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Extinction
- Author
- Bradley Somer
- Narrator
- John Chancer
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 22 November 2022
- Run Time
- 8 hours 57 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
What to expect
In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over the last surviving grizzly bear.
With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.
One night, he hears voices in the valley—poachers, come to hunt his bear.
A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey—Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.
Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?
Is he willing to kill for it?
Critics Review
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“[A] tale of wilderness survival and pursuit, told in lean, propulsive prose, but with a twist…Somer raises disquieting questions about our relationship with nature, and the debt we owe to the beings with whom we share our planet—even, or perhaps especially, when there is no longer any chance of restitution.”
The Guardian
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“With Extinction Bradley Somer presents an unflinching view of the dangers mankind poses to the natural world, and yet he wraps these horrors in gorgeous and nuanced language. Highly recommended!”
Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Kagen the Damned and Relentless
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“A beautiful tale of hope in the face of hopelessness, Extinction is a haunting nightmare of the future, and a lyrical love song to nature.”
Tim Lebbon, New York Times bestselling author of Eden, The Silence, and The Last Storm
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“I began Extinction with the sense that it would take a brilliant writer to pull off such an ambitious story. By the time I finished, it was clear that Bradley Somer not only delivered on his promise, but achieved something even more unexpected. From the very first page, he pulls us into a novel landscape residing somewhere between a Jack London wilderness and a Cormac McCarthy lawless dystopia. Then he ignites a fire of suspense that burns until the very last page.”
Scott Stambach, award-winning author of The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko
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“In vibrant, lyrical prose, Somer depicts Ben’s struggles with loneliness and the approaching winter…His hardships are keenly felt due to Somer’s masterful characterization…A resurgence of the literary, introspective element brings Ben’s story to a poignant close. Readers will be impressed by Somer’s prose.”
Publishers Weekly
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“Harrowingly tense and cerebral, Somer’s Extinction is a primordial game of cat-and-mouse-and-cat, which confronts the costs of survival while boldly redefining what it truly means to survive. Bravo!”
P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus and When You Find Me
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“We are all being asked to make choices. Our species, our animals, our world…Somer hones these questions down to the knife-edge of a lonely man and the last surviving grizzly bear, in the ragged grandeur of the remaining West. An unforgettable story, a fierce and thrilling ride.”
Maxim Loskutoff, author of Ruthie Fear and Come West and See
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“A heart-pounding thriller built out of a ranger’s mission to protect his territory’s last surviving bear against oncoming threats. Somer’s writing is visceral and immediate, and he brings the natural world into focus in fascinating ways.”
CrimeReads
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“Extinction is a gripping read; well-written and well-researched.”
Pentiction Herald
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“Extinction reads like a fable in the form of a survivalist adventure story, with the fate of the bear evoking the experience of our own end times. This is particularly so given the pervading sense of isolation and alienation that Bradley Somer cultivates.”
Toronto Star
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“A stupendously written survivalist adventure…Somer takes a simple pro-environmental argument and hides it deep inside a thrilling survival-of-the-fittest action story that could (and should) very likely cause people to take climate change more seriously.”
Shelf Awareness
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“A highly entertaining, unpredictable, and astonishing read that will make you feel and think: a rare and beautiful combination. A book for the times we are living in.”
Ali Bryan, author of The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Bradley Somer
- Narrator
- John Chancer
- Duration
- 8 hours 57 minutes
- Release Date
- 22 November 2022
- ISBN
- 9798212010931
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Adventure fiction, Narrative theme: Environmental issues, Science fiction: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, Science fiction: space exploration, Fiction: general and literary, Fiction: general and literary
Synopsis
In a lonely valley, deep in the mountains, a ranger watches over the last surviving grizzly bear.With the natural world exhausted and in tatters, Ben has dedicated himself to protecting this single fragment of the wild.One night, he hears voices in the valley—poachers, come to hunt his bear.A heart-pounding chase begins, crossing forests and mountainsides, passing centuries of human ruins. Sometimes hunter, sometimes prey—Ben must choose the bear’s fate and his own.Is he willing to lay down his life for a dying breed?Is he willing to kill for it?
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