I got everything I wanted,needed and expected! Fights against outlaws and monsters. An independent and determined heroine. And my personal favorite, a hot vigilante dressed in black! There were a couple of times when Wil annoyed me,but in general she was a likable heroine,stubborn and fierce,and her need to protect her people was touching! I admired her for having the strength to admit that her parents might have been wrong,and for the way she handled things when she found out Black Knife's commitments,that was very mature of her! The romance wasn't on the spotlight but it developed naturally and managed to give me all the feels,especially towards the end!
Speaking of which,I am very glad I decided to wait until The Mirror King was published because apparently Jodi Meadows is one of those authors. The ones who write cliffhangers from Hell and watch the world burn from their villain lair,rubbing their hands. That depends on your expectations and standards,but personally, I had a great time reading it! View all 24 comments. The father of the prince was angry. He commanded his armies to rescue her son and killed the king and queen of Aecor. Every adult living in the palace was slaughtered but the king gave mercy to the highborn children and the king and queen's daughter to be brought to Skyvale, The Capital of Indigo Kingdom.
But he never found her or the highborn children that were still alive. Almost ten years later, Aecor is different. The people of Aecor are suffering hunger, opperession and crippling taxes and the sudden disapperances of all know flashers. The people of Aecor don't know that they still have hope because Princess Wilhelmina Korte, The future queen of Aecor is still alive and She will take back Aecor. She'll do everything to take back Aecor, even she has to risk her own life My Opinion the first time I read this book which was a few months ago, I liked it so much wait No I didn't like it, I loved it so much I even gave 5 Stars to this book and I cried so much at the ending.
But after I passed a few months, I didn't really care about reading the second book but I remembered how I loved this book so I decided to re-read it again before reading The Mirror King. The Romance it's slow burn romance, enemies to lovers and No love triangles for sure. You must be wondering Why did I give this book 3. I gave this book 3. I can't make myself to read the second book, I just can't. Tried finishing The Orphan Queen was such a terrible torture to me but I managed to finish it and I was am kind of proud to myself that I could finish this book because while reading it, I thought several times to DNF it.
But I won't tell you not to read this book because I'm not like that , if you want to read this book, then read it maybe you'll like it and I'd love to read your review about it too. Thank you so much for reading my review, guys!! Apr 16, Mizuki rated it did not like it Shelves: A lost Queen and her pals try to reclaim their kingdom! What can go wrong!? Well, everything , almost everything. I'm breathing fire and brimstone after reading the whole book.
Some 19 orpha Fantasy! Some 19 orphans the Ospreys banded together to try reclaiming their lost kingdom from the invading kingdom, among them the supposedly 'lost' princess. How will they take back their kingdom? After reading a whole book I still don't know! Supposedly they has been stealing to support themselves, some operations had been ran, supposedly there are some resistance groups, but the details and the goals of those Ospreys have hardly been made clear.
The princess simply walks into the Indigo's court with no disguise even though she knows the crown prince might recognize her! Examples like these are countless in the book! I have no idea why the publisher still insists on me to believe she is a 'strong woman'! Last but not least Black Knife also turns out being this Still, I will give this sequel a chance just for the sake of finishing a series. Review for book 2: View all 12 comments. Jul 07, Andreea Pop rated it really liked it Shelves: This beauty of a book, called The Orphan Queen , stole my heart really easily, despite its numerous flaws.
I won't lie, the beginning was far from impressive, because probably this book's biggest flaw was its predictability. I saw plot twists from miles away, but what saved the novel from my putting it down was actually the unraveling of said plot twists. It was entertaining and satisfying and done in a clever manner. Another aspect that had me cringing was the originality. In terms of character This beauty of a book, called The Orphan Queen , stole my heart really easily, despite its numerous flaws.
In terms of characters, for the first half or so, Tobiah the Crown Prince of Indigo Kingdom and James his bodyguard were very much Dorian and Chaol from ToG, only with their personalities reversed. Then there's Wilhelmina, a disguised orphan queen who's after taking back her conquered kingdom, and that again struck me as a deja-vu with the newest books in the ToG series, not to mention the whole dynamic between Wil and Tobiah I'm a sucker for Dorlaena anyway. Plotwise, the initial opening of the book reminded me a lot of Snow Like Ashes.
In both books we have a very small group of rebels fighting to free their country, but in this case the group is made entirely out of teenager orphans and that detail reduced the plausibility of the story -- let's be honest: But hey, it's fantasy. You can see that I could damn the rating of this book for its multiple faults, but I don't because I really really liked it.
I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the atmosphere and if that doesn't make a story worthwhile, I don't know what does. For instance, Wil, although no Celaena Sardothien, is a strong heroine, brave and moral and compassionate. She fights her own battles fiercely and it covers up the fact that sometimes she can be incredibly over emotional, overwhelmed and inexperienced. I admired her wonderful development that ensured we will be seeing more of her queenly demeanor. Black Knife -- oh, may I swoon? He was the perfect blend of danger, sarcasm, dedication and selflessness, with a dash of sexy.
I loved everything about him and my heart was really happy about his and Wil's developing friendship. Melanie, as Wil's best friend, kind of sucked. Oh, and Patrick, cut the crap and stay put. The story itself involves a lot of magic and how its overuse has terrifying consequences -- the creation of the wraith. No one knows what to do with it or how to stop it since it's basically ruining kingdoms every left and right.
The Indigo Kingdom is the next in line for its destruction, but soon Aecor Wil's kingdom will meet the same fate, so that makes it Wil's responsibility to deal with the unnatural. This plotline offers a lot of excitement and I honestly can't wait to get to know more about magic in the next book. I absolutely loved how romance wasn't the main focus of the book, but still somehow managed to be important. It developed naturally and also added a shade of forbidden excitement to the story.
And oh my, the romance itself, although never crossing beyond kissing, was all kinds of wonderful, butterflies-inducing and lovely. There was tension, there was slow burning, there were exquisite feelings and finally -- courtesy of that cruel ending that delivered two sucker-punches one after another -- aching yearning, helplessness and deep regret. After all, there's still the sequel, The Mirror King , waiting for me in April but I have faith Edelweiss and HarperCollins will do their mojo and save me the eternal torture.
And I just want to add how happy and grateful I am to see this series is a duology! I honestly thought it was going to be a trilogy, but lucky me I was wrong. We need more duologies anyway. Coming back to Meadows' books, I'll be sure to pick up her Incarnate series right away since they drew me in with their prettiness a few years ago and now I don't need any more persuasion to read them.
Don't expect an extraordinary writing style; it's nothing special or fancy, but she managed to make her world-building compelling even if it's not the definition of awesomeness and I have to give respect where it's due. Thrilling from start to finish, threaded with toe-curling romance and woven with enigmatic magical elements, The Orphan Queen is a new favorite of mine and if you're looking for a captivating fantasy read, then I wholeheartedly suggest picking it up.
View all 11 comments. Nov 12, Jenna Major rated it really liked it Recommends it for: For a book with so many mixed reviews, I really liked it!! Wil' short for Wilhelmina is a Princess of a kingdom conquered by the Indigo Kingdom. Orphaned, she and the other children of deceased nobles have banded together. They have spent the last 10 years training, stealing and surviving in the Indigo Kingdom. They are planning to take her kingdom back. Although Wil' has a secret of her own. Magic has been outlawed because of an overwhelming magical mist that is taking over the world called 'w For a book with so many mixed reviews, I really liked it!!
Magic has been outlawed because of an overwhelming magical mist that is taking over the world called 'wraith'. It is believed that magic is the cause of the 'wraith' which is why it was banned. Wil has magic and only uses it in emergencies. Her fellow orphans are unaware because it would make her even more vulnerable. The wraith is moving faster and recently destroyed an entire kingdom.
With refugees flooding in, Wil's group of orphans they call themselves the Osprey's have decided this is the best time to infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom's court. Wil' has to infiltrate her enemy's kingdom while trying to get information for her own uses. This is until she realizes that the wraith is a much more impending issue and she must try to figure out where her priorities will be. My Review This book had some really interesting aspects to it.
I really like the idea of the wraith and think it's intriguing and unique. Although one of this books biggest faults, is its predictability. From the beginning it was easy to predict who would like who, the identities of others and where some loyalties lie. I will say that there were some things I was caught off-guard by which helped me liking this book. Such as view spoiler [ making the wraith solid hide spoiler ] This book was full of common YA tropes as well. I enjoyed most of the characters, but also feel like Jodi Meadows could go deeper, expand the characters depth, I think that would make for a better series.
Like Meredith, I don't want her to be some 2-dimensional character, I want to see depth. I really like Wilhelmina but she could also use some depth. I believe the first chapter of this book is written as if this were a tv show. This series would make an amazing tv show, I have some fab ideas so Jodi Meadows, hit me up!
One of the first thing I noticed was that the world building strategy was sort of weak for a book. For a TV show, it would work splendidly but as a novel, it could have been incorporated in different ways. It is this world's version of 'You can say that again'. My issue is how often they say it. In Harry Potter you don't see Ron saying 'Bloody hell' every single chapter do you?? It is said so often that it actually irritated me. Repeating it a few times in the book would have been fine, but this was too much. This series is hard to ship because even though I like Wil and Black Knife together, I don't think I'm at the level of shipping it.
The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen, #1) by Jodi Meadows
They are the characters with the most depth, yet I still find it hard to connect to them. WELL I almost gave it 3. In contrast, I really enjoyed it. It was a very quick read for me and I just couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happened next. I would not give it above 4 stars due to all the issues, but I can't deny that I enjoyed this book way more than a 3 star book. That is why it earned 3 stars. If the other issues were not there, it probably would have been 5 stars for me. Unfortunately, they are there and I cannot ignore them. I hope in the next book, the mirror king, Jodi Meadows improves.
So Jodi Meadows, trust me when I say, that if this ever becomes an adaptation, you want me on your team to do this book justice, but to also expand the story with more depth and story arcs needed for a tv show. That's my pitch haha Mar 12, Mandy K rated it it was amazing. Full Review I'm still reeling. I stayed up way way late last night, I'm talking 4 hours later than I usually do, because I couldn't go to bed without finishing this book. Let's just say that by the time I finally went to bed, some people where just waking up for work. But, it was worth it.
Even though the story and characters and ending infiltrated my dreams. The story pick up in the middle of a robbery, and the story never stops from there. Chock full of spy missions, vigilantism, betrayal Full Review I'm still reeling. Chock full of spy missions, vigilantism, betrayals, secret identities, and plans to take back a kingdom, this books will suck you in and keep you there until the very last page.
Beneath all the action is some awesome world building. Magic has been outlawed since Wraith, the byproduct of magic use, has been creeping across the lands devouring and destroying everything. We get to see Glowmen, people who abused wraith like a drug and are now mutated and less than human, wraith creatures, things like kittens and bugs that the wraith has twisted into scary monsters, and all kinds of crazy other anomalies like floating roads and trees growing upside down.
The visuals here are great and I can picture all of the terrors from the wraith so vividly. And let me just take a second to rant about that ending. It's cruel, it's criminal, there should be a big ol' warning on the cover: I'm having a hard time articulating how this cliff hanger left me feeling. It's like I was standing a thousand feet up in the air, overlooking one of those views that just brings a bit of hope, and suddenly this trap door opens up underneath and I'm plummeting down down down.
There's even OQsupportgroup on Twitter. I loved the characters here. Meadows did a great job making complex characters, especially making you second guess assumptions you made about characters and creating sympathy for certain characters. And can we just take a second to talk about Black Knife?
He was my favorite character in the book. I kind of fell a little in love with him. Dark and mysterious, is he a hero? Is he a menace? What are his intentions? I don't read fantasy books too often, and this book had me asking myself: Why the heck not? I can not wait for to get here so I can see how this story ends. I have to know. Time to build a time machine so I can read The Mirror King. View all 4 comments. Nov 22, Katerina Kondrenko rated it it was ok Shelves: The Orphan Queen is a mess.
Jodi Meadows created a very interesting world, gave it a solid problem to deal with, but forgot to develop her heroes and grace the plot with logic instead of I-do-what-I-please-ness. Forced twists aren't twists. And feelings toward MCs can't appear out of the blue. The main idea is good. Magic causes the wraith - an echo of somebody's power, a twisted substance that comes and covers your city up, mummifying everything and everyone, it changes people and animals, making them bigger, vicious and merciless.
Many kingdoms had already fall, but those are still standing decided to sign a treaty: Only Aecor refused to join the alliance, its rulers believed that pre-dosed magic is blessing and shouldn't be completely forbidden. That's why the Indigo Kingdom took over their land. Their children were sent to the orphanage, but soon ran away and started to plan revenge.
And that is my first complaint. Their leader - Patrick , a son of the late Aecor's General - has useful acquaintances and sharp mind, the others steal supplies, our MC - Wilhelmina, who is the rightful heir to the vermilion throne - is a pretty talented forger. Good for them, but I'm still not convinced. Also, they ran about 9 years ago? How, may I ask, 3-old-year kids did that? I see no way for them to survive being homeless in a company of year-old children as their 'parents'.
Well, what do we have in the present?
Out of the Dark
When the wraith conquers yet another county - Liadia , Wilhelmina and her best-friend Melanie go to the Skyvale 's palace the heart of the Indigo Kingdom , impersonating two dead noblewomen, to spy around and get some crucial information. They are welcomed 'cause, duh, the treaty's condition and unrecognized as if not a single person at the court has been in Liadia or Liadia's ladies did never leave their homes. That's how the story starts. Wilhelmina and Co want their kingdom back, never giving a second thought to the fact that their princess knows nothing about ruling.
They also blame the Indigo Kingdom for what they've done with Aecor, missing the point - Aecor used magic, magic attracted the wraith, and the wraith means death without any exceptions. No matter how accurate you were or how many good things you committed with spells and powers, consequences are deadly. Sorry, I can't sympathy with the narrow-minded bunch of pseudo-rebels. We have a prince. His names is Tobiah and he's boring. He has a fiance, she's boring too. And he has a cousin, a cliched puppy whom I did like. We have a masked vigilante, who fights Glowing Men people corrupted with the wraith , chasing criminals and bringing justice in da Zorro-style.
They call him Black Knife which is a bit ridiculous, but not as much as visible bruises after slaps or flicking of little finger instead of showing a middle one, just imagine this gesture and laugh your ass out and have no idea who's hiding behind the mask. Ooookay, they haven't, but readers do!
And I was really surprised to see in the authors review for the first of Black Knife's novellas that they would be spoiler-ish for the first installment because of the vigilante's identity. Was it supposed to be a secret? Wil hates Tobiah and her reason is fucking lame , Wil is intrigued with the Black Knife. She meets him on the streets to work together from time to time, and they slowly falling in love. Which is leading us to, the romance , yeah Meadows is good with romantic scenes the one with a blindfold, a silk mask and a lot of kisses was really hot , but fails when it comes to creating tension, building love-suspense and doing a proper development of characters interactions.
During the kissing scene I was shipping the heroes hard, but before and after had nothing in me to ache for this couple. The writing was bad. Not the wording which was fine , but the way author reveals her story: The book needed a better editing. Some parts were underdeveloped while some overdone. Potential twists had no chance to shine. Simplicity of relationships and shallow dialogues didn't help either. Someone had to tell Jodi Meadows that her plot was made of contrived coincidences.
And that , that unforgivable. Shit has to happen and not only when MC is ready for it. People have to act as real persons and not as marionettes. The ending wasn't shocking, 'cause Meadows gave us too many clues. If you want to torture your readers, do it without preludes. I've been more devastated after way happier finals. Here I knew what would happen and that it would mean nothing, 'cause we'd already seen the same situation in a one of the previous chapters.
- The Orphan Queen?
- Out of the Dark (Orphan X, #4) by Gregg Hurwitz;
- theranchhands.com: Out of the Dark: An Orphan X Novel (): Gregg Hurwitz: Books!
- Christmas In Snowflake Canyon (Mills & Boon M&B).
- Follow the Author?
Now to the WTFs those would contain spoilers. She's been in Liadia, she had letters from the real Julianna, everyone would believe her. It's been weeks and she said no word. If somebody would come to my home, pretending to be my supposedly dead friend, I'll be furious and will not allow this person to have a good time. Why Wil and her Ospreys could so easily slipping in and out without anyone noticing? And don't remind me of their investigation, they couldn't know shifts of each guard at the palace, plus good guards change their schemes and time-lines quite often.
And how could Patrick kill the king? He had to have personal guards at his doors! I don't think one can to enter the king's windows that simple. I mean, you have a lot of brave men, send a few to investigate the damned thing which may save all of your asses in the future. Yes, they may die heroically! But sitting and chatting and waiting for the wraith to come and kill you all isn't a better choice, is it? You all deserve too die. Wil can stay, 'cause she had balls to go the Wraithland. Maybe you cannot breath? She can be silent for a few minutes like in a trance or almost faints, 'cause that's so unbearable.
Why her balls don't help her in suchlike situations? In the end, when Tobiah did say that he'd marry Meredith soon, she thought of what a good pretender she was to give away nothing of her emotions. But when somebody was talking about Aecor, she was always pulling a bad soap-opera's actress on.
What a stupid decision! The boy has no experience in such a work, also he was Tobiah's bodyguard whom the prince could trust with his life and secrets, but after this promotion he wouldn't be able to do both jobs. We've got them only in the 19th century! Don't have a Kindle?
Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers.
Write a customer review. Showing of 9 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. This is the fourth Orphan X novel, narrating the epic of Evan Smoake what a corny name! Everything else is an implement.. I mean, come on! Does anyone, especially a CIA-ish government handler, actually talk like that? The president of the United States is totally corrupt.
Smoake is out to kill him: Weapons are equally exotic and the author lays out in loving, almost excruciating detail, what goes on with them. As in earlier Orphan X novels, Hurwitz has only written another cookie cutter thriller. Like the others in the series, the protagonist is Evan Smoak, a renegade from the Orphans, the ultimate black ops organization. His only requirement is that you pass his phone number to the next helpless unfortunate. He is after very big game now in an attempt to both avenge the murder of his mentor and to remove the threat of extinction to all of the remaining Orphans.
Evan has only himself, a weapons expert, possibly one of the targeted Orphans, and a teenage Orphan dropout who is a computer ninja. His opponent has all the resources of the secret service as well as one of the original Orphans with a personal grudge against Evan. The odds are lousy, but Evan is the best of the best. Horowitz provides nonstop action and competent writing, a plot that makes sense and sympathetic characters.
The protagonist is appropriately conflicted. As in every one of the series, the main goal is complicated by a call to the Nowhere Man by a truly decent victim of despicable violence that requires Evan to take time and energy from his primary mission. This is a very readable series even though the formula is getting predictable. Here are some elements of that formula: Vera, his aloe plant and a living wall of herbs are the only organic things in the apartment. If you like thrillers that are well-written page turners that keep you turning pages, this is the book for you.
He was in a word, untethered. There is no emotion more useless than self-pity. He stayed mission ready, kept fit, and trained. He never knew who would come looking. He stayed alert, vigilant, kept his ear to the ground to listen for underworld tremors. Word had filtered back to him, the Orphan Program had been dismantled, the operators scattered to the four winds. He had not learned the fate of the other Orphans; however, he imagined they sold their specialized services to the highest bidder or had retired to a beach in a quiet corner of the world.
Neither option appealed to him. So, he decided to put his training to personal use. A pro-bono freelancer, helping others who could not help themselves. Evan is flying solo—with the perks at his fingertips. A dangerous past, highly trained skills, and resources. A personal mission--to help those with nowhere else to turn. The Tenth Commandment loomed above all else. Never let an innocent die. A man with a dangerous past. A savior of the victims, innocent ones—from corruption to sex slaves, while saving himself. However, he may be targeted. These people are no slouches.
Someone wants him eliminated. Skillfully crafted, twist and turns, with a fabulous cast of well-developed secondary characters and an unstoppable main protagonist. Sums up the novel, perfectly: Hurwitz outdoes both writers in intricate descriptions. View all 5 comments. Gregg Hurwitz is an author that I have been meaning to read for a while, an author on my radar with books that I have been recommended and seen some great reviews.
So I went for the Orphan books knowing this would be my type of book. Gregg Hurwitz brings us a cracking novel with a great character Evan Smoak, adopted as a child by a shadowy figure called Jack and trained to be an assassin as part of a secret US government scheme. Known as Orphan X meaning there were at least 23 other Gregg Hurwitz is an author that I have been meaning to read for a while, an author on my radar with books that I have been recommended and seen some great reviews. Known as Orphan X meaning there were at least 23 others of the Orphan programme, but that was years ago now he is leading normal life and became an adult, he took a fake last name and became "the Nowhere Man.
He goes underground and leaves the orphans behind. However, his meticulously compartmentalised life makes him vulnerable … Orphan X is tight and tense in all the right places. Orphan X is weapons-grade thriller-writing from a modern master but also a quite character living in an apartment with an collection of various individuals who know nothing about him and his lifestyle. A thrilling, great paced thriller with a character who is no superhero just a great new action character.
Good , yes I am already on Book That tells you everything! PS David Baldacci, a great author You said I would "Thank You" A clear four stars, and nearly five! View all 6 comments. Pulled from a foster home by the US government when he was a boy, he was raised and trained to be part of a covert operation designed to create the perfect assassins-the Orphan Program. A suspense novel so gripping that it can only described as a masterpiece. Just about every thriller reader I know has read, and loved, this story. Anyway, I finally bit the bullet and I can confirm what everyone else already knows: Suffice to say, a young boy is adopted into an off-the-books government programme to train assassins.
He becomes good at killing. Very good, in fact. But things happen along the way and he decides enough is enough. The world feels much like it does today, but with a few flashier gizmos kicking around. The NM himself has a whisper of John Rain about him but with premium vodka replacing the aged whiskey Rain so relishes , a smidgen of Mitch Rapp and a big dose of Batman.
It kept me on my toes, eager to learn more about the man and his fate. The support characters too were interesting in themselves as I struggled to determine who was friend and who was foe. It delivers a lot, this book: Evan Smoak was part of the government's black ops 'Orphan Program', which recruited children and trained them to be world class assassins. The Orphans learned how to use weapons of all kinds, became skilled in a variety of martial arts, were taught to blot out pain, became experts in surveillance and bugging, and so on. After Jack is killed Evan Smoak was part of the government's black ops 'Orphan Program', which recruited children and trained them to be world class assassins.
After Jack is killed in dodgy circumstances, Evan - who has plenty of money stashed in offshore banks - quits the Orphan Program and begins using his skills to help people. Calling himself 'The Nowhere Man' and working out of Los Angeles, Evan sets himself up in a reinforced, fortress-like, penthouse condominium apartment with all kinds of defensive doodads Evan also configures a completely untraceable cell phone so desperate people can call him for assistance. Early in the story Evan is contacted by a year-old sex slave - Morena Aguilar - who's trying to prevent her little sister from being forced into the trade.
To assist the girls Evan has to kill a dirty cop. He then asks Morena to pass his phone number on to ONE person who needs help - Evan's usual method of finding 'clients'. Evan is then contacted by Katrin White, whose father is being held hostage until she pays off a huge gambling debt. While Evan is trying to help Katrin, he realizes his own life is in danger. It seems another defector from the Orphan Program - 'Orphan O' working with a team of killers - is out to get him, apparently having been hired by one of Evan's many enemies. Since it's a case of 'kill or be killed' Evan and Orphan O use all of their considerable skills to try to outmaneuver each other.
Thus the reader is treated to scene after scene of reconnaissance, infiltration, safe houses, safe vehicles, explosions, snipers, stabbings, shootings, hand-to-hand combat, balcony hopping, double dealing and more I was especially intrigued with the 'contact lens and paste on nails ensemble' used for texting in mid-air. While all this is going on Evan keeps up a facade for his condominium neighbors, claiming to be an importer of industrial cleaning supplies.
This sets the stage for some lighter moments in the story as Evan interacts with his condominium cohorts, including the condo board president who calls lots of meetings ; a nice Jewish lady who complains a lot about her damaged door ; and Assistant District Attorney Mia Hall and her little boy Peter who takes to sending messages up to Evan's window via balloon. The book is well-written, suspenseful, and exciting - highly recommended to fans of thrillers.
I look forward to reading more of Evan Smoak's adventures. I like to think Evan Smoak has a connection with Felicity Smoak - the brilliant computer whiz who works with Green Arrow.
- Shattered Images: The Rise of Militant Iconoclasm in Syria.
- .
- .
- Frequently bought together.
But - since it's not his real name - probably not. Martin's Press for a copy of the book. You can follow my reviews at https: I'm not sure how Mr. Hurwitz hasn't been on my radar before now, but I will definitely be reading more! The tension in this story starts strong and continues building without a moment to slow down. Just when you have caught your breath, a new threat manifests. The characters are all non-typical and I enjoyed seeing our hero Evan struggle with following either his "commandments" or his morals. The conclusion was totally unex Just amazing!!
The conclusion was totally unexpected! Highly recommend for readers looking for a high-action, page turning thriller! Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The premise of this novel is good—a man trained to become an assassin in an elite, off-the-records program—uses his expertise and wealth to help people with nowhere else to turn. I had some trouble envisioning the fight scenes, but I liked the fas The premise of this novel is good—a man trained to become an assassin in an elite, off-the-records program—uses his expertise and wealth to help people with nowhere else to turn.
I had some trouble envisioning the fight scenes, but I liked the fast pace and the twists and turns that Evan Smoak—Orphan X—has to figure out to keep innocent people and himself alive. This is a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this novel. Back in I read my one and only Greg Hurwitz book 'They're watching' which I loved and rated 5 stars and writing in my review that I intended to read lots more of his books.
So it is surprising that I have left it over 3 years before I decided to read the next one. Evan Smoak is taken at the age of 12 and trained in a secret Back in I read my one and only Greg Hurwitz book 'They're watching' which I loved and rated 5 stars and writing in my review that I intended to read lots more of his books. Evan Smoak is taken at the age of 12 and trained in a secret Government program to be an assassin. When this program is disbanded, Evan moves to California and decides to use his skills to do good.
In this novel Greg Hurwitz sets the scene extremely well and starts to develop a strong character in Evan Smoak that he will be able to extend further in future novels. The novel is full of action and really is an excellent thriller. I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin Uk for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review. If you enjoy thrillers that have 15 page fight scenes full of carefully explained martial arts moves and weaponry, this book is for you.
If you enjoy a protagonist who lives in an ultra-hip penthouse suite with poured concrete and gleaming stainless appliances while he sips rare imported vodka and nibbles organic masterpieces that he prepared, this book is for you. If the addition of a ditzy single mom DA neighbor with an adorable but ADHD son who will add complications to the plot is your cup o If you enjoy thrillers that have 15 page fight scenes full of carefully explained martial arts moves and weaponry, this book is for you.
If the addition of a ditzy single mom DA neighbor with an adorable but ADHD son who will add complications to the plot is your cup of tea, read this book. If you are not bored by a plot that is so formulaic and drawn out that you want to weep, this book is for you. But if you want a book that is not simply a rehashed compilation of every Jason Bourne- Alex Delaware- Jack Reacher clone, read something else. Gregg Hurwitz is one of my all-time favourite authors and a go to author if I need little sleep as a result of not being able to put his book down.
Orphan X is definitely one of those books! Tons of fun and a page-turning, exciting thriller. Evan Smoak, a young boy rescued from a boys home, is secretly trained with a group of orphaned children to become a lethal assassin when he grows up. Many years later as a grown man, he leaves the group and disappears. He resurfaces only to help those in desp Gregg Hurwitz is one of my all-time favourite authors and a go to author if I need little sleep as a result of not being able to put his book down.
He resurfaces only to help those in desperate need. He relies on the recipients of his help to pay it forward by finding him new people, desperate with nowhere to turn. Little did he know that helping one girl would set off a terrifying game of cat and mouse, full of twists and turns, mystery and heart stopping action. Gregg Hurwitz has created a masterful and memorable character in Evan Smoak.
I enjoyed his interaction with his neighbour and her young son immensely as well as with the fascinating characters he came in contact with. I truly loved this novel and can hardly wait to read the next book in this series! View all 8 comments. If you do anything this year read this its one helluva read you wont be disappointed another great read by Gregg Hurwitz. Orphan X is a roller coaster of an action thriller that grabs you and only lets up when you reach the end.
It centres on Evan Smoak, picked up as a youngster and trained to be an assassin on a off the book programme run by the government. He was named Orphan X and he left the operation. He has now evolved into someone who only does good, the iconic Nowhere Man. He uses this persona to aid those who are in the greatest need of his help utilising his unique set of skills and resources.
However, al Orphan X is a roller coaster of an action thriller that grabs you and only lets up when you reach the end. However, all is not well. It becomes clear whilst he is helping others that he is being hunted by someone who knows he was Orphan X. The scene is set for nerve wracking suspense and non stop action. The author has written a fast paced narrative with numerous twists. He has put together great characters in a well plotted story.
A great book to read.
See a Problem?
Many thanks to Michael Joseph, the publishers for a copy of the book via netgalley. Hurwitz has given us an action-packed thriller about a man trained to do covert work, trained since he was pulled from the orphanage years ago. But, he has left his Black Ops agency behind and from his bat cave perched in a condo tower filled with all kinds of technological marvels he reaches out and helps people in trouble - what else can he do with his specific skills - and asks them Think Jason Bourne meets a Bruce Wayne in his bat cave and throw in a bit of the Pay it Forward philosophy too.
But, he has left his Black Ops agency behind and from his bat cave perched in a condo tower filled with all kinds of technological marvels he reaches out and helps people in trouble - what else can he do with his specific skills - and asks them to refer him to the next person in need. No one around him knows his secret identity, even when he comes into the condo elevator bleeding from his battle wounds.