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ronsos's review against another edition
4.0
Book 3 added POV switching and flashbacks, both of which were executed seamlessly. The flashblack story added an emotional component to the story that was much less prevalent in the first two books, almost non-existent. This is all executed very well; the writing is excellent. I found myself preferring the breakneck pace of Book 2 to the more measured and reflective pace of Book 3. Possibly because I connected to Bookbinder and Britton more so than Harlequin. Even so, this book was fantastic, a great end to a great series, one I definitely recommend.
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
There's never a right answer. Even one that solves the current problem may be creating more, worse problems; even following the rules may not be the solution. Soldiers are trained to assess the situation, but when faced with impossible choices, what should be done? Is it worth trading 8 lives for 30 thousand, knowing that either the public or the military will never forgive you, even though the original order was illegal?
There are some very brutal truths in this book. Truths about politics, about fear of the unknown, fear of betrayal, about imposter syndrome - and either working through it or giving in - and truths about understanding what's really behind a speech. Through Harlequin's eyes, we also learn the truth about Scylla, about her discovery and imprisonment, and his struggle to forget the person she was while they battle on the streets of New York itself.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are some very brutal truths in this book. Truths about politics, about fear of the unknown, fear of betrayal, about imposter syndrome - and either working through it or giving in - and truths about understanding what's really behind a speech. Through Harlequin's eyes, we also learn the truth about Scylla, about her discovery and imprisonment, and his struggle to forget the person she was while they battle on the streets of New York itself.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
plbmso's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this series, alot. This is a nice take on X-men, mutants, that is, people who come up with magic skills in the middle or early part of their lives and what happens when society is not ready for them. I'm okay reading about this kind of world, though generally I'm tired of the genre. Someday I would like to read about a world where people develop magic skills and other folk try and assimilate them in society. The characters are interesting and the evolution of the characters is nicely done. I happened to like Bookbinder, but the others are interesting too. The villain in this book is Scylla, whom we met in the first book, and here Mr Cole fills in some of her past. I wasn't too fond of the flashbacks to her earlier life, I'm not sure they added much for me, except to describe the romance with Harlequin. I recommend this series, all three books are strong stories, interesting characters who develop and progress.
teholtheonly's review against another edition
5.0
Ending was a little abrupt but other than that it was great.
lyndiane's review against another edition
4.0
Very good addition to the stable, with epic battle scenes in New York and LOADS of adrenaline-inducing action.
The relationships are a trifle over-written, with a bit too much focus on personal guilt/indecision/insecurity.
The relationships are a trifle over-written, with a bit too much focus on personal guilt/indecision/insecurity.
haversam's review against another edition
5.0
This series has been one of the best integrations of today's world with magic. Each book took a different character's perspective so that even by the third book, the first book was still getting filled out.
Breach Zone was by far the best one of the series. Using a dual storyline technique, Myke Cole wields a complex story using two characters from previous books, Harlequin and Scylla.
The main thread shows the consequences of the past book and then immediately gets into the action. The secondary "flashback" thread pushes the story out nicely, showing just how Scylla became an evil force and Harlequin's reaction to it all. The secondary thread acts almost like a commercial break between fight scenes. It all culminates and you get a satisfying end to the series whether or not Myke Cole expands upon this Universe.
Breach Zone was by far the best one of the series. Using a dual storyline technique, Myke Cole wields a complex story using two characters from previous books, Harlequin and Scylla.
The main thread shows the consequences of the past book and then immediately gets into the action. The secondary "flashback" thread pushes the story out nicely, showing just how Scylla became an evil force and Harlequin's reaction to it all. The secondary thread acts almost like a commercial break between fight scenes. It all culminates and you get a satisfying end to the series whether or not Myke Cole expands upon this Universe.
seak's review against another edition
4.0
Breach Zone is the conclusion to the Shadow Ops Trilogy, which begins with Control Point and Fortress Frontier. As much as Control Point is Oscar Britton's book and Fortress Frontier is Bookbinder's, Breach Zone was firmly Lt. Col. Jan Thorsson's, aka "Harlequin."
Which is an interesting perspective. I doubt Harlequin is close to the top of anyone's list of favorite characters in the series, but after seeing the world from his perspective, the Jaime Lannister effect takes place. Not only do you begin to respect his actions, though not all, but you begin to see that he's changed quite a bit through this whole ordeal from his initial stark, rule-following persona.
I can't deny, I wanted to see more of Oscar Britton and Allan Bookbinder. They're present, just not in the forefront as they once were, but I really enjoyed their powers and wanted to see more of each at play. At the same time, I, somehow, never really thought of the implications of being an Aeromancer and I can't say I'd complain if I was suddenly given the power of FLIGHT. Not to mention control over the elements such as wind, lightning, and generally the power of Zeus. Yeah, that's cool too.
Overall, Breach Zone is an excellent conclusion to the entire trilogy. The action is superb and the setup through the trilogy is just about perfectly satisfied in this final volume.
My only real complaint I have is with the audio narration of this novel. I have to admit that at first I thought the narrator, Korey Jackson, was perfect for the part. He's great at the different voices, does the military stuff well, and he's convincing. What could possibly go wrong right?
Well, first off, he reads really slowly. A book this size is normally 9 to 10 CD's, but this one is 12. I thought the book was just longer at first, but I checked it against the printed version and it's not really a typical 12 disc size novel. Believe me. I know this.
If I had the ability to speed it up, believe me, I would have used it. As a reviewer, however, I tend to avoid speeding up audiobooks anyway because I want to be able tocriticize hear a book in its natural state.
But what the slow-reading narrator does is kill a good amount of the tension. It's hard to believe that events are ramping up when the narrator doesn't seem to care.
At the same time, he sounded detached. This could have been a result of the slow reading or very closely tied, but he just seemed to be going through the motions and I didn't hear the passion like I hear in the really good narrators.
Luckily, the strength of the narrative shines through and for the parts that didn't require a high degree of tension Jackson was great (who needs tension in a novel right?). Honestly, his voices were spot on and I can tell why he was chosen.
Shadow Ops is one of my favorite series of recent years. I dearly hope Myke Cole heads back into this world some more because it's filled with awesome. The superpowers are deftly done, and the politics are highly believable. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill meathead novel. There's great action and it keeps you thinking as well. I'll be reading anything and everything Myke Cole puts out.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Which is an interesting perspective. I doubt Harlequin is close to the top of anyone's list of favorite characters in the series, but after seeing the world from his perspective, the Jaime Lannister effect takes place. Not only do you begin to respect his actions, though not all, but you begin to see that he's changed quite a bit through this whole ordeal from his initial stark, rule-following persona.
I can't deny, I wanted to see more of Oscar Britton and Allan Bookbinder. They're present, just not in the forefront as they once were, but I really enjoyed their powers and wanted to see more of each at play. At the same time, I, somehow, never really thought of the implications of being an Aeromancer and I can't say I'd complain if I was suddenly given the power of FLIGHT. Not to mention control over the elements such as wind, lightning, and generally the power of Zeus. Yeah, that's cool too.
Overall, Breach Zone is an excellent conclusion to the entire trilogy. The action is superb and the setup through the trilogy is just about perfectly satisfied in this final volume.
My only real complaint I have is with the audio narration of this novel. I have to admit that at first I thought the narrator, Korey Jackson, was perfect for the part. He's great at the different voices, does the military stuff well, and he's convincing. What could possibly go wrong right?
Well, first off, he reads really slowly. A book this size is normally 9 to 10 CD's, but this one is 12. I thought the book was just longer at first, but I checked it against the printed version and it's not really a typical 12 disc size novel. Believe me. I know this.
If I had the ability to speed it up, believe me, I would have used it. As a reviewer, however, I tend to avoid speeding up audiobooks anyway because I want to be able to
But what the slow-reading narrator does is kill a good amount of the tension. It's hard to believe that events are ramping up when the narrator doesn't seem to care.
At the same time, he sounded detached. This could have been a result of the slow reading or very closely tied, but he just seemed to be going through the motions and I didn't hear the passion like I hear in the really good narrators.
Luckily, the strength of the narrative shines through and for the parts that didn't require a high degree of tension Jackson was great (who needs tension in a novel right?). Honestly, his voices were spot on and I can tell why he was chosen.
Shadow Ops is one of my favorite series of recent years. I dearly hope Myke Cole heads back into this world some more because it's filled with awesome. The superpowers are deftly done, and the politics are highly believable. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill meathead novel. There's great action and it keeps you thinking as well. I'll be reading anything and everything Myke Cole puts out.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)