serkonos's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Mental illness, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Genocide
Minor: Torture
loishojmark's review
3.0
I absolutely hated this book in so many ways. But I don't know if I'm being pulled along by my nose by the authors. What I do know is, that I have to read the last book to figure this out. What I do like is the multifaceted personalities. The main characters have a lot of unlikable qualities, but there's still a lot to like. I just really feel like knocking their heads together to make them see what they are doing to them selves and to their relationship.
If this had been a regular published book, I would critique the editing. There's a lot of redundant parts and it could have been shortened by quite a bit. But since it's not a normal book, I cannot evaluate it as though. It's just so damn long.
If this had been a regular published book, I would critique the editing. There's a lot of redundant parts and it could have been shortened by quite a bit. But since it's not a normal book, I cannot evaluate it as though. It's just so damn long.
munderoon's review
3.0
I don't feel able to write a review. Well, not true. But I don't feel able to write a LONG one... (Addendum: at least I thought so, but well... didn't work quite well, aye? :p)
So, this book was amazing, no doubt. So far, the authors of the Special Forces NEVER disappointed me, which is rare, but oh so welcomed.
But some aspects of this book were hard to read, but not because they were not well written, but because they transformed my heart for Vadim and Dan into a little ball of fear. (Which does not mean that it wasn't necessary for the book - I see the importance of those things - but my heart considered them as unnecessary.)
All in all, it was a bit difficult to hold on, because you can almost see where everything was going (not a spoiler: to hell). So it didn't thrill me like Merc I (my favorite by now) or Soldiers I+II did, but that's just my opinion.
Nevertheless I'll start with Veterans straight away, though I don't want this to end. I really don't.
I think I never refused to end a book series as much as this one. Even my beloved Jamie and Claire novels (Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon) (will) end someday and though I'm not up to date in that series, I was okay with ending it at some point.
I'm curious to find out if I will be okay with ending Special Forces at some point in Veterans, but at the moment, it looks like I won't. (Yey, that's promising! So much fun to come then... Yes, Sheldon. That was sarcastic.)
Only one thing left to say... no ... hold on, TWO!
First: The last scene broke my heart. Concerning Dan, probably for the first time as hard as this. He isn't my favorite of them, but the end did make me realise that I care as much for him as I do for Vadim. Which startled me at first, but then I hugged my reader and whispered one or two emotional things into fictional Dan's ears.
Second: I'll never forget this series. Never. And I want to thank the authors of Special Forces, because - though I'm not good at talking about feelings apart from fangirl-feelings - this series helped me in a sense I do not understand yet myself. All I know is: I'm very grateful for this experience and if you see this, you perfect team of authors, be aware that I am and will remain a fan of what you do.
Sincerely,
Tabea
PS: Future me - READ THOSE BOOKS AGAIN, OKAY?!
So, this book was amazing, no doubt. So far, the authors of the Special Forces NEVER disappointed me, which is rare, but oh so welcomed.
But some aspects of this book were hard to read, but not because they were not well written, but because they transformed my heart for Vadim and Dan into a little ball of fear. (Which does not mean that it wasn't necessary for the book - I see the importance of those things - but my heart considered them as unnecessary.)
All in all, it was a bit difficult to hold on, because you can almost see where everything was going (not a spoiler: to hell). So it didn't thrill me like Merc I (my favorite by now) or Soldiers I+II did, but that's just my opinion.
Nevertheless I'll start with Veterans straight away, though I don't want this to end. I really don't.
I think I never refused to end a book series as much as this one. Even my beloved Jamie and Claire novels (Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon) (will) end someday and though I'm not up to date in that series, I was okay with ending it at some point.
I'm curious to find out if I will be okay with ending Special Forces at some point in Veterans, but at the moment, it looks like I won't. (Yey, that's promising! So much fun to come then... Yes, Sheldon. That was sarcastic.)
Only one thing left to say... no ... hold on, TWO!
First: The last scene broke my heart. Concerning Dan, probably for the first time as hard as this. He isn't my favorite of them, but the end did make me realise that I care as much for him as I do for Vadim. Which startled me at first, but then I hugged my reader and whispered one or two emotional things into fictional Dan's ears.
Second: I'll never forget this series. Never. And I want to thank the authors of Special Forces, because - though I'm not good at talking about feelings apart from fangirl-feelings - this series helped me in a sense I do not understand yet myself. All I know is: I'm very grateful for this experience and if you see this, you perfect team of authors, be aware that I am and will remain a fan of what you do.
Sincerely,
Tabea
PS: Future me - READ THOSE BOOKS AGAIN, OKAY?!
leahkarge's review
5.0
Review for Special Forces as a whole can be found here.
Favorite Quotes:
Duncan said, made a movement with his hand, as if trying to brush all of it away. “Fast forward, aye? So, how did you figure out that you were attracted to each other?”
“Oh,” Dan laughed suddenly, a single dry sound, “that was easy. Vadim just shot me in the shoulder.”
(39, Duncan & Dan)
Vadim pushed his cuffs to the side to check on his watch. “Twenty minutes. Should we head downstairs?”
“I think we should. I need to show off my fucking sexy, goddamned perfect partner.” Dan grinned.
(132, Vadim & Dan)
Still grinning, he got out of the car, not bothering to lock it. "It’s strange, you know." Standing and inhaling deeply, while very slowly turning around himself.
“Strange?” Vadim closed the car door. He figured locking that wouldn’t strictly be necessary either, but he still did.
“Aye, strange. I never had a home. Not since I left my family’s farm.” Dan’s face faintly illuminated by the new moon. “And here I am, at the other side of the world, with my partner, and standing in front of our home.” He turned to face Vadim, “it’s one of the best fucking feelings ever.”
Vadim closed the distance and embraced him. “It will be good, Dan. I promise.”
(189, Dan & Vadim)
“Give me time.” He whispered, face close, heads touching. “Give me a little time until I’ve understood myself, and I’ll be what you need me to be.”
“You are everything I need. I’m just saying, I trust you. Whatever you want to do. I need you. And that includes ways and things that everybody else would shy away from. Because we’re not everybody, Dan. We’re us.”
(196, Dan & Vadim)
“As long as you’re not in love with the man, then why feel guilty because you’re having fun? Besides, I’ve been thinking...if you did fall in love with someone else there would be pretty little I could do.” He suddenly chuckled, “except for ripping your guts out, cutting your balls off and stuffing them down your throat, of course.”
“Charming way to say you’re jealous.” Vadim gave a soft laugh, and noticed the faint but good coffee smell spread in the kitchen.
“I’m not!” Dan protested, too quickly to be entirely believable. “Just...damn, I remember I told you I’d never be separated from you again. Now that I am I don’t fucking like it.”
(275, Dan & Vadim)
And he needed to know, had to...why? Because hurt ran as deep as blood and lust, but nothing ever reached as far down as the love. Battered, broken, full of anger, but he’d been through too much to give up on it. Not yet.
(358, Dan)
Kissing once more, didn’t matter that they were scratchy and stubbly, hadn’t changed their clothing for too many hours and the only water that touched them had gone down their throat. Didn’t matter. Just Vadim. Too long, but it was all good now. Had to be. After all, the truth was an old acquaintance of his.
(477, Dan)
“You could think he got me into prison. Truth is, I got myself there. And he got me out of it. He’d been keeping me together, Katya. He’s keeping me sane. He’s there when I wake up screaming at night. He's there to guard my back against the savages down in the Balkans. The Gulf. And wherever else we go. We’re soldiers, still. Mercenaries. We put our skin out there, our hearts, minds, whatever we are, and we already go through so much shit. My mind’s broken, and Dan’s body is starting to come apart, and all we want is to gracefully retire and make it out alive, and then you use his child to hurt my partner? The man I depend on for my sanity? That’s low, Katya. That’s off target, and you know it. And I know it, because you’ve never done anything this ignoble and downright wretched before. I know. I know you’re made from steel and bone, and I’ve always respected you. But hurting Dan like that? Kicking a man who has never done you any harm? Not a nice thing to do, Katya.” He looked at her, and she was pale, taut, angry, shocked. He waited, breathing, knew he’d let his anger out, too much of it, likely. Truth was, somebody had had to say it.
(535, Vadim)
“It’s beautiful.” Dan sipped his wine, watching. “Like you.” Fuck, and where had that stuff suddenly come from?
(538, Dan)
"I owe you."
“You owe Dan.”
“He’s a friend, too. But ...” Dima inhaled, his grip stronger now. “If I have to choose, I’m standing with a brother.”
Vadim smiled, touched against his will. Brother. The good kind of family.
“Thought you never bought the military doctrine bullshit.”
“No bullshit.” Dima stared at him with an intensity that was unlike him. “I won’t do it a second time. I’ll be there. Whatever you need, whenever you need me. I’ll be there. As a comrade.”
(641, Dima & Vadim)
Favorite Quotes:
Duncan said, made a movement with his hand, as if trying to brush all of it away. “Fast forward, aye? So, how did you figure out that you were attracted to each other?”
“Oh,” Dan laughed suddenly, a single dry sound, “that was easy. Vadim just shot me in the shoulder.”
(39, Duncan & Dan)
Vadim pushed his cuffs to the side to check on his watch. “Twenty minutes. Should we head downstairs?”
“I think we should. I need to show off my fucking sexy, goddamned perfect partner.” Dan grinned.
(132, Vadim & Dan)
Still grinning, he got out of the car, not bothering to lock it. "It’s strange, you know." Standing and inhaling deeply, while very slowly turning around himself.
“Strange?” Vadim closed the car door. He figured locking that wouldn’t strictly be necessary either, but he still did.
“Aye, strange. I never had a home. Not since I left my family’s farm.” Dan’s face faintly illuminated by the new moon. “And here I am, at the other side of the world, with my partner, and standing in front of our home.” He turned to face Vadim, “it’s one of the best fucking feelings ever.”
Vadim closed the distance and embraced him. “It will be good, Dan. I promise.”
(189, Dan & Vadim)
“Give me time.” He whispered, face close, heads touching. “Give me a little time until I’ve understood myself, and I’ll be what you need me to be.”
“You are everything I need. I’m just saying, I trust you. Whatever you want to do. I need you. And that includes ways and things that everybody else would shy away from. Because we’re not everybody, Dan. We’re us.”
(196, Dan & Vadim)
“As long as you’re not in love with the man, then why feel guilty because you’re having fun? Besides, I’ve been thinking...if you did fall in love with someone else there would be pretty little I could do.” He suddenly chuckled, “except for ripping your guts out, cutting your balls off and stuffing them down your throat, of course.”
“Charming way to say you’re jealous.” Vadim gave a soft laugh, and noticed the faint but good coffee smell spread in the kitchen.
“I’m not!” Dan protested, too quickly to be entirely believable. “Just...damn, I remember I told you I’d never be separated from you again. Now that I am I don’t fucking like it.”
(275, Dan & Vadim)
And he needed to know, had to...why? Because hurt ran as deep as blood and lust, but nothing ever reached as far down as the love. Battered, broken, full of anger, but he’d been through too much to give up on it. Not yet.
(358, Dan)
Kissing once more, didn’t matter that they were scratchy and stubbly, hadn’t changed their clothing for too many hours and the only water that touched them had gone down their throat. Didn’t matter. Just Vadim. Too long, but it was all good now. Had to be. After all, the truth was an old acquaintance of his.
(477, Dan)
“You could think he got me into prison. Truth is, I got myself there. And he got me out of it. He’d been keeping me together, Katya. He’s keeping me sane. He’s there when I wake up screaming at night. He's there to guard my back against the savages down in the Balkans. The Gulf. And wherever else we go. We’re soldiers, still. Mercenaries. We put our skin out there, our hearts, minds, whatever we are, and we already go through so much shit. My mind’s broken, and Dan’s body is starting to come apart, and all we want is to gracefully retire and make it out alive, and then you use his child to hurt my partner? The man I depend on for my sanity? That’s low, Katya. That’s off target, and you know it. And I know it, because you’ve never done anything this ignoble and downright wretched before. I know. I know you’re made from steel and bone, and I’ve always respected you. But hurting Dan like that? Kicking a man who has never done you any harm? Not a nice thing to do, Katya.” He looked at her, and she was pale, taut, angry, shocked. He waited, breathing, knew he’d let his anger out, too much of it, likely. Truth was, somebody had had to say it.
(535, Vadim)
“It’s beautiful.” Dan sipped his wine, watching. “Like you.” Fuck, and where had that stuff suddenly come from?
(538, Dan)
"I owe you."
“You owe Dan.”
“He’s a friend, too. But ...” Dima inhaled, his grip stronger now. “If I have to choose, I’m standing with a brother.”
Vadim smiled, touched against his will. Brother. The good kind of family.
“Thought you never bought the military doctrine bullshit.”
“No bullshit.” Dima stared at him with an intensity that was unlike him. “I won’t do it a second time. I’ll be there. Whatever you need, whenever you need me. I’ll be there. As a comrade.”
(641, Dima & Vadim)
paracosmere's review
3.0
I'll be writing here my review for both Mercenaries I & II as I have a fairly similar feelings towards the two parts.
Straight to the point, someone said this in another review but yes, I feel BETRAYED. This summed up exactly what I felt after reading Mercenaries. I didn't like how their relationship had evolved in these books after everything they've gone through. The first quarter of part I had been fine, all I was interested about had been how the two would fare years later, being as in love as they were at that point. However, when Dan started to sleep around with almost every guy out there, that sent me an ominous feeling. The first time with Jean, I accepted, but he didn't stop at that. It seemed like the moment Vadim turns away even just for a moment he's out pouncing on other men and that was what's making me cringe at times. I get it, he's not getting back to monogamy anymore but it'd started becoming too uncomfortable for me to read. I, for one, love erotic stories with lotsa sex. It's just this one had too much of it with, what I think, irrelevant people that it was truly unnecessary.
All throughout Part I I'd wished Vadim would also go out and shag some guys just so I'd feel something's fair, which is still against what I would've wanted. And then Vadim did so in Part II. Even though it had felt a bit like getting even with Dan, it still felt so wrong. It was Dan who encouraged him to do so after all. And he had the audacity to feel jealous. He couldn't have had expected people to be same as himself.
To be honest, the story could've gone without all the sexual adventures with almost every single person Dan laid his eyes on. I'd honestly skipped some of the sex parts cos I don't think it would add any significance to the plot anyway. I'm here for Vadim and Dan's story, not for their harem and instant sexual gratifications with other guys. And also a hint of love triangle with Hooch? I didn't appreciate that at all, I HATE love triangles. Like I said, the story could've gone a different route.
I learned to relish and cherish those scene with just the two of them together which felt like very few and far in between throughout the books.
The MCs seemed like entirely different characters from the ones we knew in Soldiers.
But who am I to demand these things eh? I wouldn't fault the authors, they can write whatever they wanted to. I just have my own hopes and wishes for something different.
Some of the things I liked about this though was how they recounted how they met and fell in love to other people. It helps me remember the 'better' parts of what I've read, how powerful their relationship was, and just how goddamned head over heels they were for each other. And also, gotta commend Dan for his unwavering support and understanding of Vadim. That takes a lot of strength mentally, emotionally, and physically even when Vadim couldn't stop his fists from flying. I just had to disregard all his habit of instantly having sex with random people just so I won't loathe the way his character was written.
I was so ready to quit on this and was only holding on to Vadim's character to keep going, though it seemed he'd been fucked up too in the end of Part II.
If it wasn't for the factors I mentioned this is easily another 5-star rating from me. Giving it a 3 seemed generous but hey, it doesn't matter, I'm just one person feeling this way I guess, we still did get some story development about our main MCs, albeit it getting buried under all the sex lol.
And since I'm a slave for pain and still obsessed with Vadim, I guess I'd just have to march on to Veterans still holding on to hope that we might get a happy ending. Right?
Straight to the point, someone said this in another review but yes, I feel BETRAYED. This summed up exactly what I felt after reading Mercenaries. I didn't like how their relationship had evolved in these books after everything they've gone through. The first quarter of part I had been fine, all I was interested about had been how the two would fare years later, being as in love as they were at that point. However, when Dan started to sleep around with almost every guy out there, that sent me an ominous feeling. The first time with Jean, I accepted, but he didn't stop at that. It seemed like the moment Vadim turns away even just for a moment he's out pouncing on other men and that was what's making me cringe at times. I get it, he's not getting back to monogamy anymore but it'd started becoming too uncomfortable for me to read. I, for one, love erotic stories with lotsa sex. It's just this one had too much of it with, what I think, irrelevant people that it was truly unnecessary.
All throughout Part I I'd wished Vadim would also go out and shag some guys just so I'd feel something's fair, which is still against what I would've wanted. And then Vadim did so in Part II. Even though it had felt a bit like getting even with Dan, it still felt so wrong. It was Dan who encouraged him to do so after all. And he had the audacity to feel jealous. He couldn't have had expected people to be same as himself.
To be honest, the story could've gone without all the sexual adventures with almost every single person Dan laid his eyes on. I'd honestly skipped some of the sex parts cos I don't think it would add any significance to the plot anyway. I'm here for Vadim and Dan's story, not for their harem and instant sexual gratifications with other guys. And also a hint of love triangle with Hooch? I didn't appreciate that at all, I HATE love triangles. Like I said, the story could've gone a different route.
I learned to relish and cherish those scene with just the two of them together which felt like very few and far in between throughout the books.
The MCs seemed like entirely different characters from the ones we knew in Soldiers.
But who am I to demand these things eh? I wouldn't fault the authors, they can write whatever they wanted to. I just have my own hopes and wishes for something different.
Some of the things I liked about this though was how they recounted how they met and fell in love to other people. It helps me remember the 'better' parts of what I've read, how powerful their relationship was, and just how goddamned head over heels they were for each other. And also, gotta commend Dan for his unwavering support and understanding of Vadim. That takes a lot of strength mentally, emotionally, and physically even when Vadim couldn't stop his fists from flying. I just had to disregard all his habit of instantly having sex with random people just so I won't loathe the way his character was written.
I was so ready to quit on this and was only holding on to Vadim's character to keep going, though it seemed he'd been fucked up too in the end of Part II.
If it wasn't for the factors I mentioned this is easily another 5-star rating from me. Giving it a 3 seemed generous but hey, it doesn't matter, I'm just one person feeling this way I guess, we still did get some story development about our main MCs, albeit it getting buried under all the sex lol.
And since I'm a slave for pain and still obsessed with Vadim, I guess I'd just have to march on to Veterans still holding on to hope that we might get a happy ending. Right?
tichamm's review
3.0
3.75 stars (but since I'm petty I only give officially 3 stars)
For starters: when I began this book, I was so mad about the past one, for maaany reasons, much of them, concerning the abundance of sex scenes that bored me to death and the fact that much of them didn't have the two main characters (if it's like the two of them plus more people, I'm not mad; but an "open relationship" it's a no no for me, since Vadim doens't clearly like it).
In this review I decided to pick up some aspects that made the difference or not in this book:
1st The caring and feeling good scenes
2nd The amout of sex scenes
-> 15 with Dan
-> 18 with Vadim
-> 7 of them were the main pairing ONLY
-> 3 threesoms and 1 foursome
-> 4 Vadim and Hooch
-> 1 Dan and Jean (thank god there wasn't more, but I know that in the next book there will be a loooot more)
-> 1 Dan and Dima
-> 1 Dan and Markus
-> 1 Dan and Maurice
-> 1 Dan and Matt (this one technically doesn't count since there wasn't any description of the event, but we know they fucked)
-> 1 Dan and Beauvais
And there was Dima and Maurice and Dima and Markus, but they aren't relevant to this now.
So, after all of this, we can say that Dan had a lot of different sexual partners, in comparison to Vadim who only had sex with Hooch (without Dan). Throughout the book, there was some instances where Vadim was clearly annoyed by this fact, but since Dan let's him have his ay with Hooch, he doesn't feel like he can say anything, which is wrong, since it was Dan that made Vadim and Hooch "a thing". And yes, sex can be sex without love, but there is still a need to garantee that if you are in a relationship and that the people in it love eachother, there is still a need of communication. And at the end of the book, Vadim let's Hooch go because he knows it's not correct and that Dan is suffering, but Dan can't see that Vadim is suffering inside, because it's how he does it!
3rd JEAN
What really surprised me is the fact that this book only covered 1-2 years and there was so much going on - in the next book I will really feel the years going by.
I will save the rest of the things I might want to rant in the next and FINAL book, I can't wait!
For starters: when I began this book, I was so mad about the past one, for maaany reasons, much of them, concerning the abundance of sex scenes that bored me to death and the fact that much of them didn't have the two main characters (if it's like the two of them plus more people, I'm not mad; but an "open relationship" it's a no no for me, since Vadim doens't clearly like it).
In this review I decided to pick up some aspects that made the difference or not in this book:
1st The caring and feeling good scenes
Spoiler
Okay, this scenes were so good, and my favorite was in the first chapters - their visit to Duncan. I was bawling my eyes out with this scenes, they were so so good and showed the true characters of Dan and Vadim and how much they love each other! UGHHHH, sooo goood. This kinds of scenes, really keeps me going.2nd The amout of sex scenes
Spoiler
Since I'm really petty (the word that describes me best), and since I felt that [b:Special Forces - Mercenaries Part I|7909618|Special Forces - Mercenaries Part I (Special Forces, #2 part 1)|Aleksandr Voinov|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1269463879s/7909618.jpg|11183462] was FULL to the brim with unecessary sex scenes (specially in the last 150 pages), I decided to count them and see how many there were and how many of them where with whom. So I have come with this results:-> 15 with Dan
-> 18 with Vadim
-> 7 of them were the main pairing ONLY
-> 3 threesoms and 1 foursome
-> 4 Vadim and Hooch
-> 1 Dan and Jean (thank god there wasn't more, but I know that in the next book there will be a loooot more)
-> 1 Dan and Dima
-> 1 Dan and Markus
-> 1 Dan and Maurice
-> 1 Dan and Matt (this one technically doesn't count since there wasn't any description of the event, but we know they fucked)
-> 1 Dan and Beauvais
And there was Dima and Maurice and Dima and Markus, but they aren't relevant to this now.
So, after all of this, we can say that Dan had a lot of different sexual partners, in comparison to Vadim who only had sex with Hooch (without Dan). Throughout the book, there was some instances where Vadim was clearly annoyed by this fact, but since Dan let's him have his ay with Hooch, he doesn't feel like he can say anything, which is wrong, since it was Dan that made Vadim and Hooch "a thing". And yes, sex can be sex without love, but there is still a need to garantee that if you are in a relationship and that the people in it love eachother, there is still a need of communication. And at the end of the book, Vadim let's Hooch go because he knows it's not correct and that Dan is suffering, but Dan can't see that Vadim is suffering inside, because it's how he does it!
3rd JEAN
Spoiler
I swear to god that if Jean messes with Dan and Vadim I'm freakin going to go nuts! Here we have a case of a person who is "Straight" and "happily married" and that still fucks around, with guys, and that the one person he thinks about many times is Dan. At least in this case, Dan is a little bit put off because after Jean got married, he thought that Jean wouldn't have sex with someone outside of their marriage, but how wrong was he! I will stop here, because I'll know I have much more to rant in the next book.Spoiler
I just want to say that Katya was really bitchy by sendind those photos. Kisa must really be a cuuuute babyWhat really surprised me is the fact that this book only covered 1-2 years and there was so much going on - in the next book I will really feel the years going by.
I will save the rest of the things I might want to rant in the next and FINAL book, I can't wait!
kaje_harper's review
4.0
This story still has me trapped, enthralled, and generally neglecting real life to pursue it.
This installment is a little less focused than the first two. Some of the sex, although still scorching, feels gratuitous, especially when it doesn't involve either MC. Even some that does involve Vadim and/or Dan is not revealing in any plot sense. There are also moments here and there when the language usage doesn't sound like a native English speaker. But that doesn't keep this from being among the most addictive stories I have read.
As the story moves back and forth, there are shifts between the characters related to who is focused on their partner and who is lost in their own head. This results in a constant tension. In this book, Dan regains some of the depth he was lacking through much of Mercenaries I, as he tried to be Mad Dog, the uber-soldier and opportunistic cocksucker. The darkness in Vadim, which was clearly just suppressed and never healed in the previous book, breaks loose and its depth is shocking to both Dan and the reader. These guys don't talk to each other about the things that matter most, both apparently afraid that opening up the dark places in their relationship and in their psyches might break them apart. Ironically that means they hurt each other again and again, in ways large and small. Those wounds they inflict on each other are often bandaged over with apologies and let's-move-on rather than discussed, lanced and healed. But the degree to which these very different men are bound together at their core is also clear.
This book has some great action sequences, and some of the secondary characters become more fascinating and nuanced, although occasionally their stories intrude a little on the main thrust of the book and the MC's. The ending is a partial cliff-hanger, and propels the reader into Veterans, with a deep foreboding about dark and murky waters ahead.
This installment is a little less focused than the first two. Some of the sex, although still scorching, feels gratuitous, especially when it doesn't involve either MC. Even some that does involve Vadim and/or Dan is not revealing in any plot sense. There are also moments here and there when the language usage doesn't sound like a native English speaker. But that doesn't keep this from being among the most addictive stories I have read.
As the story moves back and forth, there are shifts between the characters related to who is focused on their partner and who is lost in their own head. This results in a constant tension. In this book, Dan regains some of the depth he was lacking through much of Mercenaries I, as he tried to be Mad Dog, the uber-soldier and opportunistic cocksucker. The darkness in Vadim, which was clearly just suppressed and never healed in the previous book, breaks loose and its depth is shocking to both Dan and the reader. These guys don't talk to each other about the things that matter most, both apparently afraid that opening up the dark places in their relationship and in their psyches might break them apart. Ironically that means they hurt each other again and again, in ways large and small. Those wounds they inflict on each other are often bandaged over with apologies and let's-move-on rather than discussed, lanced and healed. But the degree to which these very different men are bound together at their core is also clear.
This book has some great action sequences, and some of the secondary characters become more fascinating and nuanced, although occasionally their stories intrude a little on the main thrust of the book and the MC's. The ending is a partial cliff-hanger, and propels the reader into Veterans, with a deep foreboding about dark and murky waters ahead.