Doomsday Match

The Dresden Codex, Book 1

De: Jeff Wheeler

Narrado por: Kate Rudd

A vacationing family becomes pawns in an ancient ritual designed to bring about the apocalypse in a riveting thriller by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler.

A prophecy has waited for five centuries to be fulfilled. That time has come. Sacrifices will be made. Let the games begin.

When Jonathon Roth and his family are invited by their neighbors, the Beasleys, to join them at a luxury retreat in Cozumel, who can refuse? It’s the perfect winter getaway. Relaxing on the beach, gourmet food, sightseeing, and free accommodations. But if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Villa Sara de Calakmul, owned by mysterious tycoon Jacob Calakmul, is more isolated compound than private resort. Armed guards patrol the jungle perimeters. Pictures of previous guests—long disappeared—adorn the walls. And there are whispers of something coming called “the game.” Even in the sweltering heat, the Roths feel a chill—and the fear that they haven’t been invited to Villa Sara. They’ve been lured. But for what purpose? And to what end?

From the ruins, a death cult is reborn. A prophecy to bring down Western civilization is being realized. As a legendary blood sport is engaged, the Roths themselves may need to call upon ancient powers if they’re to survive, escape, and save the world from annihilation.

©2023 Jeff Wheeler (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Easy to follow, well-paced, and an intriguing concept.” —Midwest Book Review

“A fast-paced and enthralling thriller that blends ancient history, magic, and action. Once I started this book, I couldn’t stop—and loved every single scene. A masterpiece of story and setting. Highly recommend!” —A. R. Torre, New York Times bestselling author

“Jeff Wheeler knocks it out of the park with his supercharged thriller Doomsday Match. From the very first scene, you know you’re in for an incredible thrill ride full of constant danger and relentless twists—set against a jaw-dropping conspiracy background. Just when you think you’ve figured out Wheeler’s game, he artfully rips the rug out from under the reader, shaking up the plot. If you’re a fan of fast-paced, devious conspiracies with a little more than a touch of magic and mysticism, Doomsday Match is for you!”—Steven Konkoly, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Fans of James Rollins and Dan Brown will love this stunning new thriller from Jeff Wheeler. Doomsday Match is utterly engrossing, a dark and complex tale filled with ancient secrets, adventure, and betrayal. You won’t be able to put it down.” —Melinda Leigh, #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Fascinating!!

I think I’ve ready every book that Jeff Wheeler has written. Some are poetically beautiful, others are gripping, but everyone has been a good read, and ones I’ll be reading again!! They are blood pumping but never crude. Love them!!

Pretty good but some inconsistency

I don’t know why but it really annoys me when Serena “fell asleep” in the cenotes that a few paragraphs before the author said had flat walls that couldn’t be climbed and that anyone in would need to tread water in. Sleep trending? 🤣

Much better than expected!

While there are a couple frustrating bumps in the setup, the story comes together and the characters well developed. It’s a different genre than I often read but look forward to more from this author.

Amazing Read. Astounding Author.

Jeff Wheeler has a wonderful economy of words. Every word of every scene is essential, creating a neck-snapping pace that grips and won't let go. There are no extraneous soliloquies or character-creating dialogues that go on for pages. Yet the reader readily discovers the depth and worth of the characters through their thoughts, actions, and conversations. With the whip-smart wordsmithing of Mr. Wheeler, his readers are engaged, knowledgable, and engrossed in chapter one.

I may have picked this book up simply because I enjoy the author's works, or I may have seen the cover and thought "Oooh. This looks good." Who knows. However it made its way into my library, I apparently never read the book blurb because I was unprepared for the chaos and craziness of this jet-fueled plot. Oh my goodness. This is a great premise, and with the author's skill, it passes the "sniff test" for literary plausibility.

The narration of Kate Rudd is golden, adding life and dimension to these incredible characters. The entire Roth family is delightful in their unique ways. The parents are pretty normal; intelligent, hard-working, and devoted to their family. The eldest child, daughter Suki (unsure of spelling) is smart, strong, funny in her sardonic way, and very intuitive. Then there are the twin boys, Luke and Bryant. They are total delights, mainly because of their over-the-top sense of fun, adventure, and the nearly universal boyhood love of bodily humor. Together, this family is remarkably strong, with a bond that will keep them fighting until the last possible breath. As the threat level increases, they draw themselves closer together in an attitude of circling the wagons for safety.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The pacing, plot, characters, and narration all make this as enjoyable a read as a sci-fi fan is going to get. I'm already salivating for the next installment of the story because the Roths have more to come. I can't wait.

Wow!

This foray into thrillers was fantastic! And there’s two more books!!! I don’t want to give anything away, but trust me and listen now!

The pronunciation made it hard to follow

I love Wheeler's books, and I generally love the job that his narrator does. However...

I found myself stopping the book, part-way through, just so I could post this (although I'm still trying to listen/ read it through,

because I was annoyed so by the Spanish words being unintelligible.

I am not a native Spanish speaker, but I grew up in an area with lots of them, and have taken enough classes to (like Roth) know when someone is bad-mouthing me, etc.

This book contains Spanish words & phrases, and I have found myself having to repeatedly pull up the text (in the kindle app), as I was listening (in android) because I couldn't be sure which word(s) that the narrator was saying.

Writing excellent, but too horrific to enjoy

I think I have read and enjoyed almost all of Jeff Wheeler's books. In Audible, Kate Rudd provides excellent narration to most. So, it was a no brainer to start this next series. The author has done it again. Doomsday Match is solidly written with well drawn characters and a well paced storyline. BUT, I'm not sure I like the storyline enough to continue. The first half of the book was relentless with flight scenarios, villainous actions, and the ugliness that can erupt from humans. Although the second half of the book explains why to most of what occurs, I found myself wondering whether I was enjoying the story. Humans performing ugly acts I will never enjoy.

Four stars

It was a good storyline but somewhat unbelievable enjoyed the characters and the ending was good

Suspense

Leaves you wanting to get the next book quickly and get it read as soon as possie

Very engaging

A family’s Christmas vacation turned into a family version of The Hunger Games. The first of a series and I am hooked.