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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There seems to be a common theme that reviewers didn't like this because they really like the Pendergast series and this isn't the same. I liked it, but then this is the first book of theirs that I read. Is it believable? No, but I have since went back and read Relic (the first Pendergast book) and that wasn't believable either. It's fiction, it's okay not to be. Was I entertained? Yes. I read the entire book in a day.
I don't think I'll ever love this series as much as the Pendergast books, but it was a fun, fast paced ride. 3.5 stars round up.
Although the story had its moments, it wasn't as tightly edited as I have become accustomed to with Preston and Child books. I just could've form an opinion of the protagonist, Gideon Crew. I simply didn't "get" him. At times he appeared to be a smooth operator and at other times, he seemed goofy.
In summary, the storyline was good (4/5) and got better towards the end. I found the protagonist confusing and vanilla (2/5). Hence my average rating of 3/5. I am hoping the Gideon character will find his way in the series and that it will get better. I am a huge fan of Preston and Child's Pendergast series and I'm hoping for more of the same in this series.
In summary, the storyline was good (4/5) and got better towards the end. I found the protagonist confusing and vanilla (2/5). Hence my average rating of 3/5. I am hoping the Gideon character will find his way in the series and that it will get better. I am a huge fan of Preston and Child's Pendergast series and I'm hoping for more of the same in this series.
All right, I'm a sucker for anything that these two write and typical to their style, two chapters in and I'm down and dirty with this new creation of theirs.
Not my favorite. Found myself scoffing midway through at some of the absurd characters and situations (Mindy...c'mon guys, she's a little too shallow in her characterization). Had to take back a few of those scoffs when the ending was revealed.
And what an ending.
Still ad all, fun to see Eli Glinn return -- know that Pendergast is lurking nearby, watching the events unfold from the privacy of his estate.
Not my favorite. Found myself scoffing midway through at some of the absurd characters and situations (Mindy...c'mon guys, she's a little too shallow in her characterization). Had to take back a few of those scoffs when the ending was revealed.
And what an ending.
Still ad all, fun to see Eli Glinn return -- know that Pendergast is lurking nearby, watching the events unfold from the privacy of his estate.
I am a fan of Preston and Child’s Agent Pendergast series (although I will admit that I am a few books behind and will try to catch up someday). In a way, they are like the Repairman Jack series: action mysteries, usually with a slight supernatural flavor to them. So when I saw that they were starting a new series, I was eager to try it out.
Gideon Crew, as a young boy, sees his father, a brilliant mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down. Later, when his mother is dying, he learns from her that his father was actually framed for a treasonous act by a military leader and is deliberately killed. Gideon spends the next years going to school and concocting a plan to get back at the official who got his father slaughtered. His plan is eventually successful.
He is then brought to a group who claim to be a subcontractor for the Department of Homeland Security and given a mission to help a Chinese scientist who appears to be trying to defect to the United States. The head of this group also shows him xrays showing that he has a rare disease and has only a year or so to live. Gideon takes the mission and adventure ensues.
This series is not as “cerebral”—in the words of Preston/Child—as the Pendergast series; it is straight-up action/adventure ala Gabriel Hunt or The Destroyer. In that, it succeeds—it is a quick, fun read that you are drawn into and compelled to complete.
My problem is the setup. This boy has no formal training, concocts a plan of vengeance, carries it out and suddenly he is qualified to be a spy? Really? I can accept the disease portion, since it basically takes away the fear of dying on the mission, but I would think it would be impossible for somebody with no training to be a master spy. For me, it was a HUGE suspension of disbelief.
If you can buy (or at least rent) the setup, you’ll enjoy the book. If that is going to stop you, don’t try.
Gideon Crew, as a young boy, sees his father, a brilliant mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down. Later, when his mother is dying, he learns from her that his father was actually framed for a treasonous act by a military leader and is deliberately killed. Gideon spends the next years going to school and concocting a plan to get back at the official who got his father slaughtered. His plan is eventually successful.
He is then brought to a group who claim to be a subcontractor for the Department of Homeland Security and given a mission to help a Chinese scientist who appears to be trying to defect to the United States. The head of this group also shows him xrays showing that he has a rare disease and has only a year or so to live. Gideon takes the mission and adventure ensues.
This series is not as “cerebral”—in the words of Preston/Child—as the Pendergast series; it is straight-up action/adventure ala Gabriel Hunt or The Destroyer. In that, it succeeds—it is a quick, fun read that you are drawn into and compelled to complete.
My problem is the setup. This boy has no formal training, concocts a plan of vengeance, carries it out and suddenly he is qualified to be a spy? Really? I can accept the disease portion, since it basically takes away the fear of dying on the mission, but I would think it would be impossible for somebody with no training to be a master spy. For me, it was a HUGE suspension of disbelief.
If you can buy (or at least rent) the setup, you’ll enjoy the book. If that is going to stop you, don’t try.
I feel a little bad trying to compare this story with the Pendergast stories. Gideon seems to be an attempt to go with the polar opposite of the detective. Brash and unpredictable, he's a wild card on the last all in. Any attempt to compare these two characters because they share creators is unfair, and unavoidable. It is unavoidable because Pendergast's fan base is the most obvious pool of readers for these works.
Other works by our authors also have similar protagonists, the introduction of Eli Glynn, The Ice Limit for example. McFarlane was somewhat roguish, but has a few threads grounding him. Gideon does not have such a lifeline. For me, he was a missed opportunity. I also felt like he didn't really change during the story. It was a fun adventure in ways, but could have been more.
There were other aspects that I didn't quite enjoy as much as I hoped. Some things I did get into, but I kept hoping for more in areas that didn't pan out.
Other works by our authors also have similar protagonists, the introduction of Eli Glynn, The Ice Limit for example. McFarlane was somewhat roguish, but has a few threads grounding him. Gideon does not have such a lifeline. For me, he was a missed opportunity. I also felt like he didn't really change during the story. It was a fun adventure in ways, but could have been more.
There were other aspects that I didn't quite enjoy as much as I hoped. Some things I did get into, but I kept hoping for more in areas that didn't pan out.
Much lighter in tone and more farcical than the Pendergast. A fun one off, but not a character I'd spend 12+ books with. More cinematic than their other series, less depth.
3 Stars
Disclaimer: the back cover of this book is slightly misleading. From the synopsis and being the first book in the series, you would expect that this book would explore some of Gideon's childhood and past and focus on the story of him avenging his father's death, as mentioned on the back cover. However, there is no background exploration here and the tale of retribution for his father is finished in the first 50 pages. That's when things take an unexpected turn. The story then turns to Gideon working as a rogue agent on a top secret mission that he is highly unqualified for. I didn't mind the turn of events, it's just not what I expected from the cover flap.
Overall, this was a decent book that focused on fast paced action, but lacked significant character development. The chapters were very short, roughly 3-5 pages per chapter, which helped keep the pace moving quickly. The story was simple despite the number of twists that the authors used. However, the simple story line and the constant action made it incredibly hard to put this book down. I was engrossed in what would happen next and how everything would tie together.
My two biggest critiques of this book were the complete suspension of belief that you needed to believe what was happening and the lack of character development. As many other reviewers have mentioned, this book was a little bit preposterous. Gideon seems to have no flaws that prevent him from accomplishing his mission and even when it seems like he is about to fail, something magically falls into place that saves him. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally fine with a certain degree of implausibility, however nothing about this book was believable. Also, most of the characters were just there - no one stood out as particularly special or interesting. Every character was basic and essentially was just included to serve a purpose (usually saving Gideon's ass out of nowhere or showing how irresistible he is to the only two woman main/side characters he encounters in the book), but no character had a true arc.
But! That won't stop me from reading more in the series at some point. I have also read Tyrannosaur Canyon by these authors and I really do like the stories they have to tell, even if they aren't the most well crafted or believable. I'd also like to check out the Pendergast series. I have seen many other reviews highly recommended it.
If you like other works by these authors, if you want a quick and easy read, or even if you're just considering reading this I would say to go for it. What this book lacks in depth, it makes up for in action. I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series from the library at some point soon.
Disclaimer: the back cover of this book is slightly misleading. From the synopsis and being the first book in the series, you would expect that this book would explore some of Gideon's childhood and past and focus on the story of him avenging his father's death, as mentioned on the back cover. However, there is no background exploration here and the tale of retribution for his father is finished in the first 50 pages. That's when things take an unexpected turn. The story then turns to Gideon working as a rogue agent on a top secret mission that he is highly unqualified for. I didn't mind the turn of events, it's just not what I expected from the cover flap.
Overall, this was a decent book that focused on fast paced action, but lacked significant character development. The chapters were very short, roughly 3-5 pages per chapter, which helped keep the pace moving quickly. The story was simple despite the number of twists that the authors used. However, the simple story line and the constant action made it incredibly hard to put this book down. I was engrossed in what would happen next and how everything would tie together.
My two biggest critiques of this book were the complete suspension of belief that you needed to believe what was happening and the lack of character development. As many other reviewers have mentioned, this book was a little bit preposterous. Gideon seems to have no flaws that prevent him from accomplishing his mission and even when it seems like he is about to fail, something magically falls into place that saves him. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally fine with a certain degree of implausibility, however nothing about this book was believable. Also, most of the characters were just there - no one stood out as particularly special or interesting. Every character was basic and essentially was just included to serve a purpose (usually saving Gideon's ass out of nowhere or showing how irresistible he is to the only two woman main/side characters he encounters in the book), but no character had a true arc.
But! That won't stop me from reading more in the series at some point. I have also read Tyrannosaur Canyon by these authors and I really do like the stories they have to tell, even if they aren't the most well crafted or believable. I'd also like to check out the Pendergast series. I have seen many other reviews highly recommended it.
If you like other works by these authors, if you want a quick and easy read, or even if you're just considering reading this I would say to go for it. What this book lacks in depth, it makes up for in action. I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series from the library at some point soon.