Into the Fire: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz

ABOUT THE BOOK

The New York Times bestselling Orphan X returns - just when Evan Smoak thinks he's done, his deadliest job yet pulls him back Into The Fire...

Evan Smoak lives by his own code.

Once he was known as Orphan X. Trained as an off-the-books government assassin and spoken about only in whispers, Evan Smoak was one of the most talented – and most feared – men in the Program. But he broke free and reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in mystery, known for helping the truly desperate.

If anyone is truly desperate, it’s Max Merriweather.

Max is at the end of his rope. His cousin has been brutally murdered, leaving Max an envelope that contains nothing but a mysterious key. However, someone really wants that key, badly enough that Max – and anyone he turns to – is in deadly danger. What seems like a simple job for The Nowhere Man turns out to be anything but. Behind every threat he takes out, a deadlier one emerges and Evan Smoak must put himself in greater danger than ever before as he heads once more Into The Fire.

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REVIEW

After five books, thrillers in the same vein of the Bourne series, I am fully involved in Evan Smoak's journey. His moral compass guides him to take up the mantel of the Nowhere Man, aiding those in danger with no recourse but to look beyond the law for justice. Evan desires to redeem his perceived wrongs. He endeavors to convince himself, after one more job, and he can embark on regular life. 

As the series moves forward, consequences escalate for Evan. Into the Fire is the most intense book yet. The level of conspiracy Evan encounters goes deep, and the mounting threats kept me on the edge of my seat. When this book concluded, I immediately wished for the next one. If crime thrillers are your thing, I enthusiastically recommend Into the Fire by Gregg Herwitz.

The God Game by Danny Tobey

ABOUT THE BOOK

You are invited!

COme inside and play with G.O.D.

Bring your friends!

It;’s fun!

But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!

With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone-screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.

But then the threatening messages start. Worship me. Obey me. Complete a mission, however cruel, or the game reveals their secrets and crushes their dreams. Tasks that seemed harmless at first take on deadly consequences. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them, appearing around corners, attacking them in parking garages. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win?

And what of the game’s first promise: win, win big, lose, you die? Dying in a virtual world doesn’t really mean death in real life—does it?

As Charlie and his friends try to find a way out of the game, they realize they’ve been manipulated into a bigger web they can’t escape: an AI that learned its cruelty from watching us.

God is always watching, and He says when the game is done.

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REVIEW

What I liked: The God Game by Danny Tobey is an intense ride. I was completely enthralled and on the edge of my seat for the duration of the story. The God Game could serve as an effective cautionary tale. With anonymity so easy to achieve in today's digital age, it is too easy to distance ourselves from one another. Insults, small bits of trickery, why should we care if we don't have to confront our victims? The God Game grasps that and blows it up, presenting the players a huge lesson in morality. The pit in my stomach grew as the participants are drawn further into the game, and it is more clear what is at stake for the players. 

What I didn't like: Not much. I did become a bit aggravated with some of the player's choices. Most of it was trivial things, and in the end, many did get resolved. And I am still unsure of the ending, but it does leave room for more stories later. With more questions answered, I may feel better about it.

The plot feels similar to Ready Player One, meets War Games with a bit of Ex Machina thrown in for good measure. Quite the combo in today's society. The God Game could be good for anyone looking for a digital age thriller.

Dark Alpha's Temptation: A Reaper Novel by Donna Grant

ABOUT THE BOOK

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

Carrying Death's orders is my sole duty. I've never had reason to question her, even if I disagreed. But Kyra's fierceness and willpower sheds light on my mission. She drives the darkness of my world away. The answers to the Others' goals lie in her past. For Kyra, I will risk going against Death's wishes. For her...I will battle the past and the future itself.

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REVIEW

In this latest installment of the Reaper series by Donna Grant, we follow Kyra and Dubhan's burgeoning romance. The backdrop is Ireland, amidst the backlash of the events that took place in the Dark Kings book Fever. Dark Alpha's Temptation is not a stand-alone novel. Many books lead to this point, and I fear a new reader would be lost if this is their first in Donna Grant's Dark World series. Prior publications are worth the experience, and one could go back a long way. I love a richly developed setting, and this series is one of my favorites in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance style. 

Dubhan is what you would expect out of a Reaper. Who can resist a sexy, immortal, justice dealing Irishman? Kyra is a courageous heroine to match. Together they are an attractive, charming couple. Overall I enjoyed their story. 

Random spoilery thoughts: This book gave us more information on the threat to Reaper allies, and the Reapers themselves, which I enjoyed getting. After the events in Fever, I was hoping for a theory I had to be confirmed here, which it was not. I could be wrong, but time will tell. Until then I will have to deal with the lingering sorrow and frustration.