The Way Up Is Death - by Dan Hanks (Paperback)

About the Book

"When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirte en strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A SFF thriller where a mysterious, otherworldly tower appears in the sky above the UK with a single word emblazoned above its doorway... ascend. A great read for fans of Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart.

When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.

As a grieving teacher, a reclusive artist, and a narcissistic celebrity children's author lead the others in trying to understand why they've been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone... is up.

And so begins a race to the top, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares, as the group fights to hold onto its humanity, while the twisted horror of why they're here grows ever more apparent - and death stalks their every move.

Review Quotes

"The Way Up is Death is quintessential Dan Hanks: a nonstop bonkers adventure that gets you laughing just hard enough so you won't see it coming when it stabs you in the heart."
- Chris Panatier, author of The Phlebotomist, Stringers and The Redemption of Morgan Bright

"Dan Hanks has done it again with The Way Up is Death - a book which crosses all the excitement of your favorite video game with the heart of your favorite quest novel. Definitely his best book yet!"
- Ginger Smith, author of The Rush's Edge

"The Way Up is Death is a masterful thrill ride of a novel. The kind of book with enough mystery and action to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning just to find out WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Full of characters you will love and characters you will love to hate, it is also a profoundly human story about grief and loneliness, friendship and love, courage and cowardice, selfishness and sacrifice. This book will break you and put you back together again and I loved every moment of it."
- Sarah J. Daley, author of Obsidian

"The Way Up is Death offers readers gripping action coupled with a quest of survival. A mindfuckery that blends scifi, fantasy and horror together to create a heart-pounding and unexpectedly emotional story."
- Nils, The Fantasy Hive

"Cleverly blending science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Hanks uses a video game format to probe the nature of humanity in all its glory and gore...The pages fly by through all the humor, social commentary, and suspense."
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

About the Author

Dan is a writer, editor, and vastly overqualified archaeologist who has lived everywhere from London to Hertfordshire to Manchester to Sydney, which explains the panic in his eyes anytime someone asks "where are you from?". Thankfully he is now settled in the rolling green hills of the Peak District with his human family and fluffy sidekicks Indy and Maverick, where he writes books, screenplays and comics.