Genres: Thriller & Suspense Release: November 4, 2025
REVIEW:
Are you looking for a thrilling, quick, one evening read? Then you need to check out a brand new book by Audrey J. Cole titled Final Descent. I’m telling you it is a good thing this was a novella. I don’t think I could have taken the thrill ride any longer. Wow! I found out I can hold my breath and read pretty darn fast!
This book is another thriller. I know. I am a sucker for a good thriller but, I think I am getting to the age where I have to read something nice and gentle in between. My heart can’t take too much of this. I still love them and as you might know, I can never figure them out. Maybe that is why I like them so much.
The main character is Claire Winslow. She recently went through a divorce and had a breakdown. As this story unravels, I kept wondering if Claire was ok and if her mind was thinking straight or not. If it is, can she trust those around her? I didn’t know. I had all these questions. I was back and forth and never did figure it all out until the very end. Ms. Cole did a phenomenal job writing this book.
I know I mentioned it was a novella. I was thinking this morning that I kind of wish she would have fleshed the book out a little more and made it a bit longer. After I thought about it for a while, I decided she made the best decision for this book. It is perfect! It gives you time to wonder. It gives you background which makes you wonder all the more. If it was any longer, it may have been boring in spots. I applaud her for the decisions she made while writing Final Descent.
Some of the characters were likable when they shouldn’t have been. One I didn’t like from the time he was introduced. Her husband was debatable. I liked her best friend. I even waffled about Claire. I hope Audrey J. Cole knows how much she messed with my mind while I was reading this book. I’ve loved her books but, this little book was absolutely, hands down the best book she has written to date. In my humble opinion.
If you love a thriller that does all the stuff to your mind that I mentioned above, then you must read this book for yourself. It will be the best flight you have ever taken in your whole life. Don’t put it on your nightstand unless you don’t want to sleep. It is short, but you will lay awake thinking about it. Until next time…Happy Reading!
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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SYNOPSIS:
At 30,000 feet, the danger isn’t turbulence—it’s him. After suffering a breakdown from her brutal divorce, airline pilot Claire Winslow is rebuilding her life with her five-year-old daughter. Just as she’s finding her footing, an online romance spirals into a chilling nightmare. Her first date with Evan goes terribly wrong, and he soon begins stalking her, showing up outside her home and even her daughter’s school.
After nearly a week of no sightings of him, Claire dares to believe maybe he’s moved on. Relieved, she puts her focus on her upcoming flight—the first chance she’s had to prove herself since she was put on leave. Then, on a layover in Boston, Claire spots Evan at her hotel. She goes to the police, but with no real name and nothing traceable online, they say there’s nothing they can do.
When Evan boards her flight wearing a pilot uniform and takes the jump seat just before takeoff, Claire is convinced he’s there to kill her—or take the plane down. But after her recent breakdown, the question becomes: is she right…or unraveling all over again?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Audrey J. Cole is a USA TODAY bestselling thriller author. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her two children. Before writing full time, she worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for eleven years. She’s also a pilot’s daughter.
Sign up for her mailing list at https://www.audreyjcole.com/sign-up to receive free bonus content, promotions, and new release updates. Audrey can also be found on
For readers who love science fiction with emotional depth, Rhythm Sword Warriors by Lara J. Nance offers a story of redemption, courage, and the rhythms that keep us alive.
Haunted by the trauma of her mother’s death and humanity’s retreat underground, Calena has spent two decades disconnected from the world above—and from her own heart. When a new alien threat emerges, her refuge in the game Rhythm Sword becomes the unlikely key to humanity’s survival. Leading a battalion of gamers-turned-fighters, Calena must reconcile past pain with present purpose to protect what’s left of Earth. This is a story not just of war, but of awakening—the moment we choose to step into the light again.
EXCERPT:
“We have a very unique situation that we want to speak to you about. I’ll just jump right in. Dr. Harding has discovered an element that will destroy a Metavalent.” The general gestured to Blake.
Calena sucked in a breath of surprise. “The hell? I thought that was impossible.”
Blake nodded. “We’ve been researching options ever since the invasion, and this is the first breakthrough we’ve had. Given the structure of the aliens and the way they are able to move, finding a way to attack them has been very difficult.”
“What’s that got to do with us?” Kelvin asked, an edge to his tone. This was his domain, and he appeared increasingly angry with the interruption from outsiders.
A few gamers emerged from rooms and glanced at the newcomers uncertainly, as if unsure whether they meant trouble. They edged to the periphery of the room, staring while hugging backpacks to their chests.
Carla noticed them and held up a hand. “We’re looking for your help, guys. Okay? We’re not here to cause trouble.”
Kelvin’s shoulders relaxed a notch, but his expression remained wary. “So, like I said, what’s this got to do with us and the game?”
“If we’re right,” Blake said. “The game may be the secret to defeating the Metavalents. That’s why we’re here.”
Calena exchanged a shocked glance with Katsu, while Kelvin and the Jammers shifted uncomfortably and frowned in confusion.
“We’ve seen three of them around here in the past two weeks, and a person from one of our collectives was killed,” Calena said. “We think they’re looking to expand into this area, and that would destroy us. Can you help with that?”
Pablo held up a hand. “Dudes, this is bigger than just this area. Listen up.”
The cute guy, Blake, started talking about some shit called muon particles and how they could slice through almost anything like butter, but were really fragile in a lot of other ways, so not easy to use in a bomb or anything like that. Then the general explained how they think they can manufacture a handheld device that would generate the muon thingies and project them within some sort of shield, and that would be like a sword that would slice through the Globs…you guessed it…like butter.
Her head was spinning with this information all while she tried to figure out how that related to the game. However, as they went on and on, the vision of something like a sword slicing through Globs created a dull, itchy sense of impending doom within her. Before they had time to finish talking about needed response times, the aliens’ abilities, and actually came to a conclusion, she had it.
The gamers. The game. It all fit. They needed the gamers to fight the Globs. The gamers had years of training in the exact skills needed to use the muon swords with response times that rivaled the Glob ability to pop in and out of existence or attack with their expandable extensions. It all made sense, and fury erupted inside her.
“I get it,” she interrupted before the general finished. He slowly closed his lips without continuing.
“What?” Blake asked, brow furrowed.
Damn, he was actually really handsome. It was distracting.
“You need gamers to kill the Globs.” She planted her hands on her hips, trying not to look at Blake. “You want to use us.”
Blake and Carla shared surprised looks.
Pablo grinned. “That’s right. You in?”
“What are you talking about?” Katsu punched her shoulder.
“They need us to fight the Globs because we already know how to use the sword weapons better than anyone else.” She turned to Blake finally. “Right?”
He slowly nodded.
“That’s exactly right.” The general raised his chin. “We have a crisis, and we don’t have time to train people to the level to which you guys have already developed. And the, uh, Jammers can help by programming simulations just like the game but with MVs instead of cubes to hone your skills.”
“Ohhhh.” Katsu rocked back on his heels, mouth open, finally making the connection. “I get it. That’s…that’s…um, completely cool. I think…”
“See,” Pablo said, eyes gleaming and fists clenched. “We can save the world. We can fight back and get rid of these bastards once and for all. We’ll be heroes.”
Cal shot him a glare. What did he know? He lived with his father in an ultra-secure and amenity-rich army facility because of the general’s position. He didn’t know about the hardships people like she and Katsu faced out in the real world, scavenging for food and dodging Globs for every single necessity of life.
The general patted his son on the back, beaming. “I hope you all can see how critical this is. We need help from as many gamers as possible. We need to set up training programs and start training as soon as our engineering teams can manufacture the hardware.”
“Hold on,” Calena said. “We have an immediate problem here in this town, with Globs appearing again, and you want us to take off and leave people who depend on us for some idea that might not even work?”
Blake frowned, lips parted to say something, but nothing came out.
“Look,” the general said, sternly. “This is important…”
“So is saving the people I live with. We already lost one to the Globs yesterday. This is typical government bullshit.” She jabbed a finger at him. “I have people to protect right here in this town, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“We can’t force you to help, but I have to tell you this is the best chance we have of stopping these invaders. Yes, this is experimental, but the science is solid, and I think we can make it work,” Blake said.
She crossed her arms over her chest and avoided his gaze. What the hell? She couldn’t leave Pavilion, Miss Mina, and the others. This was crazy.
Kelvin pulled off the headphones he’d hung around his neck. “We’ll help in any way we can, but we’d need a lot of supplies.”
Blake walked over and shook Kelvin’s hand. “Thank you. That’s amazing. Yes, of course, you’ll have anything you need. The president has made this a top priority.”
“The president?” one of the other Jammer’s named Bruce asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, the president,” Blake said. “This is about saving the country. Actually, it’s about saving the world. We also think the Metavalents may be expanding, and that’s why this is so critical.”
Calena studied him as he spoke. His blond hair hung past his collar, a little too long for him to be much older than thirty. However, he was some sort of PhD and apparently extremely smart to have come up with this solution. She had to admit he was pretty hot, too. Well, maybe a little geeky and pasty white, but it looked like he worked out, and he had nice eyes…soft brown and melty. She shook off that thought, and forced away her stare. She’d given up hope on relationships years ago. It didn’t matter, she had other things to worry about than hot guys. Like protecting Pavilion, not traipsing off on some quest with an unproven weapon.
“I’ll go,” Katsu said with an apologetic look in her direction.
“What? No…” She grabbed his shoulders. A thrill of fear rushed through her. She couldn’t lose him.
“We have to do something, Cal. Things are getting worse and just setting up patrols is not going to make the problem go away. I want to help.” He wore his stubborn expression she knew so well. When he dug his feet in there was no moving him.
“Thank you,” Blake said to him. “We need a lot more help, too.”
“The first thing is to get the word out to other gamers and find out how many of them would be willing to train for combat,” the general said.
Kelvin tapped his computer screen. “We were getting ready to send out invitations all over the world for a virtual tournament. We can send out this message instead.”
“You can send out international messages?” The general’s gray brows went up.
“Yes, we have a shortwave channel all the gamers use. It’s not consistent and takes a while to make the rounds, but eventually we can reach them. We have an antenna on the roof of this building. But how would they be able to travel here for training with the Globs roaming everywhere again?””
“We may be able to set up training in other countries as long as you can share the programming and we can send details on manufacturing the handheld units,” the general replied. “That way we can coordinate an attack from every corner of the globe when we’re ready.”
“All right. You write up what you want me to say, and I’ll send the message.”
“Do you think a few hundred people might be willing to take part?” Carla asked.
Nick let out a sharp laugh. “Hundreds? More like thousands. You have no idea how many gamers there are. Everyone will want a piece of this action if it rids us of Globs.”
Blake’s face lit up, and the general looked like a kid someone just handed the world’s biggest jar of candy.
She seized Katsu’s arm and pulled him away from the others. She had to talk some sense into him before he ran off on this cursed quest. “What are you doing? You can’t leave. This is dangerous. You could be killed.”
“I don’t care.” He pulled his arm from her grasp, his brows drawn together. “What do I have to live for? Huh? Tony doesn’t love me anymore, and chances are pretty damn good I won’t find anyone else. I don’t want to stay here just surviving with only the game for a life.”
“But people here need us,” she pleaded. She didn’t want to say she needed him, that was too cringy…but she did.
“If we can destroy the Globs, that will help everyone including our collectives. Come on, Cal, you’re the best at this game, you could make a real difference.”
She threw up her hands in frustration.
“Cal, please go with me. I need you there.”
Damn his puppy dog eyes! He did need her. Who else would look after him? Maybe it was true, and they could do something that would help everyone. That would be worth it, right? It wouldn’t be like she was abandoning Pavilion if this worked.
“Okay, okay,” she muttered. “I’ll go. But you owe me.”
He let out a happy yelp of victory, and she shook her head. This was probably a big mistake.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lara J. Nance, Award-winning author brings authenticity and humanity to speculative fiction. Her global travels and life aboard a sailboat have shaped her storytelling into something visceral and vivid. Through her work, Nance invites readers to confront their fears, seek connection, and find adventure in the unknown. Visit her website to learn more.
When I first started writing, I imagined the life of an author as something wildly romantic. Long afternoons in cozy cafés, scribbling brilliance into notebooks, appearing on the Oprah show to adoring audiences… Days on a sailboat (okay, that one I actually did), gazing at sunsets while characters whispered their stories into my ear. Fame! Fortune! At least a velvet chaise lounge and maybe a personal assistant named Nigel to refill my coffee.
What I didn’t realize being an author actually meant was:
● Endless googling of bizarre things. “How long does it take a body to decompose in a swamp?” “Where can you buy enriched uranium?” “Would dragon fire cauterize a wound?” If anyone checks my search history, I’m doomed.
● Talking to myself—loudly. Entire conversations happen out loud at random times. Sometimes in accents. Sometimes while cooking eggs. My neighbors probably think I’ve opened a small, unlicensed theater troupe.
● Wrestling with commas like they’re wild animals. Should there be one here? Or there? Or not at all? By the end of a draft, I’m convinced commas are malicious little gremlins plotting against me.
Your Writing Life
● Becoming a part-time graphic designer, marketer, and accountant. I thought writing books was the job. Surprise! Apparently, I also needed to master cover design feedback, spreadsheets, social media algorithms, and figuring out why Amazon won’t display my author page correctly.
● Discovering that characters are bossy. I am allegedly the one in charge of the story. My characters disagree. They go rogue, fall in love with the wrong people, or insist on dramatic deaths I never planned. Honestly, I’m just the secretary.
● Finding glitter in strange places. Okay, this one might just be me, but I swear speculative fiction is 50% typing and 50% sweeping up the magical mess left behind by my imagination.
In short, being an author is less about sipping lattes while muses descend from the heavens, and more about caffeine-fueled chaos, stubborn characters, and the frequent deep dives into Google rabbit-holes.
And you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Because for all the commas, coffee, and chaos, there’s nothing quite like building worlds, living a thousand adventures, and then hearing from readers who’ve come along for the ride.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go argue with a fictional sea princess who refuses to attend her coronation.
— Lara J Nance, Award-Winning Author of Speculative Fiction
Writing Process & Creativity
How did you research your book?
The idea first sparked for me as an avid player of the virtual reality game, Beat Saber. I envisioned the cube that I attacked in the game as alien blobs, and had the thought, hey, what if a person was playing this game and then found that the skills used were very specialized and needed to kill alien invaders that couldn’t be killed any other way. From there my creative brain took over and imagined how this could play out in a dystopian world setting. I did a lot of research on the science side which included data about muon particles to validate the way the swords could work to kill aliens while taking into account the highly volatile nature of the particles. It was an interesting exercise in staying true to the science.
What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
Calena was a difficult character. She was a bit crusty and salty in the beginning due to her trauma and chronic depression, so finding ways for readers to connect with her and pull for her was a challenge. The hardest scene was the one where she attempts suicide. I also suffer from chronic depression and felt that although this is a tough subject, writing about it in a way that might make those without depression understand it a bit better, and those with depression find common ground was a message I felt was extremely important.
Where do you get your ideas?
As far as the spark of the ideas and general plot, things just pop into my head based on random thoughts, as in this case it was playing the game. From there, like most writers, I begin to dig into the specifics in research and go down a bunch of rabbit holes that can spark additional ideas. So, Yay, Google. LOL
Also, for some of my novels and this one in particular I took a lot of ideas from my work as a nurse practitioner. I treat patients with depression, anxiety and PTSD with ketamine treatments and have been very interested in the amazing promise of treatments with psychedelic medicine. I drew on that for the issues with Calena and her use of mushrooms (psilocybin) as a healing modality in this book. I wanted to get this message out there that there is hope for those who haven’t had success with traditional psychiatric meds, that there may be other options that could help them. It’s a timely topic for our times as many of these drugs are set to be approved for use by the FDA in the future. In fact, there is hope that MDMA can be approved in 2026 for treatment for PTSD as there are about 17 deaths by suicide among veterans every day due to PTSD as reported by the VA in 2024.
What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
I don’t know of another book that incorporated elements of the Beat Saber game, so that is one area. There are other uses of virtual reality out there, of course, but not directly related to Beat Saber. Also, I think Calena is a unique character with her many flaws but yet maintaining that core of goodness and courage that ends up saving the world.
What helps you overcome writer’s block?
Taking a break and playing Beat Saber. LOL. Also, just getting away from the intensity of the writing for a while helps to kind of reset my brain and open up fresh ideas.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
Probably the one I valued the most was from my first professionally published book, Memories of Murder. It’s a paranormal romance/mystery that won several awards and was reviewed in Romantic Times magazine receiving the highest rating and the reviewer commented that a new star in mystery writing had entered the publishing world. That gave me a lot of hope and validation that I needed as a new author at that time.
Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
When I am working on a novel, I write every day, but I do take breaks after finishing because I am usually mentally exhausted at that point. I deeply immerse myself in the world and events of a story, so I need time to detach from that before I can start on anything new.
Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?
Mostly at home but I have been known to meet up with other writers for extended writing sessions at a Starbucks now and then.
Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
Maybe not too quirky, but if I am writing a sexy love scene I need to listen to some sexy music like “Red-light Special” by TLC. I put on some noise canceling headphones and listen as I write, sort of like a soundtrack for the scene. It really helps put me in that frame of mind to describe the love-making properly.
Must-have snacks – Dry Crispix cereal – not too fattening and satisfying crunch!
Behind the Book
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
An idea popped in my head while playing Beat Saber that it would be a cool weapon in a Sci-fi story and then it took off from there. I dearly love a dystopian world also. The idea of people thinking out-of-the-box to survive and using whatever they have on hand in different ways out of necessity is intriguing to me. I also am drawn to the idea of having the nobler traits of humans emerge in a crisis to overcome evil or to survive when they could have gone the other direction and become more violent, a la Mad Max.
If your book became a movie, who would star in it?
Oh, I love this question. It’s so nice to dream about your book becoming a movie! I think all writers do this. I’d pick, Daisy Ridley because she proved her action chops in Star Wars and I see her doing well in Sci-fi type roles, also, she can carry vulnerability with strength as a fighter.
Which author(s) most inspired you?
Probably two. First of all, my favorite book of all time is Dune, by Frank Herbert. He was really epic in world building. He didn’t just create a desert planet and set a story there, he built an entire ecosystem along with its religions, politics, economic, ecology and made it believable. His characters were complex with flaws and moral ambiguity that made you think. He also dealt with themes that resonated beyond a mere sci-fi story, which I think is amazing because it is still relevant today even though he published that book in 1965.
Second is Anne McCaffrey. Her Dragon Riders series is one that I read over and over. She was able to make Sci-fi more accessible, I think as she wove in so many character plots and I also loved how she always managed to sneak in detail about food. LOL. Her books about the Crystal Singers had one of my favorite female heroines who had her flaws but also strength and determination.
Fun & Lighthearted Qs
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Pizza
What are you binge-watching right now?
I am actually re-watching the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series in anticipation of the new series coming out. It’s one of my favorites!
If you could time-travel, where would you go?
I’d love to live in the Regency period of England. I loved Georgette Heyer’s books and it seemed like a time when the focus was more on parties and clothes than war and violence. That would be refreshing right now. But only if I could be invited to Almack’s and fall in love with the duke who is flawed but sexy and strong.
What 3 books would you bring to a desert island?
Dune, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Bible.
What’s something that made you laugh this week?
Finding out I was pronouncing October wrong in Korean and it came out as the Korean word for “f-ck”. My Korean teacher pointed that out to me and we both had a good laugh. I’m really hoping I didn’t say that in public anywhere. LOL.
Phyllis Jones Pisanelli Reviews 