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theeuphoriczat's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book to read and review as part of the BBNYA tours organized by TheWriteReads tour team.
I have really enjoyed being a panellist for the BBNYA over the past year. I have read a number of books by authors that I would never have come across without the BBNYA. it was great to read about new worlds from new voices and The Lore of Prometheus is one of them. This book deserves to be the winner of the BBNYA 2020. The world-building is amazingly vivid and you feel exported to the desert, to the war and even into the mind of John carver. With him being the sole survivor of a military raid in Kabul. I rarely read thrillers but this one is a thriller not to miss. John Carver is an ex-military with intense PTSD symptoms. John develops superpowers from his painful experience. It seems that his superpowers only lands him in more trouble than it solves.
I hope you check out this book!
I have really enjoyed being a panellist for the BBNYA over the past year. I have read a number of books by authors that I would never have come across without the BBNYA. it was great to read about new worlds from new voices and The Lore of Prometheus is one of them. This book deserves to be the winner of the BBNYA 2020. The world-building is amazingly vivid and you feel exported to the desert, to the war and even into the mind of John carver. With him being the sole survivor of a military raid in Kabul. I rarely read thrillers but this one is a thriller not to miss. John Carver is an ex-military with intense PTSD symptoms. John develops superpowers from his painful experience. It seems that his superpowers only lands him in more trouble than it solves.
I hope you check out this book!
kim_brockway_gatehouse's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t usually choose to read books with military aspects or stories based on wars. However, being on a judging panel means reading genres outside of your usual choices. The Lore of Prometheus was one of the finalists that landed in my inbox to read for The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year 2020 and I posted my review on my blog, Flora's Musings, on 17th January 2021.
Graham Austin-King is a new-to-me author.
I must admit to having some reservations about reading this book. Stories with war settings or military aspects aren’t my usual genre of choice. However, I quickly found myself devouring this story!
Graham’s writing style was fantastic.
The prose used in this book was intelligent, beautifully crafted, and easy to read. It’s obvious that Graham spent time doing his research for this novel. I felt completely transported into every scene. Every aspect had a feeling of credibility, of believability – terrifyingly so at times. Scenes were well-described without slowing the plot or being too heavily descriptive.
Graham’s main protagonists and supporting cast are all complex, multifaceted people with personalities that made them feel real. I didn’t connect or like every character in this book. Hell, some characters frustrated the hell out of me while others scared me to my core. However, every character produced an emotional response from me.
I thought the plot in this book was well constructed and thought out.
There are lots of surprises, heavy emotions and action that kept the intensity level consistent. However, it never felt overwhelming. The plot feels like a James Bond thriller, with story threads running in the forefront as well as in the background. Threads develop and plots are revealed throughout which kept me trying to guess what would happen next.
I experienced a whole range of emotions while reading The Lore of Prometheus.
My blood boiled with rage and frustration at the consequences of war, at the disregard some have for their fellow humans. I felt a lump in my throat and tears misted my eyes at the emotionally poignant scenes. My poor old heart thumped with adrenaline; both in fear and in shock at the more horrific and brutal scenes. However, rest assured, dear reader, there are moments of lightness in the sea of evil. There are lighter moments and banter sprinkled throughout this story that had me smiling.
Content Warning:
This book contains scenes of graphic violence and includes themes of abuse and torture.
I’d recommend The Lore of Prometheus to adults who enjoy books with gritty plotlines about survival in extreme circumstances. Especially those who enjoy discussing the fine line between genius and insanity.
Graham Austin-King is a new-to-me author.
I must admit to having some reservations about reading this book. Stories with war settings or military aspects aren’t my usual genre of choice. However, I quickly found myself devouring this story!
Graham’s writing style was fantastic.
The prose used in this book was intelligent, beautifully crafted, and easy to read. It’s obvious that Graham spent time doing his research for this novel. I felt completely transported into every scene. Every aspect had a feeling of credibility, of believability – terrifyingly so at times. Scenes were well-described without slowing the plot or being too heavily descriptive.
Graham’s main protagonists and supporting cast are all complex, multifaceted people with personalities that made them feel real. I didn’t connect or like every character in this book. Hell, some characters frustrated the hell out of me while others scared me to my core. However, every character produced an emotional response from me.
I thought the plot in this book was well constructed and thought out.
There are lots of surprises, heavy emotions and action that kept the intensity level consistent. However, it never felt overwhelming. The plot feels like a James Bond thriller, with story threads running in the forefront as well as in the background. Threads develop and plots are revealed throughout which kept me trying to guess what would happen next.
I experienced a whole range of emotions while reading The Lore of Prometheus.
My blood boiled with rage and frustration at the consequences of war, at the disregard some have for their fellow humans. I felt a lump in my throat and tears misted my eyes at the emotionally poignant scenes. My poor old heart thumped with adrenaline; both in fear and in shock at the more horrific and brutal scenes. However, rest assured, dear reader, there are moments of lightness in the sea of evil. There are lighter moments and banter sprinkled throughout this story that had me smiling.
Content Warning:
This book contains scenes of graphic violence and includes themes of abuse and torture.
I’d recommend The Lore of Prometheus to adults who enjoy books with gritty plotlines about survival in extreme circumstances. Especially those who enjoy discussing the fine line between genius and insanity.
bethtabler's review against another edition
4.0
The Lore of Prometheus: A Modern Fantasy Thriller by Graham Austin-King reminds me a lot of a James Bond novel nestled into some urban fantasy. It is pure adrenaline!
“McCourt shook his head. “I’m not, John. I saw him pull the trigger. I saw the muzzle flash. And then I saw the bullet. I saw it just hanging there in the air, halfway to you. I’ll never forget it, or the look on your face. Pearson died scared, but you, you had this look… I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like you were taking a test or something. Like you were concentrating, but furious at the same time. So angry, I’ve never seen anyone so angry. And your hand, held out, like you were warding the gunshot off…”
The story starts with Carver, an ex-military black ops soldier, gambling in a casino. There is nothing incredibly unique or different with Carver. He is a man of a particular skill set trying to make his way in the world with wicked PTSD. Carver gets into some financial trouble with the wrong kind of people and ends up needing to take a protection job in Kabul to make some quick cash. By this far into the novel, you think you know where this is going, but you don’t. Remember, there is a fantastical aspect of the story that we haven’t discovered yet.
What could be fantastical with Carver? He sees hallucinations of his dead squad members and is destroying himself with guilt. But, that seems like that is all until you read that Carver is called The Miracle of Kabul.
“I might be a whore with a gun, but I’m an honest whore. Once I’m bought, I like to stay bought.”
The story quickly shifts to that of Mackenzie. Mackenzie wakes up in a dark room, extremely thirsty, chained to a wooden board. An absolute nightmare scenario. Austin-King does a great job here differentiating the voices of Carver and Mackenzie. Where Carver is cold and professionally detached through years of training, Mackenzie does what any average person would and screams. She shouts for help till her voice cracks. Two hoses are hanging from the ceiling; one has water and the other food. Mackenzie is like a hamster locked in a cage.
As a reader, you wonder where these two stories are going to collide. Carver is on protection duty in Kabul, and Mackenzie is... somewhere.
“What I have is some kind of PTSD. Hallucinations brought on by trauma and survivor’s guilt. I’ve done enough research on my own, whilst avoiding support groups and therapy, to know that much. I know avoiding the help is a bad idea. Maybe I’m hoping it will burn itself out. Maybe I’m an idiot.”
Suffice it to say their stories do hit and become an exhilarating thrill ride. Austin-King pulls no punches; these two are fractured, broken, mended, and fractured again. The psychological manipulation of both of them is something. You know that Austin-King researched interrogation techniques because the scenes involving Mackenzie and Carver are well thought out, perfectly paced, and terrifying.
The question on my mind when I got to the end of the story was, “Are Mackenzie and Carver the good guys or the bad?” Maybe a little of both? They are believable characters as they fall in shades of gray instead of everything being black and white.
“We,” Janan nodded. “The others working in what we’ve come to call the Prometheus Project.”
Also, a great thing about the writing of this story is the lightness some scenes have. The setting can be almost savage, but the characters both have biting humor, which I appreciate. It helped stand in contrast with the book’s serious tone and not pull the reader down into the muck and mire of it all. You watch these characters broken on the wheel of scientific breakthrough.
My only slight complaint about the story is that, for me, there was a slight disconnect between the story beats of the beginning, middle, and end. It did not flow as well as I would have liked from each dramatic section and felt a bit jarring. Mostly on the side of Carver. But the story beats themselves were all written very well.
The Lore of Prometheus is a brilliant take on government experimentation and the Men in Black boogeymen concept. The story is shocking in its ferocity because Austin-King holds no punches. It deals with PTSD in a real way, it deals with psychological damage brought on by trauma, it has realistic characters... it is pretty much everything you would want in an exciting book. And the finale will blow you out of the water. No, seriously, it was an edge of your seat exciting.
I hope there is another book.. because damn. I want to know more.
“McCourt shook his head. “I’m not, John. I saw him pull the trigger. I saw the muzzle flash. And then I saw the bullet. I saw it just hanging there in the air, halfway to you. I’ll never forget it, or the look on your face. Pearson died scared, but you, you had this look… I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like you were taking a test or something. Like you were concentrating, but furious at the same time. So angry, I’ve never seen anyone so angry. And your hand, held out, like you were warding the gunshot off…”
The story starts with Carver, an ex-military black ops soldier, gambling in a casino. There is nothing incredibly unique or different with Carver. He is a man of a particular skill set trying to make his way in the world with wicked PTSD. Carver gets into some financial trouble with the wrong kind of people and ends up needing to take a protection job in Kabul to make some quick cash. By this far into the novel, you think you know where this is going, but you don’t. Remember, there is a fantastical aspect of the story that we haven’t discovered yet.
What could be fantastical with Carver? He sees hallucinations of his dead squad members and is destroying himself with guilt. But, that seems like that is all until you read that Carver is called The Miracle of Kabul.
“I might be a whore with a gun, but I’m an honest whore. Once I’m bought, I like to stay bought.”
The story quickly shifts to that of Mackenzie. Mackenzie wakes up in a dark room, extremely thirsty, chained to a wooden board. An absolute nightmare scenario. Austin-King does a great job here differentiating the voices of Carver and Mackenzie. Where Carver is cold and professionally detached through years of training, Mackenzie does what any average person would and screams. She shouts for help till her voice cracks. Two hoses are hanging from the ceiling; one has water and the other food. Mackenzie is like a hamster locked in a cage.
As a reader, you wonder where these two stories are going to collide. Carver is on protection duty in Kabul, and Mackenzie is... somewhere.
“What I have is some kind of PTSD. Hallucinations brought on by trauma and survivor’s guilt. I’ve done enough research on my own, whilst avoiding support groups and therapy, to know that much. I know avoiding the help is a bad idea. Maybe I’m hoping it will burn itself out. Maybe I’m an idiot.”
Suffice it to say their stories do hit and become an exhilarating thrill ride. Austin-King pulls no punches; these two are fractured, broken, mended, and fractured again. The psychological manipulation of both of them is something. You know that Austin-King researched interrogation techniques because the scenes involving Mackenzie and Carver are well thought out, perfectly paced, and terrifying.
The question on my mind when I got to the end of the story was, “Are Mackenzie and Carver the good guys or the bad?” Maybe a little of both? They are believable characters as they fall in shades of gray instead of everything being black and white.
“We,” Janan nodded. “The others working in what we’ve come to call the Prometheus Project.”
Also, a great thing about the writing of this story is the lightness some scenes have. The setting can be almost savage, but the characters both have biting humor, which I appreciate. It helped stand in contrast with the book’s serious tone and not pull the reader down into the muck and mire of it all. You watch these characters broken on the wheel of scientific breakthrough.
My only slight complaint about the story is that, for me, there was a slight disconnect between the story beats of the beginning, middle, and end. It did not flow as well as I would have liked from each dramatic section and felt a bit jarring. Mostly on the side of Carver. But the story beats themselves were all written very well.
The Lore of Prometheus is a brilliant take on government experimentation and the Men in Black boogeymen concept. The story is shocking in its ferocity because Austin-King holds no punches. It deals with PTSD in a real way, it deals with psychological damage brought on by trauma, it has realistic characters... it is pretty much everything you would want in an exciting book. And the finale will blow you out of the water. No, seriously, it was an edge of your seat exciting.
I hope there is another book.. because damn. I want to know more.
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
5.0
Find my full review on Grimdark Magazine or check out Adrian's review. I'm only going to write a short summary here because there is no need to duplicate my full review :)
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I agreed to read it and based on the blurb I was a bit worried it won't be up my alley. But oh boy, I was in for a treat. The Lore of Prometheus had been one of my favorite reads this year.
Austin-King’s prose is flowing and he knows very well how to break up tension with a little bit of humour or light banter here and there about unexpected things like IKEA meatballs. And that’s all I’m saying on that matter. It’s easy to forget about the world around you and dive into the madness while the author holds your hand and helps you get through the dark, twisty labyrinth of his mind coming alive on the pages. This book being a standalone wraps things up pretty well, but also leaves some possibilities open for a future sequel. That being said, I could have liked some more explanation about certain people’s motives or how such an operation works really. A glimpse behind the scenes. It boggles my mind how can hundreds of people assist Afridi and Doctor Elias (whom I liked despite his role in the game).
The Lore of Prometheus is a shockingly wicked dark tale of the power of the human mind. The most dangerous monster of them all. If you still wonder if this book is for you, let me tell you what you can expect: characters far from being perfect, struggling with their own demons; tension from page one to the last; plenty of action; a few things to think about; an unhealthy dose of torture, and a few laughs, because who says people can’t go down with a good laugh?
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I agreed to read it and based on the blurb I was a bit worried it won't be up my alley. But oh boy, I was in for a treat. The Lore of Prometheus had been one of my favorite reads this year.
Austin-King’s prose is flowing and he knows very well how to break up tension with a little bit of humour or light banter here and there about unexpected things like IKEA meatballs. And that’s all I’m saying on that matter. It’s easy to forget about the world around you and dive into the madness while the author holds your hand and helps you get through the dark, twisty labyrinth of his mind coming alive on the pages. This book being a standalone wraps things up pretty well, but also leaves some possibilities open for a future sequel. That being said, I could have liked some more explanation about certain people’s motives or how such an operation works really. A glimpse behind the scenes. It boggles my mind how can hundreds of people assist Afridi and Doctor Elias (whom I liked despite his role in the game).
The Lore of Prometheus is a shockingly wicked dark tale of the power of the human mind. The most dangerous monster of them all. If you still wonder if this book is for you, let me tell you what you can expect: characters far from being perfect, struggling with their own demons; tension from page one to the last; plenty of action; a few things to think about; an unhealthy dose of torture, and a few laughs, because who says people can’t go down with a good laugh?
thepennotthesword's review against another edition
4.0
I love fantasy books, and the book’s blurb promised something definitely different to the usual fantasy reads I choose. However, I did not quite expect the book to be as action-packed, dark, or as intense as it was! I couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough, managing to finish this book in mere hours!
I loved Carver’s visitors. They managed to ease the tension that is constantly on the forefront of this book and their sarcasm, inappropriately timed jokes and ability to bleed on everything, including Carver himself, was hilarious.
The characters’ strength despite being completely shattered by their experiences made this book. The “villains” of this book were well-crafted, and I don’t think it was possible to hate them more. But Carver and Mackenzie were absolutely brilliant protagonists, who individually were fascinating to read about, but together, they made this book into something incredible.
I believe characters are integral to a book, but you can’t have a great book without a gripping plot. And this book definitely did not disappoint. The plot was fast-paced, action-packed and full of suspense, with the combination of ware, the after-effects of war and the dark magic expertly combined to create an extremely well-written book.
This is one of the easiest four star ratings I have given, and I would definitely encourage readers to pick this up if they love darker fantasy reads. I cannot wait to read more of this authors’ books.
I loved Carver’s visitors. They managed to ease the tension that is constantly on the forefront of this book and their sarcasm, inappropriately timed jokes and ability to bleed on everything, including Carver himself, was hilarious.
The characters’ strength despite being completely shattered by their experiences made this book. The “villains” of this book were well-crafted, and I don’t think it was possible to hate them more. But Carver and Mackenzie were absolutely brilliant protagonists, who individually were fascinating to read about, but together, they made this book into something incredible.
I believe characters are integral to a book, but you can’t have a great book without a gripping plot. And this book definitely did not disappoint. The plot was fast-paced, action-packed and full of suspense, with the combination of ware, the after-effects of war and the dark magic expertly combined to create an extremely well-written book.
This is one of the easiest four star ratings I have given, and I would definitely encourage readers to pick this up if they love darker fantasy reads. I cannot wait to read more of this authors’ books.
mlore95's review against another edition
3.0
The Lore of Prometheus is a solid effort and fun read, but isn't without its problems. It starts off as a pretty run of the mill story: an ex-special forces soldier takes on a mercenary contract to help cover his debts after leaving the force. Our protagonist Carver has had a rough time, and his PTSD has made life hell for him. We get bits and pieces of this in the first bits of the book as Carver talks to his old squadmates who were murdered in front of him.
I was a little confused through the first quarter of this book, because it's categorized as fantasy and the first chunk has no fantastical element at all. This isn't a problem for me - in fact these days I prefer low fantasy - but I was confused. Then the real plot starts and we shift away from Carver for a bit to our second main character, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie's been kidnapped by a group of people working to extract magical powers from people. In Mackenzie's case, this means controlling fire. Her family burned to death when she was a child, but the fire didn't touch her.
The middle section of the story really dragged for me. It's important for the character arc of Mackenzie, and John who also gets kidnapped - we learn his power in this section too- but it just goes on too long. It's a long, drawn-out section where nothing really happens. This book was independently published, and I think could've used another pass by an editor to tighten up these middle chapters.
Likewise, the ending is a bit rushed. We jump from climax to epilogue and everything resolves in just a few pages. I think some more time should've been spent wrapping up the story.
I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick read. Definitely not my favorite read of the year, but there's an interesting concept here and I would read other stories set in the same universe.
I was a little confused through the first quarter of this book, because it's categorized as fantasy and the first chunk has no fantastical element at all. This isn't a problem for me - in fact these days I prefer low fantasy - but I was confused. Then the real plot starts and we shift away from Carver for a bit to our second main character, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie's been kidnapped by a group of people working to extract magical powers from people. In Mackenzie's case, this means controlling fire. Her family burned to death when she was a child, but the fire didn't touch her.
The middle section of the story really dragged for me. It's important for the character arc of Mackenzie, and John who also gets kidnapped - we learn his power in this section too- but it just goes on too long. It's a long, drawn-out section where nothing really happens. This book was independently published, and I think could've used another pass by an editor to tighten up these middle chapters.
Likewise, the ending is a bit rushed. We jump from climax to epilogue and everything resolves in just a few pages. I think some more time should've been spent wrapping up the story.
I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick read. Definitely not my favorite read of the year, but there's an interesting concept here and I would read other stories set in the same universe.
elliemaiblogs's review against another edition
5.0
What I Loved
There is so so much to love in The Lore of Prometheus, apart from a bit of a slow start, I ended up loving it all the way through. Once I started it was very hard to put down. This book is so entertaining, full of unique, interesting characters that you can’t help but love and laugh with. It can also be quite dark and very intense! It is far from boring and I really urge you to read this if you are looking for a different kind of fantasy that will keep you fully captivated.
The Story
We follow former soldier, John Carver on his journey trying to escape his past and also get out of some pretty serious trouble. I didn’t really know what to expect when I first started this, I was a bit intimated by the war talk as it’s not something I’ve really read about. However, as we meet and learn more about John, I completely immersed myself with him and the environment. I ended up finding it extremely interesting and needed to find out more. With his past quickly catching up to him and the wrong people finding out he is the miracle everyone has been looking for, he’s about to get into a lot more trouble.
Mackenzie is a nurse and to say her life has been turned upside is an understatement. Her life has really collapsed around her and she’s been dragged to hell and back. Her captors are only after one thing, her special power. A power she doesn’t even really know she has. I do love a good POV and this book does it brilliantly in my opinion. I honestly couldn’t read the book fast enough to find out what happens to them both.
This book is completely action-packed and full of moments that are quite dark, especially the forms of torture that the characters have to endure., so be warned if this is a tough topic for you. I was still completely intrigued as the description of the Middle Eastern setting and dark, dingy rooms really pull the reader in.
The Characters
I wasn’t sure about John Carver’s character at first, I’ve never really read from the perspective of a former soldier struggling with PTSD. It was completely new for me but once I started to get more into the story I really started to connect with him and see who he truly is. His sense of humour stood out to me massively throughout the book. It made me both happy and sad to see him keep his old personality but also the broken man he has become. I think his character was written extremely well with a lot of sensitivity and I would definitely love to see more of him.
His squad or ‘visitors’ were a really nice touch to the story and John’s character. I loved how they interacted with all the characters even though they are just part of John’s imagination. I must admit it was hard to read sometimes as John’s squad had been through a lot. We really get to see how it has impacted them all.
Mackenzie is probably my favourite, just because I was so intrigued by her character as we weren’t given that much detail about her to start with, unlike John. I really sympathised with her and I was repulsed by everything she had to go through. I loved her character development throughout the book as I am very much a character-driven person. She is definitely inspiring as she tried to stay strong through everything, she certainly doesn’t let anyone think she was weak.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, The Lore of Prometheus is an incredibly fast-paced, exciting and completely immersive fantasy. Once you start reading you won’t be able to pull your eyes away until the very last page. The characters are unique and so intriguing you will be asking for more once you’ve finished. If you are a fan of urban fantasies and looking for something new and unique, I can’t recommend this book enough!
There is so so much to love in The Lore of Prometheus, apart from a bit of a slow start, I ended up loving it all the way through. Once I started it was very hard to put down. This book is so entertaining, full of unique, interesting characters that you can’t help but love and laugh with. It can also be quite dark and very intense! It is far from boring and I really urge you to read this if you are looking for a different kind of fantasy that will keep you fully captivated.
The Story
We follow former soldier, John Carver on his journey trying to escape his past and also get out of some pretty serious trouble. I didn’t really know what to expect when I first started this, I was a bit intimated by the war talk as it’s not something I’ve really read about. However, as we meet and learn more about John, I completely immersed myself with him and the environment. I ended up finding it extremely interesting and needed to find out more. With his past quickly catching up to him and the wrong people finding out he is the miracle everyone has been looking for, he’s about to get into a lot more trouble.
Mackenzie is a nurse and to say her life has been turned upside is an understatement. Her life has really collapsed around her and she’s been dragged to hell and back. Her captors are only after one thing, her special power. A power she doesn’t even really know she has. I do love a good POV and this book does it brilliantly in my opinion. I honestly couldn’t read the book fast enough to find out what happens to them both.
This book is completely action-packed and full of moments that are quite dark, especially the forms of torture that the characters have to endure., so be warned if this is a tough topic for you. I was still completely intrigued as the description of the Middle Eastern setting and dark, dingy rooms really pull the reader in.
The Characters
I wasn’t sure about John Carver’s character at first, I’ve never really read from the perspective of a former soldier struggling with PTSD. It was completely new for me but once I started to get more into the story I really started to connect with him and see who he truly is. His sense of humour stood out to me massively throughout the book. It made me both happy and sad to see him keep his old personality but also the broken man he has become. I think his character was written extremely well with a lot of sensitivity and I would definitely love to see more of him.
His squad or ‘visitors’ were a really nice touch to the story and John’s character. I loved how they interacted with all the characters even though they are just part of John’s imagination. I must admit it was hard to read sometimes as John’s squad had been through a lot. We really get to see how it has impacted them all.
Mackenzie is probably my favourite, just because I was so intrigued by her character as we weren’t given that much detail about her to start with, unlike John. I really sympathised with her and I was repulsed by everything she had to go through. I loved her character development throughout the book as I am very much a character-driven person. She is definitely inspiring as she tried to stay strong through everything, she certainly doesn’t let anyone think she was weak.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, The Lore of Prometheus is an incredibly fast-paced, exciting and completely immersive fantasy. Once you start reading you won’t be able to pull your eyes away until the very last page. The characters are unique and so intriguing you will be asking for more once you’ve finished. If you are a fan of urban fantasies and looking for something new and unique, I can’t recommend this book enough!
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
5.0
This book was super cool to read especially as I didn't really know much going in and so it really took me by surprise as it unfurled.
The characters were great and I absolutely loved Mackenzie and Carver, especially because we got to see both of their perspectives throughout the book as they experienced what they did. It was great to see them really come into their own both with their powers and who they are in the world after the plot of the book. The "villains" I guess of this book were also really well written as they were evil with a great deal of conviction and had no qualms about performing some of the more questionable acts that they do.
The plot was brilliant and I really liked how it unfolded throughout the course of the book. Especially because the end conflict was satisfying and not too quick as they can often be in fantasy style book with supercharged characters. I loved how it all slowly tied together as both Mackenzie and Carver were held captive and their two stories merged. And the epilogue was absolutely wonderful and it was sort of like a mic drop moment for the two main characters.
The writing was funny and deep and just so much fun to read, even if it was a bit tough to read at times. It was just such an incredible book and I had such a good time reading it!
I was kindly provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour.
The characters were great and I absolutely loved Mackenzie and Carver, especially because we got to see both of their perspectives throughout the book as they experienced what they did. It was great to see them really come into their own both with their powers and who they are in the world after the plot of the book. The "villains" I guess of this book were also really well written as they were evil with a great deal of conviction and had no qualms about performing some of the more questionable acts that they do.
The plot was brilliant and I really liked how it unfolded throughout the course of the book. Especially because the end conflict was satisfying and not too quick as they can often be in fantasy style book with supercharged characters. I loved how it all slowly tied together as both Mackenzie and Carver were held captive and their two stories merged. And the epilogue was absolutely wonderful and it was sort of like a mic drop moment for the two main characters.
The writing was funny and deep and just so much fun to read, even if it was a bit tough to read at times. It was just such an incredible book and I had such a good time reading it!
I was kindly provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great mix of mystery, thriller and UF.
There's two main protagonists, who I enjoyed spending time with!
It is quite dark and bloody, so not recommended for the squeamish...
I usually don't really enjoy stories in modern warfare / realistic modern area of conflicts. But this one sucked me right in anyway! And it turns a corner rather quickly and is more about special abilities than what the character was told his latest mission would be.
I can't way much about the plot without spoilering, so I'll just say I hooked to find out more, and it had some nice twists along the way!
Once again the prose was especially good and held my attention even when the topic of securing a compound in Afghanistan would usually have left me only slightly interested.
Definitely worth the read!
There's two main protagonists, who I enjoyed spending time with!
It is quite dark and bloody, so not recommended for the squeamish...
I usually don't really enjoy stories in modern warfare / realistic modern area of conflicts. But this one sucked me right in anyway! And it turns a corner rather quickly and is more about special abilities than what the character was told his latest mission would be.
I can't way much about the plot without spoilering, so I'll just say I hooked to find out more, and it had some nice twists along the way!
Once again the prose was especially good and held my attention even when the topic of securing a compound in Afghanistan would usually have left me only slightly interested.
Definitely worth the read!
selinadragonair's review
3.0
What I really liked about this book:
*Its fluent, dark and thrilling prose
*The main characters, especially Carver and his entourage, with Turner being my favorite. His scottish accent was mentioned quite often and even his sentences were written accordingly. This made me adapt a scottish voice in my head every time he said something - which added to my enjoyment!
*How the PTSD and psychology were handled
What I felt was different this time:
*Compared to the Riven Wyrde and Faithless this story kind of lacked uniqueness. I am not talking about the setting in modern time Afghanistan (which was told well), but rather the story, the special abilities and the worldbuilding in general.
*The cover is cool, but it suggests two 17-year old protagonists while they are both well over 25.
*The story was although impressive also quite predictable.
My conclusion: Still worth the read. I will be on the lookout for more books from this author
*Its fluent, dark and thrilling prose
*The main characters, especially Carver and his entourage, with Turner being my favorite. His scottish accent was mentioned quite often and even his sentences were written accordingly. This made me adapt a scottish voice in my head every time he said something - which added to my enjoyment!
*How the PTSD and psychology were handled
What I felt was different this time:
*Compared to the Riven Wyrde and Faithless this story kind of lacked uniqueness. I am not talking about the setting in modern time Afghanistan (which was told well), but rather the story, the special abilities and the worldbuilding in general.
*The cover is cool, but it suggests two 17-year old protagonists while they are both well over 25.
*The story was although impressive also quite predictable.
My conclusion: Still worth the read. I will be on the lookout for more books from this author