Khod Valley, Afghanistan, 1990. An abandoned Spetsnaz platoon fights to the death. What secret are they hiding? Kiev, Ukraine, current day. A former Spetsnaz soldier, now arms dealer, has entered into a deadly contract with a ruthless client. His greed could plunge the Middle East into war. From the shadows, a team of professionals is watching. A covert organization, independent of any nation or corporation, free to strike at the untouchable. They are PRIMAL, and they will see justice served.
I won’t lie, I’m just like every other guy on the planet. I love action movies, first person shooters, fast cars, technology, guns, cool kit and of course beautiful women. I grew up with Dirk Pitt, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, Doom, Wolfenstein, Commando Comics, James Bond, Rambo, The Predator and more. As a young man I have embraced Counter Strike, Half-life, The Bourne Series, Top Gear, Call of Duty the list goes on and on. Coupled with my military experience this seething mass of adrenalin-fueled testosterone has evolved into PRIMAL.
The concept of an organization acting as the judge, jury and executioner is well known both in the real world and in the works of fiction. In most cases, in particular the real ones, such organization is either corrupt from the beginning, or gets depraved with time.
In “PRIMAL Unleashed” Jack Silkstone makes a risky attempt at showing that such an organization may actually do something good. Surprisingly, his attempt is successful. The book tells a convincing story of a powerful organization, which does not lose its moral compass despite the lack of any external control. I think the key to success was the fact, that the author avoided the pitfall of equating the common good with the interest of the USA. In so many of modern military books, American soldiers killing people in their home countries are patriots, while the people defending their homeland from American soldiers are terrorists. Silkstone managed to avoid such simplifications, and in fact most of protagonists in the book are not even American. Presenting the problem from the international perspective made the whole store much more realistic and believable.
Another aspect of the book which contributes to its realism is author’s competence in the subject of weapons and military equipment. The gear used by PRIMAL operators is described with enough details, to make it clear that it is not some randomly chosen stuff. It also makes the book even more interesting.
The characters in the book are multidimensional and well defined. Their actions are not easily predictable, they sometimes make mistakes and not all of their plans succeed. The plot is reasonably complex. There are moments which require a suspension of disbelief, but no more than is typical for this genre.
The book is definitely worth reading, even if you are not a fan of this genre.
An amazing quick read that is laden with great action moments. Great Characters to love and you have the feeling that you are in the middle of the story plot. Jack Silkstone knows his SpecOp information and all the equipment and weapons knowledge shines well through out the story. I look forward to all future novels. Like Brad Thor, Tom Clancy, and others, Jack Silkstone will be among a great collection of writers.
I've been meaning to catch up with the PRIMAL series by Jack Silkstone. I read PRIMAL: ORIGIN and recall being entertained, so I picked up PRIMAL: UNLEASHED.
Overall: it's not a perfect thriller. It has a few missteps. But, it is overall entertaining.
The basic plot is that former Australian soldier Aden Bishop has been recruited by a non-state organization known as PRIMAL, which takes on the fights that state organizations refuses to pick up. The organization overall reminds me of a modern-day Stony Man (from the Mack Bolan lore), with explanations as to how they maintain their logistics and develop intelligence.
Bishop and the other PRIMAL operatives have been tasked with keeping a WMD out of Iranian hands. Personal connections between the seller and Bishop are rapidly established and the stakes are raised. It becomes a race against time as PRIMAL battles to accomplish their mission.
Let me start with the bad first: the dialogue is a little clunky. There's also the personal pet peeve of mine where characters start smiling randomly when they should be all business (e.g. when they're trying to get out of a kill zone with hot lead flying all around them).
I also found the moments describing the female Iranian agent, Saneh, tended to lean more towards the sexualized side. I'm not saying thriller authors should be prudes and pretend sex and attraction don't exist; I am saying there's a time, a place, and a way, and I do feel that could have been executed better.
The good? Silkstone does a great job developing his canon, and there is a chemistry amongst the characters that engenders them to the reader, to where you start rooting for them and want them to win. The action and the plot make this a page turner, and I'm sure that I'll find things I missed in subsequent read-throughs because I was turning the pages so fast trying to see what happens next.
All in all, a fine thriller work. I look forward to reading the next.
Primal: Origin and Primal: Unleashed are the first two novels from reasonably recent-to-the-scene thriller author, Jack Silkstone. Essentially these are special forces, action adventure tales in the vein of Chris Ryan or Andy McNab.
Silkstone’s elite team bypasses the rigid directives issued by Western governments and their intelligence agencies hamstring their operatives on the ground because of various conflicting political agendas.
So our heroes instead chose to be employed by Primal, a private paramilitary intelligence/special forces team funded by a wealth Arab businessman operating out of an isolated island in the Pacific. Their distance from both political and geographical influences allows Primal far greater capabilities to take out ‘the bad guys’ without worrying about the ramifications their wakes of destruction often cause.
Yes, Primal is essentially a private military company, dare I even say they are mercenaries. Does that make them anti-heroes? I say no.
The first major difference between mercenaries and Primal is that they set their own missions. The second is that our heroes really are at war against the corruptions of the world supporting the underdogs. They won’t allow injustices to go unpunished.
PrimalOriginPrimal: Origin, the first book in the series, commences in the United Arab Emirates. Two CIA agents, Vance and Ice, disillusioned by the antics of their government are offered an opportunity to establish a secret organisation that can operate in the shadows and take down bad guys. Hence ‘Primal’ is formed. From there we have Russian Mafia and Middle Eastern terrorists in all out battles in both Abu Dhabi and Cyprus.
Primal: Origin felt a little like a set up for things to come rather than a novel in itself, but great fun to read nonetheless.
The second book, Primal: Unleashed, feels like the action and the tension from the previous book is kicked up about five gears with bloody battles in Sierra Leone, Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Two new characters and a minor character from Origin become our central protagonists, Aden Bishop formally of the Australian Army, Mirza Mansoor from India’s Special Frontier Force and Alfsaneh Ebadi from Iranian Intelligence (MOIS).
Primal’s mission is to stop an unscrupulous arms dealer from acquiring a weapon of mass destruction scary enough to change the global balance of power for various countries, not all of them seeking for a more peaceful world.
There is no nonsense in these stories. When in trouble Primal operatives act fast and clinically. No long conversations with supervillians to reveal nefarious plots, no fancy acrobatics and stunts, with action that is realistic and frighteningly reflective of modern warfare.
PrimalUnleashedThe author’s origins are definitely obscured and his name is unlikely to be a real one (his ‘pen name’ in itself sounds like it belongs to a hero: Jason Bourne, James Bond and … Jack Silkstone).
His author profile claims a background in military intelligence and special operations. I suspect he is a former Australian or New Zealand SAS soldier based on his LinkedIn profile, the times he tweets and his fondness for his main characters, particularly Lieutenant Aden Bishop formerly of the Australian Army.
But Silkstone’s origins and credentials don’t really matter, because the detail in his stories certainly carry a ‘truth’ about them, suggesting that he really does know what he’s talking about. Details such as how construction work is carried out in Abu Dhabi, or jokes Sierra Leone rebels might make, even down to minute on weaponry and traps that Taliban insurgents might leave in the desert for unsuspecting Western soldiers.
I really hope Silkstone is Australian. Our country certainly needs a leading author in this genre to show just how well Australian’s can hold their own against the other elite combat units of the world.
I'm so pleased to find this new author. He writes like I like to read. He creates believable characters, a good plot, and heart pounding action. This author doesn't get the reader bogged down with meaningless dialog, but moves from character to character with a very smooth flow. One unique thing that I found very delightful, was that imbedded within the text were references to a certain gun, plane, or explosive which were in blue print rather than black print. When I touched the screen on the blue print, I was taken to Wikipedia, where I found pictures and detailed descriptions of what the author had referenced. This was really great, and I salute him for it. If you want to read a fast paced, interesting adventure story, get this book. I'm really looking forward to his next one.
Loved the book, great read. Likable characters, memorable back plots and plenty of action to go around. I think jack has a start to a great series of books here. The marketing was interesting releasing the first short for .99 and then hooking you to want more. Great job Jack, keep up the good work! I will purchase all of your PRIMAL books in the future. ( but you have to buy mine). Give the PRIMAL series a shot gang, you will not be disappointed.
This book has a lightning fast pace that grabs the attention of the reader and pulls them along the journey that is PRIMAL! If I was to liken Silkstone to any other writer, it would be Tom Clancy. Silkstone has not only a very good grasp on military hardware, which not only makes the story more realistic and believable, but he has a writing style that pulls the reader into his dangerous world of espionage, counter insurgency and sudden violence. Good story flow and excellent attention to detail. Highly recommended!
Military fiction that will light up the imaginations of veterans and civilians alike. Plenty of memorable characters, mayhem, explosions, fantastic feats of daring, impossible escapes, terrorist attacks, weapons dealers, selfless heros and of course femme fatals. An entertaining tale of bravado and adrenalin versus maniacal extremists and weapons of mass destruction. Just like real life! An alpha-male treasure, at bargain pricing, that feeds the inner beast.
The Primal series is phenomenal! 🙋 If I could give it more stars I would. 🌟 Loads of action and laughter, yes laughter. Alpha heroes with sass saving the world.
Jack Silkstone writes such a realistic and detailed plot. The depth of the characters, the battles they fight, you feel as if your there fighting along side them. I've never been a fan of action thrillers before but I am addicted to this one. Must say a part of this book made me cry and get angry. Questioning why? Why would Mr. Silkstone do this? 😥💔
I highly recommend this series! Starting the next book now. I want vengeance for my favorite character!😈
Plenty of action, lots of good guys vs bad guys encounters, the storyline is believable and military scenes and equipment is clearly explained. The book could do with some editing and tightening up, however, and the frequent hyperlinks are distracting. Plus, losing a major character almost right out of the gate is unpleasant and doesn’t enhance the story at all, if that’s what the author intended to have happen. Overall, this was a good start to what appears to be a lengthy series, and I’m looking forward to reading more. Fortunately, the books are all available on KU, so it will be easy enough to read them all.
Relentless pace, plenty of action. Complex and intriguing plot with potential openings for future stories. One aspect of the plot surprised and disappointed me, which is my reason for 4* and not the 5* it would have been. Regardless it is worth reading and I look forward to reading book 3.
A well-written and engaging second installment of this series. Love the characters, love the plot, love the writing. Well done, Jack! I'll start the next one tomorrow. My lone complaint? You're cutting into my own writing time way too much.
I got the first 4 chapters are part of a compendium. They were a contained part of the story (so acceptable stop/break point without getting full story resolution). As with the others, exciting and compelling action! I hope to finish the rest of the story some day...
This was a good read ,the story is a good hard hitting action packed adventure that keeps on going through the story. The author has used the characters in a really good way.
This was a good book if you like action and more action and more action you will love this books series I got to say Jack Silk stone has done a good job with these books!
This is a thriller through and through. Lot longer than first book, but still keeps you turning the pages. Team expands and deals with a chemical weapon scare.
The transition from the first book is a tad fuzzy, along with how Dostiger went from being captured to a insanely wealthy arms dealer. Overall a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So I stumbled across this series by accident when I read his romance trilogy which I got hooked on. Now I'm thoroughly hooked on these. Highly recommend!
The moment I completed 'PRIMAL Origins' I didn't waste any time and bought this second instalment.
All I can say is 'Wow!' Kudos to Jack Silkstone who has skilfully crafted yet another fine, inspiring action-packed military adventure.
There are no spoilers in this review, suffice to say that readers will not be disappointed; as you read about the atrocities of war and applaud a team who courageously tackle head-on the evil perpetrators of violent war crime. This time, Bishop and PRIMAL's newest recruit Mirza lead the story of honour and strength through knowledge, teamwork and collaboration.
This book is all about justice and the protection of the innocent so it is a very satisfying read. As with the first book in the series, it is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but no more horrific than some of the headlines that have hit the world news in recent times.
As with 'PRIMAL Origins' the key scenes are described in graphic detail so the reader is put slap-bang in the centre of the action. The pace is always fast and furious and the brilliantly written action scenes are akin to a Hollywood blockbuster action movie.
In summary: Yet another fantastic read and a well deserved 5 stars indeed!
What a sequel! This was fast paced action and menace in buckets! I wish I could write suspense like this! The treat was real in this modern world of ours and I liked that Mirza finally joined the team. What I didn't see coming was the loss of a team mate, especially such a loyal and noble one! But in reality this was right and real and sad. Like the rest of the team the reader is not allowed time to mourn his death, because the mission must continue and the treat must be eliminated. I liked the addition of Kurtz and Aleks - they have what it takes to add character to the team. At the end of PRIMAL Unleashed, I was sad but grateful for men, and women, like these who sacrifice their freedom for ours because although this is fiction, it is also very real. Well, I shan't keep you - or me any longer because the next adventure is waiting!
Wow. This was a pretty good book. Normally, books that are solely based on thrillers try to have some deep drama, but this was clearly a shoot-em-up kind of novel. Almost like a FPS game. Now, I've read my Vince Flynn and Clive Cussler, but this was nothing like it. With Vince Flynn, you can expect some finesse, some poise, and it only gets crazy when it gets rough. With Cussler, there is always going to be some humor, almost like a James Bond. With Silkstone, it's just one battle after another. I really like this book because it gives me that sort of satisfaction similar to one after playing an FPS. All in all, this is a book for the gamer nerds, who know what all the guns are and what they do. For others, not so much.
I really enjoyed PRIMAL Unleashed, and I was happy to see that it took me all the way through the very end wondering how things would play out. While with books like this, they are a bit predictable (I mean, people always expect the good guys to win) but for me HOW they win is just as interesting as that they do.
This book covers a lot of interesting locations, plans, and general action. The characters are fun and lively and I find myself invested in their wellbeing and concerned when things get a bit hairy. Overall, this is a fun "summer action movie" book. It keeps you wondering but pushes forward relentlessly. Highly recommended.