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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
The writing in this book is so absolutely terrible, I audibly groaned on multiple occasions. There’s no way I’m slogging through 600+ more pages.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really great story very broad in setting and precise in its portrayal of these places, wide range of characters all very nuanced and surprisingly empathetic. An interconnected epic where one tale swims smoothly into the next despite changing times and timezones. Compelling twists that were realistic but sometimes predictable, not enough to take away from how enveloping the plot was.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is probably one of the most complex thrillers/spy novels I’ve ever read. Sitting at 800+ pages, there’s a lot of room for complexity. This book was a wild journey from start to finish. It follows a mysterious agent whose name is ever changing as he gets drawn into a terrorist plot and has the chance to save the United States (and maybe the world). On a loosely connected thread, he also helps in a flawlessly executed murder investigation in New York.
I didn’t expect anything more than a mere murder mystery when I first bookmarked this novel, but this gave me so much more. I definitely did not expect a good breakdown of the tensions between the US and countries of the Middle East (something all too relevant currently). And yes, while the plot is America centric, it is more informative without being Islamophobic. The “villain” is a tragic figure with a fleshed out background. Character development that I DO heavily criticize are now the women are written. There’s really only 2 women that are 3D characters without comments on their sexuality. Marcie (and she’s a minor character at best) and Leyla (a female cop in Bodrum).
This book moves pretty slow at the beginning but picks up towards the middle. There are some sequences that are nonlinear, which threw me off sometimes, but still fascinating read.
The finale was actually pulled off well. As the reader, I was speeding through trying to see what our brilliant spy’s real plan was and how well it was going to be executed. I was not disappointed!
I didn’t expect anything more than a mere murder mystery when I first bookmarked this novel, but this gave me so much more. I definitely did not expect a good breakdown of the tensions between the US and countries of the Middle East (something all too relevant currently). And yes, while the plot is America centric, it is more informative without being Islamophobic. The “villain” is a tragic figure with a fleshed out background. Character development that I DO heavily criticize are now the women are written. There’s really only 2 women that are 3D characters without comments on their sexuality. Marcie (and she’s a minor character at best) and Leyla (a female cop in Bodrum).
This book moves pretty slow at the beginning but picks up towards the middle. There are some sequences that are nonlinear, which threw me off sometimes, but still fascinating read.
The finale was actually pulled off well. As the reader, I was speeding through trying to see what our brilliant spy’s real plan was and how well it was going to be executed. I was not disappointed!
adventurous
challenging
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Took me a year to get through it because I kept getting distracted by tv shows — but this was a good read. At the end, I was so excited for it to be over. But yes powerful set-up and really good payoff. The one thing that kinda pissed me off about the writing was when Pilgrim was just go “oh yeah I did this, but it blew up in my face later. I should’ve done that instead.” I do understand from a narrative perspective why it was written this way but I DID NOT like it every time it was done.
When I would come to the Saracen’s part, I would audibly groan like ugh this guy again.
Okay, this might be an unpopular opinion, but wow, I really struggled with this one. The first few chapters totally lured me in, with that creepy crime scene in the rundown inn with an unidentifiable body. I thought I was in for a wild ride, but then it just dragged. Like, hundreds of pages of straight-up info-dumping. I kept waiting for the thrill in this so-called thriller. Things finally picked up in the last hundred pages, but by then I was already kind of over it. Everything felt way too convenient for the main character. He basically tripped over every clue by pure dumb luck.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A good read. Graphic scenes though but very well put together. Took ages to complete because it is very info dense. Absolutely loved the last line
adventurous
tense