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Book Review By Roger Perry
Descent by Jeff Long

In the Himilayians, climbers taking refuge in a mountain cave are lethally assaulted. Army Rangers in Bosnia are attacked during a nightly patrol. Ali, a nun, witnesses a strange relationship between villagers in South Africa and neighbors from the "beneath." A vast underground tunnel system is discovered, and a contemporary Earth learns it has violent, distant relatives living in it. After a costly war rages with the "Hadels" nations from the USA to Russia to China manage to push the inhabitants deep into the planet.

After several years, man begins to inhabit and industrialize the enormous "upper" caves and tunnels. Countries and corporations scramble to stake-out the planet's subterranean regions. Ike, a human taken captive by the tunnel-dwelling Hadels, escapes to the surface to become an army ranger scout. He is worshipped by the soldiers with whom he operates, having morphed into a near-Hadel, but is shunned by a society that finds him repulsive.

Both Ali and Ike are recruited by a powerful corporation to join a large team of scientist and soldiers on a expedition to explore the tunnel system that reaches far below the pacific. Unknown circumstances are forcing some Hadles to surface, causing horror, and tragedy. Humans must quickly grasp the secrets of these long-lived humanoids, and the expedition is the key.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Explore:
War or Invasion Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status:
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Terrain
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book? Yes
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
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