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A review by jfranco77
The Ascendant by Drew Chapman
3.0
Garrett Reilly is a one in a billion genius when it comes to spotting patterns amid mountains of chaotic data. Working as a bond trader, he spots a pattern of bond sell-offs and figures out that the Chinese are behind it. So he draws the attention of the military and intelligence communities who want to use his abilities for themselves.
Of course, Garrett has an extreme dislike of the military, after his brother was killed in Afghanistan. The DIA wants him to identify other "secret" activities being orchestrated by the Chinese, and figure out why they're happening. They give him command of a unique team of experts and a mission of thinking outside the box. When things escalate to the brink of a shooting war, only Garrett and his team can save the day.
The characters are slightly nuanced but mostly predictable. I did enjoy the different take on what "war" could look like. But of course that means that the "action" in the book is mostly capture, escape, rinse, repeat. A fun read with enough twists to keep it interesting.
Of course, Garrett has an extreme dislike of the military, after his brother was killed in Afghanistan. The DIA wants him to identify other "secret" activities being orchestrated by the Chinese, and figure out why they're happening. They give him command of a unique team of experts and a mission of thinking outside the box. When things escalate to the brink of a shooting war, only Garrett and his team can save the day.
The characters are slightly nuanced but mostly predictable. I did enjoy the different take on what "war" could look like. But of course that means that the "action" in the book is mostly capture, escape, rinse, repeat. A fun read with enough twists to keep it interesting.