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scigeek22's review
5.0
A great Orphan X book! Lots of action and surprises - I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the free copy!
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the free copy!
kkomo's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing
As always, a stellar story featuring Evan Smoak. I very much enjoyed this action packed tale. Moreover, the protagonist is really evolving and I’m loving watching that happen.
As always, a stellar story featuring Evan Smoak. I very much enjoyed this action packed tale. Moreover, the protagonist is really evolving and I’m loving watching that happen.
cmbohn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Gun violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Trafficking and Torture
alyinsx's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Love the Orphan X books, this one was a little slower than the others, took a minute to really get into the action but once we did it was everything I love about this series.
pbgurczak123's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jillyrabb101's review against another edition
3.0
Growth
Who doesn't love some character development? Some internal reflection and post-traumatic growth? Tis another good read. Well done once again.
Who doesn't love some character development? Some internal reflection and post-traumatic growth? Tis another good read. Well done once again.
drereadsalot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
dawn_marie's review
3.0
Gregg Hurwitz’s Dark Horse (Orphan X #7) is a vast improvement over #6 (Prodigal Son) and sees a return (of sorts) to what made the first volumes of the series so entertaining.
Picking up approximately six months after the events of Prodigal Son and the drone strike that demolished his penthouse, the reader finds Evan Smoak (the aforementioned Orphan X) refurbishing said penthouse. As an aside, how is it that a penthouse can “explode” and no one, not one single person shows, the slightest concern that the penthouse was destroyed, allowing the refurbishing to go on as if nothing happened? During the refurbishment, Evan used a crew of day workers to complete “unsanctioned” upgrades and installations. It is one of these workers who passes Evan’s Nowhere Man number to a cartel leader (Aragon Urrea) whose daughter (Anjelina) has been kidnapped by a rival cartel (the Leons), thus setting the stakes and action for the rest of the novel.
The portrayal of the Leons was cartoonish at best: drug addled cartel leader (Raul Montesco) impulsively engages in/threatens ruthless acts (i.e., murder, disfigurement, rape, torture) for his own entertainment while the equally drug addled followers egg him on. Of course, Montesco lives in a tacky gilded palace where women are mere chattel and non-cartel members are play things to be terrorized; but of course the cartel members all carry large guns, sort drugs, and are too busy fighting for number one status that the miss the very obvious thing happening in front of them. Ugh! So bad! The inclusion of the Leons is a plot device that showcases Evan’s badassery (even if it was dialed up to impossible - even for a former member of an uber secret government sanctioned wet work specialist) as he rescued Anjelina.
I found Evan’s interactions with Urrea extremely fascinating and the most engaging feature of the story. Evan and Urrea are reflections of each other; both men are neither wholly good nor are they wholly bad, engaging in illegal/illicit activities and committing some horrendous and vile acts (sometimes for very good/valid reasons), while at the same time they strive to make “good” choices (i.e., helping the helpless, taking care of the community) and strive to be “better” human beings ~ perhaps as a way to atone for the “bad” they’ve done. This is a theme – Evan’s struggle to maintain his humanity/become connected to the world while engaging is some pretty evil-looking behavior – that permeates the series and is one of the things I find most appealing/engaging.
While Joey has always been a surly, moody, mouthy character (she is, after all, a sixteen-year-old who washed out of the Orphan program who was never allowed to just be a kid) she has always been professional when it comes to Evan’s missions. This time around her surliness and teasing veered into meanness territory and her passive-aggressiveness during the mission could have cost Evan his life; to say nothing of the obnoxiousness being dialed up to eleven. Also, for someone who has generally been attuned to others’ emotional state, especially Evan’s, she was uncharacteristically rude and insensitive to Evan. Her behavior seemed completely out of character for her.
While the novel was generally entertaining, I found everything Castle Heights and Mia, especially Mia tedious. What is the point? To show that Evan has difficulty dealing with people or non-mission situations? We already know that; it is demonstrated every time Evan finds himself in a situation where he can’t shoot, beat, or trick his way out. Is it to show that Evan desperately wants to retain his humanity? We learn that every time he struggles with morally grey decisions/actions that crop up during his missions? Do we really need Mia ~ boring, cookie cutter, generic Mia ~ to tell us that Evan keeps things inside and doesn’t allow himself to feel connected to any one or any thing when Evan’s actions show us this is the case? Everything related to Castle Heights and Mia feels forced and ham-fisted and greatly deter from the novel's flow and enjoyment . . . the conflicts that these side and annoying characters bring up in Evan are handled much more efficiently with his memories of Jack and his interactions with Joey, Tommy, and whomever he encounters on his mission. I found myself skimming Castle Heights and Mia sections.
I hope future installments feature less emo, mopey Evan and more mission centric Evan who works to deal with his inner demons.
I found it odd that the whole “Evan learned the name of his father” cliffhanger from book six was not addressed here . . . literally, Evan was “nope, not going to deal with it”. As is typical in Mr. Hurwitz’s other Orphan novels, this one ends with a cliff hanger.
With the exception of Castle Heights and Mia, the novel was a fast paced, action packed, sometimes brutally violent read that I enjoyed.
Picking up approximately six months after the events of Prodigal Son and the drone strike that demolished his penthouse, the reader finds Evan Smoak (the aforementioned Orphan X) refurbishing said penthouse. As an aside, how is it that a penthouse can “explode” and no one, not one single person shows, the slightest concern that the penthouse was destroyed, allowing the refurbishing to go on as if nothing happened? During the refurbishment, Evan used a crew of day workers to complete “unsanctioned” upgrades and installations. It is one of these workers who passes Evan’s Nowhere Man number to a cartel leader (Aragon Urrea) whose daughter (Anjelina) has been kidnapped by a rival cartel (the Leons), thus setting the stakes and action for the rest of the novel.
The portrayal of the Leons was cartoonish at best: drug addled cartel leader (Raul Montesco) impulsively engages in/threatens ruthless acts (i.e., murder, disfigurement, rape, torture) for his own entertainment while the equally drug addled followers egg him on. Of course, Montesco lives in a tacky gilded palace where women are mere chattel and non-cartel members are play things to be terrorized; but of course the cartel members all carry large guns, sort drugs, and are too busy fighting for number one status that the miss the very obvious thing happening in front of them. Ugh! So bad! The inclusion of the Leons is a plot device that showcases Evan’s badassery (even if it was dialed up to impossible - even for a former member of an uber secret government sanctioned wet work specialist) as he rescued Anjelina.
I found Evan’s interactions with Urrea extremely fascinating and the most engaging feature of the story. Evan and Urrea are reflections of each other; both men are neither wholly good nor are they wholly bad, engaging in illegal/illicit activities and committing some horrendous and vile acts (sometimes for very good/valid reasons), while at the same time they strive to make “good” choices (i.e., helping the helpless, taking care of the community) and strive to be “better” human beings ~ perhaps as a way to atone for the “bad” they’ve done. This is a theme – Evan’s struggle to maintain his humanity/become connected to the world while engaging is some pretty evil-looking behavior – that permeates the series and is one of the things I find most appealing/engaging.
While Joey has always been a surly, moody, mouthy character (she is, after all, a sixteen-year-old who washed out of the Orphan program who was never allowed to just be a kid) she has always been professional when it comes to Evan’s missions. This time around her surliness and teasing veered into meanness territory and her passive-aggressiveness during the mission could have cost Evan his life; to say nothing of the obnoxiousness being dialed up to eleven. Also, for someone who has generally been attuned to others’ emotional state, especially Evan’s, she was uncharacteristically rude and insensitive to Evan. Her behavior seemed completely out of character for her.
While the novel was generally entertaining, I found everything Castle Heights and Mia, especially Mia tedious. What is the point? To show that Evan has difficulty dealing with people or non-mission situations? We already know that; it is demonstrated every time Evan finds himself in a situation where he can’t shoot, beat, or trick his way out. Is it to show that Evan desperately wants to retain his humanity? We learn that every time he struggles with morally grey decisions/actions that crop up during his missions? Do we really need Mia ~ boring, cookie cutter, generic Mia ~ to tell us that Evan keeps things inside and doesn’t allow himself to feel connected to any one or any thing when Evan’s actions show us this is the case? Everything related to Castle Heights and Mia feels forced and ham-fisted and greatly deter from the novel's flow and enjoyment . . . the conflicts that these side and annoying characters bring up in Evan are handled much more efficiently with his memories of Jack and his interactions with Joey, Tommy, and whomever he encounters on his mission. I found myself skimming Castle Heights and Mia sections.
I hope future installments feature less emo, mopey Evan
Spoiler
(which I fear is only going to be ramped up next volume as Mia’s brain surgery means she may forget Evan – ugh – )I found it odd that the whole “Evan learned the name of his father” cliffhanger from book six was not addressed here . . . literally, Evan was “nope, not going to deal with it”. As is typical in Mr. Hurwitz’s other Orphan novels, this one ends with a cliff hanger.
With the exception of Castle Heights and Mia, the novel was a fast paced, action packed, sometimes brutally violent read that I enjoyed.
vanibhoo's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75