Scan barcode
ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
4.0
I almost confused this book with Hidden Order. My bad. For the record, its been five years since I read it, and a few books back, the plots stopped distinguishing themselves. This book, I feel, was the beginning of the decline in Thor's novels. At least for me personally. I'd read so many and all so closely together that I was starting to lose interest. Not good for a thriller. That's the whole reason for the four stars, which actually feels fairly generous considering I don't remember a damn thing. It just wasn't memorable. One could chalk that up to how long its been since I read and since I started reviewing it, but the thing is, I have much better recollections of earlier Brad Thor novels than I do this one, and I'd read those before this. It just got to that point in the series where even though it was entertaining, it was very surface level entertainment that didn't stick with me in any meaningful way. I don't know why I gave this book four stars, but I was consistently in the habit of giving them five stars, so obviously something was a little off in this one, even if I don't remember what (which might be precisely the reason it got the four stars in the first place).
utbw42's review against another edition
4.0
By far the best Brad Thor book yet (even better than The Last Patriot), and one of the best books I've read in the past few years. This book mixes outstanding nail-biting suspense with spot-on descriptions of our nation and its issues in a way that just flows through the pages. I recommend this book to anyone.
missmontanad's review against another edition
I could not get myself to be invested. I’m sure this is someone’s jam but it is not mine.
Action, guns, shifting perspective. No thank you.
Action, guns, shifting perspective. No thank you.
tortacular's review against another edition
1.0
I really enjoyed the Harvath series of books early on, and also enjoyed The Athena Project offshoot. The action in the books has always been quite a fun read. But the political commentary has gotten so heavy-handed that I couldn't even finish Full Black. Which is disappointing as Harvath was always an interesting character in an escapist over-the-top hero way.
drakedw's review against another edition
4.0
Another great In the Harvath series. This time Harvath is racing all over chasing a master plot to take down the US with multiple attacks throughout multiple locations.
venkyloquist's review against another edition
2.0
460 pages of high octane, maniacal marauding stuff where someone is either getting killed or killing someone! Only the method of the murder varies. Cutting the carotid, detonating explosives, and at times even detonating themselves (after all its better to burn out than to fade away!), riddling foes with bullets while friends get sloughed away with shotguns, Full Black is where-Chuck Norris-meets-Salman Khan-meets-Phantom. After a point in time the reader is left exhausted and wondering who else is left to be picked away other than himself/herself.
Ok coming to the story itself – yes there is a story – a covert operation in Uppsala Sweden to infiltrate and expose a terrorist network goes sideways with the gruesome death of many US Secret Service Professionals. The master mind behind the Operation Scot Harvath is a former Navy Seals (of course he has to be a navy seal. The rate at which these novels are proliferating the appearance and disappearance of Navy seals would be enough to cause great affront to real seals) who is the very epitome of ruthlessness. His organisation which works from the very bowels of secrecy is unknown to even the FBI and the CIA. In fact, other than the reader and Harvath’s boss Carlton Reed a.k.a “The Old Man”, no one knows the existence of this elite killing machine. Their secrecy is taken to a different level, even surpassing Victoria’s when to avenge their brothers they go “FULL BLACK”.
Thrown in a megalomaniac multi billionaire who calls himself, “The Sheikh of Qatar”, a dwarf who is a technology wizard with two humongous Russian dogs for company, another Navy Seal – there are multiple seals in this vast pool – with a limp, love life gone awry and the latest killing techniques, a Hollywood film producer who other than working on movies, seems to be busy saving his life as he is chased across the United States by a bunch of ugly looking, ugly acting Russians, (yes there are Russian canines as well as Russian cartel), you have a pot boiler which keeps careening, plummeting and racing through paths made fertile by a roving, roaming imagination that puts even Kurt Cobain on steroids to utter shame!
Full Black – makes you go colour blind!
Ok coming to the story itself – yes there is a story – a covert operation in Uppsala Sweden to infiltrate and expose a terrorist network goes sideways with the gruesome death of many US Secret Service Professionals. The master mind behind the Operation Scot Harvath is a former Navy Seals (of course he has to be a navy seal. The rate at which these novels are proliferating the appearance and disappearance of Navy seals would be enough to cause great affront to real seals) who is the very epitome of ruthlessness. His organisation which works from the very bowels of secrecy is unknown to even the FBI and the CIA. In fact, other than the reader and Harvath’s boss Carlton Reed a.k.a “The Old Man”, no one knows the existence of this elite killing machine. Their secrecy is taken to a different level, even surpassing Victoria’s when to avenge their brothers they go “FULL BLACK”.
Thrown in a megalomaniac multi billionaire who calls himself, “The Sheikh of Qatar”, a dwarf who is a technology wizard with two humongous Russian dogs for company, another Navy Seal – there are multiple seals in this vast pool – with a limp, love life gone awry and the latest killing techniques, a Hollywood film producer who other than working on movies, seems to be busy saving his life as he is chased across the United States by a bunch of ugly looking, ugly acting Russians, (yes there are Russian canines as well as Russian cartel), you have a pot boiler which keeps careening, plummeting and racing through paths made fertile by a roving, roaming imagination that puts even Kurt Cobain on steroids to utter shame!
Full Black – makes you go colour blind!
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
I have long been a BRAD THOR fan and this was, by no means, a let-down. Thor brings yet another great novel, filled with espionage and undercover military action, chalked full of info about military ops, and 'torn from the headlines' news.
I have become accustomed to Thor's direct approach to the entire subject of military ops and do not try to nit-pick in order to find flaws in what he writes and what 'is'. I find it sufficient to just let it all be, as I do for Vince Flynn's MITCH RAPP series. However, I do find that Thor really does have a great grasp on it all and I am swept up in the thrill of the chapters as they take down the evildoers that lurk around all corners.
No Thor book would be complete without jabs at the current situation around us, both politically and economically. Thor lectures us, through one of his characters, about the fall of the US economy (read: world economy) and how the mortgage crisis only exacerbated it. He also plants interesting ideas surrounding socialism and communism, vilifying the former and not the latter. I find this highly interesting and the way in which it is done. No hammering the info into my mind or down my throat.
I was not sure how Thor would bounce back from his (and I pardon any offense I may instill here)GIRL POWER novel, but all remains quite successful. I liked THE ATHENA PROJECT, but pined for the traditional series, which seems to be back. Bring me more of them both (combo) and I will have no concerns at all!
Kudos, Mr. Thor... onto the next one (when you complete it)!
I have become accustomed to Thor's direct approach to the entire subject of military ops and do not try to nit-pick in order to find flaws in what he writes and what 'is'. I find it sufficient to just let it all be, as I do for Vince Flynn's MITCH RAPP series. However, I do find that Thor really does have a great grasp on it all and I am swept up in the thrill of the chapters as they take down the evildoers that lurk around all corners.
No Thor book would be complete without jabs at the current situation around us, both politically and economically. Thor lectures us, through one of his characters, about the fall of the US economy (read: world economy) and how the mortgage crisis only exacerbated it. He also plants interesting ideas surrounding socialism and communism, vilifying the former and not the latter. I find this highly interesting and the way in which it is done. No hammering the info into my mind or down my throat.
I was not sure how Thor would bounce back from his (and I pardon any offense I may instill here)GIRL POWER novel, but all remains quite successful. I liked THE ATHENA PROJECT, but pined for the traditional series, which seems to be back. Bring me more of them both (combo) and I will have no concerns at all!
Kudos, Mr. Thor... onto the next one (when you complete it)!
ctgt's review against another edition
1.0
Actually could not finish this book. Found myself nodding off at the table while reading. I have read several Thor books in the past and enjoyed them. When I read an action story, I want the pace to be very quick, but I found sections that seemed to be nothing but filler and struggled to find a reason to continue. In the end, I gave up. There are too many books on my to-read list to force myself to finish a book I am not enjoying.
wc4's review against another edition
4.0
Another Scot Harvath novel typical of these kinds of novels. There's an interesting premise that a wealthy industrialist who wants to change the world is the real power behind Islamic terrorism. It's also full of possible methods terrorists can use to paralyze America. Scary but informative at the same time.
danperlman's review against another edition
4.0
And... we're back. After the last two that kind of stepped back from the action, this one brings it back, though delves once again into a scenario that's a bit hard to swallow. Still, who knows?