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Extracted Trilogy #2
Executed
The team of heroes extracted from their timelines to stop the impending apocalypse didn’t think they needed a leader.
But they’ve got one anyway.
With their mission in tatters, Miri has been called in to steady the ship. And to focus them on their assignment: preventing the end of the world.
The problem is, the world doesn’t know it’s in danger. With governments pursuing them relentlessly, attempting to steal the time-travel device to use for their own ends, the heroes are on the run—fighting for survival in a world they’re supposed to save.
Meanwhile, Miri has motives of her own. And when the existence of a second device is discovered, the team’s mission and their lives are in mortal danger…
396 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2017
1018 people are currently reading
1615 people want to read
About the author
R.R. Haywood
81 books1,207 followers"One of the most original voices of our time." - Richard Moriarty, The Sun
"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express
RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.
His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."
A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.
"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express
RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.
His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."
A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
January 2, 2018
This is book 2. Book 1, Extracted, had some crazy, non-stop action. Book 2 is a non-stop adrenaline rush.
This is not a stand-alone novel, you'll want to read Extracted before reading this one. But you will not be sorry you invested the time. Heart stopping scene after scene move this mind-bending plot along at a furious pace.
Oh? You like character driven plots instead? No worries, you WILL fall in love with each and every one of these individual, unique characters. They will engage you at first meeting and wrap you around their little finger (one way or another). ;-)
My only complaint is that it's over. NO NO, not the story, but I did finish book 2. I really wanted it to go on and on and on. Of course, part of that was wanting to continue listening to Carl Prekopp's excellent narration. Carl brings this story to life in your car, living room, jogging trail, or any location of your choosing.
If you like techno-thrillers like I do, don't miss out on this series.
This is not a stand-alone novel, you'll want to read Extracted before reading this one. But you will not be sorry you invested the time. Heart stopping scene after scene move this mind-bending plot along at a furious pace.
Oh? You like character driven plots instead? No worries, you WILL fall in love with each and every one of these individual, unique characters. They will engage you at first meeting and wrap you around their little finger (one way or another). ;-)
My only complaint is that it's over. NO NO, not the story, but I did finish book 2. I really wanted it to go on and on and on. Of course, part of that was wanting to continue listening to Carl Prekopp's excellent narration. Carl brings this story to life in your car, living room, jogging trail, or any location of your choosing.
If you like techno-thrillers like I do, don't miss out on this series.
September 19, 2017
I laid lots of praise on Extracted, the first book in this time travel trilogy. It offered an interesting time travel concept: The creation of a time travel machine seems to have created an apocalyptic future, so three heroic figures are brought out of their timelines at the point of their deaths to alter the outcome. The three characters are a WWII commando, an insurance investigator who single-handedly stopped a terrorist bombing on the London underground, and a special officer who saved England's prime minister by wiping out terrorists raiding 10 Downing Street by herself.
The first book was great, so I was happily surprised that book two was even better. "Mad" Harry Madden, Ben Ryder, and Safa Patel were fully developed characters working together (with Ryder dragging his feet) to train for an important mission in the future. At the end of the first book an elderly woman appears at their secret bunker, grabs an apple, and enters the common area simply introducing herself as their new boss.
In book two we learn this woman is Miri, one of the greatest spymasters of the mid-20th century. She, too, is snatched from the past at moments before her historic death and arrives to coordinate the team and run the operation. She also adds a whole new psychological wrinkle to the gradually congealing team. Miri is a master of observation and manipulation, and she works with full dedication to the success of whatever task she takes on, no matter the eventual body count.
This volume also expands on the bits of humor in the first book, with Miri adding an interesting perspective on their whole operation and a funny and tender love relationship between Ben and Safa.
In this book we learn that the apocalyptic moment isn't that far in the future. The British special forces have been assigned to find the time machine. The government has learned from shared intelligence with the US and others that the machine has been built and the US is pushing the British government to seize it. What becomes clear is that the intelligence powers from the US are so determined that the machine is a danger they're willing to drop nuclear weapons on the UK if they can't capture the machine. This escalates into various powers sending nuclear weapons to other countries. Miri manages to design an operation that sends the team to protect the machine's inventor and his research and eventually a series of jumps to every nuclear capitol to halt the war.
Heywood's action writing is phenomenal and the humor in the calmer moments is handled well. The three-dimensional characters of the first book come alive even more and Miri is an excellent, if often enigmatic, new character. My main complaint now is having to wait around for volume three.
The first book was great, so I was happily surprised that book two was even better. "Mad" Harry Madden, Ben Ryder, and Safa Patel were fully developed characters working together (with Ryder dragging his feet) to train for an important mission in the future. At the end of the first book an elderly woman appears at their secret bunker, grabs an apple, and enters the common area simply introducing herself as their new boss.
In book two we learn this woman is Miri, one of the greatest spymasters of the mid-20th century. She, too, is snatched from the past at moments before her historic death and arrives to coordinate the team and run the operation. She also adds a whole new psychological wrinkle to the gradually congealing team. Miri is a master of observation and manipulation, and she works with full dedication to the success of whatever task she takes on, no matter the eventual body count.
This volume also expands on the bits of humor in the first book, with Miri adding an interesting perspective on their whole operation and a funny and tender love relationship between Ben and Safa.
In this book we learn that the apocalyptic moment isn't that far in the future. The British special forces have been assigned to find the time machine. The government has learned from shared intelligence with the US and others that the machine has been built and the US is pushing the British government to seize it. What becomes clear is that the intelligence powers from the US are so determined that the machine is a danger they're willing to drop nuclear weapons on the UK if they can't capture the machine. This escalates into various powers sending nuclear weapons to other countries. Miri manages to design an operation that sends the team to protect the machine's inventor and his research and eventually a series of jumps to every nuclear capitol to halt the war.
Heywood's action writing is phenomenal and the humor in the calmer moments is handled well. The three-dimensional characters of the first book come alive even more and Miri is an excellent, if often enigmatic, new character. My main complaint now is having to wait around for volume three.
June 18, 2017
I didn't really enjoy the book very much. Not much really seemed to happen and what did took too long to get there. I found the dialogue strange and annoying at times, and the female characters which the book seemed to focus on didn't seem very realistic to me.
November 22, 2017
i love this series. Safa is officially my favorite heroine of the year. unstoppable in battle and hilarious! For her I'll forgive the confusing time travel headaches this book gave me.
June 13, 2017
For all intents and purposes, this is a stepping stone from the fun first part to what I hope will be an excellent conclusion of the trilogy. "Executed" is therefore devoted to something that must be taken care of before the plot proceeds along the main story line.
The best part about the book is the mind-twisters of back and forth time travel and the endless variations it creates (‘You try being the only person on a planet, and see if you like it'). And who could resist such an elaborate dialogue:
‘Movie good?’ she asks Harry.
‘Aye.’
‘Good.’
‘Seen it?’
‘No.’
‘Should.’
'Will.’
On the downside, the action scenes are even more drawn out than in the first part, and reading the fifth page about the assault on the Cavendish Mansion definitely takes away the intensity of the action.
There is not much character development, unless you consider referring to some features again and again (Safa's physical perfection and leadership, Ben's intelligence, Harry's quiet strength) "development". The new Miri character is extremely unpleasant, and there is nothing to really justify her exaggeratedly curt style and continuous cryptic allusions to sophisticated "game" that requires multi-stage strategies (The application of force to create pressure. Create an environment for a bond to grow. Water the seeds and study the results.). As a result, the finale of the second instalment felt anticlimactic after all the build-up.
Perhaps it all comes together in the third instalment, so I guess I want to read it.
His father died and he decided to build a time machine, so that families can go back and ask their loved ones not to kill themselves. That’s it. That was his sole motivation for building a thing that so many others had only dreamt of.
The best part about the book is the mind-twisters of back and forth time travel and the endless variations it creates (‘You try being the only person on a planet, and see if you like it'). And who could resist such an elaborate dialogue:
‘Movie good?’ she asks Harry.
‘Aye.’
‘Good.’
‘Seen it?’
‘No.’
‘Should.’
'Will.’
On the downside, the action scenes are even more drawn out than in the first part, and reading the fifth page about the assault on the Cavendish Mansion definitely takes away the intensity of the action.
There is not much character development, unless you consider referring to some features again and again (Safa's physical perfection and leadership, Ben's intelligence, Harry's quiet strength) "development". The new Miri character is extremely unpleasant, and there is nothing to really justify her exaggeratedly curt style and continuous cryptic allusions to sophisticated "game" that requires multi-stage strategies (The application of force to create pressure. Create an environment for a bond to grow. Water the seeds and study the results.). As a result, the finale of the second instalment felt anticlimactic after all the build-up.
Perhaps it all comes together in the third instalment, so I guess I want to read it.
His father died and he decided to build a time machine, so that families can go back and ask their loved ones not to kill themselves. That’s it. That was his sole motivation for building a thing that so many others had only dreamt of.
October 8, 2017
Book one was pretty interesting, good concepts, good character introductions, but dropped off towards the end. Still I wanted to know what happened. This book had nothing of substance at all. Poor/cliché characterisation, lots of detailed action, no real plot, simplistic relationships. Sorry - I don't think I'll be back for book 3.
June 29, 2017
After reading volume two, I have to disagree with other reviewers: the author is not sexist, he is merely a pervert with some deep personal psychological issues.
July 20, 2017
Much better written than the first book, I look forward to reading book 3.
March 6, 2018
Mostly enjoyable, although we spent a little too much time with a new character assimilating into life in the bunker, which felt like a repetition of much of the previous book, as well as another new character suffering from depression and grief. Sigh.
The sex scenes did nothing for me, I'd have preferred a simple line or two to show it was about to happen and then a cut to the morning, I think. I'm not a prude, but it just left me a little bored and feeling like skipping forward. I also really disliked Miri and Ben listening to a couple having sex just in case they let spill a secret in the heat of the moment. It seemed unnecessary for more than one person to do this, if it was even necessary for any of them to do so at all, which I doubt.
There was again a little too much of a Rocky training montage before the story actually progressed, but once it did, it was good fun and I want to know what happens next, which is a good sign.
I am quite prepared to throw a hissy fit if the team don't pony up and save Malc and Konrad soon, though. I'm very disappointed with Ben, Harry and Safa for not trying to save them sooner. Malc and Konrad are supposed to be their friends and risked their own lives to save the team, but they seem to be being entirely forgotten. Grrr!
The sex scenes did nothing for me, I'd have preferred a simple line or two to show it was about to happen and then a cut to the morning, I think. I'm not a prude, but it just left me a little bored and feeling like skipping forward. I also really disliked Miri and Ben listening to a couple having sex just in case they let spill a secret in the heat of the moment. It seemed unnecessary for more than one person to do this, if it was even necessary for any of them to do so at all, which I doubt.
There was again a little too much of a Rocky training montage before the story actually progressed, but once it did, it was good fun and I want to know what happens next, which is a good sign.
I am quite prepared to throw a hissy fit if the team don't pony up and save Malc and Konrad soon, though. I'm very disappointed with Ben, Harry and Safa for not trying to save them sooner. Malc and Konrad are supposed to be their friends and risked their own lives to save the team, but they seem to be being entirely forgotten. Grrr!
June 8, 2017
Absolutely amazing
As a massive fan of Mr Haywood, I was expecting big things from this new series and he definitely delivered. Book 2 from the trilogy is an action packed, fast paced adventure. His ability to create realistic characters is second to none, as is the way he pulls you into his world. This is a great read for all, thrilling, exciting and thought provoking. Well Done RR Haywood
As a massive fan of Mr Haywood, I was expecting big things from this new series and he definitely delivered. Book 2 from the trilogy is an action packed, fast paced adventure. His ability to create realistic characters is second to none, as is the way he pulls you into his world. This is a great read for all, thrilling, exciting and thought provoking. Well Done RR Haywood
July 20, 2017
Great characters
Thoroughly enjoyed both this book and the one before it, Extracted. The characters are fantastic, very individual and easily recognisable and engaging from start to finish. Like others I found the ending a little abrupt but it probably felt that way because I could happily have kept reading. Sincerely hope the series doesn't end there!
Thoroughly enjoyed both this book and the one before it, Extracted. The characters are fantastic, very individual and easily recognisable and engaging from start to finish. Like others I found the ending a little abrupt but it probably felt that way because I could happily have kept reading. Sincerely hope the series doesn't end there!
August 9, 2017
One of the best action stories I've ever read. A theme that must have been difficult to write authentically . The dialogue was fast and some of the banter had me in stitches laughing . Delivered with authority by the narrator this and book 1 Extracted were a pleasure to listen to . Worth every star awarded these books are not to be missed .
March 27, 2018
Much like the first in this series, much of this book consisted of the relationship between the principal characters, with very little to advance the plot. It was amusing enough to listen to, but not enough substance. I will not bother to read the third book in the series.
March 14, 2020
Loved it. Action, a slight bit of romance and a ton of humor. Plus time travel done well. Carl Prekopp is amazing on the audio.
September 10, 2017
This is a story about people more than a story about time travel. It's about the mystery of why, when your enemy has just won, their own forces suddenly turn against them, leaving them no choice but to flee with you. And what then, do you do with that enemy?
June 14, 2018
Disappointing, really bad
The heroes fight thirty two of Her Majesty's best killers who are supported by attack helicopters and several regiments of heavy infantry. At first the good guys are protected by a "capture, not kill order". Soon enough, there is a "weapons live" order but the MI6? agents still don't kill a single good guy. Oh, and the bad guys suffer many casualties, including the two attack helicopters. That's a lot to overlook.
The story gets weirder and the character contradictions are more pronounced. There are scenes in the first book that I gave a pass on. The three main characters groggy from sedation kill or severely injure twelve mercenaries. Unbelievable but if that moves a story with a nice premise along, I was willing to overlook it.
The female main character needs serious counseling and seems to think like a teenager, rather than a Secret Service close protection agent. Her magical bonding with their prisoner is strange. It would make more sense (not a lot, but more) if there was a sexual relationship but there isn't one. Her dialogue is repetitious and crazy, teenager-ish with a bad attitude, certainly not that of an adult woman. Yet somehow, she was a competent agent in the security forces?
The rating for this book on my Misogyny Index ( 0 -women are human beings to 15 -women are human?, silly man!) Index is easily 17. With the exception of the fifty-year old female who is possibly the only interesting person in the story, the younger women spend easily 85% of dialogue, bonding? like thirteen year olds, talking about periods (really - almost two pages), bra sizes, most of all worrying about their fitness (the writer constantly refers to their need to workout to maintain their "lean, athletic" figures -these two women are supposedly trained and experienced combat experts in the security agencies of Britain.
The normal twenty-two year old woman who is described only as curvy worries about being fat. This is a young professional from an aristocratic family and her self image is dominated by the horror of having "boobs" that are too big and curves. Interesting.
She feels like a "bloater" (no clue) because she ate 12 nuggets. Several minutes later, she encounters a young, big (always), handsome, big muscled (always), black man (which in American newspapers, usually starts at about age twelve -when they've been killed by police), so the age is vague. She decides that black standards of beauty give her an instant pass, especially if they are working class (remember her aristocratic background). I think that this scene would make a lot of readers very uncomfortable, albeit for different reasons.
At page 297 or so, her teammates go looking for the twenty-two year old. They ask the laundry attendant, a number of mall employees and only need to describe her as curvy, only twice including her dark hair. They find her in a black bar?, where the bartender has to run to a backroom to find a clean glass. If he had been a redhead, would we have to be reminded what a good boy he is and that he was raised well by his momma or that all whites are to addressed as Sir and Ma'am? The writer is trying to show how desperate our twenty-two year old is, that she will grab a black man? This interlude is so pointless, that it must have had only one purpose, to mix racism into the misogyny flow.
The writer goes to great lengths to express his disdain for any woman with a figure more developed than that of maybe a sixteen or seventeen year old's. He has a small exposition concerning obesity in the U.S., during the page 279-280 dating scene. When a writer goes to such lengths for every female character who is of " do-able? " age, it feels like an unhealthy sexual fixation on the boyish bodies of teens. Fetish away in private but the writer seems to be oversharing.
None of the men are obsessed with their fitness, nor is their older female leader (whom we are constantly reminded has aches and pains). The characters stopped displaying normal feeling about three quarters of the way through the first book. I was sure that that would change in a series but I was wrong.
The childishness of one female security officer is the highlight of the dialogue. The leader is silently mysterious and is now the group's expert on temporal physics. The contradictions between what is considered possible in similar intervention scenarios and how intelligence gathering is allowed by way of repeated time portal openings at the same event, become the biggest plot failing. The group has trouble deciding how to move a smallish chest in the back of a van through a portal in the van. They debate The merits of climbing over it or pushing it into the street, until a consensus is reached to push it through the portal sitting there.
There is so much more wrongness in this book, that it's beyond cataloguing. This an Amazon All-star writer. I will avoid any other Amazon All Star writer unless I get the all clear from a friend.
The heroes fight thirty two of Her Majesty's best killers who are supported by attack helicopters and several regiments of heavy infantry. At first the good guys are protected by a "capture, not kill order". Soon enough, there is a "weapons live" order but the MI6? agents still don't kill a single good guy. Oh, and the bad guys suffer many casualties, including the two attack helicopters. That's a lot to overlook.
The story gets weirder and the character contradictions are more pronounced. There are scenes in the first book that I gave a pass on. The three main characters groggy from sedation kill or severely injure twelve mercenaries. Unbelievable but if that moves a story with a nice premise along, I was willing to overlook it.
The female main character needs serious counseling and seems to think like a teenager, rather than a Secret Service close protection agent. Her magical bonding with their prisoner is strange. It would make more sense (not a lot, but more) if there was a sexual relationship but there isn't one. Her dialogue is repetitious and crazy, teenager-ish with a bad attitude, certainly not that of an adult woman. Yet somehow, she was a competent agent in the security forces?
The rating for this book on my Misogyny Index ( 0 -women are human beings to 15 -women are human?, silly man!) Index is easily 17. With the exception of the fifty-year old female who is possibly the only interesting person in the story, the younger women spend easily 85% of dialogue, bonding? like thirteen year olds, talking about periods (really - almost two pages), bra sizes, most of all worrying about their fitness (the writer constantly refers to their need to workout to maintain their "lean, athletic" figures -these two women are supposedly trained and experienced combat experts in the security agencies of Britain.
The normal twenty-two year old woman who is described only as curvy worries about being fat. This is a young professional from an aristocratic family and her self image is dominated by the horror of having "boobs" that are too big and curves. Interesting.
She feels like a "bloater" (no clue) because she ate 12 nuggets. Several minutes later, she encounters a young, big (always), handsome, big muscled (always), black man (which in American newspapers, usually starts at about age twelve -when they've been killed by police), so the age is vague. She decides that black standards of beauty give her an instant pass, especially if they are working class (remember her aristocratic background). I think that this scene would make a lot of readers very uncomfortable, albeit for different reasons.
At page 297 or so, her teammates go looking for the twenty-two year old. They ask the laundry attendant, a number of mall employees and only need to describe her as curvy, only twice including her dark hair. They find her in a black bar?, where the bartender has to run to a backroom to find a clean glass. If he had been a redhead, would we have to be reminded what a good boy he is and that he was raised well by his momma or that all whites are to addressed as Sir and Ma'am? The writer is trying to show how desperate our twenty-two year old is, that she will grab a black man? This interlude is so pointless, that it must have had only one purpose, to mix racism into the misogyny flow.
The writer goes to great lengths to express his disdain for any woman with a figure more developed than that of maybe a sixteen or seventeen year old's. He has a small exposition concerning obesity in the U.S., during the page 279-280 dating scene. When a writer goes to such lengths for every female character who is of " do-able? " age, it feels like an unhealthy sexual fixation on the boyish bodies of teens. Fetish away in private but the writer seems to be oversharing.
None of the men are obsessed with their fitness, nor is their older female leader (whom we are constantly reminded has aches and pains). The characters stopped displaying normal feeling about three quarters of the way through the first book. I was sure that that would change in a series but I was wrong.
The childishness of one female security officer is the highlight of the dialogue. The leader is silently mysterious and is now the group's expert on temporal physics. The contradictions between what is considered possible in similar intervention scenarios and how intelligence gathering is allowed by way of repeated time portal openings at the same event, become the biggest plot failing. The group has trouble deciding how to move a smallish chest in the back of a van through a portal in the van. They debate The merits of climbing over it or pushing it into the street, until a consensus is reached to push it through the portal sitting there.
There is so much more wrongness in this book, that it's beyond cataloguing. This an Amazon All-star writer. I will avoid any other Amazon All Star writer unless I get the all clear from a friend.
May 5, 2018
I had to give up reading this book. I read some reviews of the first one that said the characterisation of women in these books was painful. And I agree, I had hoped with more female characters in the second book that this would be addressed. However It’s worse than that. It’s becomes obvious here it’s not just the women in this second book but the men too.
5 special trained agents the best of the best see Safa and don’t just kill her? Because she is immediately recognised in a danger scenario? Completely unbelievable.
I’m done.
5 special trained agents the best of the best see Safa and don’t just kill her? Because she is immediately recognised in a danger scenario? Completely unbelievable.
I’m done.
September 6, 2019
If you already read the 1st book, and start this one hoping it continues being a halfway decent story, you'll be slightly disappointed in this book.
You are now screwed, however, as by reading this book you've committed to the series and have to read the 3rd book, Extinction, which is _awful_.
This book isn't awful; it's worse than the 1st: the time travel stuff gets a little more 'loosey goosey' and isn't quite as tight as in the 1st book. The characters don't seem to grow that much, and this book is just a bunch of adventures through time. It's readable, but forgettable.
You are now screwed, however, as by reading this book you've committed to the series and have to read the 3rd book, Extinction, which is _awful_.
This book isn't awful; it's worse than the 1st: the time travel stuff gets a little more 'loosey goosey' and isn't quite as tight as in the 1st book. The characters don't seem to grow that much, and this book is just a bunch of adventures through time. It's readable, but forgettable.
June 10, 2017
So predictable
Waste of money buying this , first book so much better. BORING,BORING BORING. Couldn't wait until the end. THE END.
Waste of money buying this , first book so much better. BORING,BORING BORING. Couldn't wait until the end. THE END.
not_going_to_finish
October 15, 2020I received a free Kindle version of this book for review purposes.
Unfortunately, I cannot get past the language. The constant, repetitive use of expletives is totally unnecessary.
Unfortunately, I cannot get past the language. The constant, repetitive use of expletives is totally unnecessary.
June 9, 2017
One of the best books I've ever read
I have read a lot of books over the years and I have to say that this is one of the best books that I have ever read.
Let's start with the character development. You have an extremely intelligent insurance investigator, a brutally honest beautiful leader, a war machine, a rogue intelligence operative, and essentially an aging super spy. That's without getting into the supporting characters. All these characters were masterfully development and show that the author has a knack for engineering chemistry between his characters where its seemingly impossible.
Then you have the action sequences that are phenomenal. Couple that with a realistic interpretation of science fiction that is explained so simp!y it makes you say, "Well I could write that." But has seemingly never been explained in that way.
I can go on and on, but I'll just conclude by say that my hat goes off to you Mr. Haywood and I eagerly look forward to your next book.
I have read a lot of books over the years and I have to say that this is one of the best books that I have ever read.
Let's start with the character development. You have an extremely intelligent insurance investigator, a brutally honest beautiful leader, a war machine, a rogue intelligence operative, and essentially an aging super spy. That's without getting into the supporting characters. All these characters were masterfully development and show that the author has a knack for engineering chemistry between his characters where its seemingly impossible.
Then you have the action sequences that are phenomenal. Couple that with a realistic interpretation of science fiction that is explained so simp!y it makes you say, "Well I could write that." But has seemingly never been explained in that way.
I can go on and on, but I'll just conclude by say that my hat goes off to you Mr. Haywood and I eagerly look forward to your next book.
June 11, 2018
The character driven plot continues apace, with a real depth and believability that belies the time travelling backdrop. Roland is gone and replaced by a grittier, darker, and coldly calculating Miri that adds that element of tension that was missing from the first chapter. In fact, all the new characters achieve that rare fear of improving the cocktail.
Despite that; this is a single set piece and at times it felt like too little is actually happening. Ultimately, the conclusion redeems the narrative by revealing a depth that wasn’t necessarily apparent; and makes me optimistic for the third instalment.
Despite that; this is a single set piece and at times it felt like too little is actually happening. Ultimately, the conclusion redeems the narrative by revealing a depth that wasn’t necessarily apparent; and makes me optimistic for the third instalment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2018
Mini-Review:
+1 Star for Humor
The core trio has finally found their place and pacing with each other. While the stakes are still high, there's room to breathe and joke around. That made a nice change from the tense and caustic atmosphere of the first book.
There's only one more book to the series and I'm a bit worried about how it will all end. Miri was brutally efficient but I'm not a fan of the way she handles situations. I'm going to ignore the funky science and stick with the characters. I'll cross my fingers and hope for a nice tie up for the plot.
+1 Star for Humor
The core trio has finally found their place and pacing with each other. While the stakes are still high, there's room to breathe and joke around. That made a nice change from the tense and caustic atmosphere of the first book.
There's only one more book to the series and I'm a bit worried about how it will all end. Miri was brutally efficient but I'm not a fan of the way she handles situations. I'm going to ignore the funky science and stick with the characters. I'll cross my fingers and hope for a nice tie up for the plot.
July 8, 2020
So...I sped through Executed in just hours after having finished the first book in the trilogy. Executed improves upon Extracted in almost every way, with a few important exceptions.
Like the first book, Executed has fantastic action sequences, if you don't mind a lot of action movie tropes like miraculously quiet silencers, heroes who never miss their mark and can take ludicrous levels of punishment, etc. The dialogue is still wonky - lots of short, clipped retorts that feel a bit too much like a Tarantino screenplay - but it feels more even and easier to follow after having two books to acclimate to. One new wrinkle I noticed was sudden jumps in the story, where all of the dialogue starts in one situation but ends in another. Dropping the dialogue tags keeps the pace fast, but leaves you confused since the characters were apparently in motion or changing scene. Once again, feels like a relic of a screenplay where you'd use a transition with the talk continuing over the fade.
What helps Executed improve on the first is a tighter plot, interesting new characters, and a willingness to actually play around with the time travel ideas. I said R.R. Haywood felt like he was cribbing too much from pulpy spy sources in the first; here the spycraft and mental gambits are much more thorough and well crafted.
As before, I devoured this book and quickly moved on to the next, so I hope the series keeps improving even more.
Like the first book, Executed has fantastic action sequences, if you don't mind a lot of action movie tropes like miraculously quiet silencers, heroes who never miss their mark and can take ludicrous levels of punishment, etc. The dialogue is still wonky - lots of short, clipped retorts that feel a bit too much like a Tarantino screenplay - but it feels more even and easier to follow after having two books to acclimate to. One new wrinkle I noticed was sudden jumps in the story, where all of the dialogue starts in one situation but ends in another. Dropping the dialogue tags keeps the pace fast, but leaves you confused since the characters were apparently in motion or changing scene. Once again, feels like a relic of a screenplay where you'd use a transition with the talk continuing over the fade.
What helps Executed improve on the first is a tighter plot, interesting new characters, and a willingness to actually play around with the time travel ideas. I said R.R. Haywood felt like he was cribbing too much from pulpy spy sources in the first; here the spycraft and mental gambits are much more thorough and well crafted.
As before, I devoured this book and quickly moved on to the next, so I hope the series keeps improving even more.
July 14, 2017
This has been a very enjoyable series for me so far. The thing I like the most are the characters and their interactions. They have made me laugh a few times and it's been good spending time with them.
There are a few plot holes, but nothing that I can't deal with.
Looking forward to the conclusion.
There are a few plot holes, but nothing that I can't deal with.
Looking forward to the conclusion.
September 22, 2017
I need book three now!! This is an all action book full of larger than life characters. There's a new member of the team who takes command. She is super intelligent and has a plan to save the world but only she knows it and the team have to learn to trust her. Great fun.
May 1, 2018
I won the last book in the series and I'm going to jump in today. Executed was thrilling so I can't read anything else in between! I loved the first book and how it gets you into the background to understand how it is coming together. The two new characters brought into the group are very interesting; especially the unpredictability of one them.
November 30, 2018
Such a wonderful guilty pleasure. Pulp fiction for certain, but written so well. Can't wait to listen too the 3rd part of the trilogy.
July 10, 2020
Second book in the trilogy moving the plot along. I may actually stop here. The present tense abusive dialogue starting to jar.
October 20, 2017
When is the next book coming out?? I can't wait to find out what happens next! Love, love, love it!!! The audible narration is absolutely perfect!
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