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Shadow Ops [Publication Order] #3
Breach Zone
The third book in Myke Cole's acclaimed Shadow Ops series. The Great Reawakening introduced magic into an already volatile world. Many of those with newfound powers have been conscripted by the US Army ... but when the barriers between our reality and the source of this magic starts to fall, they will have to decide who they are really fighting for.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2014
About the author
Myke Cole
32 books1,735 followersAs a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counterterrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After hunting terrorists and criminals in real life, he kept up the job on TV, first tracking fugitives on CBS’ 2017 show Hunted, and UFOs on Discovery Channel’s 2019 show Contact.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
February 2, 2018
So, I've given all three of these books 5*. The first two were very good. I had slight niggles with both of them but nothing that stopped them being damn good reads.
Breach Zone is just much better than its predecessors. We saw the characterization skills ramp up from Control Point to Fortress Frontier with the introduction of Alan Bookbinder, a deeper, richer character, and one that's easier to empathize with than Oscar Britton. In Breach Zone Myke gets us up close and personal with Harlequin and Scylla, bringing them both fully to life and wrapping the story around them in a way that really makes it buzz.
The book's delivered in two threads, the current one is pretty much a continuous battle waged across Manhattan (primarily) and anyone who has read the first two books knows that Myke can deliver a thrilling battle scene. The second thread, the story of Harlequin and Scylla's history together from several years back, breaks the action up nicely, giving the reader time to breathe and offering the casus belli, the fundamental conflict behind the war, in the microcosm of their relationship. A setting that allows some insightful analysis without having artificial pauses in the fighting for the combatants to monologue to camera.
It's masterfully done. It's exciting. It keeps you turning the pages. Old friends such as Britton and Bookbinder turn up and play their roles, offering us some closure, and the story draws to a satisfying end.
I couldn't ask for more.
Go and read it.
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..
Breach Zone is just much better than its predecessors. We saw the characterization skills ramp up from Control Point to Fortress Frontier with the introduction of Alan Bookbinder, a deeper, richer character, and one that's easier to empathize with than Oscar Britton. In Breach Zone Myke gets us up close and personal with Harlequin and Scylla, bringing them both fully to life and wrapping the story around them in a way that really makes it buzz.
The book's delivered in two threads, the current one is pretty much a continuous battle waged across Manhattan (primarily) and anyone who has read the first two books knows that Myke can deliver a thrilling battle scene. The second thread, the story of Harlequin and Scylla's history together from several years back, breaks the action up nicely, giving the reader time to breathe and offering the casus belli, the fundamental conflict behind the war, in the microcosm of their relationship. A setting that allows some insightful analysis without having artificial pauses in the fighting for the combatants to monologue to camera.
It's masterfully done. It's exciting. It keeps you turning the pages. Old friends such as Britton and Bookbinder turn up and play their roles, offering us some closure, and the story draws to a satisfying end.
I couldn't ask for more.
Go and read it.
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
February 25, 2014
And with this volume, this series gets even better.
Kaleidiscopic! This is my new word for Cole's writing.
With every book, we see events continue to unfold, but from a different character's perspective. We have the same intricate pieces, but as he tosses them and lets us view them anew, all falls into ever more complex patterns.
I strongly recommend you begin with the first volume of Shadow Ops and continue through all three for the in depth experience.
Kaleidiscopic! This is my new word for Cole's writing.
With every book, we see events continue to unfold, but from a different character's perspective. We have the same intricate pieces, but as he tosses them and lets us view them anew, all falls into ever more complex patterns.
I strongly recommend you begin with the first volume of Shadow Ops and continue through all three for the in depth experience.
March 6, 2017
Wow, things really went to hell for everyone in this book. :)
New York is invaded, goblins are overrunning the shores, whole sections of the city are under otherworld control and the battle rages on with both Oscar and Bookbinder on different battlefronts and our favorite evil Probie at the head of the hoards.
God, I love Scylla.
The action is ramped up a couple of notches for this book, so eat your heart out, action fans. It's big and it keeps getting bigger.
But here's the really strange bit: guess who is the main PoV? Harlequin. Yeah. The guy I love to hate. But here's the best part: he is full of reasons and big reveals that have everything to do with Scylla. With flashbbacks from 6 years prior throughout this novel and the nature of their relationship slowly being revealed as being written large upon this enormous scale of World Vs World, I can honestly say this was my favorite of the books even if I never thought I'd like the character.
Live and learn, right? Another reviewer mentioned that this is the Lannister effect, and I suppose it is. It's hard not to enjoy and sympathize with our big bads when we get into their minds. :)
It's still popcorn fiction, but this is action/destruction-movie quality. :) With magic.
New York is invaded, goblins are overrunning the shores, whole sections of the city are under otherworld control and the battle rages on with both Oscar and Bookbinder on different battlefronts and our favorite evil Probie at the head of the hoards.
God, I love Scylla.
The action is ramped up a couple of notches for this book, so eat your heart out, action fans. It's big and it keeps getting bigger.
But here's the really strange bit: guess who is the main PoV? Harlequin. Yeah. The guy I love to hate. But here's the best part: he is full of reasons and big reveals that have everything to do with Scylla. With flashbbacks from 6 years prior throughout this novel and the nature of their relationship slowly being revealed as being written large upon this enormous scale of World Vs World, I can honestly say this was my favorite of the books even if I never thought I'd like the character.
Live and learn, right? Another reviewer mentioned that this is the Lannister effect, and I suppose it is. It's hard not to enjoy and sympathize with our big bads when we get into their minds. :)
It's still popcorn fiction, but this is action/destruction-movie quality. :) With magic.
May 15, 2014
Breach Zone is the conclusion to the Shadow Ops Trilogy, which begins with Control Point and Fortress Frontier. As much as Control Point is Oscar Britton's book and Fortress Frontier is Bookbinder's, Breach Zone was firmly Lt. Col. Jan Thorsson's, aka "Harlequin."
Which is an interesting perspective. I doubt Harlequin is close to the top of anyone's list of favorite characters in the series, but after seeing the world from his perspective, the Jaime Lannister effect takes place. Not only do you begin to respect his actions, though not all, but you begin to see that he's changed quite a bit through this whole ordeal from his initial stark, rule-following persona.
I can't deny, I wanted to see more of Oscar Britton and Allan Bookbinder. They're present, just not in the forefront as they once were, but I really enjoyed their powers and wanted to see more of each at play. At the same time, I, somehow, never really thought of the implications of being an Aeromancer and I can't say I'd complain if I was suddenly given the power of FLIGHT. Not to mention control over the elements such as wind, lightning, and generally the power of Zeus. Yeah, that's cool too.
Overall, Breach Zone is an excellent conclusion to the entire trilogy. The action is superb and the setup through the trilogy is just about perfectly satisfied in this final volume.
My only real complaint I have is with the audio narration of this novel. I have to admit that at first I thought the narrator, Korey Jackson, was perfect for the part. He's great at the different voices, does the military stuff well, and he's convincing. What could possibly go wrong right?
Well, first off, he reads really slowly. A book this size is normally 9 to 10 CD's, but this one is 12. I thought the book was just longer at first, but I checked it against the printed version and it's not really a typical 12 disc size novel. Believe me. I know this.
If I had the ability to speed it up, believe me, I would have used it. As a reviewer, however, I tend to avoid speeding up audiobooks anyway because I want to be able tocriticize hear a book in its natural state.
But what the slow-reading narrator does is kill a good amount of the tension. It's hard to believe that events are ramping up when the narrator doesn't seem to care.
At the same time, he sounded detached. This could have been a result of the slow reading or very closely tied, but he just seemed to be going through the motions and I didn't hear the passion like I hear in the really good narrators.
Luckily, the strength of the narrative shines through and for the parts that didn't require a high degree of tension Jackson was great (who needs tension in a novel right?). Honestly, his voices were spot on and I can tell why he was chosen.
Shadow Ops is one of my favorite series of recent years. I dearly hope Myke Cole heads back into this world some more because it's filled with awesome. The superpowers are deftly done, and the politics are highly believable. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill meathead novel. There's great action and it keeps you thinking as well. I'll be reading anything and everything Myke Cole puts out.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Which is an interesting perspective. I doubt Harlequin is close to the top of anyone's list of favorite characters in the series, but after seeing the world from his perspective, the Jaime Lannister effect takes place. Not only do you begin to respect his actions, though not all, but you begin to see that he's changed quite a bit through this whole ordeal from his initial stark, rule-following persona.
I can't deny, I wanted to see more of Oscar Britton and Allan Bookbinder. They're present, just not in the forefront as they once were, but I really enjoyed their powers and wanted to see more of each at play. At the same time, I, somehow, never really thought of the implications of being an Aeromancer and I can't say I'd complain if I was suddenly given the power of FLIGHT. Not to mention control over the elements such as wind, lightning, and generally the power of Zeus. Yeah, that's cool too.
Overall, Breach Zone is an excellent conclusion to the entire trilogy. The action is superb and the setup through the trilogy is just about perfectly satisfied in this final volume.
My only real complaint I have is with the audio narration of this novel. I have to admit that at first I thought the narrator, Korey Jackson, was perfect for the part. He's great at the different voices, does the military stuff well, and he's convincing. What could possibly go wrong right?
Well, first off, he reads really slowly. A book this size is normally 9 to 10 CD's, but this one is 12. I thought the book was just longer at first, but I checked it against the printed version and it's not really a typical 12 disc size novel. Believe me. I know this.
If I had the ability to speed it up, believe me, I would have used it. As a reviewer, however, I tend to avoid speeding up audiobooks anyway because I want to be able to
But what the slow-reading narrator does is kill a good amount of the tension. It's hard to believe that events are ramping up when the narrator doesn't seem to care.
At the same time, he sounded detached. This could have been a result of the slow reading or very closely tied, but he just seemed to be going through the motions and I didn't hear the passion like I hear in the really good narrators.
Luckily, the strength of the narrative shines through and for the parts that didn't require a high degree of tension Jackson was great (who needs tension in a novel right?). Honestly, his voices were spot on and I can tell why he was chosen.
Shadow Ops is one of my favorite series of recent years. I dearly hope Myke Cole heads back into this world some more because it's filled with awesome. The superpowers are deftly done, and the politics are highly believable. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill meathead novel. There's great action and it keeps you thinking as well. I'll be reading anything and everything Myke Cole puts out.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
November 12, 2013
FYI: Myke Cole is a personal friend of mine, as well as a fellow professional author, but nevertheless, this review is honest word. Myke is one of the few people I trust to give early criticism to my own work, and I am fortunate to have the same privilege with him. It's been wonderful watching Shadow Ops develop.
Breach Zone is a powerful conclusion to Cole's Shadow Ops trilogy. Lt. Colonel Harlequin relives a life of service and a failed romance that has brought him from being a series antagonist to the only thing standing between downtown Manhattan and an invasion of Selfer's: those who refuse to surrender their magic—and liberty—to the US Military.
The lives of all the series characters are intertwined in this tale, with all reaching powerful and satisfying turning points as the story comes to a close.
Cole's military experience comes out in vividly described (and accurate) action, while at the same time challenging many of the pre-conceived notions we have about the role of the military in the world and at home.
Breach Zone is a powerful conclusion to Cole's Shadow Ops trilogy. Lt. Colonel Harlequin relives a life of service and a failed romance that has brought him from being a series antagonist to the only thing standing between downtown Manhattan and an invasion of Selfer's: those who refuse to surrender their magic—and liberty—to the US Military.
The lives of all the series characters are intertwined in this tale, with all reaching powerful and satisfying turning points as the story comes to a close.
Cole's military experience comes out in vividly described (and accurate) action, while at the same time challenging many of the pre-conceived notions we have about the role of the military in the world and at home.
August 16, 2017
3.5 estrellas: entretenido y lleno de acción, explosiones y momentos muy zarpados, al igual que los primeros dos libros de la trilogía.
No es lo mejor que he leído, pero la idea es original y entretenida. Recomiendo esta trilogía si estás buscando una lectura rápida y que no te haga pensar demasiado; más tarde voy a escribir una reseña más completa.
No es lo mejor que he leído, pero la idea es original y entretenida. Recomiendo esta trilogía si estás buscando una lectura rápida y que no te haga pensar demasiado; más tarde voy a escribir una reseña más completa.
October 20, 2022
Immersive, roller-coaster-paced and nicely styled conclusion to the series. The last installment focuses again on a new protagonist picked from the core cast and I liked the ride very much. The author’s storytelling improved a lot from the first book. Happy I invested in this series.
What moves people? That’s the real question here. What does it take to get a person up off their ass and motivated enough to vote? To fight? To give until it hurts? We try every angle we can think of, we appeal to people’s compassion, tribal kinship, sense of self-actualization. But it’s fear, isn’t it? If there’s one thing people cannot stand, it’s being afraid. They will do absolutely anything to feel safe.
NECROMANCY: […] Hello, Carlos. You remember my wife, Maria, don’t you? You should, you killed her. That’s made us both rather upset. But, since she’s the dead one, I figured I’d let her do the honors of ripping your head off. After twenty years of marriage, I’ve learned to let her have her way.
– Witness transcript following the decapitation of drug kingpin Carlos Mendoza, Brooklyn South Task Force, NYPD
What moves people? That’s the real question here. What does it take to get a person up off their ass and motivated enough to vote? To fight? To give until it hurts? We try every angle we can think of, we appeal to people’s compassion, tribal kinship, sense of self-actualization. But it’s fear, isn’t it? If there’s one thing people cannot stand, it’s being afraid. They will do absolutely anything to feel safe.
NECROMANCY: […] Hello, Carlos. You remember my wife, Maria, don’t you? You should, you killed her. That’s made us both rather upset. But, since she’s the dead one, I figured I’d let her do the honors of ripping your head off. After twenty years of marriage, I’ve learned to let her have her way.
– Witness transcript following the decapitation of drug kingpin Carlos Mendoza, Brooklyn South Task Force, NYPD
January 30, 2014
Breach ZoneBreachZone is the third entry in Myke Cole’s contemporary military fantasy series Shadow Ops, after series opener Control Point and last year’s Fortress Frontier. “Contemporary military fantasy” is probably not the most evocative way to describe these books. Peter V. Brett’s blurb “Black Hawk Down Meets The X-Men” is much better—and the publisher seems to agree, as this line has now been featured prominently on the covers of all three books in the series.
You see, in the world of Shadow Ops, random people suddenly discover they have supernatural powers. Some can control fire, or water, or air. Some can control the dead or create portals between our dimension and the Source, a realm filled with alien creatures that also appears to be where all the magic actually originates from.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
You see, in the world of Shadow Ops, random people suddenly discover they have supernatural powers. Some can control fire, or water, or air. Some can control the dead or create portals between our dimension and the Source, a realm filled with alien creatures that also appears to be where all the magic actually originates from.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
August 9, 2016
Executive Summary: A decent ending to the series. It was slow at times and the ending felt rushed, but I thought things were still wrapped up well.
Audiobook: Korey Jackson once again does a good job. He's well-spoken and easy to hear and understand. This isn't a must listen, but it's definitely a book that works well in audio. (And yes, I did copy/paste this part from my last review ^_^)
Full Review
Just as Fortress Frontier did, this book swaps to a new viewport character. While I was happy about that for book 2, I was a bit disappointed here. Oscar Britton and Alan Bookbinder are largely relegated to secondary characters. I'm fine with less of Britton, but Bookbinder is definitely my favorite character of the series.
Instead of a new character for a POV, a secondary character from Control Point earns a promotion here. I haven't liked Harlequin since meeting him in the first book. However, thanks to getting inside his head, a series of flashbacks, and character growth, I found him much more likeable this time around. We get a lot more world building in this one, at least in terms of how the state of the first book came to be. We don't learn everything though. Magic continues to be total hand-waving and largely unexplained. While that kind of thing tends to bother me in general, there really wasn't room for it here.
The main plot of this one was pretty good, but this book suffered a bit from pacing issues. I felt like some of the early parts dragged a bit, while the ending felt a bit rushed.
A lot of the world building was done through flashbacks. I enjoyed them overall, but I tired of them a bit by the end. It might have been a bit better with one or two fewer if he had simply cut out some extra details to the main plot.
By the end of the book, I was wondering if he'd be able to wrap things up well or not. I feel like he brought things to a good conclusion, but it could have used more detail. All the pieces sort of fell into place at the last moment.
Overall I enjoyed the book and the series though, and I'll definitely be checking out the prequel series at some point.
Audiobook: Korey Jackson once again does a good job. He's well-spoken and easy to hear and understand. This isn't a must listen, but it's definitely a book that works well in audio. (And yes, I did copy/paste this part from my last review ^_^)
Full Review
Just as Fortress Frontier did, this book swaps to a new viewport character. While I was happy about that for book 2, I was a bit disappointed here. Oscar Britton and Alan Bookbinder are largely relegated to secondary characters. I'm fine with less of Britton, but Bookbinder is definitely my favorite character of the series.
Instead of a new character for a POV, a secondary character from Control Point earns a promotion here. I haven't liked Harlequin since meeting him in the first book. However, thanks to getting inside his head, a series of flashbacks, and character growth, I found him much more likeable this time around. We get a lot more world building in this one, at least in terms of how the state of the first book came to be. We don't learn everything though. Magic continues to be total hand-waving and largely unexplained. While that kind of thing tends to bother me in general, there really wasn't room for it here.
The main plot of this one was pretty good, but this book suffered a bit from pacing issues. I felt like some of the early parts dragged a bit, while the ending felt a bit rushed.
A lot of the world building was done through flashbacks. I enjoyed them overall, but I tired of them a bit by the end. It might have been a bit better with one or two fewer if he had simply cut out some extra details to the main plot.
By the end of the book, I was wondering if he'd be able to wrap things up well or not. I feel like he brought things to a good conclusion, but it could have used more detail. All the pieces sort of fell into place at the last moment.
Overall I enjoyed the book and the series though, and I'll definitely be checking out the prequel series at some point.
September 14, 2013
Because Myke is worrying about these too much.
November 14, 2014
Note: Although there should be no spoilers for this book, it is #3 in a series, so there will be unavoidable spoilers for the previous books, which I reviewed here and here.
When thousands of soldiers in America’s SOC (Supernatural Operations Corps) suddenly appeared on the lawn outside of the White House, the American public discovered three things: first, there is an alternate world called the Source that that is teeming with magical creatures; second, the American government had invaded it and set up a military base; third, many of the military’s employees at the base were Probes; that is, members of magical schools prohibited by U.S. law.
The indigenous inhabitants would have massacred the human invaders if Jan Thorssen, codename Harlequin, hadn’t disobeyed orders from the President himself and saved the base. Americans have just discovered the existence of an alternate world that is home to whole civilizations of magical creatures. Now, led by an escaped Probe witch, an army of magical creatures has decided to turn the tables and visit NYC, and they’re not going to stop with postcards. Thorssen suddenly finds himself in charge of defending a rapidly devolving city from an invasion force of sorcerers, goblins, demons, and every other magical creature that can scuttle out of the Source.
If you’ve read the other books in the series, you’ve probably spent a good portion of time wanting to throttle Harlequin. This book attempts to humanize him, and that’s not exactly an easy task. Other than being a jerk whenever possible, Harlequin has acted as Britton’s foil, law-abiding, obsessive, angry cop who goes out of his way to punish anyone who breaks the arbitrary rules of society. This book explores how an idealistic Jan Thorssen was transformed into the vengeful Harlequin. It becomes clear that Harlequin is suffering from compassion fatigue, and this drives him to separate the world into wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs. The only thing that separates the wolves from the sheepdogs, Harlequin believes, is the law, and no matter how broken the law might be, his is not to reason why. And some of his other experiences, detailed as flashbacks throughout the story, explain why he now has a whole Ikea shelving system’s worth of screws loose. Even so, I’m never going to find Harlequin a sympathetic character, no matter how hard Cole tries. All the same, I enjoyed his ironic commentary on the situation:
Another exciting change is that Oscar Britton, a.k.a. “the pompous dick,” is no longer a perspective character. In fact, Cole seems to have picked up on his readers’ universal detestation and rechristened him “Oscar Fucking Britton”-- unless that was actually his middle name all along, of course. Even better news, Bookbinder is back, and as terrifyingly optimistic as ever:
Through Thorssen’s flashbacks, we even get Scylla’s backstory. Given her previous actions and the fact that she’s leading the invasion in this book, I was rather incredulous at this attempt to humanize her. Awkwardly enough, however, I found myself mostly on her side, even if I didn’t approve of her methods. She has two demands: first, that the US treat the Source as an inhabited land with its own indigenous culture, and second, that the Latents be treated as citizens. After seeing America’s proud history of breaking promises to indigenous peoples, I can understand why the goblins would think that extermination was the only way.
As with the rest of the series, much of the book is an exploration of the “freedom versus safety” paradox. I admit to a certain amount of evil pleasure in finally seeing the SOC reap what they sowed, and I appreciate the ways in which Cole presented the (human) invaders’ perspectives:
While I was delighted that the US’s brazen colonialism finally backfires, I was disappointed in the portrayal of the creatures from the Source. The goblins are divided with a depressing simplicity into “good” (i.e. subservient to humans) goblins and the “bad” (i.e. defensive) goblins. The Gahe are apparently inherently nasty, as are all the other invaders. Cole spends a tremendous amount of time thoughtfully deconstructing the complexities of the human conflict. It’s a pity he spent so little time extending this to the other creatures of the Source. Even the issue of imperialism is mostly pushed aside in favour of Latent/normal politics. Sadly, somewhere in the novel, right versus wrong devolves into xenophobia, with the invading Sourcers painted as soulless monsters.
Even though I wish that Cole had done more to--ahem-- humanize his Source characters, I love the perspectives that he provides on the conflict between Latents and non-Latents. In this book, the reader is finally placed on the side of the U.S. government against an external invader, but even though the Selfer tactics are savage, Cole continues to question the government’s role in driving them to violence. As one character puts it:
Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which has additional spoilers, quotes, and commentary that I was too lazy to copy over.
When thousands of soldiers in America’s SOC (Supernatural Operations Corps) suddenly appeared on the lawn outside of the White House, the American public discovered three things: first, there is an alternate world called the Source that that is teeming with magical creatures; second, the American government had invaded it and set up a military base; third, many of the military’s employees at the base were Probes; that is, members of magical schools prohibited by U.S. law.
The indigenous inhabitants would have massacred the human invaders if Jan Thorssen, codename Harlequin, hadn’t disobeyed orders from the President himself and saved the base. Americans have just discovered the existence of an alternate world that is home to whole civilizations of magical creatures. Now, led by an escaped Probe witch, an army of magical creatures has decided to turn the tables and visit NYC, and they’re not going to stop with postcards. Thorssen suddenly finds himself in charge of defending a rapidly devolving city from an invasion force of sorcerers, goblins, demons, and every other magical creature that can scuttle out of the Source.
If you’ve read the other books in the series, you’ve probably spent a good portion of time wanting to throttle Harlequin. This book attempts to humanize him, and that’s not exactly an easy task. Other than being a jerk whenever possible, Harlequin has acted as Britton’s foil, law-abiding, obsessive, angry cop who goes out of his way to punish anyone who breaks the arbitrary rules of society. This book explores how an idealistic Jan Thorssen was transformed into the vengeful Harlequin. It becomes clear that Harlequin is suffering from compassion fatigue, and this drives him to separate the world into wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs. The only thing that separates the wolves from the sheepdogs, Harlequin believes, is the law, and no matter how broken the law might be, his is not to reason why. And some of his other experiences, detailed as flashbacks throughout the story, explain why he now has a whole Ikea shelving system’s worth of screws loose. Even so, I’m never going to find Harlequin a sympathetic character, no matter how hard Cole tries. All the same, I enjoyed his ironic commentary on the situation:
“Lighten up,” Harlequin said. “We’re leading a mixed force of police and military, who have almost no experience fighting together and who lack the power to harm half the enemy. We’re outnumbered and outgunned. [...] Our goal is to secure a rent in the fabric of reality that we have no idea how to close. What could possibly go wrong?”
Another exciting change is that Oscar Britton, a.k.a. “the pompous dick,” is no longer a perspective character. In fact, Cole seems to have picked up on his readers’ universal detestation and rechristened him “Oscar Fucking Britton”-- unless that was actually his middle name all along, of course. Even better news, Bookbinder is back, and as terrifyingly optimistic as ever:
“We’ve got a problem,” Rodriguez said.
“Another problem,” Bonhomme added.
“Let’s call it a challenge,” Bookbinder said.
Through Thorssen’s flashbacks, we even get Scylla’s backstory. Given her previous actions and the fact that she’s leading the invasion in this book, I was rather incredulous at this attempt to humanize her. Awkwardly enough, however, I found myself mostly on her side, even if I didn’t approve of her methods. She has two demands: first, that the US treat the Source as an inhabited land with its own indigenous culture, and second, that the Latents be treated as citizens. After seeing America’s proud history of breaking promises to indigenous peoples, I can understand why the goblins would think that extermination was the only way.
As with the rest of the series, much of the book is an exploration of the “freedom versus safety” paradox. I admit to a certain amount of evil pleasure in finally seeing the SOC reap what they sowed, and I appreciate the ways in which Cole presented the (human) invaders’ perspectives:
“They see you for what you are, and they know you will never stop until you control every action of everyone and everything that frightens you. They want the same thing I do. To be able to go to bed at night and never have to wake up worrying that you’re out there, plotting to put us in chains again. We can’t get that by negotiating with you. We can only get that by teaching you what those chains feel like.”I love the ways that the SOC tactics echo reality. For example, the SOC’s replacement of Big Bear is not dissimilar to the FBI infiltration of the Panthers. I’m still deeply disturbed by the way the government enslaves the “legally dead” Selfers. I have a terrible suspicion that this “repurposing” of legally dead citizens is not just a fantasy.
While I was delighted that the US’s brazen colonialism finally backfires, I was disappointed in the portrayal of the creatures from the Source. The goblins are divided with a depressing simplicity into “good” (i.e. subservient to humans) goblins and the “bad” (i.e. defensive) goblins. The Gahe are apparently inherently nasty, as are all the other invaders. Cole spends a tremendous amount of time thoughtfully deconstructing the complexities of the human conflict. It’s a pity he spent so little time extending this to the other creatures of the Source. Even the issue of imperialism is mostly pushed aside in favour of Latent/normal politics. Sadly, somewhere in the novel, right versus wrong devolves into xenophobia, with the invading Sourcers painted as soulless monsters.
Even though I wish that Cole had done more to--ahem-- humanize his Source characters, I love the perspectives that he provides on the conflict between Latents and non-Latents. In this book, the reader is finally placed on the side of the U.S. government against an external invader, but even though the Selfer tactics are savage, Cole continues to question the government’s role in driving them to violence. As one character puts it:
“The only Selfer threat is the one you made for yourself. America is a nation choking on its own hypocrisy.”Cole has experienced war, and his experiences enrich his book. Even when the SOC are defenders in an invasion, nothing is black and white, and nothing is simple. There is no straightforward victory or glorious defeat.
That was the thing about war, wasn’t it? In the end, someone has to be willing to overlook past wrongs, inequalities. In the end, war had to serve peace, to drive forward toward an end state that worked better for everyone. Otherwise, what were they fighting for?
Excerpted from my review on BookLikes, which has additional spoilers, quotes, and commentary that I was too lazy to copy over.
March 2, 2014
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/03/....
“An excellent third act in the series, Myke Cole has really impressed with a stunning all-out war novel that never disappoints. This series is arguably one of the definitive military fantasy novels, and delivers an excellent payoff that’s well worth your time. Highly recommended.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…
In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.
In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.
When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…"
The first novel in the series, Control Point - was released January 2012 in the USA and came to the UK later that year. With a focus on a primary protagonist named Oscar Britton, the book was an excellent debut that kick-started a promising series. Then came the middle act, Fortress Frontier - which was just as awesome as Control Point, and even better – but rather than continue the focus on Oscar Britton, switched protagonists – looking at Colonel Alan Bookbinder as the main narrator. Now, with Breach Zone - the book comes full circle and splits the perspective between both Bookbinder, and Britton’s nemesis from the first novel, the man with the callsign Harlequin. It shows just how the series has evolved over the course of these three Volumes - Control Point was an origin story, Fortress Frontier was a survival mission and Breach Zone has now become an all out war. It’s the equivalent of a well-written summer blockbuster movie, and based on the quality of writing, this novel would make an excellent film adaption with so many incredibly awesome scenes here. Really – just like the last two novels, you won’t be able to put this one down.
Breach-ZoneBreach Zone was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014 and I even went so far as to make it my first pre-order on Amazon as I was that eager to get my hands on the book – and when it turned up on my Kindle on release day, I got stuck in and started reading, finishing it in a few sittings. Cole’s ability to write a fast paced novel will be no stranger to readers of the first two books but he really kicks it up a gear in this book that effectively concludes the main trilogy (although it will thankfully not be the last story set in this universe) – and manages to pull a successful narrative as it deals with two threads – the first primary narrative focusing on the battle for Manhattan, which is under siege for pretty much the entirety of the novel, but also of a flashback tale – putting both Harlequin and Scylla in the spotlight, giving these characters some much needed development and fleshing out their pasts.
Despite the dual narrative, Breach Zone feels very tight. Cole knows how to weave the book so as to keep both halves of the narrative interesting and you won’t be wanting to skip over the flashback sequences in order to get to the Battle of Manhattan as both sections are equally engrossing and enthralling. As with past novels, Cole has an excellent take on characterization and really excels with turning the character of Jan Thorrson (Harlequin) from a character who everybody loves to hate into a rootable protagonist. He’s not entirely sympathetic, but by the end of the novel – Cole will be managing to get you to rooting behind his character which is a great achievement especially given the fact that he was Oscar Britton’s nemesis in the first book.
So, with everything covered, Breach Zone is a fantastic conclusion to an excellent initial trilogy and it’ll be interesting to see where Cole goes from here, for this journey has been an amazing ride. Fans of the series will not be disappointed as this book with a very solid outing that could well see this novel reach the top levels for best of the year by the end.
VERDICT: 5/5
“An excellent third act in the series, Myke Cole has really impressed with a stunning all-out war novel that never disappoints. This series is arguably one of the definitive military fantasy novels, and delivers an excellent payoff that’s well worth your time. Highly recommended.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…
In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.
In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.
When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…"
The first novel in the series, Control Point - was released January 2012 in the USA and came to the UK later that year. With a focus on a primary protagonist named Oscar Britton, the book was an excellent debut that kick-started a promising series. Then came the middle act, Fortress Frontier - which was just as awesome as Control Point, and even better – but rather than continue the focus on Oscar Britton, switched protagonists – looking at Colonel Alan Bookbinder as the main narrator. Now, with Breach Zone - the book comes full circle and splits the perspective between both Bookbinder, and Britton’s nemesis from the first novel, the man with the callsign Harlequin. It shows just how the series has evolved over the course of these three Volumes - Control Point was an origin story, Fortress Frontier was a survival mission and Breach Zone has now become an all out war. It’s the equivalent of a well-written summer blockbuster movie, and based on the quality of writing, this novel would make an excellent film adaption with so many incredibly awesome scenes here. Really – just like the last two novels, you won’t be able to put this one down.
Breach-ZoneBreach Zone was one of my most anticipated reads of 2014 and I even went so far as to make it my first pre-order on Amazon as I was that eager to get my hands on the book – and when it turned up on my Kindle on release day, I got stuck in and started reading, finishing it in a few sittings. Cole’s ability to write a fast paced novel will be no stranger to readers of the first two books but he really kicks it up a gear in this book that effectively concludes the main trilogy (although it will thankfully not be the last story set in this universe) – and manages to pull a successful narrative as it deals with two threads – the first primary narrative focusing on the battle for Manhattan, which is under siege for pretty much the entirety of the novel, but also of a flashback tale – putting both Harlequin and Scylla in the spotlight, giving these characters some much needed development and fleshing out their pasts.
Despite the dual narrative, Breach Zone feels very tight. Cole knows how to weave the book so as to keep both halves of the narrative interesting and you won’t be wanting to skip over the flashback sequences in order to get to the Battle of Manhattan as both sections are equally engrossing and enthralling. As with past novels, Cole has an excellent take on characterization and really excels with turning the character of Jan Thorrson (Harlequin) from a character who everybody loves to hate into a rootable protagonist. He’s not entirely sympathetic, but by the end of the novel – Cole will be managing to get you to rooting behind his character which is a great achievement especially given the fact that he was Oscar Britton’s nemesis in the first book.
So, with everything covered, Breach Zone is a fantastic conclusion to an excellent initial trilogy and it’ll be interesting to see where Cole goes from here, for this journey has been an amazing ride. Fans of the series will not be disappointed as this book with a very solid outing that could well see this novel reach the top levels for best of the year by the end.
VERDICT: 5/5
September 26, 2018
This was definitely my least favorite book of the series. In book one the world building was amazing. In book two we are introduced to even farther reaches of this new world and to the many different inhabitants that live there. With so much left to explore, it was a blank canvas for book three. Instead he takes us back to New York for the entire book and focuses on one battle that lasts over several days. I was so let down. I didn't want to hear about New York...I wanted more of this incredible new world that made this series so special. I did enjoy the fact that the story focused on Harlequin this time and we learned his backstory...And of course all the favorite old characters were there again as well. I just felt that the author dropped the ball with this one and could have done so much more. I also love action books, but this one was just too monotonous after a while.
January 28, 2014
A more substantive discussion of the book.
http://www.staffersbookreview.com/201...
http://www.staffersbookreview.com/201...
April 22, 2014
Breach Zone completes the Shadow Ops trilogy, begun in Control Point and continued in Fortress Frontier. You can feel Cole stretching, reaching for the sky as he progresses through the books. Control Point was wonderful, and Fortress Frontier fabulous. With Breach Zone, I feel he reached a bit too far.
But only a bit. The book is still very good.
The main character of this book is Jan Thorsson, code-sign Harlequin, one of the major roadblocks for Britton from the first book, and not exactly the font of all things hunky-dory for Bookbinder in the second book. In this book, one gets some insight into why he is the way he is, what choices he made getting there, and what his regrets are. To be honest, I found him less than compelling, and I find it telling that I just had to look up his real name. Thorsson is pure Army. He has no life outside; he is Harlequin first and Jan Thorsson second, though he would deny that (and he would deny several other obviously true things about himself, too. The man practically defines 'repressed'.) Both Britton and Bookbinder had families with connections outside the service (yeah, Julie Bookbinder was a military wife, but she wasn't military herself, and it showed) and it made their characters deeper and richer. Thorsson felt flat in comparison. He does well enough when there is a military protocol for a decision, but left to his own devices? Or when he gets personally involved? Not so much.
This might have been all right; there was certainly plenty of reason for him to have no book to go by. Is there a protocol for a mass invasion of New York City by goblins and giant demon critters from another dimension? But here is another place where I feel Cole reached but didn't quite hit his mark. He flips between Thorsson's POV and the POVs of Bookbinder, Swift, and Scylla, and of the four, Scylla has the least time onstage, but the most at stake. Cole also plays with non-linear storytelling, having flashbacks from Thorsson's first meeting with Scylla interleaved with the invasion she is now leading. I feel this would have been far more effective if his reminiscences and hers had had complementary scenes throughout. He could have lost the Swift scenes entirely with no loss to the storyline, and he probably could have lost the Bookbinder scenes, too (tho' I like Bookbinder! I want to see more of him! I just feel that he pulled the focus away from the Thorsson/Scylla dynamic).
We don't see things from inside Scylla's head after her initial scene; in fact, we don't see much of Scylla at all in the present until the end of the book, and only second-hand through Thorsson throughout. She gradually flattens as the story progresses; by the time she makes her big Internet announcement, I am comparing her character unfavorably with that of Magneto, who fills a similar role in the X-Men stories. The problem is, Scylla has neither the passion nor the charisma of Magneto, and her blatant self-interest undercuts what passion and charisma she has. She doesn't even come across as focused -- she dithers over a doorman, then has a confrontation with another man (the significance of whom isn't clear until about two-thirds of the way through the story, waaaay too little, too late) and then Cole drops her POV, killing what little momentum he's built up with her.
I could complain about those flashbacks, too. Cole claims this book is a romance, and in a way, it is, save that most romances have two possible outcomes (boy gets/does not get girl), and it is clear *from the first page* which outcome is going to happen here. This kills much of the suspense of the book. We're left with 'How do the SOC folks take back Manhattan?' This is interesting, yes, but ... but. Splintered POVs, a twinned, non-linear storyline, and your main Antagonist is a poor copy of a comic book villain? Sigh.
I haven't even mentioned Cole's tendency to repeat himself. (Apparently, there are a lot of women who possess 'a fierce beauty'. Soldiers tend to be described using the word 'blocky' or its relatives, regardless of the gender of the soldier being so described. And dropping a helicopter on Harlequin twice in one paragraph? Please.)
For all that, I did like the book. Cole has a facility with describing action that draws me in. He's at his best there, detailing tactics both singular and small unit as they move and develop, and he has a good touch with explaining chains of command and how they work -- even when the persons representing those chains would really rather not deal with each other. If his depiction of the interactions of the military is a little opaque to me at times, I'll put that down to me not being military myself.
Also, the Coast Guard. Seriously cool. I'd like to see more of Bonhomme and crew. (Maybe with a touch more attention to timelines, though.)
Overall, this is a difficult book, told in a style and using tools which Cole has not mastered completely -- yet. You can see what he was trying to do, and I admire him for the effort, even though I don't like many of the results.
Control Point was a book about power -- about discovering it, coming to grips with it, and defining it for one's own self, rather than accepting the definitions given by others. Fortress Frontier was very much a coming-of-age story, where limits both personal and professional are transcended. Breach Zone may have been meant to be a romance, but it is far more of a nostalgic look at loss and the culpability we have for the results of our decisions. Of the three, Breach Zone is the most ambitious story Cole has told us so far; in my opinion, it is also the least successful.
But that's my opinion. Read it for yourself -- it won't be a waste of your time.
But only a bit. The book is still very good.
The main character of this book is Jan Thorsson, code-sign Harlequin, one of the major roadblocks for Britton from the first book, and not exactly the font of all things hunky-dory for Bookbinder in the second book. In this book, one gets some insight into why he is the way he is, what choices he made getting there, and what his regrets are. To be honest, I found him less than compelling, and I find it telling that I just had to look up his real name. Thorsson is pure Army. He has no life outside; he is Harlequin first and Jan Thorsson second, though he would deny that (and he would deny several other obviously true things about himself, too. The man practically defines 'repressed'.) Both Britton and Bookbinder had families with connections outside the service (yeah, Julie Bookbinder was a military wife, but she wasn't military herself, and it showed) and it made their characters deeper and richer. Thorsson felt flat in comparison. He does well enough when there is a military protocol for a decision, but left to his own devices? Or when he gets personally involved? Not so much.
This might have been all right; there was certainly plenty of reason for him to have no book to go by. Is there a protocol for a mass invasion of New York City by goblins and giant demon critters from another dimension? But here is another place where I feel Cole reached but didn't quite hit his mark. He flips between Thorsson's POV and the POVs of Bookbinder, Swift, and Scylla, and of the four, Scylla has the least time onstage, but the most at stake. Cole also plays with non-linear storytelling, having flashbacks from Thorsson's first meeting with Scylla interleaved with the invasion she is now leading. I feel this would have been far more effective if his reminiscences and hers had had complementary scenes throughout. He could have lost the Swift scenes entirely with no loss to the storyline, and he probably could have lost the Bookbinder scenes, too (tho' I like Bookbinder! I want to see more of him! I just feel that he pulled the focus away from the Thorsson/Scylla dynamic).
We don't see things from inside Scylla's head after her initial scene; in fact, we don't see much of Scylla at all in the present until the end of the book, and only second-hand through Thorsson throughout. She gradually flattens as the story progresses; by the time she makes her big Internet announcement, I am comparing her character unfavorably with that of Magneto, who fills a similar role in the X-Men stories. The problem is, Scylla has neither the passion nor the charisma of Magneto, and her blatant self-interest undercuts what passion and charisma she has. She doesn't even come across as focused -- she dithers over a doorman, then has a confrontation with another man (the significance of whom isn't clear until about two-thirds of the way through the story, waaaay too little, too late) and then Cole drops her POV, killing what little momentum he's built up with her.
I could complain about those flashbacks, too. Cole claims this book is a romance, and in a way, it is, save that most romances have two possible outcomes (boy gets/does not get girl), and it is clear *from the first page* which outcome is going to happen here. This kills much of the suspense of the book. We're left with 'How do the SOC folks take back Manhattan?' This is interesting, yes, but ... but. Splintered POVs, a twinned, non-linear storyline, and your main Antagonist is a poor copy of a comic book villain? Sigh.
I haven't even mentioned Cole's tendency to repeat himself. (Apparently, there are a lot of women who possess 'a fierce beauty'. Soldiers tend to be described using the word 'blocky' or its relatives, regardless of the gender of the soldier being so described. And dropping a helicopter on Harlequin twice in one paragraph? Please.)
For all that, I did like the book. Cole has a facility with describing action that draws me in. He's at his best there, detailing tactics both singular and small unit as they move and develop, and he has a good touch with explaining chains of command and how they work -- even when the persons representing those chains would really rather not deal with each other. If his depiction of the interactions of the military is a little opaque to me at times, I'll put that down to me not being military myself.
Also, the Coast Guard. Seriously cool. I'd like to see more of Bonhomme and crew. (Maybe with a touch more attention to timelines, though.)
Overall, this is a difficult book, told in a style and using tools which Cole has not mastered completely -- yet. You can see what he was trying to do, and I admire him for the effort, even though I don't like many of the results.
Control Point was a book about power -- about discovering it, coming to grips with it, and defining it for one's own self, rather than accepting the definitions given by others. Fortress Frontier was very much a coming-of-age story, where limits both personal and professional are transcended. Breach Zone may have been meant to be a romance, but it is far more of a nostalgic look at loss and the culpability we have for the results of our decisions. Of the three, Breach Zone is the most ambitious story Cole has told us so far; in my opinion, it is also the least successful.
But that's my opinion. Read it for yourself -- it won't be a waste of your time.
May 5, 2019
Still haven't read any fiction that captures the military as I remember and experienced it (minus the magic of course). I'm at the point now that if Myke Cole writes the book, I'm buying it.
January 17, 2014
There are often a litany of problems inherent in trilogies (book or movie), even when they follow the 'rules' concerning Bigger And Better Each Time. The plot gives way to spectacle. Characterisation goes out the window for the sake of getting more of that spectacle in, because hey, isn't that what people want? A lot of the time, in my view, less can be more. And by 'less' I mean 'keep the characters interesting even while you're blowing crap up, and don't look at me like that, it can happen!'.
Myke Cole is an author who clearly understands this, because oh. My. Freaking. God. This book.
THIS BOOK.
Let me tell you, the action movie playing in my head the whole time I read this made me want to weep for the lack of it in real life. If someone capable was to take what's on these pages and put it on screen, it could spank most of the action movies I've watched recently until they run home crying to their mothers. Not only because the spectacle is astounding - but because the characters are worth reading about.
This is a thinking person's military fantasy series, and I could not love it more if I tried.
In the previous two books, Control Point and Fortress Frontier, we meet a group of characters who all have important parts to play. Oscar Britton, Alan Bookbinder, Jan Thorssen (better known as "Harlequin"), Sarah Downer, Swift - and Scylla. [Insert thunder-and-doomy-lightning crash here.] And with Breach Zone, they're all back for a truly heavyweight finale - but, in keeping with the narrative switches we saw previously, this story, in itself, belongs to Harlequin. Until now, we only got to see one side of him, from the perspective of others. Here, he takes centre stage.
And there is so much more to him than the unbending soldier we met before. So very much more. Let's face it, this story would kind of suck if there was less. By this point, despite his actions to free Oscar Britton earning him some admiration from non-military circles, Harlequin is determined to stick to his own philosophical guns - to stay in the military, and on the side of order, while everyone else on that stage is embroiled in chaos, or uncertain of themselves.
That said, the journey he takes is still a damned hard one. For one thing, there's so much more to his history with Scylla than we knew before - and all I'll say about THAT is that you'll have to read it if you want to know. Trust me, it's worth it.
Worth it, because it paints a man who had previously appeared more or less in black and white with some pretty damned thought-provoking shades of grey. And that's the thing about these books, the true reason I've fallen in love with them so hard - Cole shows us a world where absolutely nothing is as simple as we might think. There's 'us and them', but... there is no 'us and them'. There's people, and there's a metric ton of Complicated to go with them. Call Harlequin what you like, but he's a person with a story to tell that's just as important as anyone else's, and Cole gives us no choice but to listen, and to take it all on board. That's the real skill he uses here - strip away all the spectacle and this is all about people, and the choices we make. It's about the reasons we should care about them, too, because I don't think I've read a more perfectly timed morality tale than this one, right now.
Now. That spectacle. As though being mercilessly punched in the feels wasn't enough, I was flipped between thoughtful, sympathetic and 'OMFG' so freaking expertly, from start to blistering-hot finish. As I said before, this is nothing short of a master-class in How It's Done. From the moment Scylla comes storming onto the scene to Harlequin's final confrontation with her, the action simply does not let up. The battlefield gets bloodier, the people on the ground get no mercy, and to put it simply, it all cuts right to the bone.
I let my tea go cold while reading this one*. No lie.
What really makes it all spark, though, is that while the fantasy aspects of the world Cole creates are awesomely spectacular and detailed enough to tell us all kinds of stories, he's also clearly writing what he knows, here. There are scenes, in particular with Bookbinder before he makes it to the Breach to assist Harlequin, that are obviously written by someone who knows what he's talking about, and this makes for some of the most gripping action in the book. It didn't hurt (or, perhaps, even help) that being in deep water is one of my most creep-inducing phobias...
...But, dudes. Water goblins. A BIG FREAKING SEA MONSTER. It doesn't get much more bloody epic than that.
So, yes. Epic conclusion, blistering action, wonderful characters, a hands-down stunner of a trilogy. This one follows all the rules, while still setting fire to the rule book. And that, my friends, may just be the greatest trick of all. Pure magic.
* Yes, I drank it anyway. It's TEA.
Myke Cole is an author who clearly understands this, because oh. My. Freaking. God. This book.
THIS BOOK.
Let me tell you, the action movie playing in my head the whole time I read this made me want to weep for the lack of it in real life. If someone capable was to take what's on these pages and put it on screen, it could spank most of the action movies I've watched recently until they run home crying to their mothers. Not only because the spectacle is astounding - but because the characters are worth reading about.
This is a thinking person's military fantasy series, and I could not love it more if I tried.
In the previous two books, Control Point and Fortress Frontier, we meet a group of characters who all have important parts to play. Oscar Britton, Alan Bookbinder, Jan Thorssen (better known as "Harlequin"), Sarah Downer, Swift - and Scylla. [Insert thunder-and-doomy-lightning crash here.] And with Breach Zone, they're all back for a truly heavyweight finale - but, in keeping with the narrative switches we saw previously, this story, in itself, belongs to Harlequin. Until now, we only got to see one side of him, from the perspective of others. Here, he takes centre stage.
And there is so much more to him than the unbending soldier we met before. So very much more. Let's face it, this story would kind of suck if there was less. By this point, despite his actions to free Oscar Britton earning him some admiration from non-military circles, Harlequin is determined to stick to his own philosophical guns - to stay in the military, and on the side of order, while everyone else on that stage is embroiled in chaos, or uncertain of themselves.
That said, the journey he takes is still a damned hard one. For one thing, there's so much more to his history with Scylla than we knew before - and all I'll say about THAT is that you'll have to read it if you want to know. Trust me, it's worth it.
Worth it, because it paints a man who had previously appeared more or less in black and white with some pretty damned thought-provoking shades of grey. And that's the thing about these books, the true reason I've fallen in love with them so hard - Cole shows us a world where absolutely nothing is as simple as we might think. There's 'us and them', but... there is no 'us and them'. There's people, and there's a metric ton of Complicated to go with them. Call Harlequin what you like, but he's a person with a story to tell that's just as important as anyone else's, and Cole gives us no choice but to listen, and to take it all on board. That's the real skill he uses here - strip away all the spectacle and this is all about people, and the choices we make. It's about the reasons we should care about them, too, because I don't think I've read a more perfectly timed morality tale than this one, right now.
Now. That spectacle. As though being mercilessly punched in the feels wasn't enough, I was flipped between thoughtful, sympathetic and 'OMFG' so freaking expertly, from start to blistering-hot finish. As I said before, this is nothing short of a master-class in How It's Done. From the moment Scylla comes storming onto the scene to Harlequin's final confrontation with her, the action simply does not let up. The battlefield gets bloodier, the people on the ground get no mercy, and to put it simply, it all cuts right to the bone.
I let my tea go cold while reading this one*. No lie.
What really makes it all spark, though, is that while the fantasy aspects of the world Cole creates are awesomely spectacular and detailed enough to tell us all kinds of stories, he's also clearly writing what he knows, here. There are scenes, in particular with Bookbinder before he makes it to the Breach to assist Harlequin, that are obviously written by someone who knows what he's talking about, and this makes for some of the most gripping action in the book. It didn't hurt (or, perhaps, even help) that being in deep water is one of my most creep-inducing phobias...
...But, dudes. Water goblins. A BIG FREAKING SEA MONSTER. It doesn't get much more bloody epic than that.
So, yes. Epic conclusion, blistering action, wonderful characters, a hands-down stunner of a trilogy. This one follows all the rules, while still setting fire to the rule book. And that, my friends, may just be the greatest trick of all. Pure magic.
* Yes, I drank it anyway. It's TEA.
February 22, 2014
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Breach Zone is the concluding volume in the first trilogy by Myke Cole, it is a book that most readers (including me) have been itching to read since we reached the end page of Fortress Frontier. Myke Cole had previously mentioned that this book was inspired by “The Heroes” by Joe Abercrombie and it would be all about a single drawn out battle. Unlike “The Heroes” wherein the battle was in a nondescript place, the battle in this book would be possibly in one of the most famous cities of the world. With this book, Myke brings it all down to the various conflicts that have been brewing in the past two books on a personal and professional level. There’s also the big draw of this book revealing the origins of Scylla and how she came to be the person that she is.
The book has a dual storyline that takes place in the present and six years ago when the limbic dispenser system is being formulated. Scylla is a normal non-latent person who goes by the name of Grace M. She meets Jan Thorsson who is a newbie back then and very much believes in a black/white world. In the current timeline, we find that Thorsson is a different person; Scylla is thought of to be non-human in the kindest terms. We find that Bookbinder is finding life (both family and military) to be quite difficult after his heroics in the Source and the FOB. He finds that he’s considered a pariah within the military because of his non-classifiable skills and finds himself with a permanent shadow. We are also shown different sides to Swift and Sarah Downer than what we have seen previously. Lastly we also get to see Oscar, Theresa and a couple of others.
I've enjoyed Myke’s knack of having different protagonists for each book, this always made each read that much more fresh. While I didn't overtly enjoy Oscar’s waffling style of leadership, Alan Bookbinder with his quiet, measured approach was a revelation. In this book however the protagonist torch is passed on to Jan “Harlequin” Thorsson who has acted and seemed like a complete douche until now (atleast from Oscar’s and Swift’s view). I was never a fan of his but it was exciting to see how his and Scylla’s past were linked together. To be honest though, while the author excels at showing a man who’s tortured by his past decisions and actions and now does his best to convert the feelings of those who have been wronged by him. I still couldn't quite sympathize with him entirely infact I found myself intrigued much more by Scylla and her past. In the end, it didn't matter much as the plot twists as well as all the action sequences kept the story moving forward strongly and kept me riveted as well.
The story while being a dual one, feels very tight and while one does have an idea of what happens in the past, finding out exactly what is still fun. The characterization as with the past books is a positive feature and herein with a battle situation, it allows the readers to get an immersive experience of sorts. Of course the author limits the number of POVs but we still get an extensive look at the happenings from various sides. One thing I would have enjoyed is to see things from Scylla’s side as well as more about the events happening in Mescalero but that’s a small thing. Also the action sequences are more than amped up for this titular battle, what I liked in Fortress Frontier was how the author showcased the hero's journey (literally & figuratively). With this book, the author showcases his deft skills in extraordinary action sequences in the air, water, and Terra firma. I think that this book, if it were to be converted to celluloid, would make an excellent film or TV series.
Lastly in regards to the negatives, the conclusion of the story isn't a complete one as even though we get a thorough resolution to the battle of NYC. There are further events set into motion which as a reader I would like to know more about. Also I believe the author will be writing a sort of sequel book wherein he will explore the story through the eyes of another character, set in the same time frame. I’ll be interested to see how that story unfolds and what it adds to this storyline.
CONCLUSION: Breach Zone brings to a close a story that has been in Myke’s imagination for many years, as a fan, it’s heartening to see a trilogy resolution done in a reasonable amount of time. As with his previous books, Breach Zone is filled to the flanks with action, intrigue and simply all-out mayhem. For all the fans of the previous books, this third volume is a book that you simply shouldn't miss.
December 23, 2014
BREACH ZONE is the third and last installment in Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series, a powerful and explosive finish to a series that already started by taking your breath away.
Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series has always raised the issue of individual and collective rights. While they may generally co-exist, there are real instances when these two rights stand on opposite sides of a conflict. Cole gathers all the players and features each of them in turn. You are presented with all sides of the conflict -- government, military (magical and non-magical sections), all factions of the rebel latents -- and drops them in the financial center of the most famous city in the world, New York.
At the center of the opposition is Scylla-- an attractive, resourceful, powerful player in New York City's economy. Her life was upended when she came up latent with a prohibited magical ability. She was apprehended, incarcerated and written off until she escaped and sought revenge against all those who stole her life. Marginalized, pissed off and supernaturally powerful is a dangerous combination. It can move mountains, conquer cities...or destroy them. In Scylla, Cole has created an opposition that plays on my heart strings. She is no archetypal villain, no two-dimensional afterthought for the protagonist to run roughshod over. She is a victim (of fate, of circumstances and of the ruling order) who realized she is not helpless and proceeded to act contrary to what society expects and demands of her. She is not one to be forced into Procrustes' bed and she has enough moral ground to sway people to her way of thinking. There is a definite male fantasy element to her which I would normally scoff at, but I cannot really begrudge anyone their attraction to such a figure. I will not object to an intelligent, independent, capable woman who forges her own destiny and is no one's accessory.
BREACH ZONE ratchets up the drama and the sentimentality and --while I'm not normally a big fan of those things-- they work in this context. Cole has done his homework in terms of characterization-- he has piqued our curiosity and caused us to care about the fates of the characters. Then he added a conflict that is contemporarily relevant and relatable. This is a military urban fantasy tale, the magical component of which can be replaced by many contemporary headline issues and give rise to a relevant, real-life discussion.
The stage is set for the elaborate big-budget movie in our minds where drama and sentimentality are not only appropriate but eagerly anticipated. We all want Harlequin, Scylla, Bookbinder, Britton, et al. to have their day and their say because they've earned it. They are singular and distinct in our minds and we wait with bated breath for their role in this ultimate showdown. And boy, do they each shine! The dialogue is crisp, with a ring of authenticity. To test this, I read some parts out loud and they rolled off the tongue smoothly. It flows like an unimpeded, rambling river. The action, another Cole staple, is fast, furious and engaging on all fronts. The setting is a New York City that is familiar and one that is transformed into the site of this epic battle. I may never be able to walk the streets of lower Manhattan without imagining the battle-wrought scenario that Cole has vividly described.
BEACH ZONE is definitely the Shadow Ops series going out with 4th of July style fireworks. The stumble in the middle portion of Control Point or the occasionally not-so-cohesive threads in Fortress Frontier are nowhere to be found. Breach Zone is a seamless build-up to a satisfying conclusion. Throughout the series, Cole blurs the lines between hero and villain, black and white, right and wrong, victory and defeat. Conflicts rarely lend themselves to such extreme polarization and Breach Zone does an excellent job of lending credibility to each side. We arrive at a resolution of the conflicts but could not help but lament those who perished along the way, the destruction wrought, the inability to prevent injury and loss.
The Shadow Ops series is a celebration of the things Myke Cole holds dear-- the military in all its glory and folly, the concept of magic, and the never ending search for the meaning of service and patriotism in an ever changing societal landscape. We come away from reading this book a little more compassionate, a lot more informed, a little less judgmental, and a bit more of a Myke Cole fan.
Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series has always raised the issue of individual and collective rights. While they may generally co-exist, there are real instances when these two rights stand on opposite sides of a conflict. Cole gathers all the players and features each of them in turn. You are presented with all sides of the conflict -- government, military (magical and non-magical sections), all factions of the rebel latents -- and drops them in the financial center of the most famous city in the world, New York.
At the center of the opposition is Scylla-- an attractive, resourceful, powerful player in New York City's economy. Her life was upended when she came up latent with a prohibited magical ability. She was apprehended, incarcerated and written off until she escaped and sought revenge against all those who stole her life. Marginalized, pissed off and supernaturally powerful is a dangerous combination. It can move mountains, conquer cities...or destroy them. In Scylla, Cole has created an opposition that plays on my heart strings. She is no archetypal villain, no two-dimensional afterthought for the protagonist to run roughshod over. She is a victim (of fate, of circumstances and of the ruling order) who realized she is not helpless and proceeded to act contrary to what society expects and demands of her. She is not one to be forced into Procrustes' bed and she has enough moral ground to sway people to her way of thinking. There is a definite male fantasy element to her which I would normally scoff at, but I cannot really begrudge anyone their attraction to such a figure. I will not object to an intelligent, independent, capable woman who forges her own destiny and is no one's accessory.
BREACH ZONE ratchets up the drama and the sentimentality and --while I'm not normally a big fan of those things-- they work in this context. Cole has done his homework in terms of characterization-- he has piqued our curiosity and caused us to care about the fates of the characters. Then he added a conflict that is contemporarily relevant and relatable. This is a military urban fantasy tale, the magical component of which can be replaced by many contemporary headline issues and give rise to a relevant, real-life discussion.
The stage is set for the elaborate big-budget movie in our minds where drama and sentimentality are not only appropriate but eagerly anticipated. We all want Harlequin, Scylla, Bookbinder, Britton, et al. to have their day and their say because they've earned it. They are singular and distinct in our minds and we wait with bated breath for their role in this ultimate showdown. And boy, do they each shine! The dialogue is crisp, with a ring of authenticity. To test this, I read some parts out loud and they rolled off the tongue smoothly. It flows like an unimpeded, rambling river. The action, another Cole staple, is fast, furious and engaging on all fronts. The setting is a New York City that is familiar and one that is transformed into the site of this epic battle. I may never be able to walk the streets of lower Manhattan without imagining the battle-wrought scenario that Cole has vividly described.
BEACH ZONE is definitely the Shadow Ops series going out with 4th of July style fireworks. The stumble in the middle portion of Control Point or the occasionally not-so-cohesive threads in Fortress Frontier are nowhere to be found. Breach Zone is a seamless build-up to a satisfying conclusion. Throughout the series, Cole blurs the lines between hero and villain, black and white, right and wrong, victory and defeat. Conflicts rarely lend themselves to such extreme polarization and Breach Zone does an excellent job of lending credibility to each side. We arrive at a resolution of the conflicts but could not help but lament those who perished along the way, the destruction wrought, the inability to prevent injury and loss.
The Shadow Ops series is a celebration of the things Myke Cole holds dear-- the military in all its glory and folly, the concept of magic, and the never ending search for the meaning of service and patriotism in an ever changing societal landscape. We come away from reading this book a little more compassionate, a lot more informed, a little less judgmental, and a bit more of a Myke Cole fan.
April 29, 2016
VERDICT: An okay beach read set in a thought-provoking alternate universe. Terrible cover and title. Lots of politics. This volume was the most disappointing book of the series. I lost interest about halfway through, but was able to pick it back up and finish the story.
QUICK PITCH: Tom Clancy meets Avatar: The Last Airbender, or an Americanized version of Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series. Bad guys kick the crap out of New York City, as they're wont to do.
Two things made it difficult for this book to hold my attention: fight scenes and shifting POV. I'm not one for fight scenes, especially with guns or hand-to-hand combat, and this book contained many. (The magical fight scenes were pretty good, actually.) Shifting POV doesn't usually bother me, but here all the shifts were too jarring. Harlequin's story didn't mesh clearly with Bookbinders, and the addition of the "six years ago" version of Harlequin added to the mess. The "six years ago" stuff could've been moved to an introduction, or an interlude, or something, but interspersing it with other chapters was weird.
In this volume, Harlequin suffered from acute protagonist syndrome. He was a perfectly hate-able antagonist in the first book, and a reluctant helper in the second. In this book, he's a split personality. The "six years ago" stuff matches with his antagonist persona from book one, but the present-day stuff sounds like Oscar Britton all over again. I understand that he's probably changed between six years ago and the present, but I don't buy that Harlequin is that torn about magic and magic users. I also don't believe that he's suddenly started agreeing with all of Britton's arguments. It would've made more sense to give someone else the POV, and show Harlequin's growth through someone else's eyes.
Nearly the opposite thing happened to Crucible, a secondary/minor character in the series, which made me sad. In Control Point, he's someone Oscar Britton nearly trusts. In Fortress Frontier, he's the person who pushes Bookbinder to grow, and becomes someone you want to like. In Control Point, particularly in the flashbacks, he nearly becomes an antagonist. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth about a character I enjoyed, which was frustrating.
And then there's Grace/Scylla--the deadly, power-hungry antagonist unleashed by Oscar Britton in Control Point. The reason she's so evil is finally revealed. It sucks. She's evil because she's been poisoned by the drug she takes to control her power in the first place. She's evil because the side effects of the drug include "psychotic tendencies". It's a cop-out, especially because the other characters have put Scylla through enough to make her vengeful without any medical intervention.
During this book, it's also revealed that Grace has a twin, and that their mother called them Scylla and Charybdis. Alas, Charybdis never appears to counter her sister. I wish she had. (Maybe Scylla killed Charybdis when she Manifested, but I don't remember them mentioning that. It just seems like a wasted opportunity.)
QUICK PITCH: Tom Clancy meets Avatar: The Last Airbender, or an Americanized version of Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series. Bad guys kick the crap out of New York City, as they're wont to do.
Two things made it difficult for this book to hold my attention: fight scenes and shifting POV. I'm not one for fight scenes, especially with guns or hand-to-hand combat, and this book contained many. (The magical fight scenes were pretty good, actually.) Shifting POV doesn't usually bother me, but here all the shifts were too jarring. Harlequin's story didn't mesh clearly with Bookbinders, and the addition of the "six years ago" version of Harlequin added to the mess. The "six years ago" stuff could've been moved to an introduction, or an interlude, or something, but interspersing it with other chapters was weird.
In this volume, Harlequin suffered from acute protagonist syndrome. He was a perfectly hate-able antagonist in the first book, and a reluctant helper in the second. In this book, he's a split personality. The "six years ago" stuff matches with his antagonist persona from book one, but the present-day stuff sounds like Oscar Britton all over again. I understand that he's probably changed between six years ago and the present, but I don't buy that Harlequin is that torn about magic and magic users. I also don't believe that he's suddenly started agreeing with all of Britton's arguments. It would've made more sense to give someone else the POV, and show Harlequin's growth through someone else's eyes.
Nearly the opposite thing happened to Crucible, a secondary/minor character in the series, which made me sad. In Control Point, he's someone Oscar Britton nearly trusts. In Fortress Frontier, he's the person who pushes Bookbinder to grow, and becomes someone you want to like. In Control Point, particularly in the flashbacks, he nearly becomes an antagonist. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth about a character I enjoyed, which was frustrating.
And then there's Grace/Scylla--the deadly, power-hungry antagonist unleashed by Oscar Britton in Control Point. The reason she's so evil is finally revealed. It sucks. She's evil because she's been poisoned by the drug she takes to control her power in the first place. She's evil because the side effects of the drug include "psychotic tendencies". It's a cop-out, especially because the other characters have put Scylla through enough to make her vengeful without any medical intervention.
During this book, it's also revealed that Grace has a twin, and that their mother called them Scylla and Charybdis. Alas, Charybdis never appears to counter her sister. I wish she had. (Maybe Scylla killed Charybdis when she Manifested, but I don't remember them mentioning that. It just seems like a wasted opportunity.)
December 22, 2017
I've read all 6 books in this series, and I want more. Kudos.
March 26, 2014
Read in January - just adding review to this since it doesn't seem to want to cross editions between US/US.
I had a huge review written up, but since Goodreads is too lazy to code in an autosave feature like nearly any other equivalent site would have, I lost it.
So I'll summarize - Myke Cole came out of left field when he wrote Control Point, a mile-a-minute book that had one of the most original and creative magic systems I've ever read. The characters were real and engaging, and the book sucked me in like not many others ever have. Fortress Frontier introduced so many more aspects to the story, new settings, new drama, and one of the biggest and most brilliantly written battles I've read.
Needless to say, I was excited about Breach Zone. Thankfully, I wasn't left disappointed. Myke crafted a suitable finale to the series, one that does honor to what he's created. The book centers largely around Harlequin and Bookbinder, desperately fighting to defend the city of New York - and, by extension, all of North America - from invading rebellious forces. They entered the city through a "Breach", essentially a portal to the alternate dimension that was introduced in the previous books. The invading creatures, largely "goblins", are lead by Scylla, the terrifyingly powerful antagonist introduced in Fortress Frontier.
The book is rife with drama, both personal and political in nature. Myke does an amazing job of writing moral conflicts, showing how characters struggle in many situations with their duties, with right and wrong, with the overall effects of their actions and the actions of others. He questions government, military procedures, protocols - but presents both sides of the story almost always, shows the causes and effects of every situation. It adds so many extra layers to every situation, gives each decision a sense of finality, of weight.
His writing definitely improved with each book, and he's ready to continue his rise as a fantasy heavyweight. Breach Zone is a superb finish to Myke's first fantasy triligy, and one that was a joy to read.
Note: Myke is also very awesome, and very graciously hooked me up with an ARC of the novel. One of the cooler things an author has ever done for me - thanks Myke!
I had a huge review written up, but since Goodreads is too lazy to code in an autosave feature like nearly any other equivalent site would have, I lost it.
So I'll summarize - Myke Cole came out of left field when he wrote Control Point, a mile-a-minute book that had one of the most original and creative magic systems I've ever read. The characters were real and engaging, and the book sucked me in like not many others ever have. Fortress Frontier introduced so many more aspects to the story, new settings, new drama, and one of the biggest and most brilliantly written battles I've read.
Needless to say, I was excited about Breach Zone. Thankfully, I wasn't left disappointed. Myke crafted a suitable finale to the series, one that does honor to what he's created. The book centers largely around Harlequin and Bookbinder, desperately fighting to defend the city of New York - and, by extension, all of North America - from invading rebellious forces. They entered the city through a "Breach", essentially a portal to the alternate dimension that was introduced in the previous books. The invading creatures, largely "goblins", are lead by Scylla, the terrifyingly powerful antagonist introduced in Fortress Frontier.
The book is rife with drama, both personal and political in nature. Myke does an amazing job of writing moral conflicts, showing how characters struggle in many situations with their duties, with right and wrong, with the overall effects of their actions and the actions of others. He questions government, military procedures, protocols - but presents both sides of the story almost always, shows the causes and effects of every situation. It adds so many extra layers to every situation, gives each decision a sense of finality, of weight.
His writing definitely improved with each book, and he's ready to continue his rise as a fantasy heavyweight. Breach Zone is a superb finish to Myke's first fantasy triligy, and one that was a joy to read.
Note: Myke is also very awesome, and very graciously hooked me up with an ARC of the novel. One of the cooler things an author has ever done for me - thanks Myke!
January 22, 2014
THIS BOOK KICKS SOO MUCH BUTT! First of all, I am a unabashed fan of the series, so you see that? that's objectiveness flying right on out the window. A ripping conclusion to what I hope and you too should hope, is just the opening trip to the Shadow Op's universe.
If you are a fan of the X men, Mr. Cole, even though he isn't writing "mutants" per say probably understands the basic concept of the super powered as opposed to the normal man better than any X Men writer in the past ten years, (YOU HEAR THAT MARVEL, give this guy X Force PLEASE)
I would apologize for the all caps and the yelling and excitement, but I'M NOT.
This book is just that awesome, I know you have seen it on several can't wait for 2014 book lists there is a reason for that... Go read this whole series, I promise you as the critic that I am, it is worth your time and effort, and Marvel comics! (call Myke already)
If you are a fan of the X men, Mr. Cole, even though he isn't writing "mutants" per say probably understands the basic concept of the super powered as opposed to the normal man better than any X Men writer in the past ten years, (YOU HEAR THAT MARVEL, give this guy X Force PLEASE)
I would apologize for the all caps and the yelling and excitement, but I'M NOT.
This book is just that awesome, I know you have seen it on several can't wait for 2014 book lists there is a reason for that... Go read this whole series, I promise you as the critic that I am, it is worth your time and effort, and Marvel comics! (call Myke already)
June 6, 2015
Final book in the Shadow Ops series was just as good as the previous two. Very solid, fun superhero/military trilogy. Raises the same issues the X-men comics/movies raises about how mutants are treated and how to deal with superior humans. I really liked the flashback chapters in this book centering around Harlequin and someone else I won't mention.
I picked up Gemini Cell and will read that soon.
I picked up Gemini Cell and will read that soon.
December 18, 2014
Oddličan završetak za dobar serijal magijsko vojnih savreemnih knjiga.
Lično najviše što me je inpresionirlo je dosta realana prikaz reakcija ljudi, društva i vlada na novo nastale situacije (totally fucked up :) ), ili barem tako nekako bih i lično zamišljao da se stvari razvijaju.
U svakom slučaju potpuna preporuka na ovaj serijal.
Lično najviše što me je inpresionirlo je dosta realana prikaz reakcija ljudi, društva i vlada na novo nastale situacije (totally fucked up :) ), ili barem tako nekako bih i lično zamišljao da se stvari razvijaju.
U svakom slučaju potpuna preporuka na ovaj serijal.
December 6, 2015
Great book. The first two in the series were solid 4-star reads but were missing something that would have made them great. Whatever they were missing this one found it, and found it in spades. So much was going on around and outside the main story I hope the author writes future books filling in not what are gaps but other narratives. Very, very fun read.
January 28, 2014
When I reviewed Myke Cole’s first Shadow Ops book, Control Point, back in 2012 I found that the book had a great premise, a fascinating world and thrilling action. I was less than enthused with the novel’s main character Oscar Britton. In Fortress Frontier, the second Shadow Ops novel, Cole expanded the characters and the world by introducing Colonel Bookbinder. The split perspective of that novel, primarily between Bookbinder and Britton, made for some better reading and the expanded world made for amazing set pieces. Breach Zone takes things to the next level and (re)introduces Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorrson, aka Harlequin, as a central figure. After the events of Fortress Frontier, and with the previous Presidential administration on the outs, Thorsson has become the public “face” of the Supernatural Operations Corps (SOC). At the same time General Bookbinder has been moved into an advisory role thanks to his borderline “treasonous” actions in Fortress Frontier. All of that changes when goblins and other creatures, lead by Scylla, invade Manhattan. Pulled out of his PR position, Thorsson is placed in charge of the defense with limited support from SOC brass.
Listen you should probably just stop reading this review now. No. Seriously. Go out, grab yourself a stack of Myke Cole novels and settle in for a few days. It’ll be worth it I swear. Shadow Ops is a scary good series. I’m not sure “military fantasy” existed as a genre before Myke Cole but I know now that I want more. Cole has used fantasy in the same vein as science fiction taking magic (rather than science) and imagining how its appearance might affect our world and society at large; managing to tell a damned fine story in the process. Breach Zone is probably the most familiar feeling of the series as it is a “last stand” story as Harlequin and forces try to hold Manhattan against a force with superior numbers. However, while telling the tale of Harlequin’s battle in Manhattan Cole interweave’s a tale from Harlequin’s past. It’s a narrative device the works well expanding the lore of Cole’s world while providing important context for the story taking place in the present.
Breach Zone brings together all of the lead characters seen in the series so far but leaves the primary narrative to Harlequin and Bookbinder. Harlequin, who in Control Point, was a strong believer in the SOC and it’s cause has changed somewhat thanks to previous event’s in the series. His change of opinion, predicated mainly on doing what is right by those who served beneath and alongside him, is a fascinating and enthralling journey. The change, while gradual, isn’t a complete reversal of his beliefs and Cole does a magnificent job of describing, primarily through flashbacks, how Harlequin became so entrenched in, and enthralled by, the system. With Bookbinder in Fortress Frontier and Harlequin in Breach Zone, Myke Cole has absolutely stepped up his characterization game offering two well-rounded and dynamic characters who, flaws and all, feel like living breathing people. Taking things a step further Cole actually manages to humanize Scylla. There are moments in the story where beneath the facade of the mother of monsters there is glimpsed someone else entirely. Rather than seeing Scylla simply as the bogey(wo)man Cole manages to tap into a rich vein of human drama that lends a more personal air to the action unfolding on the streets of Manhattan.
Each Shadow Ops novel has improved considerably over the last and Breach Zone definitely continues that trend. Shadow Ops stands strong as a trilogy with this latest novel bringing the current story to a satisfying conclusion while still leaving room for potential exploration later down the line. Myke Cole is an author to watch. With Breach Zone and the Shadow Ops series Cole has brought military fantasy a modern touch creating a memorable and vivid world that I would love to read more about. The bottom line is this: read the Shadow Ops series.
Listen you should probably just stop reading this review now. No. Seriously. Go out, grab yourself a stack of Myke Cole novels and settle in for a few days. It’ll be worth it I swear. Shadow Ops is a scary good series. I’m not sure “military fantasy” existed as a genre before Myke Cole but I know now that I want more. Cole has used fantasy in the same vein as science fiction taking magic (rather than science) and imagining how its appearance might affect our world and society at large; managing to tell a damned fine story in the process. Breach Zone is probably the most familiar feeling of the series as it is a “last stand” story as Harlequin and forces try to hold Manhattan against a force with superior numbers. However, while telling the tale of Harlequin’s battle in Manhattan Cole interweave’s a tale from Harlequin’s past. It’s a narrative device the works well expanding the lore of Cole’s world while providing important context for the story taking place in the present.
Breach Zone brings together all of the lead characters seen in the series so far but leaves the primary narrative to Harlequin and Bookbinder. Harlequin, who in Control Point, was a strong believer in the SOC and it’s cause has changed somewhat thanks to previous event’s in the series. His change of opinion, predicated mainly on doing what is right by those who served beneath and alongside him, is a fascinating and enthralling journey. The change, while gradual, isn’t a complete reversal of his beliefs and Cole does a magnificent job of describing, primarily through flashbacks, how Harlequin became so entrenched in, and enthralled by, the system. With Bookbinder in Fortress Frontier and Harlequin in Breach Zone, Myke Cole has absolutely stepped up his characterization game offering two well-rounded and dynamic characters who, flaws and all, feel like living breathing people. Taking things a step further Cole actually manages to humanize Scylla. There are moments in the story where beneath the facade of the mother of monsters there is glimpsed someone else entirely. Rather than seeing Scylla simply as the bogey(wo)man Cole manages to tap into a rich vein of human drama that lends a more personal air to the action unfolding on the streets of Manhattan.
Each Shadow Ops novel has improved considerably over the last and Breach Zone definitely continues that trend. Shadow Ops stands strong as a trilogy with this latest novel bringing the current story to a satisfying conclusion while still leaving room for potential exploration later down the line. Myke Cole is an author to watch. With Breach Zone and the Shadow Ops series Cole has brought military fantasy a modern touch creating a memorable and vivid world that I would love to read more about. The bottom line is this: read the Shadow Ops series.
February 4, 2014
I had a huge review written up, but since Goodreads is too lazy to code in an autosave feature like nearly any other equivalent site would have, I lost it.
So I'll summarize - Myke Cole came out of left field when he wrote Control Point, a mile-a-minute book that had one of the most original and creative magic systems I've ever read. The characters were real and engaging, and the book sucked me in like not many others ever have. Fortress Frontier introduced so many more aspects to the story, new settings, new drama, and one of the biggest and most brilliantly written battles I've read.
Needless to say, I was excited about Breach Zone. Thankfully, I wasn't left disappointed. Myke crafted a suitable finale to the series, one that does honor to what he's created. The book centers largely around Harlequin and Bookbinder, desperately fighting to defend the city of New York - and, by extension, all of North America - from invading rebellious forces. They entered the city through a "Breach", essentially a portal to the alternate dimension that was introduced in the previous books. The invading creatures, largely "goblins", are lead by Scylla, the terrifyingly powerful antagonist introduced in Fortress Frontier.
The book is rife with drama, both personal and political in nature. Myke does an amazing job of writing moral conflicts, showing how characters struggle in many situations with their duties, with right and wrong, with the overall effects of their actions and the actions of others. He questions government, military procedures, protocols - but presents both sides of the story almost always, shows the causes and effects of every situation. It adds so many extra layers to every situation, gives each decision a sense of finality, of weight.
His writing definitely improved with each book, and he's ready to continue his rise as a fantasy heavyweight. Breach Zone is a superb finish to Myke's first fantasy triligy, and one that was a joy to read.
Note: Myke is also very awesome, and very graciously hooked me up with an ARC of the novel. One of the cooler things an author has ever done for me - thanks Myke!
So I'll summarize - Myke Cole came out of left field when he wrote Control Point, a mile-a-minute book that had one of the most original and creative magic systems I've ever read. The characters were real and engaging, and the book sucked me in like not many others ever have. Fortress Frontier introduced so many more aspects to the story, new settings, new drama, and one of the biggest and most brilliantly written battles I've read.
Needless to say, I was excited about Breach Zone. Thankfully, I wasn't left disappointed. Myke crafted a suitable finale to the series, one that does honor to what he's created. The book centers largely around Harlequin and Bookbinder, desperately fighting to defend the city of New York - and, by extension, all of North America - from invading rebellious forces. They entered the city through a "Breach", essentially a portal to the alternate dimension that was introduced in the previous books. The invading creatures, largely "goblins", are lead by Scylla, the terrifyingly powerful antagonist introduced in Fortress Frontier.
The book is rife with drama, both personal and political in nature. Myke does an amazing job of writing moral conflicts, showing how characters struggle in many situations with their duties, with right and wrong, with the overall effects of their actions and the actions of others. He questions government, military procedures, protocols - but presents both sides of the story almost always, shows the causes and effects of every situation. It adds so many extra layers to every situation, gives each decision a sense of finality, of weight.
His writing definitely improved with each book, and he's ready to continue his rise as a fantasy heavyweight. Breach Zone is a superb finish to Myke's first fantasy triligy, and one that was a joy to read.
Note: Myke is also very awesome, and very graciously hooked me up with an ARC of the novel. One of the cooler things an author has ever done for me - thanks Myke!
March 6, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/br...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This story starts with a bang, with the characters from the last book. Right away we get some more insight into Scylla and how she feels and where she is willing to go for what she wants. I really liked how the story started.
After jumping right into the thick of things this story starts to feel like two different stories. The author takes us from the now to six years earlier and for me it didn’t work. Every time I would start to catch the flow of the storyline it would jump back in time or go forward to the action. In some books this can work, but in this case it was terribly distracting for me. I found myself wanting to read either the six years earlier or the action parts. If felt like start and stop.
Still with that going on I thought it was well written, with some very interesting ideas about what side you pick and what is best for everyone. The military aspects of the story were written in a realistic way, and had great action to them. The politics were also, written and described in such a realistic way that it was like watching CNN with all the politicians saying what they think people want to here.
As, the story goes on more and more characters are introduced not just magic folks but also non magic people. It got to be a bit confusing, many were not even secondary, but written in to fodder or take an order to do something. Perhaps some of the characters were from book one, which I didn’t read, hence the possible confusion on my part.
With the ending open for another book I hope the author stays in one time frame or at least not change it up so often. I really enjoyed getting to know where the people came from and how the powers and politics changed them and again the action was superb in this story, however, the delivery just was not my cup of tea.
I would recommend this story for anyone who has read the rest of the books in this series, because overall it does add to the storyline. It is well written with intricate military strategy, politics and great characters.
When the next book comes out I will want to read it as well, with hope that the style of writing and setting things up is more like book 2, which was more to my personal taste.
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This story starts with a bang, with the characters from the last book. Right away we get some more insight into Scylla and how she feels and where she is willing to go for what she wants. I really liked how the story started.
After jumping right into the thick of things this story starts to feel like two different stories. The author takes us from the now to six years earlier and for me it didn’t work. Every time I would start to catch the flow of the storyline it would jump back in time or go forward to the action. In some books this can work, but in this case it was terribly distracting for me. I found myself wanting to read either the six years earlier or the action parts. If felt like start and stop.
Still with that going on I thought it was well written, with some very interesting ideas about what side you pick and what is best for everyone. The military aspects of the story were written in a realistic way, and had great action to them. The politics were also, written and described in such a realistic way that it was like watching CNN with all the politicians saying what they think people want to here.
As, the story goes on more and more characters are introduced not just magic folks but also non magic people. It got to be a bit confusing, many were not even secondary, but written in to fodder or take an order to do something. Perhaps some of the characters were from book one, which I didn’t read, hence the possible confusion on my part.
With the ending open for another book I hope the author stays in one time frame or at least not change it up so often. I really enjoyed getting to know where the people came from and how the powers and politics changed them and again the action was superb in this story, however, the delivery just was not my cup of tea.
I would recommend this story for anyone who has read the rest of the books in this series, because overall it does add to the storyline. It is well written with intricate military strategy, politics and great characters.
When the next book comes out I will want to read it as well, with hope that the style of writing and setting things up is more like book 2, which was more to my personal taste.
February 11, 2014
Black Hawk Down meets the X-Men, best blurb ever. That blurb is what made me pick this series up, and I am so glad I did.
Magical beings going to war in New York City! The story was even more action packed than the last two novels. This novel is the wet dream of every kid who grew up on fantasy and comic books. It's a battle between Mages in modern day New York going at it giant spiders, goblins, and monsters.There was a cinematic quality throughout the whole novel that kept me rooted to my seat.
The plot never lagged, I read this book straight through in two days. The characterization was wonderful. Readers get an in depth look into both Harlequin and Scylla. Myke does this wonderful thing were he world builds by dropping quotes about The Great Reawakening at the beginning of every chapter, and then they alternate with back story that explains a lot that was left out so far in the series.
I have to confess that before reading this Harlequin was not one of my favorite characters, but the in depth characterization changed that for me. As the series progressed I have gone from hate to dislike, then there was grudging admiration,and in this book I found myself rooting for him.
The underlying story was just as compelling as the action. This novel did what all really good fantasy novels do and hid a story much stronger and meaningful behind a veil of magic and monsters. It talked about people and oppression of differences. Power, and when doing what's right can be wrong.(Sheepdogs, that's all I'll say)Breach Zone covered the poignant topic of governmental control and the importance of resources versus people. Which rang to true with the ongoing NSA issue. And then it talked about love. Yup, there's a love story buried in these pages under explosions, goblins, and Gahe. It's not flowery and sentimental, but it's strong, emotional, and beautiful.
Character rich, action packed, with a great plot! Seriously, read this.
Magical beings going to war in New York City! The story was even more action packed than the last two novels. This novel is the wet dream of every kid who grew up on fantasy and comic books. It's a battle between Mages in modern day New York going at it giant spiders, goblins, and monsters.There was a cinematic quality throughout the whole novel that kept me rooted to my seat.
The plot never lagged, I read this book straight through in two days. The characterization was wonderful. Readers get an in depth look into both Harlequin and Scylla. Myke does this wonderful thing were he world builds by dropping quotes about The Great Reawakening at the beginning of every chapter, and then they alternate with back story that explains a lot that was left out so far in the series.
I have to confess that before reading this Harlequin was not one of my favorite characters, but the in depth characterization changed that for me. As the series progressed I have gone from hate to dislike, then there was grudging admiration,and in this book I found myself rooting for him.
The underlying story was just as compelling as the action. This novel did what all really good fantasy novels do and hid a story much stronger and meaningful behind a veil of magic and monsters. It talked about people and oppression of differences. Power, and when doing what's right can be wrong.(Sheepdogs, that's all I'll say)Breach Zone covered the poignant topic of governmental control and the importance of resources versus people. Which rang to true with the ongoing NSA issue. And then it talked about love. Yup, there's a love story buried in these pages under explosions, goblins, and Gahe. It's not flowery and sentimental, but it's strong, emotional, and beautiful.
Character rich, action packed, with a great plot! Seriously, read this.
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