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lorena_rose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ryodragon20's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tomstbr's review against another edition
4.0
Great thriller based around an ISIS attack on American soil. Easy to read and enthralling.
historybooksandtea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.0
connie_gatzke's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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? No
3.5
kpierce94010's review against another edition
3.0
The Anti-Obama rhetoric got tiring. Other than that, a good story.
jbzar's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The fact that the plot was so reflective of our current conditions was eerie, to say the least.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Over the past few years I've been slowly working my way through this series. I thought this had one of the best plots but I continue to get annoyed with the repetitive nature of the writing (there was an entire paragraph that I'm pretty sure was repeated verbatim from the last book).
fotoshopguy52's review against another edition
3.0
I have been a huge fan of Daniel Silva's novels for many years now, and have read every one of his books, including the pre-Gabriel Allon novels, and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. That is why I am somewhat heavy of heart after having finished the latest Gabriel Allon novel The Black Widow. To say that I am disappointed with this novel is a great understatement - all those months of anticipation virtually squashed like a bug.
This is not to say that there is no redeeming value to the book, just that my standard had been so high, that I simply expected so much more - and at times, so much less!! First off, this is inherently NOT a Gabriel Allon novel, but more of a Gabriel Allon derivative, as it is quite clear that for the major part of the story that he is not the main Protagonist. Secondly, as a result, there is a much larger than normal amount of exposition and story development, which provided many languishing passages. Thirdly, and most painfully, it is utterly apparent that Mr. Silva is no fan of President Obama and the United States' ability to defend itself against the likes of terror groups such as ISIS, as the US security services, including the CIA, FBI, NSA, etc, come across as complacent, incompetent, bumbling buffoons, who would be lucky if they could stop a bunch of bullying teenagers! While these services are certainly not perfect, they are in no way incompetent, and would certainly be prepared for a situation where the hostiles went out the back door instead of the front! And of course, ultimately, only the Mossad agents are able to get things done and stop the threat. Oy Vey!!
The only saving grace for me was the fact that he referenced old story lines at the end, such as his ex-wife Leah, his love/hate relationship with Uzi Navot, additional characters from previous novels, and provided some of the banter between characters whom I feel I've grown to know and love.
Mr. Silva, you obviously have the right to believe what you like, but I would ask that you read the reviews of readers such as myself who love your novels and hope with all their heart that you will continue to write exciting and engrossing Gabriel Allon novels, but leave the political commentary at home!
This is not to say that there is no redeeming value to the book, just that my standard had been so high, that I simply expected so much more - and at times, so much less!! First off, this is inherently NOT a Gabriel Allon novel, but more of a Gabriel Allon derivative, as it is quite clear that for the major part of the story that he is not the main Protagonist. Secondly, as a result, there is a much larger than normal amount of exposition and story development, which provided many languishing passages. Thirdly, and most painfully, it is utterly apparent that Mr. Silva is no fan of President Obama and the United States' ability to defend itself against the likes of terror groups such as ISIS, as the US security services, including the CIA, FBI, NSA, etc, come across as complacent, incompetent, bumbling buffoons, who would be lucky if they could stop a bunch of bullying teenagers! While these services are certainly not perfect, they are in no way incompetent, and would certainly be prepared for a situation where the hostiles went out the back door instead of the front! And of course, ultimately, only the Mossad agents are able to get things done and stop the threat. Oy Vey!!
The only saving grace for me was the fact that he referenced old story lines at the end, such as his ex-wife Leah, his love/hate relationship with Uzi Navot, additional characters from previous novels, and provided some of the banter between characters whom I feel I've grown to know and love.
Mr. Silva, you obviously have the right to believe what you like, but I would ask that you read the reviews of readers such as myself who love your novels and hope with all their heart that you will continue to write exciting and engrossing Gabriel Allon novels, but leave the political commentary at home!
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
4.0
Had no idea it was #16 in a series when I bought it off the $5 table at Barnes and Noble. I really enjoyed it and was never confused because I hadn't read the others. But I will...