At age 13, Nicole Stone was possessed by a demonic entity. She survived this ordeal, thanks to a successful exorcism. Now, 15 years later, Nicole is still haunted by the experience. But the nightmare isn’t over. She is about to become the target of an apocalyptic cult led by a former elite soldier with a chilling plan for her future.
Only one man can save Nicole from a fate worse than death. Only one man stands between her and the apocalypse. His name is Mark Talon. And he is about to go up against his most dangerous enemy yet.
Wow! This second book was just as action packed and exciting as the first one! Lots of guns and "booming" action!
A little backstory:
Mark Talon has his hands full this time as his friend, Simon Casca has given Mark a mission to rescue a woman by the name of Nicole Robertson. Mark needs to find her before some cultists grab her as the cultists have plans to use her as a demonic vessel as they are wanting to bring forth the legions of hell.
Though with any mission nothing ever goes as planned and when Nicole is snatched before Mark can get to her then it is a race against time to try to save her before the cultists perform their ritual.
Does Mark save Nicole in time? Why have the cultists singled Nicole out? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
This story was another page turner and there was so much happening within the story that it was another book that I ended up sitting for awhile reading it! Tons of action and firepower alight within the pages!
There are not only bullets whistling through the air there is also some heavy duty firepower which includes even a missile launcher thrown in for good measure.
There are a few more supporting characters along the way that help out Mark Talon, but I am not going into details with them as you will just have to read the book. The main villain in this book is a super solider that is half human/half demon and he is very hard to kill as he weaves demon magic that bullets cannot touch. With a villain like that drives the story into an overdrive mode as the action almost becomes constant as the hero Mark Talon tries to figure out ways to kill the monster.
Twists, turns, action galore makes this book one constant action packed story!
I read this book in almost 24 hours as I just could not put it down and another sleepless night as this book fueled my insomnia! Giving this book five "fireburst" stars!
Demonic Scandal! Apocalyse Soldier Banished From Front Line! "Well, there I was, about to unleash the legions of hell upon the Earth. When that dratted occult assassin shows up and spoils everything! Now I'm back in the pits of hell knitting my own guts for garters!" - The Apocalypse Soldier - The Hellish Warcry
Another excellent outing with Talon, the 'occult assassin.'
While I would have liked a better understanding of the occult magic system, which kept working really favourably for the bad guys to the extent of being a deus ex machina, it - surprisingly - didn't get in the way of the enjoyment factor.
And sometimes Massa writes more 'tell,' rather than 'show,' which can be a drag at times.
Given the above, I was left tossing up between 4 and 5 stars, and when I find myself in that quandry, I ask myself, "Will I read more," if yes - I'll lean towards 5 rather than 4. So, it's 5 stars as I will read more of the occult assassin.
Like all the other Massa stories I've read, this is best enjoyed with a big bag of hot buttered popcorn and a long cold coke.
Recommended, 5 'Right Artifact, Right Time,' stars
I loved book 1 of this but I have to say that this one was even better! It blew me away. The summary is spot on so let's get to my thoughts.
Talon is back and more composed and able to do his job better. In book 1 he was learning the ropes but here he knows what to do so we see more action from him plus he has a benefactor so there is more weaponry and knowledge.
This brought more emotions to the surface while reading, for me anyway. I felt so sorry for Nicole when she was young, but even more so now because she knows what to expect. I find possession stories to be so extremely scary and this is no different. The idea of a thing being inside you is just so shudder inducing that I was holding my breath at those scenes. Then the author adds in twist after twist and I was left reeling.
Once again, this is high octane action and adventure. Once I started I couldn't stop and listened to it in a day again. It has everything a great book needs and more. This book is pure entertainment and I could see it as a mini series cause it's that good.
In all, a stellar second book. I loved everything about it and will definitely be keeping my eye on this author. Bring on more Talon and co!!!!!
Once again, James Foster gave a flawless performance. He really knows how to bring the listener into the story and keep their attention throughout. Definitely a narrator that delivers all the time.
*I was provided this audiobook, in exchange for an honest for review, by the author, publisher and/or narrator via AudiobookBlast dot com.*
Occult Assassin: Apocalypse Soldier is the newest novel in the adventures of Mark Talon, ex Delta Force soldier now on a path of vengeance. The tale of Talon, to this point, has been a twisted one, filled with occult (sometimes supernatural) villians to eliminate at every turn. Marc lost his fiance violently at the hands of a satanic cult and he has made it his mission to take out evil where ever it rears it's head. In Apocalypse Soldier, the reader finds Talon hot on the trail of a woman sought after by a satanic cult. A cult whose endgame is to start the Apocalypse. Only by saving her, can Talon save the world from the end times. Massa really does a great job of entertaining the reader. Talon is akin to an occult hunting James Bond. (I think the Daniel Craig Bond.) He is more action than finesse, but that is why you love this character. His duty, his self proclaimed mission, is to exterminate and does he ever leave a pile of bodies in his wake. This fast paced novel gets the reader involved and you better hold on tight because it's a bumpy ride. What I love about the Occult Assassin series is you can jump in anywhere and have a solid understanding of what's going on without having to read the books in a specific order. It's pure entertainment!!
I was given a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Okay in a moment I "reveal" a somewhat subjective reason I didn't like this one quite as much as the first but first i go into the more "generic" or communal reasons.
First we still have good story telling here. The writer (William Massa) can (as I said) tell a story. It's easy to read and even the flaw I'll mention below easy to follow. We still have (as in the first book) a fairly simple straight forward plot where you sort of see the punch coming before it lands. So in that way it's still a pretty good read. AND I think most who liked the first book will enjoy this one.
The problem here is that the book is more muddled than the first. When it comes to fantasy and urban fantasy (plus all other fantasy sun-genres) we often speak of the "magic system". Here we'd set up a good vs. evil conflict with a demonic enemy. In the first book we fell back on some pretty well worn magic ground with blood magic taking center stage.
This time we're in the area of demon possession. With out spoilers the plot revolves around a young woman who's been possessed in the past and evil forces are moving to use her in a plot that involves her (are you ready) repossession.
Yes the demon wants her "repossessed".
Maybe she missed too many payments??? Oh well whatever.
Anyway throughout the book we kind of the impression that over the ages all magic and religious systems have had a bit of the answers or maybe we should say truth. It's a kind of choose one from column A and two from column B sort of thing.
If the books are to remain strong I think he'll either have to get the borders of what works and what doesn't more established or at least come up with why some things work and others don't (maybe like overt good or something).
Anyway this seemed to me to sort of muddle the stories progress and it annoyed me a little.
NOW for complete disclosure. I'm a Christian and I always have to suppress my annoyance when Christianity is lumped in with mythology. I mean it's the author's right to do this and it won't usually cause me to lay a book aside. It's the world we live in (though I doubt writers would be as comfortable treat other contemporary belief systems this way). The thing here is if you are going to bring the Bible into the story at least get it right.
Mr. Massa pulls a couple of verses out of context and misapplies them. This won't really bother most readers I realize thus my statement I was going to mention a "subjective" issue. Just be aware of this going in if you are a Christian, take a deep breath and wnjoy the rest of the story.
Mark Talon, ex Delta Force soldier, returns for another adventure. Now he has an outlet for revenge on the forces that destroyed his future wife. He makes it his life mission to extinguish all similar evil forces so he can let loose all of his aggression for one goal, vengeance.
This is a great series and if you haven’t listened to Damnation Code, the first book. You really do not need to, this one could stand alone if you wanted it to. However, I always recommend starting at the beginning with any series.
The summary gives a pretty good rundown of the plot for this one and because the audiobook is comparatively very short, I will not add anything as I do not want to give anything away.
I will say this. Fans of military paranormal thrillers will love this book. Very fast paced with tons of action. Only a few slow spots, spent character building, and they are brief. Massa does a great job of not over explaining anything or over introducing anyone. The characters are not excessively constructed, sure some may seem two dimensional and shallow, but that is half of the fun! He seems to know that this story is supposed to be fun and overdoing either of those would only drag the story down.
I will keep with this series because I really enjoy the lightheartedness that Massa keeps with. No nonsense, in your face, one man against black magic. You want a fun quick listen get this series.
Once again James Foster delivers a solid performance, which, after listening to many of his works, I expect nothing less from him. Even though I have created such high standards for him, he doesn’t disappoint.
I believe this is Mark Talon's most difficult mission so far. WOW! It was intense and packed full of action and twists. It had me saying things like OMG and Holy crap! I could not believe some of the twists, this is a super awesome story. It had so many details and descriptions, this author really knows what he is writing. You all need to read it and I don't even think you need to read all the other ones previous to this story but if you do then it will be better so that you can understand what is going on in the series. I'm really looking forward to the next one, this series keeps getting better and better and I believe this one is the best one so far. Or at least my favorite so far. If you are looking for a story full of action then I suggest you pick this one up and read it, you won't regret it.
A very quick read,yes I have written that about other books, but I read this in under two hours. It reminds me of the executioner books I read in the seventies only this deals with the occult instead of the mafia. It could be a little more fleshed out but I did enjoy it.
The synopsis of the book is pretty much spot-on, so all that remains is to give my views on the book. Mark Talon is back in the follow up to Damnation Code, and what a great sequel it was too. If you enjoyed the first book in the 'Occult Assassin' series, then you will surely enjoy this high tempo 2nd instalment. Whereas in the original book Talon started out on his own, he now benefits from his benefactor, Simon Casca, from the outset. Although Casca remains largely in the background his importance cannot be dismissed. Even though the timeline switches backwards and forwards, depending on whose viewpoint is being illustrated, I didn't lose any enjoyment, or have to skip back pages to refresh my memory about what was happening in the plot overall. I could see the likely outcome, but enjoyed the way that the author got there. I found that I was engaged with the story line and the characters, and my interest levels didn't slip. There were a couple of little things which made me pause, but they were only very minor. The big question is, am I enjoying the series so far. I am most definitely. These do read more like an action movie, with there always being something happening. This was definitely a worthy follow up to the first book.
Mark Talon is once again battling evil occult followers. This time he's out to save a young formally possessed woman, Nicole Robertson who is being targeted. This is another great book by the talented Mr. Massa. The character of Talon is a mixture of Jason Bourne and Batman with just a dash of Hellboy thrown in. He's smart, sarcastic, crafty, quick on his feet, dark, haunted and knows how to kick some serious butt. The story is fast paced and really grabs you in.
AUDIO REVIEW......
I found the narrator to be much better this time around. The characters are far better voiced and easier to recognize who is who. Like book one this book was a delight to listen to. Loved the story.
I will most definitely will be continuing with reading the series and highly recommend this book for reading.
Occult Assassin: Apocalypse Soldier is another blockbuster book from William Massa. His screenwriting background really comes through with the pacing of writing. He sweeps you along on a high speed ride into his universe. I've found that in this latest installment, Bill has developed his characters more so that in the earlier works. This series just keeps getting better. Hero Mark talon, with his Delta Force training, is once again battling a sinister foe with a deadly agenda - deadly for the fate of mankind. Action-packed, creepy, thrilling and chilling, with a hero, who, though flawed, perseveres, and one is left with sense of satisfaction. I love this series. It’s full of twists and tuns and you ride an emotional roller coaster as you read. The books are a quick read, perfect for a little refuge from the mundane world. Just don’t read one while on public transportation. You’ll probably miss your stop. P.S. I've gone to William Massa's author's page on amazon and marked him as author I want to "Follow." I don't want to miss the next Occult Assassin book...
It is a great quick listen, with an engaging main character, a Spec Ops soldier now fighting the forces of the occult after his fiancé is killed by cultists. He uses these specialized skills to stop cultists from raising supernatural destruction and chaos. The plot is fast paced, jetting across the world, with lots of believable action. Any fan of Heath Stallcup's Monster Squad books should enjoy this series. I was given this title by the author/narrator or publisher in return for an honest review through Audiobookblast dot com.
This book was even better than the first! More action, deeper story. Mark comes up against his nemesis. It grabs you in the beginning and doesn't let up until the end. Hard to put down. This one, I will listen to again. Mark's drive for vengeance fuels him and keeps him focused as he racks up the body count in his fight against evil. Good, good, good! The narration was even better. The first one was great too, but in this one, he really settles into the story and characters.
Loved this 2nd book, can't wait to read more. A few things should be improved upon (open the characters up a little more, we are only getting these short snapshots into their lives. If some are going to stick around, expand their backstory.) I usually don't get hung up on grammatical errors, but a few jarred me out of the story. Have a another proofread or two done. The story is great and I can't wait to see where it goes, I'd just like to see the books fleshed out a bit more.
Talon isn’t given much of a break after the events of the first novel before he is thrust into the fight for the soul of a young woman. He quickly finds out this battle isn’t about just about one woman, but sealing off our world from a demon invasion. The novel is fast and drives you from one battle to another. The underworld and human fights are entertaining and makes for a fast read. I highly recommend this book and the others in the series.
It's the continuing series of talon struggles in the occult world, and trying to deal with the death of her fiancee. Now talon is up against elite solders who are trying gain power, and they will do whatever it takes become one with the darkness. Will talon again beat the odds, you will have to read to find out.
Non-stop paranormal adventure with more action and excitement than you can shake a stick at. I received the audiobook version for free in exchange for an honest review and if anything it was a step up from the first in the series and left me excited to see where the third one goes when it's released later this month. Highly recommended.
The battle continues in Arizona this time. Talon's mission to rescue a young woman who once was possessed by a demon when she was in her teens. This time the evil entity wants possession of her and to use her as a conduit for 6 other demons to enter our world ... the apocalypse. Talon is fronted by play boy Billionaire occult specialist, and assisted by a Priest. Action packed! Good story!
Great story! Great characters! I loved how the story built up and all the action. This one keeps you on the edge of the seat and rooting for Talon! Loved the character Nicole, would love be to see more of her! She'd be an awesome partner for Talon. :)
Apocalypse Soldier is an action packed book written by William Massa. This book follows the introduction of Mark Talon who does not rest and is now hot on the heels of the occult. The plot is fairly straight forward I found in which Talon tries to save the target of an occult sect, hell bound to make a pact with some demons. Thankfully he has help, that he needs quite badly may I add since he is still learning about this new world of the occult and macabre.
The pace of the book is on the slightly faster side, or maybe it appears that way since it is a never ending stream of things that happen to one of our main characters. There are no real twists or turns to speak of since it is a fairly straight forward plot. There is some unexpected help and I am quite certain we may hear from Doyle again in the future. It would not surprise me if their paths cross again.
This was what I thought it would be, an action packed booked with ties to the occult. I didn't think it was too gory, but it had a couple of scenes that had some blood it in, but that is the least that is to be expected. All in all an entertaining read.
This the second book of a series and I like it even better than the first. Mark is a man haunted by his past and driven by vengeance. The stakes are high and inboxes are caught in the crossfire. It's a race to stop the forces of darkness from taking root in Earth.
One of the things I like is that no specific religious connections. The darkness can manifest in multiple ways, as can the light. Though one religion is the focus of this story, there's also a Sumerian amulet that acts as protection from evil. Looking forward to seeing what new ways the darkness so attempt to gain a foothold in the world.
Read this immediately after the 1st book. Unfortunately the problems with the 1st book were exacerbated in this one. The author seems to have done only cursory research into Christian demonology and exorcissm. Additionally, His research into explosions and crucifixion embrace the Hollywood presentation and none of the fact. Cars do not explode when their gas tank catches on fire and crucifixion is not actually done through the palms. I will probably read the next book to see if the series gets better but this was a disappointing follow up to a potentially decent series introduced in the 1st book.
I have finally found a book series on kindle that I love. Another action packed book about our hero Talon and his one man war against evil. Real evil, demonic, Biblical evil is Talon's enemy. Thoroughly enjoyable read. Reminds me of the men's adventure novels of the 70's and 80's. Looking forward to the next installment. Good stuff, Maynard!
More serious than his other series, but just as well written. As I have complained before these books are too short. Short but perfectly formed, who knows if they were longer perhaps they would lose something. I don't know. I am sure Massa knows what he is doing. An excellent read. Sorry if my reviews are a bit shit, I'm a reader not a writer!
All praise to author William Masse Occult Assassin 2.
This was on the edge of the seat reading. Really well written. As per the title, one might fear the content but whilst giving nothing away. I'd encourage you to enjoy this Brilliant book. Eagerly looking forward to book 3 myself. Enjoy.
Having read the first, now one can see how the writing style is progressing. Another good tale about good vs evil. But this was a little short and I'd really like to get to know Casca more. Anyway I'll be buying the next book in the series.
Once again Mark Talon finds himself fighting evil. This time a young woman who was possessed by a demon as a teenager faces a rematch with the same demon and 6 of his demonic buddies. Mark's job - send them back to hell where they belong.
This one was a crazy ride. Really exhausting. It moved from one dangerous situation to the next without any reprieve. I enjoyed the read, but I'm glad it wasn't a longer book. I'm not sure if I could keep going.