Not as gripping as Line of Duty, but an interesting alternative the Apollo missions. Shades of Robert Harris’ Fatherland, albeit less horrific stakes.

What an amazing story. I listen to audiobooks while I am walking and this one made me fit! A story set in the Cold War about an orphaned boy that grows up to be an amazing pilot, but because of where and how he does it, he never exists. and his achievements are never recorded. He always achieves the mission, never saves anything, living purely in the present, never planning a future. Full of detail, but never losing the plot, this was very well narrated and had me totally engrossed from start to end

Doesn't reach the high levels of "Line of Duty", but brings to life the role of a Russian Fighter Pilot. Red Top Gun, all the same high octane brotherhood and competition already explored in films like the original Top Gun, or the story of Chuck Yeager. Mr Mercurio skilfully manages to draw you into the life on the edge where pilots live on adrenalin and run their machines beyond the extreme capacities they were designed for. However, Yefgenii Yoremin remains a two dimensional character, even at the end of what was essentially a fictional biography.
Well narrated by John Hopkins

It was the short description of the story that got my attention to listen to it; I was not disappointed. The Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 coincided with my fifth anniversary of joining the Air Force so I hoped the book would take me back to that time and it certainly did, especially as my father had been a combat pilot during WWII in the USAAF.
From the first minute to the end of this enthralling book as narrated by Todd McClaren, held me captivated to the very end and I consider myself fortunate coming from an aviation background that I found all the flight technical details really took me into the situation especially the air combats during the Korean War period. The setting of the book in the era of the Cold War captured the paranoid obsessions of the Soviet Union towards the West and their overbearing methods whereby they treated their military personnel with little compassion just using them as instruments to further their political objectives. To soften this stark view, it was a pleasure to see the relationship develop between Yefgeni Yeremin and his wife and family even though even that relationship would reach an inevitable sad conclusion.
A gripping story, thoroughly enjoyable and very well presented. Well done Joe Mecurio.

I am a huge Jed Mercurio fan, after loving Bodies, The Bodyguard and my all-time favourite TV programme, Line of Duty.
So much so, I hit the request button on NetGalley without looking at the blurb, and this was a lesson learned.
I am definitely not a reader of science fiction, or espionage/spy thrillers and this storyline just wasn't for me. I am glad other readers enjoyed it though.
I have given 3 stars as I don't think it fair to mark down when I didn't like the genre. The narrator did well and was engaging to a certain extent, but I just didn't enjoy the story.

This is an intense story well suited to the audiobook. The narrator keeps the listener's engagement throughout.

The story explores the historical period from the Korean War in the 1950s to the space race in the 1960s from the Russian viewpoint. Yefgenii Yeremin lost his family during WW2 and suffered life-changing emotional damage. His early life is brutal and devoid of nurture. Disturbing to listen to it shapes him into to driven man he becomes.

His missions during the Korean War are deniable and secret and eventually leave him without the recognition he seeks. The relationships between the fighter pilots are complex and relatable. The story is absorbing as it moves to the frozen north and anonymity. Yefgenii is always seeking something just beyond his reach. He denies himself basic human comforts and emotions desired by most people. His part in the space race gives him a chance of the immortality he seeks but at the expense of everything else in his life.

The research is detailed, and the sense of place and time succinct. The story is an absorbing mix of action and introspection, poignant and with a conclusion that resonates.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House UK Audio via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Ascent’ by Jed Mercurio. It was read by John Hopkins and had a running time of 7 hours, 4 minutes at 1x speed.

This book was Mercurio’s debut and originally published in 2007. It tells the story of Yefgenii Yeremin, a Russian pilot who risks his life for a chance of immortality.

Yefgenii Yeremin was raised in an orphanage and goes on to become a deadly fighter pilot in the Korean War, nicknamed 'Ivan the Terrible'. Yet a moment of madness sees his reputation ruined and he and his family are exiled to a remote Artic base.

With the space race between the USSR and the USA heating up, a man arrives from Moscow's Space Committee in search of a volunteer prepared to risk his life as a cosmonaut.

This was an intense character study with plenty of action in the first part as Russian pilots fly covert missions during the Korean War. Jed Mercurio clearly conducted extensive research into the period and the secretive nature of the Russian side of the space race. His depiction of Yefgenii Yeremin’s trip into space was very effective in terms of the cosmonaut’s extreme aloneness in the vastness of space within the claustrophobic space vehicle. The final section was stark and deeply moving.

‘Ascent’ did seem a novel more aimed at a male readership with its emphasis upon the military, the flight missions, and various technical aspects. Still, I found it a compelling listen even if military fiction packed with jargon is something I rarely read.

The audiobook narrator, John Hopkins, is an acclaimed British actor and his deep, rich voice transported me into Yefgenii Yeremin’s singular world behind the iron curtain.

It’s certainly an audiobook that I would recommend.

I received this book from Penguin audio and Netgalley for a review. A novel from the creator of Line Of Duty. A story based on the space race from a Russian point of view. Found I couldn't stop listening fascinating novel.

An absolutely great narration, a pleasure to listen to!

Unfortunately the book was not for me, as it is mire aimed toward a male audience (into wwII military drama), I had hoped for more scifi/space thriller than wartime/military fiction personally.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review!

This is an audiobook not to be missed. Gripping novel narrated by John Hopkins and written by Jed Mercurio.
This is the story of Yefgenii Yoremin and his life as a deadly fighter pilot known as Ivan the Terrible up to him becoming a cosmonaut.
Russia sees him in a different light wanting to hide any trace of him, his life and his death.
So moving and could not stop listening, enjoy every minute.

This is the story of Russia and their part in the space race, focusing on a soviet pilot Yeremin and his mission to become a legendary pilot. I really enjoyed listening to the narrator tell this tense story; the plot developed in a way that kept me gripped to the end. An entertaining book, and highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGallery and Penguin for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I love the television series ‘Line of Duty’ written by Jed Mercurio so jumped at the chance of reading this book. I should have read more about it before I decided to read it, it is so far from my normal genre and was hard work for me personally to get into. I have this habit of starting a book without reading any of the blurb and simply going on gut feelings or specific authors. Most times it works out fine so I suppose it was inevitable I was going to get a disappointment sometime.

Fighter pilot Yefgenii Yeremin is destined to go down in Soviet history books as ‘Ivan the Terrible’, the most deadly fighter pilot of the Korean War, one moment of madness sees Yefgenii throwing his reputation to the wind. Exiled to a remote Arctic base, his name unknown and victories uncelebrated, he must endure a fate worse than death, anonymity.

But when a man arrives from Moscow’s Space Committee in search of a volunteer prepared to sacrifice himself for his country, Yefgenii seizes his one last chance of immortality.

I wanted so much for this to work for me and had my hopes shattered early on, although I favour mystery thrillers I feel that I am open to other genres, however this was too far from my tastes.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Random House for supplying this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

A breathtaking action novel by Jed Mercurio.
This story tells the tale of the Russian involvement in the space race and to be the first to walk on the mood.
Yeremin is a Soviet pilot and yearns to become the best pilot ever. He then moves on to wish to be the first man to walk on the moon.
This story beautifully illustrates Yeremin's character and his struggles with the conflicts between his desires and the love for his family.
A very detailed and researched book and greatly narrated.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to listen to in return for a review.

Yefgenii Yeremin is brutality attacked whilst living in an orphanage for being large and clever. He ends up training to be a fighter pilot and goes to North Korea to train and fight. He wants to becomes one of the best!

I listened to this book via audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator he kept the story interesting and engaging. I was drawn to this book because of the author. As a big fan of The Line of Duty and The Bodyguard I am aware what an incredible writer he is. Although this is not a subject I wouldn't normally read I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am a big fan of Mercurio's complexly plotted TV shows with their intricate characterisation and twists and turns of plot. As a result I was disappointed by this - John Hopkin's performance is good although very British for such a Russian story. The plot is parabolic, though.launched at the beginning and predictable and inevitable until it ends. Mercurio barely gives us any characterisation of Yevgeny, and certainly doesn't trouble to round out any other character contained within the bounds of Yevgeny's trajectory, and this leaves the story cold and sparse, with technical details abounding, but so little humanity that it is difficult to care about Yevgeny or his trials. Mercurio's prose is not good enough to support the philosophy of combat and psychology of obsession that occasionally rears its head, and while his taut style and short sentences give plenty of tension, when the tension is kept up for this long, it stops having as much meaning. Sorry - I have read enough of this sort of story from the likes of Grimwood or Deighton to know that there is better out there.

Jed Mercurio is probably now best known as the creator of the television series, Line of Duty. He has also written a few novels. Personally, I think his TV work is worth five stars while I would only give his books three stars.
Take Ascent. It's a story about a Soviet fighter pilot who becomes a cosmonaut during the Cold War. It should be full of intrigue and adventure. And while I can see it was well researched, I was actually a little bit bored listening to this audiobook. Maybe it's due to the narrator (John Hopkins) who I felt didn't do many voices to distinguish between characters. Maybe it would have been better as a screenplay. All I know is that it was lacking the action packed drama I have come to expect from Jed Mercurio.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry, I didn't finish this book. I thought I'd love it with it being a Jed Mercurio book but it felt wooden and stilted and I was completely unable to connect with the characters. Having looked it up I see it's actually an old work of his which is being re-released. Probably on the back of his recent success with LoD and The Bodyguard. I'd probably have left this where it was, in the past and written a new book if novel writing was where he wanted to go next.

The story is about a Russian orphan who is a fighter pilot and then an astronaut during the time of the space race. The story comes to life through the audio book. It’s very focused on the various pilot battles and then later on the last space mission.