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449 pages of Mary Sue breasting boobily throughout Europe.
The main male character is very obviously an author insert.
I could have maybe looked past those aspects if they had been used in a satirical/sarcastic way, or if the plot had been particularly compelling. But they weren't and it wasn't. I think the author was more focused on fantasizing about sex with a secret agent and showing off knowledge of the inner workings of the CIA than crafting a readable novel.
The main male character is very obviously an author insert.
I could have maybe looked past those aspects if they had been used in a satirical/sarcastic way, or if the plot had been particularly compelling. But they weren't and it wasn't. I think the author was more focused on fantasizing about sex with a secret agent and showing off knowledge of the inner workings of the CIA than crafting a readable novel.
I loved the female lead so much. I just wished that I had more of the scenes be about her rather than about the male lead. I do love how badass she is, I would love to continue on with the trilogy eventually.
I really wanted to like this book, since I feel like I've exhausted all the great espionage and this was getting a lot of buzz because the author is former CIA. I made it just past the halfway point before I had to give up.
The initial 100 page of setup was a struggle because virtually every paragraph about the heroine mentions how sexy she is. Then she goes to sex school to really sex up her sexiness. She also has a nearly magical power to read peoples emotions and intentions, which the author tries to make plausible by saying it is a form of Synesthesia. Not only is it painful to have the color of every characters halo described as though it actually meant something, but it is totally unnecessary for the plot. Why can't she just be a really sharp person with great instincts?
Once the Russian heroine is a trained sexy spy and is in the same city as her American counterpart I expected things to settle in and get more interesting, which they did for a few chapters. But then some CIA operations go down and the tradecraft and procedures used are so painfully implausible that I just had to quit.
Also, each chapter ends with a recipe for some food that was mentioned in that chapter. I don't know why.
The initial 100 page of setup was a struggle because virtually every paragraph about the heroine mentions how sexy she is. Then she goes to sex school to really sex up her sexiness. She also has a nearly magical power to read peoples emotions and intentions, which the author tries to make plausible by saying it is a form of Synesthesia. Not only is it painful to have the color of every characters halo described as though it actually meant something, but it is totally unnecessary for the plot. Why can't she just be a really sharp person with great instincts?
Once the Russian heroine is a trained sexy spy and is in the same city as her American counterpart I expected things to settle in and get more interesting, which they did for a few chapters. But then some CIA operations go down and the tradecraft and procedures used are so painfully implausible that I just had to quit.
Also, each chapter ends with a recipe for some food that was mentioned in that chapter. I don't know why.
A spy thriller written by someone who has walked the dark streets, and who's expertise in clandestine operations is matched by a passion for local delicacies - tonally appropriate little dishes that he has gently folded in to various scenes with care and delicacy.
The book is written with a terseness that reminds me of Le Carre, and a mastery of the language that most spy thrillers these days simply don't show. What's not to love?
4.5 stars, but only because nothing's perfect.
The book is written with a terseness that reminds me of Le Carre, and a mastery of the language that most spy thrillers these days simply don't show. What's not to love?
4.5 stars, but only because nothing's perfect.
Picked this up so I could read before seeing the movie. Very meh, didn’t hate it, didn’t love it.
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5/5 stars. A lot of the backstory for the CIA and KGB went over my head, and I couldn't keep some of the Russian surnames straight. The actual spying was fun to read about, though!
This book is terrible. I only finished it to prepare for a book club I agreed to host. Don’t read it. It’s so so bad.