Shadow Force by Matt Lynn, Trade Paperback, 2011, 448p.
4 stars.
Shadow Force is the third book in the “Death Force” series by Matt Lynn, and it was spectacular. I read it over a couple of weeks during my reading slump, and it really helped me get excited to read again. The characters in this series are wonderful, and I’ve got the fourth and final book in the series from the library to read at the moment. The end of this book had a MASSIVE twist, and it was interesting to see how these ex-soldiers handled the moral implications that popped up. I always hope that Steve stays with his vintage car yard, but he always seems to get himself involved in this crazy battles all over the world.
Pale Horse Coming by Stephen Hunter, Paperback from Library, 2001, 594p.
Pale Horse Coming is one of those books that I’m not sure what to rate it as – I enjoyed the story, and just like the last book in this series, find the character of Earl to be really interesting. However, both this book and the last in the series, Hot Springs, took me months to read. I usually read books of this genre in days or maybe a week. Hot Springs caused a reading slump a year ago, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with the actual book I was reading. Pale Horse Coming happened to also put me in a reading slump – so I’m not sure if I am game to tackle the last book in the series, Havana. The strange thing is that I did enjoy this book – as Goodreads would say, it was okay – 2 stars.
Brute Force by Andy McNab, Paperback, 2008, 480p.
3 stars
Brute Force is a solid addition to the Nick Stone series, but certainly not ground breaking or earth shattering. There is an enjoyable plot, which is packed with action and the writing is not as… over the top as some McNabs can be, and it certainly helped me get out of a reading slump. I’m glad that Andy McNab is writing the Buckingham series however, because I think the Nick Stone character has been dragged through enough novels now. I have a couple more of these paperbacks floating around my house/kindle – and I will most likely read them, but my excitement for Nick Stone books pales in comparison to my excitement for all things Buckingham!
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London, Netgalley eARC, 2015, 192p.
3 stars
I’ve only recently discovered Jack London, reading (and loving) The Call of the Wild earlier this year. The Scarlet Plague is being released as a Dover Doomsday Classic with illustrations. The story is a dystopian end-of-the-world story in which an elderly man recounts his survival of The Scarlet Plague to his wild, savage grandchildren. I really enjoyed London’s prose, his was of describing action and adventure is second to none. The story consists of a retelling of past events, and therefore isn’t as action packed as some of London’s other works. I did enjoy this short novella, and recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian fiction or JJack London’s prose.
Ranty Runt of a Reader 