Reviews

The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone

nerdybookster's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I picked the whole series up on a whim at a library sale (intending to read it them, then pass them on to my dad) and I was not disappointed. This book is set over multiple countries following a "cleaner", someone who cleans up whatever happens in the CIA. He finds out something he wasn't supposed to know and it forces him to make some interesting decisions. I enjoyed the novel and cannot wait to get to the next one.

mojoshivers's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

When you start off a book with your main character, a government agent--drunk, drugged, depressed, and just a little suicidal--it's difficult to get your bearings. But once you get past the rush of altered state scenes and scenarios, the plot grabs a hold of you tightly. I do not say this lightly--this book is terrifying, especially for a series in the Jason Bourne genre of international men of mystery. The nemesis here isn't some tired sophisticated man of letters with a brilliant wit and sharp tongue. The bad guy here is just plain evil. Like biblical evil. Like the evil they warn you about in the scariest of ghost stories. The horrors he visits upon his victims crosses the line past sadism if that's possible.

When facing up against that kind of antagonist, the book can't help but take on a supernatural edge to it. And I think it's better for it. It pushes this book from just another government agent procedural into its own sub-genre--a cross between international action thriller and horror. Think of it as a cross between The Gray Man and Slender Man.

quiraang's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

An interesting espionage thriller with a quirky plot and some great characters, seasoned with some black humour. Not John le Carre but damn good fun.

pjc1268's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

Too slow, not my style. DNF

alice2000's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

A well thought out, intelligent thriller with just the right touch of humor. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Stone's work...especially if they include Micah Dalton.

literaryfeline's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

http://www.literaryfeline.com/2006/12/thoughts-about-david-stones-echelon.html

garrettmckown's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

destak's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I'm not a big fan of the whole espionage genre, but I really enjoyed this one. My favorite character ended up dead so I am sad he won't be in the sequels.

industrialathena's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This read is more fun than it has any right to be. On the one hand it's meant to be throwaway entertainment. It's fast paced, suspenseful and sufficiently violent to keep the pages turning. But on the other hand, David Stone wants desperately to be more than a knock-off Tom Clancy and he pours a lot of effort into making sure his work reads smarter. Sometimes the effort pays off, sometimes it doesn't.


On the fail side: the prose is often overly florid and until you get immersed in the plot his excessive use of adjectives is distracting (and in a few instances laughably try-hard). On the success side: The character details make this work stand out. Rather than scribble out hyper-functional tough guy cutouts, the author has imbued the characters of this novel with real pathos. Their badass endeavors come with a personal cost that Stone doesn't gloss over. The characters read literature and occasionally quote it. They do battle with their fears and physical ailments to complete the mission.


It says more about me than the author to admit I was expecting this book to read stupidly, but surprisingly it doesn't. It's not quite a cerebral work, but it's a step in the right direction: a thinking person's action novel. The next time I'm in the mood for some lighter fiction, I will keep David Stone in mind.