martyfried's review
2.0
Maybe 2 1/2 stars.
I thought I would like this much more than I did. Several people I follow liked it, and it was compared to one of my favorites, Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. Perhaps this comparison was a mistake, as it raised expectations but did not come close to meeting them. But absent that, I still couldn't really connect with any of the characters. They just didn't seem real for some reason.
Vanessa Michael Munroe, the super-heroine star of the series, was really over the top and was almost bat-shit crazy. She comes close to killing the good guys when she has a slight suspicion that they might be a negative influence, which turns out to be wrong more times than not. With friends like her, you don't need enemies.
I'm disappointed in this book, as I had hoped it would be a good series. But unless I find out that later books are much better, I think I'll have to skip them. The book wasn't terrible, but I did consider whether to continue reading at one or two points, but it was interesting enough to finish if only to satisfy my curiosity.
I thought I would like this much more than I did. Several people I follow liked it, and it was compared to one of my favorites, Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. Perhaps this comparison was a mistake, as it raised expectations but did not come close to meeting them. But absent that, I still couldn't really connect with any of the characters. They just didn't seem real for some reason.
Vanessa Michael Munroe, the super-heroine star of the series, was really over the top and was almost bat-shit crazy. She comes close to killing the good guys when she has a slight suspicion that they might be a negative influence, which turns out to be wrong more times than not. With friends like her, you don't need enemies.
I'm disappointed in this book, as I had hoped it would be a good series. But unless I find out that later books are much better, I think I'll have to skip them. The book wasn't terrible, but I did consider whether to continue reading at one or two points, but it was interesting enough to finish if only to satisfy my curiosity.
grammarchick's review
2.0
The protagonist Michael Munroe was compared to Salander from the Millenium series and sorry, but no. In the sense that she could strategize, yes. Otherwise, no. She was a walking smug cliche of the assassin with the mysterious past. There was nothing in her that evoked compassion from the reader, she could not do squat with computers other than burn DVDs (wow, it's magic!) and she was horrifically violent. Like decapitation and howling violent. I finished the book just to see who the bad guy turned out to be but I absolutely did not care what happened to Michael at all and will not be reading further in the series.
cookie_clo's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ingmund's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zade's review
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
dogtown's review
4.0
A fast-paced thriller with a fascinating anti-heroine leading the way. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes exotic settings and non-stop action. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this author.
etothem's review
3.0
The main character was interesting but in the end I found myself wishing she was more developed. It was a quick summer read and good for that purpose but could have been much better if it was fleshed out. Then again maybe the verbose and detailed Game of Thrones books have altered my expectations.
sarah_d's review
3.0
This book was fun and thrilling and an all around good read. I spent a lot of time using Google Maps to look up the referenced locations in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, which always adds a nice depth to the story. There were some oddities in the story that made some parts of the storyline a tiny bit awkward, but overall, for a first novel I thought it was excellent. I look forward to reading the next one! 3.5 stars.
adriannepeterson's review
3.0
The next Lisbeth Salander? Probably not. But an overall good thriller with an unusual female protagonist and a suitably interesting plot and backstory. I would recommend this for folks who liked the Dragon series - just don't expect a lot in regard to believability.