent job in keeping a good pace and excellent story characters and I was engaged throughout the novel.
The main character, Garrett Reilly, divulges from what you would normally expect from a protagonist in an adventure novel to be but the characterization worked for me. He is an offbeat, in your face gamer with a significant financial talent and ability to recognize patterns within the financial numbers (and other areas as it turns out). Watching the growth of his character throughout the novel was one of the things I really enjoyed. The author also uses the current world political balance between the US and China as a plot point that he builds to an entertaining conclusion.
If you enjoy tense political thrillers, you should pick up a copy if this book. 4.5 stars for a really entertaining read.
I usually don’t stray much from the SF and Fantasy genres but decided to try this after getting selected to try an ARC copy of Drew Chapman’s new novel, The Ascendant. It is a suspense novel detailing conflict between the US and China using technology as weapons. The author does an excellent job in keeping a good pace and excellent story characters and I was engaged throughout the novel.
The main character, Garrett Reilly, divulges from what you would normally expect from a protagonist in an adventure novel to be but the characterization worked for me. He is an offbeat, in your face gamer with a significant financial talent and ability to recognize patterns within the financial numbers (and other areas as it turns out). Watching the growth of his character throughout the novel was one of the things I really enjoyed. The author also uses the current world political balance between the US and China as a plot point that he builds to an entertaining conclusion.
If you enjoy tense political thrillers, you should pick up a copy if this book. 4.5 stars for a really entertaining read.
krithix's review
3.0
Though written mostly on the surface-level, The Ascendant was still a pretty clever plot. Drawn heavily from Ender's Game and Jack Ryan, Garrett Reilly's transformation was neither believable nor very interesting, but how the events in China and the shadow war came together was nonetheless satisfying.
heathere6093's review
4.0
Fun page-turner to get lost in. Strange happenings in the US bank, stock exchange and businesses. Feds find a young 20-something jerk who's good with numbers and can detect patterns in anything to find out what's going on. What he uncovers and what he's asked to do by his country made this an interesting read. In today's technological world, wars can be fought in many different ways.
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