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A review by fredicia
The Ascendant by Drew Chapman
5.0
I got this book from the Goodreads giveaway. Thanks Simon and Schuster Canada. It's not the usual type of book I go for, but I thought "Hey, now that I'm a responsible adult, I should read read non-fantasy adult fiction." And I'm glad I did. Because this book was Awesome (and the capital A is necessary.)
I have sticky notes all over the place so I apologize in advance if the flow is awkward.
This book is like... Sherlock dropped in Ender's Game, narrated by John Grisham. Mix in a Trojan Horse war game and then you're good. We have Garrett, who is, put mildly, an arrogant asshole. He doesn't think everyone is stupid, just that he's smarter than everyone else. But he's super observant and is an absolute genius at recognizing patterns, therefore being able to back up his claims of superiority. He's recruited into the government program Ascendent just before a stealth war with China is about to start.
Emphasis on stealth. It's not a war fought with bombs and missiles and soldiers killing. It's one with hacking and tanking the economy and dirty fighting. And it's very, very effective. Military generals have no idea what to do because there haven't been any overt attacks.
I had a few problems with the novel. There was just too much telling in the beginning. Everything was explained in such precise detail that it got to the point of sounding tedious. Like the CUSIP numbers. Chapman tells you what Garrett's special skill is, where as it would have been more engaging to give a demonstration or two. Or give the demonstration and then explain. It's supposed to be an action book right?
Another problem is the relationship between Alexis and Garrett. I felt like it took away from the book. Yes, Garrett can be downright childish and he loves women and Alexis is very pretty, but it moved too quickly to add to anything. I feel like it was a romantic subplot inserted in there for the sake of having a romantic subplot in the novel. And I know that Alexis was supposed to seduce Garrett and that she was necessary, but it felt very unnatural.
On a better note, I thought the plot and characters were wonderful. It's plot driven like any other action book but the characters all have separate and realistic personalities. Garrett is entertaining and amusing and unpredictable while Alexis is the epitome of a military woman trying to do the right thing for her country. Bingo is like everyone's little brother and Lefebvre is the loyal friend that goes "Guys, we need to go home, we have school tomorrow. Oh god, is that drugs, Garrett?" They clash, they fight, but the reader can tell that there is a bond there. That's hard to convey through writing, and it's pretty impressive that first- time novelist Chapman did it well.
I also loved that America wasn't portrayed as all righteous, and China wasn't all evil. There's good and bad on both sides.
Let's see... What else? Oh yes! The war game. Utterly brilliant. One of the best modern uses of the Trojan Horse tactic I've seen in a novel.
Despite what I mentioned as the problems, it's five stars because it was, overall, a very good book. It was well-rounded, very smartly written, good characters and plot, and it was absorbing and engaging. It made me laugh and giggle and yell "WHAT? OMG OMG OMG" and skip a meal. And it was absolutely worth it.
I have sticky notes all over the place so I apologize in advance if the flow is awkward.
This book is like... Sherlock dropped in Ender's Game, narrated by John Grisham. Mix in a Trojan Horse war game and then you're good. We have Garrett, who is, put mildly, an arrogant asshole. He doesn't think everyone is stupid, just that he's smarter than everyone else. But he's super observant and is an absolute genius at recognizing patterns, therefore being able to back up his claims of superiority. He's recruited into the government program Ascendent just before a stealth war with China is about to start.
Emphasis on stealth. It's not a war fought with bombs and missiles and soldiers killing. It's one with hacking and tanking the economy and dirty fighting. And it's very, very effective. Military generals have no idea what to do because there haven't been any overt attacks.
I had a few problems with the novel. There was just too much telling in the beginning. Everything was explained in such precise detail that it got to the point of sounding tedious. Like the CUSIP numbers. Chapman tells you what Garrett's special skill is, where as it would have been more engaging to give a demonstration or two. Or give the demonstration and then explain. It's supposed to be an action book right?
Another problem is the relationship between Alexis and Garrett. I felt like it took away from the book. Yes, Garrett can be downright childish and he loves women and Alexis is very pretty, but it moved too quickly to add to anything. I feel like it was a romantic subplot inserted in there for the sake of having a romantic subplot in the novel. And I know that Alexis was supposed to seduce Garrett and that she was necessary, but it felt very unnatural.
On a better note, I thought the plot and characters were wonderful. It's plot driven like any other action book but the characters all have separate and realistic personalities. Garrett is entertaining and amusing and unpredictable while Alexis is the epitome of a military woman trying to do the right thing for her country. Bingo is like everyone's little brother and Lefebvre is the loyal friend that goes "Guys, we need to go home, we have school tomorrow. Oh god, is that drugs, Garrett?" They clash, they fight, but the reader can tell that there is a bond there. That's hard to convey through writing, and it's pretty impressive that first- time novelist Chapman did it well.
I also loved that America wasn't portrayed as all righteous, and China wasn't all evil. There's good and bad on both sides.
Let's see... What else? Oh yes! The war game. Utterly brilliant. One of the best modern uses of the Trojan Horse tactic I've seen in a novel.
Despite what I mentioned as the problems, it's five stars because it was, overall, a very good book. It was well-rounded, very smartly written, good characters and plot, and it was absorbing and engaging. It made me laugh and giggle and yell "WHAT? OMG OMG OMG" and skip a meal. And it was absolutely worth it.