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netsfrompdx's review against another edition
5.0
Backlash is absolutely brilliant! It is so damn good that I devoured it over the course of a single day. Already knew that Brad Thor is one of the best in the business, but he takes it to another level in this one. The writing is so, so superb that I felt the thrill of every small victory & the agony of every gut wrenching defeat. The details and descriptions of what Scot goes through are so vivid and graphic that it seems as if I was there along with Scot Harvath. I don't want to spoil a single thing form this book, so I won't go into details on the plot. Instead, I'll simply say that the story is fantastic. It picks up where Spymaster left off, hits the gas petal to the floor and doesn't let up for almost 400 pages. And the last ~quarter of the book is quite satisfying. Pick it up and you'll see what I mean.
The only bad thing I can say about Backlash is that I read it so fast that I have to wait another year for the next book. I wanted to savor it, but frankly I just couldn't put it down and before I knew it I was wrapping it up in ~5 hours. I highly recommend reading this book. You will not be disappointed.
Brad Thor already belonged on the Mount Rushmore of thriller writers. This book just cements his status as one of the best in the business.
The only bad thing I can say about Backlash is that I read it so fast that I have to wait another year for the next book. I wanted to savor it, but frankly I just couldn't put it down and before I knew it I was wrapping it up in ~5 hours. I highly recommend reading this book. You will not be disappointed.
Brad Thor already belonged on the Mount Rushmore of thriller writers. This book just cements his status as one of the best in the business.
jmcguoirk's review against another edition
5.0
WOW! The reviews were right. This is his best work. Non-stop action. Dang that was good. Thank you for writing BT!
brents's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible. I give out very few 5 star ratings, but this book earned every one of them. I've been reading the Scot Harvath thrillers for years. To be honest I was afraid the series had waned a bit with some less than stellar entries in recent years. Hidden Order veing the worst offender with its eye roll inducing plot involving the Federal Reserve. Yawn. Even Spymaster, the most recent entry before Backlash, had issues as I felt Harvath wasn't as front and center as he should be.
However the cliffhanger end to Spymaster set up Backlash to be the best entry in the entire Harvath series. Thor threw out the formula here and gave us a rip roaring tale of survival and revenge that shows Harvath absolutely unleashed. Sometimes I think Thor can struggle with his endings, but here everything is absolutely nailed. Epic both in climax and what is a de facto epilogue.
If you love the genre then Backlash will make the list of your all time favorites along with Consent to Kill. Get your hands on it asap.
However the cliffhanger end to Spymaster set up Backlash to be the best entry in the entire Harvath series. Thor threw out the formula here and gave us a rip roaring tale of survival and revenge that shows Harvath absolutely unleashed. Sometimes I think Thor can struggle with his endings, but here everything is absolutely nailed. Epic both in climax and what is a de facto epilogue.
If you love the genre then Backlash will make the list of your all time favorites along with Consent to Kill. Get your hands on it asap.
stellasnow's review against another edition
4.0
If I ever meet Brad Thor id slap him and walk away... Or maybe start screaming at him for killing Lara and leaving Scot alone once again. Book itself was not bad otherwise.
nthomas4's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
erin_reads_boooks's review against another edition
4.0
Brad Thor books are always fast paced, easy reads. I like the short chapters and action.
cjbookjunkie's review against another edition
5.0
While Backlash is the 19th in the Scot Harvath series, it can be read as a stand alone book. If you have read the previous books, I recommended re-reading the last chapter of Spymaster, Book 18, to refresh your memory on the cliffhanger ending before reading Backlash. I don't want to write too much about this book because I want readers to be as captivated by the story as I am. This installment places an emotionally devastated Harvath in one of the harshest climate on Earth, without any support or communication with his team. He tests every survival skill he has acquired throughout his career. Readers will find themselves celebrating every minor success he has as he fights to survive. Will he survive, and how will the events in this book change the nation's top operative? Brad Thor overachieved in writing Backlash. For Harvath lovers, it will probably move to one of your top 2-3 favorites in the series.
esttorhe's review against another edition
3.0
Ok-ish book. It is somewhat ruined by the incessant need to portray the US as the best country in the world with the best army, intelligence and "freedom" and how Russia is crap :/
Feels written in the cold war era
Feels written in the cold war era
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
Hip-deep into the Scot Harvath series, Brad Thor continues to deliver poignant novels that pull the reader into the middle of the political and espionage-driven world of today. When local authorities are called to a rural community in New Hampshire, they discover four bodies, carelessly slain. The names raise a red flag in the Intelligence community, beginning calls high up the chain of command. With ties to all those slain, one name being suggested as a potential shooter is Scot Harvath, but could he really have killed these people? It turns out not, as Harvath is aboard a covert plane somewhere in Russia, chained to a seat by mercenaries who have no worries about treating their prisoner poorly. When the plane goes down, Harvath is the only survivor, but perhaps not for long. He is in the middle of the Russian wilderness during the height of winter, with only the howling of the wind and wolves to keep him company. If he wants to stay alive, he will have to use all his training to find safety. In Moscow, the news of the crash raises the ire of senior officials, who had hoped for a smooth ‘snatch and grab’ of the Intelligence operative. Now, they will have to locate the wreckage and capture Harvath again. In Washington, those close to Harvath cannot believe that he would be responsible, but know that he was in New Hampshire. They discover that he may have been covertly removed from the country and begin their own mission to extricate him, while not tipping the balance of international diplomacy. Russia has all but declared war on America with such an act, but that is for the politicians to iron out. While working on a plan to get to safety, Harvath will have to survive and stay off the proverbial radar. When he comes to a small community near the Finnish border, he does all he can to stay alive and one step ahead of his captors. The race is on to find Harvath and to the winner comes the spoils. With an international disaster looming below the surface, the new Cold War could be close. Thor delivers again with a stellar novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and Harvath donning a few more scars. Recommended for fans of the series as well as the reader who loves thrillers of an espionage and political flavour.
I have loved most every one of the Harvath thrillers that Thor has penned, finding myself in the middle of their action and political fallout. Thor is able to capture the essence of the story and add his own political flavouring, which keeps the reader wondering if this could actually happen in today’s world. Harvath has lasted for eighteen previous novels, so his scars are plentiful and his stubbornness on point. The reader can sense something else fuelling him in this piece, that being the loss of (another) loved one to those who would see him destroyed. While somewhat reflective on all that he has done in life, there is also a strong sense that Harvath needs to bring about revenge for the loss of a loved one. Thor adds some other interesting information tied to the gathering in New Hampshire, which the reader can discover as they make their way through the narrative. Packed with many returning characters, Thor entertains with some of the unique individuals who appear in many of the nineteen books this series have been published. These characters work well together and blend effectively to create a strong narrative and exciting story. Speaking of the story, it remains strong and kept moving in a forward direction, offering interesting perspectives for those who enjoy espionage with a political angle. Thor has been able to keep his stories strong and uses the current political and social situation to fuel the narrative, rather than relying on past—read: Islamic terror—themes that have long since been flogged to death. While I know the aches and pains must be getting quite troublesome, I wonder if there is another novel or two left in Scot Harvath, or ideas that Thor still wants to tackle.
Kudos, Mr. Thor, for a wonderful addition to the series. I cannot wait to see what else you have for us and hope your fans enjoy this piece as much as I did.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
I have loved most every one of the Harvath thrillers that Thor has penned, finding myself in the middle of their action and political fallout. Thor is able to capture the essence of the story and add his own political flavouring, which keeps the reader wondering if this could actually happen in today’s world. Harvath has lasted for eighteen previous novels, so his scars are plentiful and his stubbornness on point. The reader can sense something else fuelling him in this piece, that being the loss of (another) loved one to those who would see him destroyed. While somewhat reflective on all that he has done in life, there is also a strong sense that Harvath needs to bring about revenge for the loss of a loved one. Thor adds some other interesting information tied to the gathering in New Hampshire, which the reader can discover as they make their way through the narrative. Packed with many returning characters, Thor entertains with some of the unique individuals who appear in many of the nineteen books this series have been published. These characters work well together and blend effectively to create a strong narrative and exciting story. Speaking of the story, it remains strong and kept moving in a forward direction, offering interesting perspectives for those who enjoy espionage with a political angle. Thor has been able to keep his stories strong and uses the current political and social situation to fuel the narrative, rather than relying on past—read: Islamic terror—themes that have long since been flogged to death. While I know the aches and pains must be getting quite troublesome, I wonder if there is another novel or two left in Scot Harvath, or ideas that Thor still wants to tackle.
Kudos, Mr. Thor, for a wonderful addition to the series. I cannot wait to see what else you have for us and hope your fans enjoy this piece as much as I did.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
kartiknarayanan's review against another edition
3.0
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
Introduction
Backlash has a straightforward story whose beats should be evident within the first few pages of starting the story. Scot Harvath has been captured by the Russians and has to fight his way out in an inhospitable terrain.
What I liked
Backlash manages to break the cycle of ennui that was creeping into the series with a different kind of story, albeit one we have seen before in other series.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
Introduction
Backlash has a straightforward story whose beats should be evident within the first few pages of starting the story. Scot Harvath has been captured by the Russians and has to fight his way out in an inhospitable terrain.
What I liked
Backlash manages to break the cycle of ennui that was creeping into the series with a different kind of story, albeit one we have seen before in other series.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit