Ascent of Angels

By: Shawn Whitney

Narrated by: Adriel Brandt

The glory is a lie. The game is real.

For two centuries, the ring-shaped colony ship Exsta has drifted through space, ruled by the Choir of Higher Angels, an elite caste that decides your future, who you can love, and who dies.

Lowborn farm boy Simon expected a normal life... until a reckless dare exposes a secret the Higher Angels will kill to protect.

Falsely convicted and sentenced to the Ascent of Angels – a televised death match masquerading as competition – Simon is thrown onto a team of criminals called "The Fallen." While elite competitors get every advantage, his team is meant to die spectacularly as a warning to the lower classes.

In 200 years, no Fallen team has survived past round two. Seven deadly rounds stand between Simon and freedom.

All they have are forbidden body mods they barely understand, fragile and fractious unity, and a love that could get them killed.

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Red Rising, this dystopian sci-fi thriller delivers brutal competition, class warfare, forbidden romance, and one boy's fight against impossible odds.

©2025 Shawn Whitney (P)2026 Shawn Whitney

A complete experience

I was at home in the theater of my mind as the story of a farm boy's simple life was turned upside down when his actions to save his friends sealed his fate. I already want more and yet I'm left completely satisfied with as much as I could hope for!

Very OK

if you liked The Hunger Games but wanted an OK version this is it. Main character is OK, world building is good.