Redemption: (Ryan Drake: book 1): a compelling, action-packed and high-octane thriller that will have you gripped from page one

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His quest for answers will take him from the frozen, polluted nightmare of a Siberian industrial city to the war-ravaged ruins of Chechnya, and finally to the FSB’s seat of power in Moscow itself, where he will uncover a shocking secret that saw hundreds of innocent lives sacrificed in the ruthless pursuit of power. In Redemption he’s handed the task of breaking into a seemingly impenetrable Siberian prison and rescuing an inmate identified only as Maras. From the bestselling author of Black List and Deception Game, Ghost Target is the sixth Ryan Drake thriller, and an incredible tale of deception, desperation, and ultimate betrayal. Tasked with liberating a former CIA agent, Maras, from a harsh prison in the snowy wastes of Siberia, Drake and his team come to realise that this mission is not all that it first appears to be and forces Drake on the run with Maras as the depth of this conspiracy becomes clear.

Will Jordan - Penguin Books Australia Will Jordan - Penguin Books Australia

Jordan switches easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, with each character having his or her own motivations and voice. With the world’s economy in free-fall, casualties mounting and public support for the war at an all-time low, the US government is increasingly looking towards private military companies to secure the future of Afghanistan. Originally published in 2014 on the 25th of September, this was to be the third book in the Ryan Drake series. Personally, I would also have welcomed some of the author's natural wit to have come across in the novel.This led to him fast getting international acclaim, as well as national, as his audience began to grow exponentially on a worldwide scale. So, Katya can eliminate a room full of SAS soldiers in the dark with her bare hands (did it in this book). Maras could've been great if she weren't depicted in such an unrealistic way, and to me this feels like a missed opportunity to create a truly interesting and strong female character. Before saying anything else I feel necessary to point out that I'm not very familiar with this genre of literature. Instead he has to rely on nothing more than determination, resilience and quick thinking – three things he has to use a great deal in Redemption.

Will Jordan. You may know me as the author of - Reddit I am Will Jordan. You may know me as the author of - Reddit

I'll frame this by saying that I don't consider myself to be a fan of this particular genre, but props to Jordan for entering a field already well-populated (saturated, even) with big names and heavy-hitters.

As such, these matters are often underdeveloped (though a point is made about stuff that's left unsaid - for sequels, I suppose) or quickly brushed aside. I'm all for strong and interesting female characters, but Maras seems like a superhero in an otherwise grounded story. Of course, many a generic story has been saved by great characters, which I dare guess has been the focus of the author here as well. She’s older and more experienced than Drake, having spent the better part of two decades doing dirty jobs for the CIA.

Redemption (Ryan Drake, book 1) by Will Jordan

He always had a strong interest in computers and information technology, a passion which is clearly reflected throughout the ongoing themes displayed in his books and narratives, featuring heavily, as they are used by his colorful cast of characters. Despite the risks, the team successfully completes their mission, but for Drake the real danger has only just begun. Drake’s former life seems to be behind him, but the uneasy peace is shattered when Cain moves against him with startling force. With Predator flights grounded worldwide and the US intelligence machine virtually crippled, they have little choice but to comply. Many of the issues I raised may be caused by the author's relative inexperience and so may hopefully be 'fixed' in the sequels that the book's ending neatly sets up.

Interaction and banter between the main characters is generally fun and enjoyable, even if unoriginal at times. A Black Hawk helicopter carrying a senior CIA operative is shot down by a surface-to-air missile, its lone passenger taken hostage by a fanatical insurgent group bent on driving the Coalition from Afghanistan at any cost. Now forced to go on the run with a dangerous woman he doesn’t trust, and pursued by his former comrades, Drake must use every resource at his disposal to stay one step ahead of the hunt. But, of course, she's also stunning to look at, with womanly curves and soft breasts and still wants sex after four years in a Russian prison being starved and raped every day. This is the 30th book, but considering Alex has survived "Kill Alex Cross" before, chances are he survives this one.