Yes, an Amazon review (always read the '3s') said one problem was that whenever Rapp appeared on the scene it was the Second Coming of Jesus. SuperRapp is an exaggeration of Mitch. In a previous book, SuperRapp got a president out of office by threatening to be an unstoppable assassin to the president. Kind of like Spenser, Hawk and Reacher being the ultimate H2H fighters.
Cloud Yeller of the Boomer Age, My continued existence is an exercise in nostalgia.
What he said.Originally Posted by Coyotesfan97
I saw that Ron Ely, who played Tarzan on a TV show in the 1960s, wrote a couple of mysteries. I picked up "Night Shadows" from the library. I stuck it out for 100 pages and then put it down. Protagonist is a former spookish special ops guy who went private as a 50% recovery agent (like Travis McGee, retired to SoCal and is now doing a case where he is falling hard for a client that asked him to search for her missing (and maybe dead) husband.
Just....yuck. I got the feeling that it was going to suck five pages in, but I thought I'd give it a chance.
Never appeal to another's 'better nature'. He may not have one.
I didn't learn my lesson, I went from Mitch Rapp to Jack Ryan; junior, that is.
'Shadow State' by somebody named Woodward in imitation of Tom Clancy.
Situations are hokey enough but Mr Woodward seems not to have read Guns and Ammo etc., either.
He gives us M4s with long barrels punching 7.62mm holes in Tangoes heads. And the expert supertrooper prefers "direct drive" to the "piston drive" he was issued.
Code Name: JET STREAM
Larry Corriera’s new book Graveyard of Demons in the Sons of the Black Sword just came out. It’s the fifth in the series and the sixth is scheduled to be released in 2/25. He wrote a huge book and decided to split it in two.
His dedication for the last book of the series is paraphrased See George it’s not that hard.He says it’s his best series. It’s a great read.
Graveyard of Demons
Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
I discovered Christian Cameron/Miles Cameron (same guy) a few years ago. What a breath of fresh air compared to GRRM. The man probably puts out 2-3 books a year.Larry Corriera’s new book Graveyard of Demons in the Sons of the Black Sword just came out. It’s the fifth in the series and the sixth is scheduled to be released in 2/25. He wrote a huge book and decided to split it in two.
His dedication for the last book of the series is paraphrased See George it’s not that hard.
Graveyard of Demons
I've read most of the MHI books. How is Son of the Black Sword overall?
I really like the whole series. It’s completely different from MHI. The world is based on Indian my5hos (the country) It’s one that Larry has done a great job with. There’ll be 6 books in the series and the last is coming out 2/25. So when you start it you know the series is complete.
Once a Protector enforcing the Capitol’s strict laws with an iron fist, Ashok Vadal discovers his entire life is built on lies. The ancient black steel sword chose him not for his bloodline but for his spirit, thrusting him into a destiny fraught with peril and glory. The Capitol is in chaos, teetering on the brink of collapse as the Great Extermination spreads its dark shadow across the land. The casteless, descendants of the once-great kings, are hunted to extinction. Their only hope lies in Ashok Vadal, now a fugitive, and Thera, the prophet of the forgotten gods.
Thera’s visions and unyielding spirit rally the Sons of the Black Sword, fierce warriors sworn to overthrow the tyrannical Capitol and restore balance. As Ashok traverses deserts, battles sea demons, and navigates political treachery, he grapples with his identity and the heavy burden of his newfound purpose. Alongside him are allies old and new: Jagdish, the strategic commander of the Sons; Gutch, a resourceful criminal-turned-ally; and Devedas, his former brother-in-arms now caught in the Capitol’s ruthless power struggles.
Meanwhile, Grand Inquisitor Omand Vokkan, a master manipulator with his own dark agenda, strikes a secret pact with ancient demons, promising them the annihilation of the casteless in exchange for godlike power. As the demonic invasion begins, Ashok and his companions must unite to combat threats both human and supernatural. Lines between friend and foe blur, battles rage, and the fate of Lok hangs in the balance.
Ashok Vadal may desire redemption and vengeance, but in a world where gods and demons once walked, a warrior’s heart and a black steel sword turns out to be mankind’s last hope
Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
Gates of Gaza, by Amir Tibon. Part personal memoir of his family's experience on October 7--the author, his wife and two children were trapped in their safe room in Kibbutz Nahal Oz for almost 10-hours; when they emerged they found, among other things, a dead terrorist on their front porch still clutching an RPG aimed toward their neighbors' house--part history of the conflict along the Gaza border from the 1950s to today, the book is an excellent--and at times, riveting--read.
Thanks for the recommendation.
"I know he can get the job...but can he do the job?" - Mr. Waturi
The Apache Wars, by Paul Hutton.
Excellent narrative of the United States longest "war" against the somewhat less than 10,000 men, women and children that comprised a very loose group of regional bands and clans with similar lifeways in the deserts along the border of the US and Mexico.
Does a really good job of explaining and differentiating among the various bands and the famous leaders like Mangas Coloradus, Cochise and the villainous and truly Machiavellian Geronimo.
Keeps a nice balance of historical neutrality on the assorted betrayals, atrocities and frustrating lack of understanding that was the only thing that 19th century Americans (and European immigrants) and stone age hunter-gatherers had in common.
It also illustrates how so much of the conflict between the US government and the wild tribes originated over Mexico. The Spanish and then the Mexican governments especially considered all Indians essentially vermin, fit only to be enslaved or exterminated. Mexicans carried out slave raids en masse into New Mexico, Arizona and Texas for centuries and well into the 1840s. In return, the Comanche punished them dreadfully, and the Apache and Navajo as well. They considered Americans to be tolerable enough and only targeted for casual raiding, but the real joy was attacking Mexican settlements over and over again.
The campaigns of Crook and Miles and their learning curve, innovations like the heliograph, mule packing and especially the Apache Scouts are fascinating.
Essentially, large army formations would split into large patrols and hunt the bands. When located, the Apaches would try to escape and evade. The Scouts would trail them, finally running them to ground and forcing a stand by the warriors. While the Scouts, better equipped and armed, fixed and fought the warriors, the army would maneuver to surround or reinforce, and the warriors would be defeated in detail.
The Scouts did most of the killing as opposed to soldiers simply due to their higher skill-at-arms, superior fitness(think Delta Force operators) and genuine love of fighting.
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