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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An Amazing book. LOVED IT. Good balance between realistic science and history scenarios and story development. However sometime I did miss a little more depth in the science/history/forensics facts. I loved how all the previously mentioned scenarios in the book became pieces of a puzzle that was solved in the end stage of the book. It gave me to possibility to solve it myself.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had to finish this book on audio because I’m honestly not sure where all my reading time went. That said — talk about a book that didn’t know how to end.
I debated whether to keep my rating at a 3 or drop it to a 2. It simply had too much in it. While I’ve never read a spy thriller before, I’ve seen enough Tom Clancy adaptations to know this probably isn’t the best representation of the genre. It didn’t feel like a thriller — just a spy story. I was never really on the edge of my seat or blindsided by a twist. It was just... spy stuff. And not just any spy — the greatest spy of all time. This guy made Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, and Jack Reacher seem completely believable by comparison.
There was too much fluff and a lot of information that didn’t feel necessary. Maybe that’s what happens when a screenwriter writes a novel — but I digress.
The premise was enough to keep me going despite my issues, but the intrigue was surface-level at best. The structure also gave me whiplash. Part One was great, and then suddenly — without warning — we’re in Saudi Arabia in Part Two. It took me a few chapters to even realize we’d switched to another character’s POV. It was jarring.
I appreciate the effort the author put in, but this story could have been told in 300–400 pages, not 600+.
I won’t recommend this book, but I’m glad I finally got it off my physical TBR.
I debated whether to keep my rating at a 3 or drop it to a 2. It simply had too much in it. While I’ve never read a spy thriller before, I’ve seen enough Tom Clancy adaptations to know this probably isn’t the best representation of the genre. It didn’t feel like a thriller — just a spy story. I was never really on the edge of my seat or blindsided by a twist. It was just... spy stuff. And not just any spy — the greatest spy of all time. This guy made Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, and Jack Reacher seem completely believable by comparison.
There was too much fluff and a lot of information that didn’t feel necessary. Maybe that’s what happens when a screenwriter writes a novel — but I digress.
The premise was enough to keep me going despite my issues, but the intrigue was surface-level at best. The structure also gave me whiplash. Part One was great, and then suddenly — without warning — we’re in Saudi Arabia in Part Two. It took me a few chapters to even realize we’d switched to another character’s POV. It was jarring.
I appreciate the effort the author put in, but this story could have been told in 300–400 pages, not 600+.
I won’t recommend this book, but I’m glad I finally got it off my physical TBR.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Exciting and gripping story. A bit predictable with its cliffhangers, but it all ties together. One criticism I have is that all the male characters are the same, gritty and stoic, which is a shame given how many different places with different people are introduced.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't without flaws but it was compelling, well planned and had an intricate and fascinating storyline.
My main peeve was something trivial but it really bugged me. It would often give away at the start of a chapter something that would happen later on eg "I made the decision to do this, which I would later realise was a mistake". It really annoyed me!
The characters were believable and flawed. I know nothing about the American covert agencies but it felt real. All the characters ('good' and 'bad') had believable motivations and felt very human. A thrilling read. Not difficult despite its length!
My main peeve was something trivial but it really bugged me. It would often give away at the start of a chapter something that would happen later on eg "I made the decision to do this, which I would later realise was a mistake". It really annoyed me!
The characters were believable and flawed. I know nothing about the American covert agencies but it felt real. All the characters ('good' and 'bad') had believable motivations and felt very human. A thrilling read. Not difficult despite its length!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
No
slow-paced
This book starts out with a true crime feel and very suspenseful. But it starts to really drag on and lose anything you love about the first few chapters very quickly. Maybe just not the genre for me though!