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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
It was an interesting concept, poorly executed. Noah Wolf is a huge Mary Sue character; he is the best at everything, everyone loves him, everything goes his way even when he breaks the rules. The whole thing reads like a first draft (repetition e.g. "grin" several times per page, tons of mundane actions serving no purpose, characters who are all stock/stereotypes, and a plot with no conflict). Lots of worldbuilding taking up space with no benefit to the story (vs doing that work, then only writing in what you need and letting the rest stay under the surface).
What bothered me the most was the sexism throughout. The major stuff:
Then Sarah jumping Noah 5 minutes after hating him because he reminds her of her daddy (ewww), being obsessed with him while she protests that she "only wants sex" is just ludicrous and gross wish-fulfillment. She also parades in front of the other guys scantily clad, fan-servicing right and left, and acts like a hostess at Noah's, cooking, setting the table, answering the door, fetching drinks... while her male teammates just sit there.
Then there's the whole "Mexican hooker" part. She's underage, she's a walking stereotype, she falls in love with Noah's magical dick and he saves her, and none of that is problematic to anyone in the story, except for Sarah who is jealous.
What bothered me the most was the sexism throughout. The major stuff:
Spoiler
Their boss is a woman, who goes out of her way to be nice and take care of them, and yet they constantly call her "Dragon Lady" or "Queen Alice" like she's some uppity prom queen. Even "Boss Lady" is gross. Would you call your male boss "Boss Man"? It's very familiar and has a mocking tone.Then Sarah jumping Noah 5 minutes after hating him because he reminds her of her daddy (ewww), being obsessed with him while she protests that she "only wants sex" is just ludicrous and gross wish-fulfillment. She also parades in front of the other guys scantily clad, fan-servicing right and left, and acts like a hostess at Noah's, cooking, setting the table, answering the door, fetching drinks... while her male teammates just sit there.
Then there's the whole "Mexican hooker" part. She's underage, she's a walking stereotype, she falls in love with Noah's magical dick and he saves her, and none of that is problematic to anyone in the story, except for Sarah who is jealous.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Clearly the authors first novel. Everytime a new character is introduced the protagonist background is repeated. So essentially the first 225 pages are very repetitive and the last 50 are about the mission which is where it gets very thin. All in all I just don't think I can continue with the next book in the series.
This is a clever origin story for a solid new spy. Archer has created a truly fascinating protagonist in Noah Wolf.... It’s a good story, if a bit straight forward. Given the mysterious agency that recruits Wolf and his largely undeveloped cohort of allies, there’s plenty of space for future development—which I assume Archer has begun with his dozen or so titles in the Wolf series.
I thought long and hard about giving this book one star, but in the end I settled on two and here’s why: the premise itself could have been interesting, and the author is still responsible for the good ideas in the premise. His amateur writing, stiff dialogue, blatant sexism, and rampant cliches turned me alllllllll the way off. I won’t be continuing this series or reading this author’s other work.
I liked this book. Interesting characters. Good plot. But it was a thriller without thrills. As passionless as its main character. It was almost an after action debrief, where everything went exactly as planned. I like the characters enough to read the next one though.
David Archer creates a unique character with significant content. The author twists the spy trope in a new way by exploring the mindset and qualities of a good assassin: a person who works for a truly independent, anonymous organization that only takes government jobs if they want to, much like in the Mission Impossible series. 600 reader ratings are evenly split between the good, the bad, and the ugly. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actual Rating: 2.75
This was an okay read. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the way the book turned out. The premise of the story showed potential, but the writing style did not live up to it. The characters were not as exciting as they were in the being. I thought Noah was okay character. I thought it was a bit confusing. There are some parts that were boring, while other parts were intriguing. The ending was good, but I was also a bit confused. Overall, an alright read.
This was an okay read. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the way the book turned out. The premise of the story showed potential, but the writing style did not live up to it. The characters were not as exciting as they were in the being. I thought Noah was okay character. I thought it was a bit confusing. There are some parts that were boring, while other parts were intriguing. The ending was good, but I was also a bit confused. Overall, an alright read.
This is a very exciting book. It introduces you to a very unusual character, but who you like almost immediately. Accused of a crime he didn't commit and being sent to death row, his life takes a dramatic turn. It is like reading a Mission Impossible script, twists and turns, interesting gadgets that you can believe are real, great characters, and exciting assignments. I couldn't wait to see what came next and how any problems were solved. Can't wait to read the next one.