Blades of Winter (Shadowstorm, #1)

May 31, 2012 SugahPop rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read the advanced-release - and loved it! Alix Nico is my kinda girl: sassy, stubborn and ass-kicking! This was a fun, fast read with great characters I was happy to tag along with on their globetrotting exploits. I'm looking forward to the sequel already!

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Oct 21, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-history, science-fiction

Blades of Winter caught my attention from the very first paragraph. It is exciting with a very different alternate history. It did drag a little about 3/4 of the way through but quickly picked back up. Here are some of the elements that really caught my attention.

Worldbuilding: This is where Blades of Winter really stands out. The alternate history could have happened. How is this world different? Germany conquered England and went on to conquer most of Europe before the US had a chance to get i...more Blades of Winter caught my attention from the very first paragraph. It is exciting with a very different alternate history. It did drag a little about 3/4 of the way through but quickly picked back up. Here are some of the elements that really caught my attention.

Worldbuilding: This is where Blades of Winter really stands out. The alternate history could have happened. How is this world different? Germany conquered England and went on to conquer most of Europe before the US had a chance to get in that part of the war. Hitler was killed before he had a chance to invade Russia. The US conquered Japan and has a hold in the Far East. Russia and Germany divided the Middle East. The Jews were not killed but are slaves in Germany. The US invaded Cuba after Castro and made it a state. China is not a Communist country but is the fourth world power. So four world powers who do not like or trust each other. Some of the people in power are familiar and some we know do not even show up.

Technology: With Germany the victor in a much shorter war they continue to lead in the development of new technology. Much of it is technology that changes the human body. The agents of each country are enhanced in ways that make them the equal of super heroes. There are other developments that parallel our history but they come about much sooner.
Plot: This one twists and turns on itself. What starts as a simple sit and watch changes into something much more important. Alix Nico is the center of much of the action and she finds information that changes the game of everyone.

Characters: This is an action driven not a character driven book. There is some character development but most is revealed by the actions required by the plot.

Tension: There is that in spades. Alix jumps from one dangerous situation to another. There are names without faces, double agents, and forged documents that drive the action.

Blades of Winter ends with a bit of a cliff hanger. One problem is solved but another must wait. All the action in Blades of Winter have caused tensions to built up between the powers and everything must have time to cool down before that problem is addressed.

Blades of Winter is a exciting first novel and book two is already in the pipeline. The series had great possibilities and I am looking forward to Hammer of Angels, book two.

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Sep 29, 2012 Bastard rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2012...

Blades of Winter by G. T. Almasi is the most action-packed novel I've read, to say nothing of its fast pace. It starts at top speed, and doesn't let up until the very end. In fact, after some upgrades, the novel keeps accelerating beyond its limits at an unparalleled frantic pace. Set in an alternate-history universe, Almasi's debut jumps right into the Shadowstorm; the Cold War on steroids.

Alix Nico is an up-and-coming, yet still low level, super agent o...more

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Oct 10, 2012 She-ra's A' DragQueen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: badassery, sci-fi, shadowstorm

WHOA!!!

Only about 100 pages in so far but this book is like the Charles Bronson of science fiction novels. I swear this book has a sweetass mustache carved from Herodian stone and drives a Trans Am.

UPDATE: done! This book is so badass it backhands Chuck Norris.

The alternate history was a bit uninteresting in my opinion but the rest was more than enough to make up for it. My only concerns as far as geopolitics is concerned are the present and the near-future... Re-imagining an alternate history...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Full Review Originally on Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: I’m a sucker for Alternate historical tales, be it Joseph R. Lewis’s Other Earth series, Robert Harris’s classic Fatherland or the more recent Land Of Hope And Glory by Geoff Wilson. It’s something about this genre wherein authors re-imagine a world from a historical standpoint that draws the mind and of course many readers love this to death. I was intrigued by this book when I came across it a couple of months ago and I included it in my...more
Full Review Originally on Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: I’m a sucker for Alternate historical tales, be it Joseph R. Lewis’s Other Earth series, Robert Harris’s classic Fatherland or the more recent Land Of Hope And Glory by Geoff Wilson. It’s something about this genre wherein authors re-imagine a world from a historical standpoint that draws the mind and of course many readers love this to death. I was intrigued by this book when I came across it a couple of months ago and I included it in my list of SFF debuts to keep an eye out for.

The story is set in 1980 of the world wherein a new cold war has occured; it of course has the two main countries from our timeline namely the USA and the USSR. In addition to these behemoths are the two behemoths to emerge from World War II which are the Greater Germany and Chiang Kai-Shek inspired Nationalist Republic of China. These four nations are on face at peace with each other however on a covert level strived to wipe each other out. This covert warfare situation has been dubbed “Shadowstorm” and is carried out by agents known as “Levels” who have been given bio-medical upgrades thereby making them more than just humans. These Levels are of six types namely Infiltrator, Protector, Interceptor, Vindicator, Malefactor & Liberator.

The story opens up with nineteen year-old Alixandra J. Nico who is a level 4 Interceptor and was not supposed to be on a job which is levels above her current position however a clerical error assigned her the job and she gets on with it. The task entails tailing a former Russian Level however all hell breaks loose when Alix is fired upon by the Russian agent’s comrade and soon enough things boil down to a bloodbath. This horrible mix up is then rectified as Alix gets a dressing down from her superiors about her disastrous mission, things however aren’t finished as she learns that there was much more to that incident than just a mix-up and things have a way of being connected to her past namely her missing dad.

The story then just explodes from that point into this hyper-fast, action-packed twisted express that will compel the reader to keep turning the pages and keep them glued to the events occurring in the plot. This book surprised me on a lot of fronts and I was impressed with G.T. Almasi’s efforts in his debut. Firstly the pace of the book is almost impossible to convey verbally, from the very first line of the book, the reader is immersed into a world akin to the matrix movies wherein any mayhem and action that occurs, is supercool and cinematic. The action sequences in this book are of a similar kind and are explained in a very believable way thereby enabling the reader to visualize them precisely. The action and pace of the story is highly reminiscent of Matthew Reilly’s books and this is a plus for those seeking a fast fun-filled read.

Secondly the world building, in this case the author has tried out a different tactic seen in various fantasy titles of attaching various briefs or codas to the end of each chapter that expound about the world, its past history, protagonist information as well as the background about the main mystery in the book. This serves a nice purpose of avoiding info dumping directly in the story and adds an extra layer of suspense to each chapter ending as we get information in a very disorganized manner and it’s up to the reader to collate it in their minds and connect the dots to gain a deeper understanding of the global crisis unfolding. The world introduced in this book is one which is another story in itself and its surface is barely scratched in this opening tale. The author has done his best to provide readers with a background so they can understand much of what’s happening. I as a reader would have preferred a map to go along with the story as it would have shown visually the global division of the four superpowers. There’s also a semi-official timeline which can help acclimatize the readers with the background of the world and how it has come to be the way it is presented.

Lastly the characterization is focused mainly upon the protagonist which is Alix and we get a deep look into behavior and her thoughts, we do also get a partial look at Patrick, Alix’s field partner however the focus is squarely upon Alix and her antics. This can be a dual edged sword as when the protagonist gels within the reader’s minds especially in a first person narrative then the writer’s job is half done. For me I was definitely intrigued by Alix and her wild side however her character came across as a bit sociopathic and impulsive, and at times just a bit reckless with so much power. While such character dissection might be dependent on the reader’s tastes, one thing is sure, it makes for a gruesome and exciting read, even though there’s always a slim chance that it might put off some readers.

There are some not-so-rosy spots to this story as well, namely the action-oriented approach robs the story of developing its characters beyond its fun approach. The main character is a fun one to read about but the author doesn’t quite portray the effects of her work on her psyche entirely. Secondly the reasons given for the advancement of science and technology are a little flimsy. It’s said that scientists discovered all these wonderful aspects but no concrete reasoning is provided but this can be easily overlooked as most SF stories need suspension of disbelief from the readers.

CONCLUSION: Blades of Winter is a hyper-fast, action-loaded, tech thriller spy story that is sure to find its fans. Debutante G.T. Almasi has decided to give readers something different and it works with some suspension of disbelief. I was very much intrigued by the world and characters showcased and I can’t wait to read the sequel “Hammer Of Angels” when it releases next year. Blades Of Winter is an exciting debut be sure to check it out if you want to read a cross between Anthony Horowitz and Matthew Reilly.(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Wes rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book does indeed have some good action, and the world-building is great. A very interesting alternate history. My only problem, and one I just couldn't get past, was the timeline that the author used. For whatever reason, he sets the book in the 80s, but with advanced technology that we don't even have today! Things that are 100% Sci-fi levels of technology, but there is no clear explanation as to why we got so advanced so quickly. The world that Almasi has created differs from ours only in...more

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Dec 31, 2012 drey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, sci-fi

Alix Nico’s world is a crazy spy-vs-spy meld of the classic espionage novels and a re-imagined world history. In it, World War II produced four superpowers and the covert stakes have been upped by biologically-modded half-cyborg agents. Anyone remember The Six Million Dollar Man?

This nineteen-year-old is the most lethal ExOps agent out there – and that’s not quite a compliment. She’s strong, fast, and has amazingly quick trigger reflexes. But she’s only nineteen, and that shows in her situationa...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Kimsandara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-honestly-tried, meuh-read, will-not-finish

*I did not finish this book*

Given the glowing reviews of this book I thought I was in for a great ride.Man,was I disappointed.

Let's start with what I liked in this book .G.T. Almasi does make an effort with his worldbuilding as he rewrites history ,including geopolitical elements throughout the book (well the part that I read obviously). I found that interesting thought a bit too Clash- of- Civilisations -like for my tastes. Another major elements is the technological edge of his world which is...more

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Oct 14, 2012 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, cyberpunk-post-cyberpunk-fiction, science-fiction, thriller

Relentless, Exciting Post-Cyberpunk Alternate History Novel Debut from G. T. Almasi

Relentless, exciting and utterly engrossing in its plot and pacing, “Blades of Winter” is a superb mash-up of the espionage thriller, superhero graphic novel, post-cyberpunk and alternate history science fiction, in what promises to be the first in G. T. Almasi’s “SHADOWSTORM” series of novels. Not only is it a compelling homage to Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash” and “Reamde”, but, in many respects, it surpasses “R...more Relentless, Exciting Post-Cyberpunk Alternate History Novel Debut from G. T. Almasi

Relentless, exciting and utterly engrossing in its plot and pacing, “Blades of Winter” is a superb mash-up of the espionage thriller, superhero graphic novel, post-cyberpunk and alternate history science fiction, in what promises to be the first in G. T. Almasi’s “SHADOWSTORM” series of novels. Not only is it a compelling homage to Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash” and “Reamde”, but, in many respects, it surpasses “Reamde” merely in its pacing and plot, and in presenting a character, nineteen-year-old Alix Nico, who is among the most compelling female characters in cyberpunk and post-cyperpunk fiction since the likes of William Gibson’s “Molly” in his “Cyberspace” trilogy and similar female protagonists in classic cyberpunk science fiction written by the likes of Pat Cadigan and Michael Swanwick, among others. “Blades of Winter” reads like “Neuromancer” hooked on speed, even if Almasi lacks William Gibson’s considerable talents as a superb prose stylist; a relentless nonstop action-adventure rollercoaster of a yarn which will keep readers in suspense to the very end. Almasi’s alternate history vision of early 1980’s America is one in which the United States finds itself the sole democratic empire dealing with its often untrustworthy ally of Greater Germany (the former Nazi Third Reich and its European empire that includes Great Britain, France and much of the Middle East), the Soviet Union and an expansionist China which pioneers much of the biotechnology described in “Blades of Winter”. In this opening segment of the “SHADOWSTORM” series, young Nico must find the truth behind her father’s mysterious disappearance nearly a decade before, and how that disappearance may be tied to clandestine German bioengineering research on cloning humans as well as the activities of a mysterious group of Muslim Persian and Arab dissidents determined to free their homelands from German occupation. Without question, “Blades of Winter” marks a compelling debut of a new science fiction author who has wrought one of the most compelling examples of recent post-cyberpunk fiction I’ve seen.
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Oct 14, 2012 Avry15 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, conspiracy, reviewed, young-adult

originally appeared on: Bookshelf Confessions

The cover is perfect. Red hair, black outfit, firing gun… a good depiction of bad-ass fiction..:D.. It was really the cover that got my attention and urge me to request this book.. and I wasn’t disappointed at all..:)

First and foremost, I’d like to say, that this is the very first action-filled novel I’ve read. I mean literally, BLADES OF WINTER is like watching those James Bond and Bourne Legacy movies into words. Cool!!!

For the first chapter, I feel...more originally appeared on: Bookshelf Confessions

The cover is perfect. Red hair, black outfit, firing gun… a good depiction of bad-ass fiction..:D.. It was really the cover that got my attention and urge me to request this book.. and I wasn’t disappointed at all..:)

First and foremost, I’d like to say, that this is the very first action-filled novel I’ve read. I mean literally, BLADES OF WINTER is like watching those James Bond and Bourne Legacy movies into words. Cool!!!

For the first chapter, I feel dumped with new terms and information, being a non-sci-fi/action fan, I almost thought of putting the book down. But the scene in that first chapter was fast-paced and I could understand the fighting scenes even without knowledge of caliber and enhancements, so I decided to proceed. After that, I was engrossed with the story, and understand all the words with my heart. How? Because the book is designed to give past information and even explanations with the new alternate history Almasi created by alternating the current scene and the information, and also gives the readers hint to the mysteries at hand (making me think and anticipate also)—and surprisingly, I did find it easy to follow. Plus, the protagonist Alix Nico, compared to the other levels is quite new. So, I get to experience and explored the world of levels together with her. Written with the protagonist as a nineteen year-old girl, I easily connect to it, and for me, it’s quite rare to find females in lead roles of spy/action/sci-fi novels.

I devoured the book in one sitting, and love all of the characters, whether they’re there from the start or added as the story progresses on. Alix who’s stubborn, impulsive and quite annoying at the beginning totally developed in the story without losing her sassiness. She’s one heroine I would forever be a fan of. Also, in any story, there’ll be casualties, I grief for the loss of those I came to love but would welcome more characters from the sequel.

The plot was great and well-thought of. The story doesn’t just jump from chapter to chapter, but you get to connect each from the other. There are also some twist and turns that I didn’t saw coming. The actions are easy to imagine, explosive and high rated. Almasi is a terrific writer..:D

I just wish that it would be harder next time for Alix to find out and solved the mysteries- like she really have to glue the puzzles together.

With the mass market paperback I have, it would seem that the story would be a short and brief read. But the book was so much more. A new world was created not just for sci-fi/action fans, but for future ones as well. With that cliff-hanger ending, plus a glimpse to the next book, it surely makes me want to hunt for HAMMER OF ANGELS, the next book in the series..right at this moment..:D.

BLADES OF WINTER is fast-paced, action-filled, full of humor, sarcasm, adventure, sassiness, loads of weapons, and unimaginable human enhancements. A thrilling spy novel from debut author G. T. Almasi that you shouldn’t miss!!! Very highly Recommended!!!

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Aug 26, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-get-through

Well the "self-described ' million-dollar murder machine' " from the Amazon synopsis is a pretty good hint I should've taken. As is the age and the name of the protagonist. Story is written in first person and, as everyone knows at this point, I tend to view this as kind of risky because that means I'm inside the protagonist's head all the time and if I don't like the protagonist it'll put off off the entire story for me. (As opposed to third person where I don't have to know the person's every...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alix is a Level - an enhanced human killing machine created by the government to fight in the shadow wars. These are battles that take place between the four main governments in an alternate history where Germany took over Europe during World War II and there are now 4 world powers that dominate. She is the youngest, and is incredibly talented - no surprise, since her father was a Level as well. When Alix decides to worm her way into an operation that she never should have been involved in, all...more Alix is a Level - an enhanced human killing machine created by the government to fight in the shadow wars. These are battles that take place between the four main governments in an alternate history where Germany took over Europe during World War II and there are now 4 world powers that dominate. She is the youngest, and is incredibly talented - no surprise, since her father was a Level as well. When Alix decides to worm her way into an operation that she never should have been involved in, all hell breaks loose and she suddenly finds those she loves compromised from a past she never could have seen coming.

Honestly, I'm a bit torn about the book. If I could offer 3.5 stars, I would. I had a really hard time getting into the story initially, and the necessary suspension of disbelief failed me at times. Alix was continually assigned missions that, in any sort of reality, she would have been considered too close to the target to be given. In addition, her impulse issues continually caused problems, and yet she was sent right back out in the field. To complicate things further, the reader is quickly thrust into this alternate version of history with little but occasional bits of information to take up the historical back story. In fact, had pages 120-126 been introduced as the second chapter, then that would have clarified things tremendously. I highly recommend that everyone read those pages either first, or after the first chapter - it does not affect the story in any way, and gives substantial information regarding the history that comes up during the first half of the book.

Having said that - I did find myself drawn more into the story after the historical explanation, and as the plot really began to wind up. It didn't make things more plausible necessarily, but I was less concerned about it. I finished the book actually interested in the fact that this seems to be the first in a series involving Alix, and curious enough about the next book to read the short excerpt in the back. I would probably be interested in reading it, particularly now that I feel more of the history makes sense - and now that Alix seems to be less the immature girl and more the woman she is capable of being.

Overall, it's a pretty good story, particularly as a debut novel. I think that the author will continue to develop Alix as a person, and that the biggest issue with this first book was more the timing of the release of historical information than most anything else. I would be interested in reading the next book to see how things progress. It's definitely worth checking out. (less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Grimnir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Its set in an alternate world where there are just 3 great powers and instead of all out war disputes seem to be settled by Levels, spies who have had their bodies enhanced with bionics and chemical gene enhancements.

Alix Nico is a new young level who connives to get herself assigned a job well above her current level/ability. This triggers events of epic proportions and leads to the revelation that her father, the worlds best ever level and presumed dead, is alive and guinea pig of the enemies...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Elliott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Considering that I disagree with the primary premise: there was no way Germany could have successfully invaded Britain, much less actually won. The Germans were pretty lousy at amphibious assaults, and against the Royal Navy the Germans very rarely had the upper hand (see the Battle of the River Plate for example wherein three outclassed cruisers fought a pocket battleship to a standstill). But in any case this was nonetheless a well written, very exciting novel I tremendously enjoyed. What I fi...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, abduction, action-thriller, family-relationships, free-book-for-honest-review, read-in-2012, reader-s-club-review-request, series, thriller, terrorists

Written in the style of comic book heroes, the story also gives an alternative view of the history of the United States where are enemies are the Soviet Union, Greater Germany and the Nationalist Republic of China.

Alix Nico is a nineteen-year-old rising star with ExOps, a covert organization that protects the U.S. from its enemies.

She's given an assignment to find her father who was captured years ago and thought to be killed. There is evidence that he might not have been killed but with the clo...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Natasha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

A spy thriller with an incredibly annoying and impulsive teenager as a super special agent.

First and foremost, this is not a young adult novel. It can be construed as a young adult novel due to the age of the protagonist and the summary, but it's not. This book is chock full of violence (some descriptions actually made me a bit queasy and that takes a lot), swear words, and mentions of sex. It was a surprise since I had been expecting a young adult novel. So be warned.

That aside, I hated Alix....more

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Sep 08, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

The one hook in this premise that pulled me through the story was Almasi's take on an alternate 20th century, in which Hitler rolled his armies out West into Britain, rather than East into Russia. After dangling this idea early on in the story, Almasi drops tidbits of history and news that flesh out the new landscape. These pieces appear in the form of pseudo-internal documents and press releases that cap the end of about every other chapter or so.

Which brings me to my main criticism of this boo...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Abhinav rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, del-rey-spectra, random-house, spy, espionage

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/09/...

Shadowhawk reviews the first novel in the Shadowstorm series by debut author G. T. Almasi, an action-adventure spy thriller novel.

“Take any high-stakes action movie, add in advance cybernetics and spies. Blades of Winter is the awesome result.“ ~The Founding Fields

Its been ages since I’ve read a spy novel, the last I remember reading is Ian Fleming’s Moonraker some twelve years or so ago, a James Bon...more You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/09/...

Shadowhawk reviews the first novel in the Shadowstorm series by debut author G. T. Almasi, an action-adventure spy thriller novel.

“Take any high-stakes action movie, add in advance cybernetics and spies. Blades of Winter is the awesome result.“ ~The Founding Fields

Its been ages since I’ve read a spy novel, the last I remember reading is Ian Fleming’s Moonraker some twelve years or so ago, a James Bond 007 novel that was also made into a movie starring Roger Moore in the titular role. Since then I haven’t read any more spy novels, although I’ve watched a fair few films. So when I came across Blades of Winter on NetGalley a while back, I was really excited the premise and the setting and the characters. Set in an alternate reality where Germany successfully invades Britain during the Second World War and the world is later divided between Germany, China, Russia and the USA, Almasi has written a novel that has high-octane cinematic action written all over it. The novel could easily have been a disappointment to me, truth be told, but I’m glad that it was anything but.

In Almasi’s alternate reality, the Cold War is all about cybernetically-enhanced super spies fighting a secret (or not so secret depending on how you look at it) global war behind the scenes. I was initially put off by the time-setting of the novel, as I expected to be treated to constant references of how things were in that dreadful era, but Almasi never does that. The details of the overall setting, and how the characters fit into this alternate world are handled delicately enough for my liking and the author eases the reader into it. If I’m honest, I’d have to say that if it were not for the whole Shadowstorm setting, this could have been a pretty typical James Bond novel, those that I consider to be among Fleming’s best that is, such as From Russia With Love, Dr. No, and Casino Royale.

The protagonist of the novel however is no seasoned charming, handsome male agent who can charm the ladies, frustrate the villains and drinks vodka-martinis. Alix Nico is a nineteen-year old girl who was trained since her pre-teen years by the ExOps agency, preceded by her father who was America’s top agent and a man in a class of his own, or Level as ExOps agents are known, when he was alive. Alix curses frequently, is a hot-head who’d give even Bond a run for his money and is entirely proficient in the not-so subtle art of turning living breathing villains into corpses, except in situations where her special customised gun leaves enough of a corpse after its done with them. I was initially put off by her age and her attitude, which I found to be incongruous within the setting. I’ve always seen spy-work as a matter for professionals like Bond, or Salt, or any other popular spies in fiction, not for young adults who are barely even in college! I was reminded of Mark Lawrence’sBroken Empire series protagonist Jorg who is a downright bastard and an utterly immoral teenager (thirteen I think?), a character whose actions and words never struck me as real. But the same is not the case here with Alix. She has an entire support system of her mother, her best friend who is also an ExOps agent, and her mentors within the agency. Seen through their eyes and in shared context with them, her character is brought to life by Almasi and you really connect with her as a character.

The novel is told in the first person, all from Alix’s point of view, and that adds to the level of immersion of the novel. I’ve been reading a lot of novels lately where first person is used and while I was at first hesitant with this, I’ve come to like it. It has its disadvantages of course, in that it enforces a deeper connection to the characters than the reader might be comfortable with (such as with the aforementioned Jorg), and that it doesn’t allow you to truly see the wider picture (Matt Forbeck gets around this in his Brave New World novels by using chapters from multiple character view points) but the fact is that I like that deeper connection.Blades of Winter is one of those few novels where the first person perspective works perfectly since it fits the character and fits the setting and fits the author’s style.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Kribu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, alternative-history, secret-agent, spies, thriller

Good things about this book: interesting world-building (a world where World War II ended really differently), with clearly a good amount of thought put into things. LOTS of action. Exciting. As a big-screen, big-budget spy action thriller, this would be perfect.

Bad things about this book: Alix. God I hated her. Loathed. I don't think I've felt this much antipathy for the protagonist of a book in ages, and it being in first person really didn't help. I just wanted to punch her in the face (or ra...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Talk Supe Blogspot rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review at Talk Supe

MOTHAFUCKIN' A!

Pardon my French but that was my overall reaction to G.T. Almasi's debut novel, BLADES OF WINTER. I have never read anything like this! I don't even know how I'll classify it, all I know is that if Almasi intends to pay homage to John le Carré and Stan Lee, he did a stellar job of doing so, both the British author and Marvel Godfather will be proud of his first endeavor to continue the legacy of ass-kicking, super human heroes with heart pounding, science...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not done reading this, but I wanted to address some stuff before I forget it.

Think of an alternate history, one where America didn't get to France on time and Germany took it over. Germany also controls much of the Middle East. There are basically 4 "super powers" in the world now and they all have Levels of ExOps that have all sorts of Mods.

Confused?

Basically, Levels are super spies that have all sorts of body modifications to them to make them faster, stronger...harder to kill, basicall...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Ala rated it 1 of 5 stars

I tried.

I really did try.

But I just couldn't bring myself to read any more of this book. It just isn't worth the effort.

It's written in first person and the writing so far boils down to: "I went over there. I did this thing. I smirked. I shot the fucker". Not that that's a bad thing. I've seen it done before with ok results. Here it just doesn't jibe at all.

It also doesn't help that the main character, whose POV you're stuck looking through, is an idiot, whiny, teen chick with the usual bad atti...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

*Goodreads First Reads Giveaway*

Blades of Winter by G.T. Almasi was a wonderful first book by an up and coming author. There were three things that prevent me from giving it 5 stars. First, I found it to be a bit formulaic. Most of the answers were spelled out for them. They didn't have to work to interpret the information.

Secondly, I found it easy to figure out who the traitor was and who Winter was. To me it was blatantly obvious from almost the point you are introduced to the characters.

Thir...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Let me start out with the disclaimer that I don't usually read this type of book. The style was a little different from what I'm used to and quite honestly, the biggest turn-off for me was the language (would've given it 3 stars otherwise). Sooooo much language. I'm well aware that that isn't a big deal to many people, but it's just not my cup of tea. I found it distracting and a bit tedious to mentally edit so often.

With that said, I did like it. Not to...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, own, reviewed, young-adult

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

More like 3.5 stars, but I'll round up to 4.

Look at that cover! It's so cool. The story was very amazing as well. Full of action and adventure with a little romance and a great mystery.

The beginning of the story was sort of hard to get into because of all the information being given and the world building that was going on. And because this was historical fiction there were so many countries and names to remember. My...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me forever to get into this book.

Blades of Winter is all about the adrenaline rush and didn't really work for me. On a pure action level I would give it five stars but I like a slower pace so I get a feel for what's going on and to get inside the characters heads.

Alix is totally bad ass. Maybe too badass for her own good though. She's a young girl with loads of potential but she takes too many risks that have negative consequences that she rarely feels guilty about. Even if she does, sh...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, genre-science-fiction

*Genre* Science Fiction, Suspense, Alternative History
*Rating* 4.0-4.5

*Review*

Blades of Winter has to be one of the best alternative reality, action-suspense novels that I have read in a very long time. G. T. Almasi takes a page straight out of Robert Ludlum’s hand book and instills a bit of humor and romance to go along it. He provides us with a heroine that is as snarky as she is bad-ass in 20 year old Alixandra Nico.

In Almasi’s world, it is the year 1980 and the president is Ronald Reagan. Th...more *Genre* Science Fiction, Suspense, Alternative History
*Rating* 4.0-4.5

*Review*

Blades of Winter has to be one of the best alternative reality, action-suspense novels that I have read in a very long time. G. T. Almasi takes a page straight out of Robert Ludlum’s hand book and instills a bit of humor and romance to go along it. He provides us with a heroine that is as snarky as she is bad-ass in 20 year old Alixandra Nico.

In Almasi’s world, it is the year 1980 and the president is Ronald Reagan. The United States, Russia, the Nationalist Republic of China, and Greater Germany emerged from World War II as the main superpowers. They aggressively seek to one up the other nations by producing super spies with modifications that Almasi calls Levels. Germany controls much of Europe and the Middle East from the Polar Capes to the African peninsula, while the US maintains hold on its own territories including Japan and Cuba.

In the synopsis I’ve read, it states that Alix is 19 years old. That’s not exactly true since she turns 20 after a certain mission of destruction and mayhem which lands her in the hospital. Alix, code name Scarlet, spends a lot of time destroying things, and getting into troubling situations which leads to continued conflicts among her peers and her partner Patrick. That is alright with me because she ends up finding different ways of surviving even at the expense of her enhancements and modifications which come from being a Level on the way up.

Alix’s father Philip (Big Bertha) was a legend within the Extreme Operations (ExOps) until his disappearance when Alix was 12 years old. It led to the belief that he was dead. Philip’s apparent reappearance in enemy hands leaves lots of answers and no clear cut solutions to finding him. Alix’s own career as an ExOps agent began shortly after Philip’s original disappearance. She soon excelled to the point of leaving her classmates behind in the dust and going on missions that were way above her pay grade.

Alix reminds me, in a way, of Jason Bourne which is where I got the Robert Ludlum reference from. She chases bad guys all over the world and even jumps off the Eiffel Tower in pursuit of a villain. Alix is fearless to a fault and doesn’t really understand the meaning of bring back prisoners so that her bosses and glean information from them. She has no boundaries when it comes to getting what she needs from a mission, even if the mission wasn’t supposed to be hers in the first place. She’s hopelessly in love with her partner Patrick which leads to some interesting interludes as well as a breathtaking and fast paced chase that will leave readers gasping for air.

In the end, this was an entertaining and quick paced read that I am sure will be carried over in the next installment called Hammer of Angels (March 26, 2013).

Recvd from NetGalley * Published August 28th 2012 by Del Rey (less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Aparajitabasu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, espionage, fiction, netgalley, sci-fi, review-copy, thriller, young-adult

I'm not very knowledgeable as far as alternate history goes but GOD this book just took my breadth away...AMAZING. Presenting Shadowstorm #1 Blades of Winter by G.T. Almasi.

Here is the summary of the book:

In one of the most exciting debuts in years, G. T. Almasi has fused the intricate cat-and-mouse games of a John le Carré novel with the brash style of comic book superheroes to create a kick-ass alternate history that reimagines the Cold War as a clash of spies with biological, chemical, and t...more I'm not very knowledgeable as far as alternate history goes but GOD this book just took my breadth away...AMAZING. Presenting Shadowstorm #1 Blades of Winter by G.T. Almasi.

Here is the summary of the book:

In one of the most exciting debuts in years, G. T. Almasi has fused the intricate cat-and-mouse games of a John le Carré novel with the brash style of comic book superheroes to create a kick-ass alternate history that reimagines the Cold War as a clash of spies with biological, chemical, and technological enhancements. Nineteen-year-old Alix Nico, a self-described “million-dollar murder machine,” is a rising star in ExOps, a covert-action agency that aggressively shields the United States from its three great enemies: the Soviet Union, Greater Germany, and the Nationalist Republic of China. Rather than risk another all-out war, the four superpowers have poured their resources into creating superspies known as Levels. Alix is one of the hottest young American Levels. That’s no surprise: Her dad was America’s top Level before he was captured and killed eight years ago. But when an impulsive decision explodes—literally—in her face, Alix uncovers a conspiracy that pushes her to her limits and could upset the global balance of power forever.

The perfect cover and a scintillating synopsis, those were the things that attracted me to this book and the line about it being as alternate history.....and I was sold. From the first page to the last this is a minefield of a book. And impressive is the fact that Mr. Almasi put much work into it to produce such an amazing read....and it is clearly visible as we proceed into the story.

Strong characters and strong settings push this story in the right direction. Alix Nico is the perfect protagonist. The perfect killing machine. This infiltrator is the best one in the field and she knows it. From tumbling down giant building rooftop to leading a merry goose chase against the enemy in the desert country half-dead, to combating the enemy, Alix does it all.

A one woman show, Blades of Winter makes a smoking start to the Showstorm series. G.T. Almasi's world, a different post WWII world, where the countries fought a different form of war altogether. This is a world where Germany won a short termed victory in the war. This is a world that harnessed the science of cloning much before the real time period (our world) did. And it is interesting to see the implications of it from the author's pen. And if you are a fan of James Bond and John le Carré then you should definitely check it out.

"Fast-paced, gadget-savy and informative, packed with the scintillating twist and turns -- perfect blend of James Bond and John le Carré's George Smiley"

(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Meg rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was really excited for this book. I was the first person in line on my libraries hold list waiting for them to purchase the book. I was the first person to read their copy and I was completely blown away with disappointment.I couldn't get past the first few chapters of the book. I almost never give up on a book, so this means a lot.

I couldn't read one more word about how amazing the main character is. She has biological-mechanical joints for Pete’s sake. She can "leap buildings in a single bou...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Katie Glasgow rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was EXCEPTIONALLY clunky for the first quarter or so (to the point that I considered not continuing) but it kicked into gear just after that point. Very unique alternate history with an interesting take on biotechnology in relation to internationa espionage. Alix as a protagonist is not my favorite, I have to admit. She's irritating and most of the time, I just wanted to shake her, but I don't know if that characterization is intentional by the author to further illustrate her age (she's only...more

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Blades of Winter (Shadowstorm #1)

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