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The Dark Continent #1
The Prometheus Man
The Prometheus Man is a thriller about last remaining frontier in the world: us.
The story begins as a manhunt for a serial killer and explodes into a race to uncover an experimental program that would rip apart humankind. The characters are people we come to love: a young drifter without a family, a hard-bitten party girl, a CIA agent called upon to hunt down a traitor he admires.
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein, The Prometheus Manis about characters going all the way to the edge of existence—then staring in horror as they realize they’ve reached the pitface of the abyss.
The story begins as a manhunt for a serial killer and explodes into a race to uncover an experimental program that would rip apart humankind. The characters are people we come to love: a young drifter without a family, a hard-bitten party girl, a CIA agent called upon to hunt down a traitor he admires.
Inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein, The Prometheus Manis about characters going all the way to the edge of existence—then staring in horror as they realize they’ve reached the pitface of the abyss.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 24, 2017
71 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
About the author
Scott Reardon
6 books24 followersScott Reardon is the author of The Dark Continent and The Prometheus Man, which was published in 2017 by Little Brown. He has written and directed two feature films, Our Pet Kat and Dakota Bastard. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 21, 2018
Being a huge fan of 'The Bourne Identity', I was excited to dip right into this, but found it so similar that it felt a little more than just paying homage to Robert Ludlum's excellent works. No matter how hard I tried I simply couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that this was a inferior knock off, and I found incredibly difficult to get through as a result. Don't get me wrong, the premise is sound, as is the writing, and there was certainly plenty of action throughout. If you're a lover of Robert Ludlum and looking for a novel which could pass as something he's written then give this a shot as it's highly likely you'll enjoy it. It's by no means a bad read, but as I said, it certainly isn't as original as it first sounds. Should Scott Reardon publish more of his work i'd definitely interested in seeing what it's like. He appears to have all the components to become a bestseller himself, all he really needs is that all important unique idea!
Many thanks to Mulholland Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Many thanks to Mulholland Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 27, 2017
The last Frankenstein take I read was by Dean Koontz and I was hoping for a better book. A blurb on the back compares this book to a Robert Ludlum/Micheal Crichton (two authors I like very much) blend. And the name "Reardon"... that rings a bell, favorably! True, there is a bit of government espionage (Ludlum) and true, there is some science-gone-wrong via stem-cell research (Crichton). And the name Reardon? Well, I was thinking of the fantastic character, Hank Reardon, in one of my favorite books, "Atlas Shrugged." I gotta admit, those marketing people at Mulholland Books did capture my attention. And I also must admit "Prometheus Man" is indeed one star better than Koontz's "Dead and Alive", so I'm happy to rate "Promethus Man" with two, count 'em, two whole stars! Will I bother with the next Frankenstein version? Probably, and publishers know it. Hey, anyone know when the second "Prometheus" film will be released?
January 3, 2017
This really, really wants to be a Jason Bourne type book. But fails sadly. It’s a mix of secret CIA black op activity (enhanced humans) and a chase for the truth. The hero of the story is Tom, he has infiltrated the CIA to find out who killed his brother, but he seems to have some unusual abilities…
The potential was there and it could have worked, but it lacked sufficient depth or characterisation. The reader will realise who is who etc about 150 pages before Tom does. It’s just too bland and doesn’t really add anything new to the mix, it sort of borrows and it still doesn’t work.
The potential was there and it could have worked, but it lacked sufficient depth or characterisation. The reader will realise who is who etc about 150 pages before Tom does. It’s just too bland and doesn’t really add anything new to the mix, it sort of borrows and it still doesn’t work.
June 30, 2022
Tom Reese is at the CIA offices in Paris, trying to track down the killers of the only family he'd had left - his brother.
He's using the identity of CIA Agent Tom Blake, hoping he will have time before someone realizes Tom Blake is in two places at once. He is self taught and determined to find the killer(s) and also to find out who used his brother and himself as test subjects for the top secret Prometheus stem cell augmentation project.
Good point: all of the facts that the author presents at the beginning are based on actual research papers (albeit ones which take a bit of digging to find). The point at which this research translates to humans is a little weaker. It's just assumed that because the stem cells have this effect on mice, they would have the same effect on humans. Which is a viable hypothesis to make, when you have no reason to think otherwise, but stem cells in mice are only shown to make their muscles heal quicker, and grow bigger, not necessarily turn them into supermice. But, obviously, if you're going to read and enjoy a book like this, you have to trust the science part of it.
Turning a man into a superman is not exactly a new idea. Especially in these times when there are superheroes in every movie (that's the impression I have these days). And the identity thief isn't exactly a new idea either.
Despite the fact that the story is a sort of Bourne Identity with a James Bond twist, which is not very original either, overall the story holds up and keeps the reader interested, the characters are not too cartoonish and the writing is good. Reasons why I gave 3½ stars out of 5 to this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for this free ebook.
He's using the identity of CIA Agent Tom Blake, hoping he will have time before someone realizes Tom Blake is in two places at once. He is self taught and determined to find the killer(s) and also to find out who used his brother and himself as test subjects for the top secret Prometheus stem cell augmentation project.
Good point: all of the facts that the author presents at the beginning are based on actual research papers (albeit ones which take a bit of digging to find). The point at which this research translates to humans is a little weaker. It's just assumed that because the stem cells have this effect on mice, they would have the same effect on humans. Which is a viable hypothesis to make, when you have no reason to think otherwise, but stem cells in mice are only shown to make their muscles heal quicker, and grow bigger, not necessarily turn them into supermice. But, obviously, if you're going to read and enjoy a book like this, you have to trust the science part of it.
Turning a man into a superman is not exactly a new idea. Especially in these times when there are superheroes in every movie (that's the impression I have these days). And the identity thief isn't exactly a new idea either.
Despite the fact that the story is a sort of Bourne Identity with a James Bond twist, which is not very original either, overall the story holds up and keeps the reader interested, the characters are not too cartoonish and the writing is good. Reasons why I gave 3½ stars out of 5 to this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for this free ebook.
June 23, 2020
I came across The Dark Continent first. Thought I would like it and then discovered it was book 2 in this storyline/series. So I put off the Dark Continent and ordered me a low-cost hardback edition of the Prometheus Man. For a first time author Scott did a pretty decent job. Plenty of special CIA type action and then toss in some sci-fi elements with a couple of "enhanced" agents and you got the beginnings of a good suspenseful action thriller. By looking ahead I see that a couple of the main characters in the Prometheus Man make it into The Dark Continent. I plan to pick up The Dark Continent in August probably as my KOLL book for August.
March 11, 2017
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2017/0...
3.5/5 Stars
Prometheus Man is a science fiction thriller that pairs action with mystery. Scientists have formulated an injection that enhanced abilities in mice. A human trial, however, has gone horribly wrong. The book definitely features some violence, as you might expect with a book that starts off with a pile of bodies.
Investigating those bodies is a CIA agent, who, well, may not be who he says he is. I have to say, someone posing as a CIA agent to just people on the street is one thing, but this guy? He is actually posing as a CIA agent to the CIA, actually working on a case. That’s takes a lot more guts and skill than just an average Joe could pull off. The question is, how long can he make it last? Long enough to track down his brother’s killer?
This story was interesting, and really kept me interested. I was quite curious to figure out all the details of what was going on as well as seeing just how long Tom could pull this off. Bonus points to this book for actually making me laugh out loud in a couple of places. That is incredibly rare, so I want to make sure to mention it.
I have to say, my only real complaint with this book may be that some of the lines were a bit politically incorrect. Sometimes when that’s the case, you can tell the author is trying to use it to make a statement that offsets the negative comments. I wasn’t sure I could see that in this book. It just felt like was a part of the character, which maybe true to the author’s vision, but at the same time I found it completely unnecessary. There were other ways to paint the character that way without potentially alienating readers that might be offended. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is only a very minor component of the book, most of it is not this way. I don’t want anyone to read my review and think this is a highly offensive book. It’s not even close, I am really just talking about a few borderline lines from the entire novel. But when it comes down to it, I just could not find justification. Maybe I’m just more sensitive, who knows.
This was an intriguing book, particularly for fans of thrillers. It features a rogue human experiment that is an efficient killing machine. It also has a protagonist out for vengeance, posing as a CIA agent. There were a few laugh out loud moments in this, which is rare for me.
3.5/5 Stars
Prometheus Man is a science fiction thriller that pairs action with mystery. Scientists have formulated an injection that enhanced abilities in mice. A human trial, however, has gone horribly wrong. The book definitely features some violence, as you might expect with a book that starts off with a pile of bodies.
Investigating those bodies is a CIA agent, who, well, may not be who he says he is. I have to say, someone posing as a CIA agent to just people on the street is one thing, but this guy? He is actually posing as a CIA agent to the CIA, actually working on a case. That’s takes a lot more guts and skill than just an average Joe could pull off. The question is, how long can he make it last? Long enough to track down his brother’s killer?
This story was interesting, and really kept me interested. I was quite curious to figure out all the details of what was going on as well as seeing just how long Tom could pull this off. Bonus points to this book for actually making me laugh out loud in a couple of places. That is incredibly rare, so I want to make sure to mention it.
I have to say, my only real complaint with this book may be that some of the lines were a bit politically incorrect. Sometimes when that’s the case, you can tell the author is trying to use it to make a statement that offsets the negative comments. I wasn’t sure I could see that in this book. It just felt like was a part of the character, which maybe true to the author’s vision, but at the same time I found it completely unnecessary. There were other ways to paint the character that way without potentially alienating readers that might be offended. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is only a very minor component of the book, most of it is not this way. I don’t want anyone to read my review and think this is a highly offensive book. It’s not even close, I am really just talking about a few borderline lines from the entire novel. But when it comes down to it, I just could not find justification. Maybe I’m just more sensitive, who knows.
This was an intriguing book, particularly for fans of thrillers. It features a rogue human experiment that is an efficient killing machine. It also has a protagonist out for vengeance, posing as a CIA agent. There were a few laugh out loud moments in this, which is rare for me.
March 29, 2018
The Prometheus Man series has a new follower. I was drawn to the title and cover and was able to receive an eArc in exchange for an unbiased review via NetGalley. Tom Blake is investigating what appears to be a secret experiment and a man who appears to have superhuman abilities then it turns out that Tom Blake may exist but, the man who has been part of the investigation is not Tom Blake who is off on another assignment. He is the brother of one of a murder victim and his personal investigation has led him to this point. But, it turns out that there is also more to Tom than anyone knew.
The Prometheus Man shows the reader the darker side of the government and of man. It is one of those books that make you think twice about some of the things we hear about the government, especially if you look back to rumors about experiments done during World War II. How farfetched might it be to think that different governments are trying to create super-soldiers or experimenting with super-spies? Look how far the drone programs have come. What is scary is how the story chronicles the events and what happened to Tom and anyone else who might have been involved. Are there risks? Does everyone know the risks? Who should be involved? What happens when someone no longer wants to participate? The Prometheus Man gives a potential accounting of how it could go and all of the repercussions, not just for those involved, but, also for innocent bystanders. It is full of great action and fight scenes that really draw the reader in and I am really looking forward to the next book! Review can also be seen at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
The Prometheus Man shows the reader the darker side of the government and of man. It is one of those books that make you think twice about some of the things we hear about the government, especially if you look back to rumors about experiments done during World War II. How farfetched might it be to think that different governments are trying to create super-soldiers or experimenting with super-spies? Look how far the drone programs have come. What is scary is how the story chronicles the events and what happened to Tom and anyone else who might have been involved. Are there risks? Does everyone know the risks? Who should be involved? What happens when someone no longer wants to participate? The Prometheus Man gives a potential accounting of how it could go and all of the repercussions, not just for those involved, but, also for innocent bystanders. It is full of great action and fight scenes that really draw the reader in and I am really looking forward to the next book! Review can also be seen at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
February 16, 2020
I've never been much into these CIA agent thrillers, packed with gun fights, fist fights and sex but I picked this up after I accidentally requested and was approved for the second book in the series A Dark Continent. You think I would learn the first time about checking if a book is a second in a series from The Magicians trilogy.
Thankfully its a relatively short book so I flew through it quickly, and while it wasn't awful there was a few places where the bland characters and cheesy writing had me eye rolling, especially the scenes with Silvana, the love interest. The author enjoyed constantly reminding the reader about her legs and what they were doing at any given moment and I just had to laugh when she told him that she didn't trust him while wearing virtually nothing, then tumbled into bed with him. The flirting was so awkward it was cringeworthy, especially the lines he used to get her to laugh.
And this line was a doozy:
With a look that said: ?
I can't believe that was an actual sentence!!
It wasn't a horrible read, but definitely not for me and definitely fairly stuck on the typical action thriller formula.
Thankfully its a relatively short book so I flew through it quickly, and while it wasn't awful there was a few places where the bland characters and cheesy writing had me eye rolling, especially the scenes with Silvana, the love interest. The author enjoyed constantly reminding the reader about her legs and what they were doing at any given moment and I just had to laugh when she told him that she didn't trust him while wearing virtually nothing, then tumbled into bed with him. The flirting was so awkward it was cringeworthy, especially the lines he used to get her to laugh.
And this line was a doozy:
With a look that said: ?
I can't believe that was an actual sentence!!
It wasn't a horrible read, but definitely not for me and definitely fairly stuck on the typical action thriller formula.
February 10, 2017
The instant I picked up THE PROMETHEUS MAN I was reminded of the great and skilled Robert Ludlum. The book is centered around the brother of a deceased former C.I.A. agent. Tom, our hero, is determined to discover who is responsible for his brother’s death. Tom possess a unique skill set that makes his search intriguing and most interesting. If you like adventure with a rare twist, then THE PROMETHEUS MAN is a book you should read right away. My advice – Block out a couple of days for this captivating and absorbing escapist novel of hidden truths and deception.
June 9, 2020
I picked up this novel, in all honesty, because I was interested in the concept for the second novel in the series.
This one read to me like a James Bond-Bourne Ultimatum made for TV movie.
It is really not my vibe.
This one read to me like a James Bond-Bourne Ultimatum made for TV movie.
It is really not my vibe.
April 24, 2017
This book was a roller-coaster, there was so much packed in and I couldn't put it down. Unsure how accurate a lot of the science was but overall a great read.
February 9, 2020
"Then he walked down the hall and wondered what it’d be like to kill a man for doing exactly what you’d created him to do."
Tom Reese is at the CIA offices in Paris, trying to track down the killers of the only family he'd had left - his brother.
He's using the identity of CIA Agent Tom Blake, hoping he will have time before someone realizes Tom Blake is in two places at once. He is self taught and determined to find the killer(s) and also to find out who used his brother and himself as test subjects for the top secret Prometheus stem cell augmentation project.
I enjoyed Reese's character - determined, a bit naive, and loyal to who and what he believes in -as he interacts with different characters and travels around Europe.
The story is told from a few different points of view and it was interesting to read about how each figured into Reese's story.
I am now off to read the second book in the Prometheus series THE DARK CONTINENT.
Tom Reese is at the CIA offices in Paris, trying to track down the killers of the only family he'd had left - his brother.
He's using the identity of CIA Agent Tom Blake, hoping he will have time before someone realizes Tom Blake is in two places at once. He is self taught and determined to find the killer(s) and also to find out who used his brother and himself as test subjects for the top secret Prometheus stem cell augmentation project.
I enjoyed Reese's character - determined, a bit naive, and loyal to who and what he believes in -as he interacts with different characters and travels around Europe.
The story is told from a few different points of view and it was interesting to read about how each figured into Reese's story.
I am now off to read the second book in the Prometheus series THE DARK CONTINENT.
February 23, 2018
Interesting, but lacking depth and kind of rushed. Not much more i can say.
May 8, 2018
This is the first book I have read from this Author and I loved it. I hope he continues to write. I read it in one sitting.
June 18, 2017
Galley provided by publisher
It's been a while since I read an action mystery novel as good as this one. Most of what I seem to read is good, but in a kind of enjoyably bad way. This one, in comparison, is good, and well-written, even if it still rests on the sort of slightly tenuous, co-opted science all the others do too.
Honestly, it maybe didn't start so well as it might have. To give some scientific background, the author starts with a few facts, one of which states that, on receiving an injection of stem cells, ageing mice perform better on the Morris water maze, a "test of cognitive function". My main issue with this statement is that the Morris water maze is not a test of generalised cognitive function. It tests a specific cognitive function, that of spatial working memory. But that's just me being very picky (it's what 8 weeks worth of Behavioural Neuroscience lectures do for you). The good news is, all of the facts that the author presents at the beginning are based on actual research papers (albeit ones which take a bit of digging to find). The point at which this research translates to humans is a little weaker. It's just assumed that because the stem cells have this effect on mice, they would have the same effect on humans. Which is a viable hypothesis to make, when you have no reason to think otherwise, but stem cells in mice are only shown to make their muscles heal quicker, and grow bigger, not necessarily turn them into supermice. But, obviously, if you're going to read and enjoy a book like this, you have to take on trust the science.
Besides the science, which I will always pick apart in books (I can't help it), there was only one small problem I had with this. Every now and then, a character will make a bigoted or offensive sounding remark. Maybe it had a point to it to the author, but that point is never made clear in the narrative, so sometimes you end up being jarred out of the story for a moment.
Otherwise, I loved this book. It's based on the past relationship between two brothers, and the remaining one's desire for revenge on the people who killed his brother. The mystery of what actually happened unfolds gradually, and it's definitely compelling. I pretty much started and finished this book within a few hours, it was that good.
And the writing is definitely a step above a lot of books of this genre. It's also not just explosions for the sake of plot, either. It's more on the mystery end of an action mystery, but with enough action and fighting to pick up the pace of it where necessary.
Even though it's so good, it's kind of disappointing there's only one female character in the whole book. And I did love her, but she didn't really do all that much.
It's been a while since I read an action mystery novel as good as this one. Most of what I seem to read is good, but in a kind of enjoyably bad way. This one, in comparison, is good, and well-written, even if it still rests on the sort of slightly tenuous, co-opted science all the others do too.
Honestly, it maybe didn't start so well as it might have. To give some scientific background, the author starts with a few facts, one of which states that, on receiving an injection of stem cells, ageing mice perform better on the Morris water maze, a "test of cognitive function". My main issue with this statement is that the Morris water maze is not a test of generalised cognitive function. It tests a specific cognitive function, that of spatial working memory. But that's just me being very picky (it's what 8 weeks worth of Behavioural Neuroscience lectures do for you). The good news is, all of the facts that the author presents at the beginning are based on actual research papers (albeit ones which take a bit of digging to find). The point at which this research translates to humans is a little weaker. It's just assumed that because the stem cells have this effect on mice, they would have the same effect on humans. Which is a viable hypothesis to make, when you have no reason to think otherwise, but stem cells in mice are only shown to make their muscles heal quicker, and grow bigger, not necessarily turn them into supermice. But, obviously, if you're going to read and enjoy a book like this, you have to take on trust the science.
Besides the science, which I will always pick apart in books (I can't help it), there was only one small problem I had with this. Every now and then, a character will make a bigoted or offensive sounding remark. Maybe it had a point to it to the author, but that point is never made clear in the narrative, so sometimes you end up being jarred out of the story for a moment.
Otherwise, I loved this book. It's based on the past relationship between two brothers, and the remaining one's desire for revenge on the people who killed his brother. The mystery of what actually happened unfolds gradually, and it's definitely compelling. I pretty much started and finished this book within a few hours, it was that good.
And the writing is definitely a step above a lot of books of this genre. It's also not just explosions for the sake of plot, either. It's more on the mystery end of an action mystery, but with enough action and fighting to pick up the pace of it where necessary.
Even though it's so good, it's kind of disappointing there's only one female character in the whole book. And I did love her, but she didn't really do all that much.
February 24, 2023
If you love action packed sci fi thriller, GRAB THIS ONE RIGHT AWAY. This one was so good, that it's difficult for me to express. This was the second sci fi thriller i totally loved after " Scarecrow has a gun" by Micheal paul kozlowdky which had blown my mind equally.
Trying to Create superior creature out of normal human beings is not entirely in unique premise for a book or a movie, but for this book, even if plot wasn't very much unique, was totally action packed, the writing is very good, so good to keep the reader engaged throughout, also the character are very good, the protagonist gives super hero vibes* and I don't know I just loved everything very much.
The story begins with a man hunt for a serial killer who is ruthless and is on a killings spree. He is murdering people in the most horrific ways anyone can ever think of. Search for this killer leads to unraveling of the secrets of an stem cell experiment to create a super human. The main protagonist Tom reese, actually using the identity of a CIA agent Tom Blake, set out to find what killed own his brother, and also find how used in as a test subject for the experiment. The question that lies is had experiment been successful in creating super humans or was it something gone really very bad?
Just one thing though, took me a few chapters to get into the book and start understanding what was actually happening.
Overall highly recommended read. If you like action packed plots with burning cars and movie like villan chase, mission impossible Vibes, a James bond twist, I would say run to the book store and grab this one right away.
Trying to Create superior creature out of normal human beings is not entirely in unique premise for a book or a movie, but for this book, even if plot wasn't very much unique, was totally action packed, the writing is very good, so good to keep the reader engaged throughout, also the character are very good, the protagonist gives super hero vibes* and I don't know I just loved everything very much.
The story begins with a man hunt for a serial killer who is ruthless and is on a killings spree. He is murdering people in the most horrific ways anyone can ever think of. Search for this killer leads to unraveling of the secrets of an stem cell experiment to create a super human. The main protagonist Tom reese, actually using the identity of a CIA agent Tom Blake, set out to find what killed own his brother, and also find how used in as a test subject for the experiment. The question that lies is had experiment been successful in creating super humans or was it something gone really very bad?
Just one thing though, took me a few chapters to get into the book and start understanding what was actually happening.
Overall highly recommended read. If you like action packed plots with burning cars and movie like villan chase, mission impossible Vibes, a James bond twist, I would say run to the book store and grab this one right away.
March 25, 2018
I've been really enjoying a good thriller/spy novel lately, and the faster the pace, the better. They're a great escape, and I find them super fun and the perfect way to unwind. Reardon's novel was a decent example in this genre, and I did enjoy it. There were some clunky aspects to the pacing, characters, and plot, but in general the book kept me interested enough to keep going and overlook little issues. There did seem to be an inordinate number of correlaries with the Jason Bourne series, but of course it's hard to tell a story in this general vein without having a good deal of potential commonalities crop up. I'm also grateful that the author shied away from a lot of the science, because honestly, it was clear from the get-go that there was basically no actual science to explain what had been done to the test subjects. Okay, well, there were some attempts at explaining things, but I found myself skipping them and rolling my eyes. Sorry, stem-cells don't actually work that way... Anyhow, overall, a decent read, and though I've read better, it kept me interested enough to get to the end!
January 6, 2017
This kind of near-futuristic, sci-fi novel is not a genre I would naturally gravitate to; but Goodreads were kind enough to send me a copy for review.
The plot centres around the fallout from a project to modify humans with stem cells, making them strong 'super-humans.' As books of this genre go, I found it a smooth read with some compelling characters who are capable of eliciting sympathy for their plight. In fact, I would have given a higher rating if not for the multiple fight scenes.
Perhaps it's just my personal preference, but I found there to be too many fight scenes and the description of them didn't match the quality of writing within the rest of the book. This took some of my enjoyment away.
I think lovers of this genre will enjoy this novel and I would say that the author shows a lot of promise and talent.
The plot centres around the fallout from a project to modify humans with stem cells, making them strong 'super-humans.' As books of this genre go, I found it a smooth read with some compelling characters who are capable of eliciting sympathy for their plight. In fact, I would have given a higher rating if not for the multiple fight scenes.
Perhaps it's just my personal preference, but I found there to be too many fight scenes and the description of them didn't match the quality of writing within the rest of the book. This took some of my enjoyment away.
I think lovers of this genre will enjoy this novel and I would say that the author shows a lot of promise and talent.
June 25, 2017
A pile of bodies is found in Paris and CIA Agent Tom Blake hustles his way into a
major case tracking a man with enhanced abilities. A test subject of a secret government
program. One problem the man using Agent Blake's identity is not Agent Blake he's
Tom Reese. Reese is searching for his brothers killer and he stole the identity and has
bluffed his way onto the team investigating his only lead. But his time as an agent is
slowly expiring. Soon the CIA will find out that Agent Blake is in two places at once and
they will come looking for him. Soon both will discover that Tom Reese carries a secret
even he doesn't know about. He is the last test subject of Project Prometheus. For some
reason I just couldn't get interested in this story and it just dragged on. I gave it a 3.
major case tracking a man with enhanced abilities. A test subject of a secret government
program. One problem the man using Agent Blake's identity is not Agent Blake he's
Tom Reese. Reese is searching for his brothers killer and he stole the identity and has
bluffed his way onto the team investigating his only lead. But his time as an agent is
slowly expiring. Soon the CIA will find out that Agent Blake is in two places at once and
they will come looking for him. Soon both will discover that Tom Reese carries a secret
even he doesn't know about. He is the last test subject of Project Prometheus. For some
reason I just couldn't get interested in this story and it just dragged on. I gave it a 3.
April 17, 2018
This review originally printed in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
CIA agent Tom Blake hustles in on the French police when a pile of bodies are discovered in Paris. Blake has a lot of inside knowledge and works swiftly and deliberately, impressing the French. But there is just one problem. CIA Agent Blake is actually on assignment in Africa and the man in Paris using that identity is really Tom Reese ... an American searching for the men who killed his brother. At least one of the men behind the murder is a genetically modified man - a Prometheus. But Reese has a few secrets up his sleeve.
Along the way, Reese, in between stealing cars to make a getaway and pursuit, picks up a woman who was in trouble. And she happens to be the daughter of one of the men Reese is searching for.
The opening sequence - in fact the opening few chapters - really brings the reader in to the story. Both the action and the intrigue are high and this looks to be a really exciting book.
And then Reese picks up Silvana.
Author Scott Reardon tries to keep the pace high, adding a little chase with the complication of Reese trying to protect the woman as well as continue with his goal, but the book gets bogged down with silly tête-à-tête between the two. Though Silvana has no reason to confide or trust Reese, other than the fact that he rescued her from another situation, she does just that - trusts him. In fact, the two have a goofy little teasing conversation about this:
And much later, after they've been through quite a bit, she says:
Wow...do you think these two strangers will end up in bed together (written sarcastically)...
From the moment Silvana enters the book, we go from an action thriller that showed a lot of promise to a wannabe Bourne or Bond, but this clearly isn't Reardon's strength. Reese has motivation to find his brother's killers, and Silvana is not an obstacle that he needs to overcome to get to his goal - instead she's a distraction and a distraction is not just a distraction for Reese, but for the reader as well. A romance - even an unlikely romance - can certainly be exciting in a thriller, but this goes on too long to just be a little sideline action.
The 'Prometheus' aspect is interesting (though not a particularly new idea), but it gets lost behind the addition of the girl - though she does serve as a catalyst for Reese to dump a lot of info - which is an annoying way for the reader to suddenly get a lot of information.
I wanted to like this book, and I did at the beginning, but I grew bored once the initial action came to a halt.
Looking for a good book? The Prometheus Man by Scott Reardon, starts out an exciting thriller with some secrets, but turns into something much less interesting the deeper we get into the book.
Quotes are from an Advanced Reading Copy of this book and may not reflect the final, printed version.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
CIA agent Tom Blake hustles in on the French police when a pile of bodies are discovered in Paris. Blake has a lot of inside knowledge and works swiftly and deliberately, impressing the French. But there is just one problem. CIA Agent Blake is actually on assignment in Africa and the man in Paris using that identity is really Tom Reese ... an American searching for the men who killed his brother. At least one of the men behind the murder is a genetically modified man - a Prometheus. But Reese has a few secrets up his sleeve.
Along the way, Reese, in between stealing cars to make a getaway and pursuit, picks up a woman who was in trouble. And she happens to be the daughter of one of the men Reese is searching for.
The opening sequence - in fact the opening few chapters - really brings the reader in to the story. Both the action and the intrigue are high and this looks to be a really exciting book.
And then Reese picks up Silvana.
Author Scott Reardon tries to keep the pace high, adding a little chase with the complication of Reese trying to protect the woman as well as continue with his goal, but the book gets bogged down with silly tête-à-tête between the two. Though Silvana has no reason to confide or trust Reese, other than the fact that he rescued her from another situation, she does just that - trusts him. In fact, the two have a goofy little teasing conversation about this:
“Of course I can’t really trust you, can I?”
“No, but think of it this way. I just saved you from two men trying to drug you and stick you in their van. How much worse could I really be?”
“No, see, what you were supposed to say was ‘You can’t really trust me’ and leave it at that. Then I’d at least know you were somewhat honest. Instead you were clever. And a woman should never trust a clever man.”
“So she should trust one who’s not clever? Who’s, what, some kind of refreshing simpleton?”
She didn’t say anything.
“You know, anyone who’s motivated enough to do what those men almost did is motivated enough to keep trying.”
“Berlin,” she said softly. “Would you take me that far?”
And much later, after they've been through quite a bit, she says:
“I don’t know what it is, but something about you keeps telling me you’re a good person even though I hardly know you and”—she laughed sadly—“I really have no reason to trust you.”
He went to walk past her. She shifted her bodyweight, leaning in his way.
Wow...do you think these two strangers will end up in bed together (written sarcastically)...
From the moment Silvana enters the book, we go from an action thriller that showed a lot of promise to a wannabe Bourne or Bond, but this clearly isn't Reardon's strength. Reese has motivation to find his brother's killers, and Silvana is not an obstacle that he needs to overcome to get to his goal - instead she's a distraction and a distraction is not just a distraction for Reese, but for the reader as well. A romance - even an unlikely romance - can certainly be exciting in a thriller, but this goes on too long to just be a little sideline action.
The 'Prometheus' aspect is interesting (though not a particularly new idea), but it gets lost behind the addition of the girl - though she does serve as a catalyst for Reese to dump a lot of info - which is an annoying way for the reader to suddenly get a lot of information.
I wanted to like this book, and I did at the beginning, but I grew bored once the initial action came to a halt.
Looking for a good book? The Prometheus Man by Scott Reardon, starts out an exciting thriller with some secrets, but turns into something much less interesting the deeper we get into the book.
Quotes are from an Advanced Reading Copy of this book and may not reflect the final, printed version.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2017
“The Prometheus Man” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Scott Reardon (http://www.scottreardonbooks.com). This is Mr. Reardon’s first publication.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is mostly set in Europe. The primary character is Tom Reese.
Reese has infiltrated the CIA posing as an agent. He has done this in an effort to search for who murdered his brother. His brother was involved in illegal biomedical enhancements. Now he is on the trail of those who killed his brother, but someone else is out there following the same trail. Leads are dying and the evidence points to someone who was enhanced in the research his brother was involved in.
His infiltration of the CIA is soon discovered and he is hunted not only by the CIA, but also by the enhanced killer. Along the way he meets the daughter of one of those he is looking for and begins to have romantic feelings towards her.
Reese had felt his life was expendable as long as he brought his brother’s killers to justice. Now he wants to live for the girl and see justice served. There is more to the deaths than he originally thought and the experiments that his brother was involved in may not have ended with his death.
I enjoyed the nearly 8 hours I spent reading this modern day Thriller. While the basis of the enhancement borders on Science Fiction, this is really a 'spy thriller'. The characters were interesting and the plot was good, though it had few unexpected turns. I’m not sure what the cover art is supposed to portray. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is mostly set in Europe. The primary character is Tom Reese.
Reese has infiltrated the CIA posing as an agent. He has done this in an effort to search for who murdered his brother. His brother was involved in illegal biomedical enhancements. Now he is on the trail of those who killed his brother, but someone else is out there following the same trail. Leads are dying and the evidence points to someone who was enhanced in the research his brother was involved in.
His infiltration of the CIA is soon discovered and he is hunted not only by the CIA, but also by the enhanced killer. Along the way he meets the daughter of one of those he is looking for and begins to have romantic feelings towards her.
Reese had felt his life was expendable as long as he brought his brother’s killers to justice. Now he wants to live for the girl and see justice served. There is more to the deaths than he originally thought and the experiments that his brother was involved in may not have ended with his death.
I enjoyed the nearly 8 hours I spent reading this modern day Thriller. While the basis of the enhancement borders on Science Fiction, this is really a 'spy thriller'. The characters were interesting and the plot was good, though it had few unexpected turns. I’m not sure what the cover art is supposed to portray. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
October 5, 2023
PROMETHEUS MAN by SCOTT REARDON is a good story. I enjoyed it and I read it in about a week, a fast read for me, a slow meticulous reader. The idea of creating an enhanced man is as old as Frankenstein, but there's always a new twist here and there.
Some reviewers said the story dragged in spots but I thought it moved right along, not at a run but at a good pace. Scott's writing is similar to that of Michael Crichton and Robin Cook combined.
I will not respout the story here, just take the time to read it and perhaps enjoy it. In Scott's Acknowledgments, he gives much of the credit to three editors but I have to mention they may have done him a disservice. I have been editing fiction for 13 years and it looks like they rushed this job. It's not good form to end sentences with prepositions and this happens often in PM. An example, What was I thinking of? Delete the word "of". What was I thinking? Sounds better, right?
But overall, the editing was good, just not great and that does detract from a good read. There was one glaring error on page 325 which is hard to miss...the phrase "hiding space" was used when hiding place or a place to hide would have been perfect. I hope Scott sees this review.
I do look forward to reading the second book in the series. Keep writing Scott. I appreciate you.
Some reviewers said the story dragged in spots but I thought it moved right along, not at a run but at a good pace. Scott's writing is similar to that of Michael Crichton and Robin Cook combined.
I will not respout the story here, just take the time to read it and perhaps enjoy it. In Scott's Acknowledgments, he gives much of the credit to three editors but I have to mention they may have done him a disservice. I have been editing fiction for 13 years and it looks like they rushed this job. It's not good form to end sentences with prepositions and this happens often in PM. An example, What was I thinking of? Delete the word "of". What was I thinking? Sounds better, right?
But overall, the editing was good, just not great and that does detract from a good read. There was one glaring error on page 325 which is hard to miss...the phrase "hiding space" was used when hiding place or a place to hide would have been perfect. I hope Scott sees this review.
I do look forward to reading the second book in the series. Keep writing Scott. I appreciate you.
August 17, 2021
There is nothing original in this read, but it was entertaining.
It's a poorly-immulated Jason Bourne story, complete with a troubled girl galavanting across the alps, headaches and light sensitivity as side effects, and a good-guy turns bad-guy turns good-guy protagonist.
My biggest qualm is that at the climax of the story, in an attempt to extend the suspense, the plot hinges on ONE SENTENCE that is poorly constructed and leaves room for multiple interpretations. If that was intentionally played out, that'd be fine, but in the next chapter, the story goes on as if all the readers were following along perfectly.
Disappointing but entertaining.
It's a poorly-immulated Jason Bourne story, complete with a troubled girl galavanting across the alps, headaches and light sensitivity as side effects, and a good-guy turns bad-guy turns good-guy protagonist.
My biggest qualm is that at the climax of the story, in an attempt to extend the suspense, the plot hinges on ONE SENTENCE that is poorly constructed and leaves room for multiple interpretations. If that was intentionally played out, that'd be fine, but in the next chapter, the story goes on as if all the readers were following along perfectly.
Disappointing but entertaining.
December 26, 2017
Incredible first novel
Grabs you by the neck and does not let go. Remarkably worded action sequences. Complex story line and great characterization. There are so many instances of remarkable phrasing I was stunned. This is the work of a seasoned pro, not a first time writer, surely, I thought.
Well, I thought wrongly. I thank Scott for this work and look forward to future books.
Grabs you by the neck and does not let go. Remarkably worded action sequences. Complex story line and great characterization. There are so many instances of remarkable phrasing I was stunned. This is the work of a seasoned pro, not a first time writer, surely, I thought.
Well, I thought wrongly. I thank Scott for this work and look forward to future books.
July 3, 2024
A must-read for fans of high-stakes thrillers and speculative fiction. It explores themes of human enhancement and the ethical dilemmas associated with it, adding depth to the adrenaline-fueled narrative.
Scott Reardon delivers a compelling story that is both thought-provoking and immensely entertaining.
Scott Reardon delivers a compelling story that is both thought-provoking and immensely entertaining.
May 29, 2017
Normally I don't read FBI or CIA stories, but with the added 'genetics/new man' stuff added in, this was pretty good to read. Saving this writers name to see how his next book will be. Pleasant read, thanks Scott!
October 13, 2018
A man investigating the murder of his brother gets involved in a deadly plot.
I found this book hugely entertaining, with good characters / plot / pace / action scenes.
My rating of 4 stars is because in a few places it felt as though the storyline jumped.
I found this book hugely entertaining, with good characters / plot / pace / action scenes.
My rating of 4 stars is because in a few places it felt as though the storyline jumped.
October 31, 2019
Good quick read.
Somehow, there was something in the book's premise that didn't ring true. Maybe that it would be so complicated to make an augmented human? That the steps used to cover it up would be so convoluted?
Maybe that the plot would be something you'd only find in a thriller?
Somehow, there was something in the book's premise that didn't ring true. Maybe that it would be so complicated to make an augmented human? That the steps used to cover it up would be so convoluted?
Maybe that the plot would be something you'd only find in a thriller?
December 30, 2020
An updated Bourne novel with stem cell research used on the super warriors. There are many unrealistic fight scenes with lots of blood. The requisite love interest, etc.
Ludlum kept Bourne realistic. A person who still aged, bled and could die from ghastly wounds. Current authors do not do the same.
Ludlum kept Bourne realistic. A person who still aged, bled and could die from ghastly wounds. Current authors do not do the same.
February 18, 2024
I Liked It
The plot made the book for me. It featured an ordinary man with determination to get answers, and the extent he was willing to go. I thought the characters were okay, and the scene settings were adequate.
The plot made the book for me. It featured an ordinary man with determination to get answers, and the extent he was willing to go. I thought the characters were okay, and the scene settings were adequate.
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