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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
I love these books. I love the dark brutal nature of Evan mixed with his more human side and the way the author throws him into situations so outside of his comfort zone. Narrowly escaping the destruction of his apartment Evan is trying to piece back his apartment and his life. His adopted "niece" Joey tries to help him along the way with her smart mouth and was of pushing every one of Evan's buttons right down to the disco ball she installs in his living room and the rainbow pebbles she has his new aloe plant living in. Evan is so uncomfortable around other people its amusing to see his interactions. Unless he is being sent to murder you he has a tough time. This book is filled with the usual action and narrow escapes but this one really showcases Evan's more human side, his struggle to connect to people and possibly even make a friend.
He has a code he lives by but this book will test the code to its limits. When asked to help rescue a mafia princess from the clutches of a rival and much more ruthless cartel Evan is torn between helping and walking away. Can he see past the surface to see a man like him, broken and not so good, but really trying to do the right thing?
Somehow I missed the book before this so I know nothing about why Evan's apartment blew up and I intend to go back and remedy that immediately but it didn't matter, Evan is still Evan and the growing band of people in his life is making him more human. I guess we will discover if this is a good thing or a bad one for Evan
I love these books. I love the dark brutal nature of Evan mixed with his more human side and the way the author throws him into situations so outside of his comfort zone. Narrowly escaping the destruction of his apartment Evan is trying to piece back his apartment and his life. His adopted "niece" Joey tries to help him along the way with her smart mouth and was of pushing every one of Evan's buttons right down to the disco ball she installs in his living room and the rainbow pebbles she has his new aloe plant living in. Evan is so uncomfortable around other people its amusing to see his interactions. Unless he is being sent to murder you he has a tough time. This book is filled with the usual action and narrow escapes but this one really showcases Evan's more human side, his struggle to connect to people and possibly even make a friend.
He has a code he lives by but this book will test the code to its limits. When asked to help rescue a mafia princess from the clutches of a rival and much more ruthless cartel Evan is torn between helping and walking away. Can he see past the surface to see a man like him, broken and not so good, but really trying to do the right thing?
Somehow I missed the book before this so I know nothing about why Evan's apartment blew up and I intend to go back and remedy that immediately but it didn't matter, Evan is still Evan and the growing band of people in his life is making him more human. I guess we will discover if this is a good thing or a bad one for Evan
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Seventh in series, X is back fighting the good fight against Mexican drug cartels. Although I enjoy the characters in this series, this installment was almost too over the top when it came to weaponry explanations and extreme sadistic violence. And I hated the ending!
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Dark Horse is the next entry in the Orphan X series, and this is one of my favourites series out there. While not the most suspenseful book of the series, it is definitely a solid entry and a lot of fun to read. The story seemed to focus more on relationships and Evan's growing sense of how to fit into a world he knows little about, except as an assassin.
Evan's character development has always been one of the strengths of this series. Both he and Joey have come to a crossroads in their lives where they need to figure out who they are and who they wish to be as well as the people they want in their lives. Having lived a solitary life for so long, with few people he could trust, Evan is slowly learning about having fun and enjoying life. Unfortunately, having been an assassin for so long, and having been involved in such a secret program, he has enemies all over the place, and in some pretty high government levels, enemies who do anything to see him dead. The author does a great job with Evan as he comes to terms with his more humane side and accepts that his lethal side will always be a part of him.
Joey and Dog have been favourites of mine since they joined the Orphan X world a few books ago and I always look forward to their appearances. It's hard to imagine comedic episodes in a thriller novel, but the author manages to do this very well in scenes involving Joey, Evan, and Dog, including some emotional ones. Who knew you could get emotional over a plant and some coloured rocks?
This one has Evan helping a drug kingpin, one who daughter has been kidnapped by a rival drug cartel. This mission becomes quite complicated, and puts Evan into quite a moral dilemma as he has to decide to help a leader of a drug cartel with questionable morals. I thought the author did a great job showing the human side of this world, something I didn't think was possible, demonstrating the shades of grey that exist in everyone's world. I even grew to like Aragon, which I never would have suspected. But make no mistake, the author didn't shy away from the brutality either, especially when Evan infiltrated the Leones compound to rescue Aragon's daughter. As always, the writing style was captivating, drawing me into the story, dark and quite intense. While the beginning was a bit slower than usual, the last quarter of the book was intense and a bit brutal.
Verdict
Dark Horse is a fun, action-packed book. There is quite a bit of soul-searching for Evan as he is trying to come to terms with his life as an assassin and his newish life as a regular person, someone who is trying to recognize that not everything is black or white. I felt the author did a great job developing Evan's character and his interactions with the other characters was enjoyable. While this one started out a bit slower than usual, it definitely ended quite differently and I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, The Last Orphan, which I have already received for review. An old nemesis is coming back into play and I can't wait!
What’s it about (in a nutshell):
Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz is an action-packed thriller about the Nowhere Man’s (Orphan X aka Evan Smoat) latest case. A complex (i.e., both good and bad) businessman calls the Nowhere Man because a Mexican drug cartel abducted his 18-year-old daughter. Even with his vast resources, he would never be able to get her out alive. The case seems potentially too dangerous for even a legend like Orphan X.
What I Enjoyed:
I absolutely love how every female support character is portrayed in this novel. Even though the main character is a highly skilled male assassin who takes up much of the tale, the women in the story are equally remarkable. They each have different strengths, but all are strong, independent, and smart. I’ve detailed each under characters to briefly explain my thoughts.
I enjoyed that the fast pace starts early in the novel and never waivers. Orphan X is ingenious in his fighting skills. The action scenes have an art all to themselves that are jaw-droppingly choreographed to perfection. There were also plenty of twists, turns, and surprises to keep me guessing and the pages flipping. This is one of those rare stories that is equal parts plot-driven and character-driven.
I also love how a specific minor plotline in the story took me on an emotional journey and left me in a puddle at the end. I never expect any thriller to touch my heart in profound ways, yet that is precisely what I found in this novel.
Characters:
Evan Smoak – aka Orphan X – aka Nowhere Man – is a trained assassin. He was part of a covert experiment that took foster children and trained them how to be exceptional assassins. He has a lot of baggage and even suffers from OCD, which I really like because it totally humanizes him to have a mental health challenge.
Mia Hall is in an “it’s complicated” relationship with Evan Smoak, and she lives in his building with her nine-year-old son. Very smart and determined, she is a tough District Attorney. She puts criminals behind bars for a living and loves every minute of it.
Joey Morales – A world-class hacker who was once in the Orphan Program. She is 16 years old, brilliant, and oh, so delightfully precocious that you can’t help but to love her. Evan has taken over guardianship of her, and it’s a relationship that brings bits of humor to the story that are simply delightful. She is a close second for my favorite character right after Evan Smoak.
Support characters I loved from this particular story:
La Tia – spunky and sassy, La Tia is the type of woman you simply don’t question or argue with unless you want to find yourself dragged around by your ear. Though she didn’t actually do that in the book, I have no doubt that if the opportunity had arisen, she would do just that if you crossed her.
Belicia – is the wife of Aragon Urrea, the kingpin who has asked the Nowhere Man to rescue his daughter from a Mexican cartel. I loved her incomparable wisdom throughout the story and am still contemplating her most insightful observations. She is pure heart and soul with an inner strength that is awe-inspiring.
What I Wish:
My only wish (and this is mostly just a pet peeve) is that the story had not been left on two cliffhangers. I was left in a puddle over the first cliffhanger and totally needed to know what happened, but I thought the last cliffhanger was a nice touch at the end. Still, the first cliffhanger has just left me in an emotional quandary of sorts that I still haven’t recovered from.
To Read or Not to Read:
This book can be read as a stand-alone, but you will want to go back and read the others once you finish, I guarantee it. If you love complex thrillers with chunks of humor and heart, you will wonder why you’ve never read a book from this series before now.
Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz is an action-packed thriller about the Nowhere Man’s (Orphan X aka Evan Smoat) latest case. A complex (i.e., both good and bad) businessman calls the Nowhere Man because a Mexican drug cartel abducted his 18-year-old daughter. Even with his vast resources, he would never be able to get her out alive. The case seems potentially too dangerous for even a legend like Orphan X.
What I Enjoyed:
I absolutely love how every female support character is portrayed in this novel. Even though the main character is a highly skilled male assassin who takes up much of the tale, the women in the story are equally remarkable. They each have different strengths, but all are strong, independent, and smart. I’ve detailed each under characters to briefly explain my thoughts.
I enjoyed that the fast pace starts early in the novel and never waivers. Orphan X is ingenious in his fighting skills. The action scenes have an art all to themselves that are jaw-droppingly choreographed to perfection. There were also plenty of twists, turns, and surprises to keep me guessing and the pages flipping. This is one of those rare stories that is equal parts plot-driven and character-driven.
I also love how a specific minor plotline in the story took me on an emotional journey and left me in a puddle at the end. I never expect any thriller to touch my heart in profound ways, yet that is precisely what I found in this novel.
Characters:
Evan Smoak – aka Orphan X – aka Nowhere Man – is a trained assassin. He was part of a covert experiment that took foster children and trained them how to be exceptional assassins. He has a lot of baggage and even suffers from OCD, which I really like because it totally humanizes him to have a mental health challenge.
Mia Hall is in an “it’s complicated” relationship with Evan Smoak, and she lives in his building with her nine-year-old son. Very smart and determined, she is a tough District Attorney. She puts criminals behind bars for a living and loves every minute of it.
Joey Morales – A world-class hacker who was once in the Orphan Program. She is 16 years old, brilliant, and oh, so delightfully precocious that you can’t help but to love her. Evan has taken over guardianship of her, and it’s a relationship that brings bits of humor to the story that are simply delightful. She is a close second for my favorite character right after Evan Smoak.
Support characters I loved from this particular story:
La Tia – spunky and sassy, La Tia is the type of woman you simply don’t question or argue with unless you want to find yourself dragged around by your ear. Though she didn’t actually do that in the book, I have no doubt that if the opportunity had arisen, she would do just that if you crossed her.
Belicia – is the wife of Aragon Urrea, the kingpin who has asked the Nowhere Man to rescue his daughter from a Mexican cartel. I loved her incomparable wisdom throughout the story and am still contemplating her most insightful observations. She is pure heart and soul with an inner strength that is awe-inspiring.
What I Wish:
My only wish (and this is mostly just a pet peeve) is that the story had not been left on two cliffhangers. I was left in a puddle over the first cliffhanger and totally needed to know what happened, but I thought the last cliffhanger was a nice touch at the end. Still, the first cliffhanger has just left me in an emotional quandary of sorts that I still haven’t recovered from.
To Read or Not to Read:
This book can be read as a stand-alone, but you will want to go back and read the others once you finish, I guarantee it. If you love complex thrillers with chunks of humor and heart, you will wonder why you’ve never read a book from this series before now.
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This latest book is a great addition to the Orphan X series.
Ever since leaving the Orphan program where he was a trained-from-childhood, off-the-books assassin for the government, Evan Smoak has had to re-evaluate and reinvent himself as he has learned more about himself and how he relates to others. Now that the government has forbidden Evan from continuing his Nowhere Man persona where he used his abilities to protect innocents and right wrongs, Evan still is trying to figure out what he wants for his future.
But of course Evan is again drawn in to use his Nowhere Man identity when the daughter of a major drug trafficker is kidnapped by a vicious cartel boss. The daughter is an innocent, and Evan is driven to help people like her. As Evan interacts and works with her father, both are challenged to evaluate their priorities and what they really want out of life.
One of the major appeals of this series, other than Evan’s kick-ass abilities, has been his growth as a character. We see this especially acutely in this story. There are some great interactions with Joey, Evan’s 16-year-old genius ward whom he rescued from the Orphan program. (I love Joey!) We also see some important developments with his relationship with neighbor and love-interest Mia. And of course there is plenty of Orphan X action.
This was a terrific story with some interesting—and dangerous—implications for future stories. I can’t wait to read them.
Ever since leaving the Orphan program where he was a trained-from-childhood, off-the-books assassin for the government, Evan Smoak has had to re-evaluate and reinvent himself as he has learned more about himself and how he relates to others. Now that the government has forbidden Evan from continuing his Nowhere Man persona where he used his abilities to protect innocents and right wrongs, Evan still is trying to figure out what he wants for his future.
But of course Evan is again drawn in to use his Nowhere Man identity when the daughter of a major drug trafficker is kidnapped by a vicious cartel boss. The daughter is an innocent, and Evan is driven to help people like her. As Evan interacts and works with her father, both are challenged to evaluate their priorities and what they really want out of life.
One of the major appeals of this series, other than Evan’s kick-ass abilities, has been his growth as a character. We see this especially acutely in this story. There are some great interactions with Joey, Evan’s 16-year-old genius ward whom he rescued from the Orphan program. (I love Joey!) We also see some important developments with his relationship with neighbor and love-interest Mia. And of course there is plenty of Orphan X action.
This was a terrific story with some interesting—and dangerous—implications for future stories. I can’t wait to read them.
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
Another fascinating case for the Nowhere Man. I enjoyed this story (although this series is darker and gorier and more violent than I usually prefer), and especially loved the character development here for Evan, Joey and the other core folks in the series. Honestly, if Hurwitz did a spin off series starring Joey, I would likely not read any more Orphan X books and switch wholeheartedly to her stories. She's a big piece of what keeps me coming back to this series.
The thread of family and connection from the last book continues to weave through this one as well, stretching Evan and helping the books grow rather than fall into a predictable pattern. This is the other factor that keeps me reading this series.
Series fans will find plenty to enjoy here. Newcomers could probably start here without a lot of trouble, but would miss some of the fantastic character development that's been done over the last few books. (Language, violence and gore, sex)
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
Another fascinating case for the Nowhere Man. I enjoyed this story (although this series is darker and gorier and more violent than I usually prefer), and especially loved the character development here for Evan, Joey and the other core folks in the series. Honestly, if Hurwitz did a spin off series starring Joey, I would likely not read any more Orphan X books and switch wholeheartedly to her stories. She's a big piece of what keeps me coming back to this series.
The thread of family and connection from the last book continues to weave through this one as well, stretching Evan and helping the books grow rather than fall into a predictable pattern. This is the other factor that keeps me reading this series.
Series fans will find plenty to enjoy here. Newcomers could probably start here without a lot of trouble, but would miss some of the fantastic character development that's been done over the last few books. (Language, violence and gore, sex)
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oin
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
One of the things I like best about this series is the theme of Evan finding his humanity. He's not used to dealing with interpersonal relationships and messy feelings, and it's fun to watch him tackle that while maintaining his composure and skills in dangerous situations. This installment finds Evan DROWNING in messy personal matters, and it was sometimes a bit overwrought. I appreciated the parallel that Hurwitz draws between Evan and Aragón (e.g. men who have done terrible things but are good in the important ways), but some of the scenes with them were almost too philosophical and emotional. There's also a VERY soapy subplot involving Mia and her family that felt like a bit too much on top of the emotionally fraught mission. That said, I still enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down in spots.