Book Review: Star Wars: The Living Force

 

The Living Force is a 2024 canon novel written by Jonathan Jackson Miller. It is an ancillary side story set a year before the events of The Phantom Menace. The plot involves the members of the Jedi Council embarking on a goodwill mission to a planet named Kwenn, where a Jedi outpost is set to be decommissioned after Qui-Gon informs the Council about how lawless gangs have taken over the planet in the Jedi's absence. 

The hardcover version of the book is moderately long at almost exactly 400 pages. While I think the book is fine and the story is okay, I think it is mostly unnecessary. It does show how the Jedi were seen outside of Coruscant by the "regular" people in the galaxy and the consequences of taking children to study at the temple. It also fleshes out a bit more of Syfo Dias' backstory and reveals that the members of the Jedi Council were not fond of his methods. The book also establishes how Master Depa Billaba became the mentor to Caleb Dume, who would rename himself Kanan Jarrus and become instrumental in the early rebellion against the Empire. Aside from those few points, however, the book did not do a lot to set up the prequel trilogy. Personally, I think the book would have been much better had it included more of Palpatine (he did make a couple of appearances) and did almost a split story about the Jedi's standing diminishing and the Sith maneuvering in the background. Ultimately, the book is okay, and while I would not call it one of my must-read novels in the canon material, it is worth the time to read, even though it is probably not a book that most people are likely to re-read multiple times.

Book Review: miracles & fate on 78

 

Miracles and Fate on 78 is a book written by Ari Schonbrun around the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The author worked at Cantor Fitzgerald on the upper floors of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Had he been at his desk, he would have been trapped above the impassable impact zone, but due to a couple of delays, he was on the 78th floor below the impact zone and was one of a few Cantor employees who were in the building when the plane hit that survived, and the only one of those few who was not injured. 

The hardcover version of the book is short, coming in at 180 pages. Schonbrun discusses his day on 9/11, from helping his son fill out a form for school, which delayed him getting to work, to his choice of elevators when he got to the building, which made him take a longer route once he got up to the 78th floor, helping an injured co-worker who was severely burned down the stairs and to the hospital, to how he ended up getting home. Then, he talks about how his life has changed in the aftermath. He does discuss his faith and how it impacted him both before and after 9/11. While that may turn some people off, I do not feel that he gets overly preachy about it. Even though the book is short, it does pack an emotional punch and is absolutely worth reading.

Book Review: Dune: The Lady of Caladan (Dune #12) #Dune

 

The Lady of Caladan is the 12th book in the Dune Saga (when read chronologically) and is the second book in the Caladan trilogy set in the years immediately before the events of the original Dune novel. The book was published in 2021 and was once again written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. While the title suggests that Jessica is the focus of the book, like most of the other prequel novels, it has several storylines going on at one time, specifically involving Leto, Jessica, Paul, Baron Harkonnen and his two nephews, Count Fenring, and to a lesser degree Emperor Shaddam. The only major characters who do not appear are Chani and Irulan. The events of the book pick up immediately after the prior novel, The Duke of Caladan, with Jessica having been recalled to Wallach IX by the Bene Gesserit and Leto having been offered to join the group of Nobles working against the Emperor. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. While there are only a handful of new characters in the book, since it jumps between storylines every chapter or two, it can sometimes be a bit slow to read. The book does a good job of escalating the Harkonnen-Atreides feud and setting the stage for why the Emperor reassigns Leto to oversee the spice production on Arrakis. It is absolutely worth the time to read, especially if you want the backstory of the original Dune novels. 

Book Review: Full Black (Scot Harvath Series #10)

 

Full Black, published in 2011, is the 10th book in the Scot Harvath series of novels written by the series creator, Brad Thor. It is the 11th book if you count The Athena Project, which did include Harvath in a couple of chapters, but the group of female spies was that book's focus, not Harvath. 

Full Black involves the threat of multiple terrorist attacks on the United States, including hitting many "soft" targets simultaneously in multiple waves. The goal of the attacks is the complete disabling and collapse of the United States. There are two storylines that are parallel through most of the book but connect toward the end as the plots play out. One involves a Russian wetwork team sent to take out a Hollywood producer, and the other involves Harvath and his team going after the terrorist network. The second plotline ties back to the events of the 9th novel in the series Foreign Influence.

The hardcover version of the book is about 380 pages long. The pace and tone of the books are very similar to the other books in the series, and it has a good blend of action and suspense. It includes several new characters, and Thor does a good job of developing them enough to get the readers invested in them without slowing down the overall story.  If you are a fan of the prior books in the series, this one is worth the time to read.

Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Tales of Enlightenment #StarWars

 

Tales of Enlightenment is a collection of six short stories set during Phase II of the High Republic (set about 150 years before the destruction of the Starlight Beacon by the Nihil). All of the stories are set on Jedha (which was first introduced in the movie Rogue One) in a bar called Enlightenment. The stories all involve a group of regular patrons of the bar interacting with people visiting the bar before, during, and after the events of the Battle of Jedha. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 100 pages. The short stories take up about 2/3 of the book. The last 1/3 includes interview snippets and background information on some of the authors who have contributed to the High Republic stories, short synopses of the Phase I and II novels, and a listing of the chronological order of the Phase II and II books. There are also a lot of illustrations, so even though the book is about 100 pages long, there is much less than 100 pages of text, so it is very easy to read. Most people will likely be able to finish it in a day or less. 

Ultimately, I would not classify this as a must-read. The stories are fine but are very much filler stories that do not advance the main storyline of Phase II much at all. The writer interviews and bios are okay, but nothing to write home about. The chronological listing of the novels is helpful if you are one who gets the physical books and wants to put them on a shelf in chronological order.

Book Review: Oath and Honor

 

Oath and Honor is a book written by Liz Cheney, the former conference chair of the Republican party in the House of Representatives and daughter of the former Vice President (and former Secretary of Defense), Dick Cheney. She was one of only a handful who ended up splitting with the orange genital wart after the 2020 election, as he lied about the election being stolen and, at the very least, encouraged the attack on the capital on January 6th, 2021. And, of course, she was one of only two Republicans on the January 6th committee. 

This is a book that, regardless of whether you agree with Cheney's politics, is a must-read. The book is partly a memoir in which Cheney discusses how she got interested in, and then into, politics. The focus of the book, however, is the aftermath of the 2020 election, her work on the January 6th committee, and the threat that t***p poses. She explains that she was trying to find out what the orange dipshit and his lackeys were up to after the election and how she tried to circumvent the fake electors/objections plot once she figured out that part of it. She also warns that the Republican party is essentially gone and has to be defeated until t***p and his anti-democracy ideology are gone. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 350 pages. There are no endnotes or bibliography, but there is a web address at the end of the book that allows you to view the notes if you want to. I disagree with almost all of Cheney's politics and would normally never purchase one of her books. I think she had a large role in the political division and the stoking of anger in the country that allowed t***p to take over the Republican party. That said, I respect the fact that she stood up to t***p and her party even though she knew she would lose her seat in Congress and likely end her political career. This is a book that everyone should read  

Book Review: Dune: The Duke of Caladan (Dune #11) #Dune

 

The Duke of Caladan, published in 2020, is the 11th book in the Dune Saga (when reading them in chronological order) and the first in the Caladan trilogy. It is one of now four novels (the other two in the Caladan trilogy and the new novel, Princess of Dune) set in the two years immediately before the events of the original 1965 novel Dune. This one was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. Like the other prequel novels, this one has several storylines. The major storyline set on Caladan involves a drug that is being manufactured from one of Caladan's native plants and is killing people throughout the imperium (unbeknownst to Leto). The second storyline is set on Arrakis and involves illegal spice production and smuggling after Emperor Corrino imposes a surcharge on spice. The final storyline involves the Sisterhood and a warning about Jessica and Paul. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 320 pages long. While the book is centered around the character of Leto Atreides, Paul, Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho, Baron Harkonnen, Mother Mohiam, and Emperor  Corrino are all featured prominently. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that will carry over into the next books in the Caladan trilogy as the authors set up the events of the original novel. If you are a fan of the Dune series, the book is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: The Athena Project

 

The Athena Project is a novel published in 2010 and written by Brad Thor. The novel is a spin-off to Thor's Scot Harvath series (which in 2010 included 9 novels). The main characters in this book were introduced in Thor's 2010 entry in the Harvath series, Foreign Influence. In this book, the members of the Athena team, Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper, are assigned a mission to hunt down an arms dealer responsible for providing explosives used in an attack in Rome that killed several Americans. They discover a larger plot involving a combination of old World War II-era technology and a modern-day threat.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 300 pages, which is just slightly shorter than most of Thor's novels in the Harvath series. Harvath does make a couple of appearances in the book, but he is not a major part of the overall plot. There are actually a couple of different storylines that run parallel to each other. The main one involves the Athena team members. The second one involves an undercover FBI agent who is in too deep with a Russian spy. Each of the storylines is tied to the overall plot of the book but mostly separate from each other. The book is a good action-suspense thriller. While I like most of the novels in the Harvath series more than this one, this is still an enjoyable read with a good story. It is definitely worth the time to read if you like Thor's other novels or just like the spy novel or action-thriller genres.

Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Defy the Storm

 

Defy the Storm, published in 2024, is a young-adult canon novel set during the early part of Phase 3 of the High Republic (approximately a year after the destruction of the space station Starlight Beacon) written by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland. The main characters in this book are Avon Starros, the daughter of one of the Nihil bigwigs, and Vernestra Rwoh, who has been out of contact with the Jedi order for the year after the loss of her master and her Padawan, Imri, whom she believes died in the attack on the space station. Avon tracks down Vernestra to tell her that Imri is alive and comes up with a plan to get Vernestra past the Stormwall and into the Occulusion Zone to help Imri and others get out. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 450 pages. If you have read the other High-Republic novels, including the young-adult and junior novels, most of the characters in the book will be familiar. The story is more or less self-contained, but it does end on a tease  (not quite a cliffhanger) of where the larger storyline will go next. I would not necessarily classify this as one of the must-read novels, but the story is entertaining, so it is worth the time to read.

Book Review: Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy From the Next t***p

 

Blowback is a book by Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security staffer, published in 2023. As many are likely aware, Taylor also wrote the very controversial op-ed piece in the New York Times published under the pseudonym Anonymous. In the book, Taylor describes his time in the former administration and gives a first-hand account of the orange genital wart becoming more and more unhinged as time went on and detailing all of the crazy shit that agent orange wanted to do at the southern border (which he became more and more obsessed over the course of time). Taylor makes it clear that he always despised t***p and that he, like many in the administration, thought t***p was dangerous and stupid (and dangerously stupid). Taylor also makes it clear that he only agreed to join the DHS because he respected John Kelly and knew that there had to be "adults" in the administration to keep little donny diapers in check. And, the only reason Taylor stayed as long as he did was because anyone who replaced him would be a MAGA asshat who would be slovenly loyal to t***p and completely unqualified for the job. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 300 pages, not including the index. Taylor discusses the span of his political career first as a Congressional page, his work at the DHS, his decision to write the initial Anonymous op-ed and the follow-up book, his decision to speak out against the administration under his own name, and ultimately reveal that he was Anonymous. Taylor also discusses how his life started to spiral out of control during that time and what life has been like since then.

The overall subject matter of the book is clear from the title. It is basically a warning that the Republican party of old is dead and gone, that t***p will not go away easily, and that t***pism will be around long after he finally does. And Taylor makes clear that, if given power again, the next t***p will succeed where the orange dipshit failed the first time because they will get around (or ignore) all of the guardrails, and there will be no adults in the room this time. Taylor also discusses that most of those who were said adults in the first administration are not exactly profiles in courage and will not speak out because of fear of political retribution (and physical harm by the MAGAT cult members). The book is absolutely a must-read.

Book Review: Princess of Dune (Dune #10)

 

Princess of Dune, published in late 2023, is, as of this writing, the newest book in the Dune Saga and the 10th book when read chronologically. It is set 2 years before the events of the original 1965 novel and was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert (the original author's son) and Kevin J. Anderson (who have written all of the prequel novels).  As the title (and cover image) of the book suggests, the storylines in this book are focused on Princess Irulan (and her sisters) and Chani. Irulan and Chani have mostly separate story arcs in the book, but their stories do intersect briefly about 2/3 of the way through the book. Irulan's story involves a potential marriage to a military suitor, and Chani's storyline involves trying to free Dune from the grip of the Harkonnens and Emperor Shaddam. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 400 pages, which is a little shorter than many of the other prequel novels. The pacing is good (even with jumping back and forth between the two main storylines), and unlike some of the other prequel novels, it does not have a ton of characters to keep track of. None of the Atreides characters appear in the book, and only a handful of Harkonnen characters appear very briefly. If you are a fan of the Dune saga, this is well worth the time to read. 

Book Review: Foreign Influence (Scot Harvath Series #9)

 

Foreign Influence, published in 2010, is the 9th book in the Scot Harvath series of thrillers written by Brad Thor. This book has two different plots that run in parallel through most of the book and then intersect at the end. The first plot is the one that Harvath is most involved in. It involves a bombing in Rome that points to Nicholas/The Troll being involved. The second involves a hit-and-run accident in Chicago that leads a couple of cops to an al Qaeda cell planning a series of attacks. The book also introduces a group of characters that will be prominent in the spin-off novel, The Athena Project.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 380 pages and reads like the other books in the series. Like the other books in the series, this one has a good blend of action and suspense. This book does not have as much of the political maneuvering that some of the other books have had (and definitely not as much as the Mitch Rapp series does). Thor definitely seems to be conservative and puts his stamp on the whole torture debate that was raging back around the time this was written. That is as political as he gets, however. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the action thriller/spy novel genre and/or have liked the prior novels in the series, this is worth the time to read.

Book Review: Star Wars: Escape from Valo

 

Escape from Valo is one of the Phase 3 High-Republic era Star Wars novels. This is a junior novel written by Daniel Older and Alyssa Wong and published in 2024. The Phase 3 novels bring the storyline back to the "present" time, which is about 230 years before the events of A New Hope. The events of the book are set on Valo, which was the planet that hosted the Galactic Fair that was attacked by the Nihil. The story is set about a year after the Nihil's destruction of the Starlight Beacon and the construction of their Stormwall, which keeps the Republic and the Jedi out of Nihil territory while trapping several Jedi and Republic worlds inside. In this book, Ram Jomaram, who was introduced in the junior novel Race to Crashpoint Tower, is making life difficult for the Nihil by launching raids pretending to be a Sith calling himself The Scarlet Skull. A group of Jedi younglings (and Nihil) track him down, and the book then becomes a cat-and-mouse chase with the Jedi trying to save one of their own and avoid one of the Nameless/Levelers.

The hardcover version of the book is moderately long (especially for a junior novel), at just under 370 pages. The book does advance the main storyline a bit, by showing that Levelers can be killed, but for the most part, the storyline is ancillary to the adult novels. Ultimately, I would say that the story is okay but the book is not one of the must-read books from the High-Republic era novels. 

Book Review: Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden--from 9/11 to Abbottabad

 

Manhunt is a book published in 2012 and written by Peter Bergen about the effort to find and eventually kill Osama Bin Laden. Bergen is one of the few Western journalists to interview Bin Laden back in the 1990s and was in the process of writing a book about Bin Laden when the September 11th terrorist attacks occurred. This book mostly focuses on the time after 9/11 and tracks (to the best extent possible) where Bin Laden went after fleeing the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan to the raid on the compound in Abbottabad where he was holed up. Bergen does detail a little bit of his history prior to 9/11, but the focus of the book was the time period from September 2001 to May 2011.

The hardcover version of the book is about 360 total pages (260 of which are substantive text, and the last 100 pages include a bibliography, end notes, and an index). The notes mainly cite sources but occasionally flesh out the material in the text. Along with highlighting Bin Laden's movements, the book provides a lot of detail on how the US government ultimately tracked him down. Bergen interviewed multiple government sources, including sources from the CIA (some of whom were referred to using pseudonyms). Bergen also had several in-the-room sources who discussed what was happening as President Obama and the national security team were watching the feed of the raid and military sources who discussed how the raid team got in and out of Pakistan. The book is very compelling, and while most of the details in the book have been declassified and available to the public for years, it is still worth the time to read. 

Book Review: Dune: House Corrino (Dune #9)

 

House Corrino, published in 2001, is the ninth book in the series of Dune novels (when read chronologically) and is the third book in the Prelude to Dune Trilogy, the third of the prequel trilogies leading to the events of the original novel. The book was again written by the combination of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The events of this book are set about 15 years before the events of the original novel, with Paul's birth occurring at the end of the book, Chani being about eight months old, and Princess Irulan as a young girl. The book mostly involves those who are adults in the original novel and includes three main plotlines, each of which has ancillary plotlines. In the first, Shaddam is trying to perfect the synthetic spice and break the Harkonnen hold on the spice trade. In the second, Leto devises a daring attack on the planet Ix to restore Prince Rhombur to power. In the third, the Harkonnens plot to kill Lady Jessica and/or her unborn child. 

The hardcover version of the book is about 500 pages long. The book is a faster read than the prior novels since all of the main characters have been established. There are some new characters in the book, but their involvement is tangential to the storylines. The end of the book does not lead directly into the events of the original Dune, as there are another four novels that, by their titles, seem to be centered around Paul, Chani, Irulan, and Jessica just before the events of the original book. This book (and the trilogy of novels it is a part of) does, however, provide a lot of context for what is in the original novel. The book is mostly about political maneuvering between the Houses, but there is quite a bit of action in the last third. The book is absolutely worth reading, but definitely has to be read in sequence with the other books to follow its plotlines. 

Book Review: The Apostle (Scot Harvath Series #8)

 

The Apostle is the 8th book in the thriller series based around the character of Scot Harvath. It was written by the series creator, Brad Thor, and published in 2009. This book mostly resets the storyline and is not heavily tied in with the events in the prior novels. This one has two parallel storylines. The main storyline, which is the one that involves Harvath, involves the kidnapping of an American doctor in Afghanistan. The doctor is also the daughter of one of the newly elected President's largest donors and political advisors. Harvath is hired to lead an off-the-books mission to go to Afghanistan and free an al-Qaeda leader, which is the ransom demanded for the doctor's release. The second storyline involves an investigation by a member of the Secret Service named Elise Campbell prompted when she overhears a conversation that threatens to bring down the new President, Robert Alden.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 350 pages, which is on par with the length of the other books in the series. Like in the prior novels, Thor blends action and suspense (especially in the main storyline) with political drama and intrigue. The book jumps between the two storylines frequently (usually there are 1-3 chapters devoted to one storyline and then the book shifts to the other storyline for 1-3 chapters), which makes it a bit harder to read since you have to pay attention to both storylines at the same time. Thankfully, the chapters are relatively short so you do not get 100s of pages devoted to one storyline and then switch and have to remember what was happening in the other storyline. If you liked the prior books in the series, or are a fan of the genre in general, this is well worth your time to read. 

Book Review: Star Wars: The Eye of Darkness

 

The Eye of Darkness, written by George Mann and published in 2023, is one of the newer adult canon novels, and the first in Phase 3 of the High Republic era novels. Phase 1 of the High Republic novels was set about 230 years before the events of A New Hope. The Phase 2 novels jumped back about 150 years before that, to about 380 years before the events of A New Hope, and then Phase 3 picks up where Phase 1 ended. Specifically, the events of this book are set 1 year after the destruction of the space station Starlight Beacon. In it, the Nihil have walled off a part of the galaxy creating an impenetrable barrier that they call the Stormwall around a portion of the outer rim trapping the inhabitants of several planets (and several Jedi, including Avar Kriss) behind the barrier. Marchion Ro, the leader of the Nihil, has revealed the mysterious beast capable of killing Jedi called levelers to the Republic broadcasting the "trial" of a Jedi trapped in what the Nihil and the Republic call the Occlusion Zone for all to see.  Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar are tasked by the Jedi Council with figuring out how to break through the Stormwall to get into the Occulison Zone, while Avar Kriss is working on a plan to get out.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 400 pages, but it reads more quickly (at least for me) than the Phase 1 and 2 novels did since the characters are well-established. This book also finally includes Yoda in this part of the timeline. One of my big complaints about the Phase I novels was that Yoda was mentioned, but never appeared. Now, however, since he did appear in a couple of Phase 2 novels, there is a bit of a continuity issue (which will hopefully be resolved eventually). Specifically, The Path of the Open Hand, the group that was the precursor to the Nihil, used the Levelers against the Jedi 150 years ago. Yoda was aware of Jedi being killed in the same way back then, even though he did not know what was causing it. In this novel, he appears to be totally clueless about the Levelers even though members of the Jedi were killed by them years ago and Yoda does not mention that fact. It seems unlikely that the Jedi would not have figured out what the Levelers were long ago and figured out how to protect themselves if they encountered them again. Even with that continuity issue, the story in this book entertaining with a good blend of action and suspense. If you have liked the High-Republic era novels up to this point, this one is definitely worth the time to read.  

Book Review: Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald t***p, and the Battle for American Democracy

 

Network of Lies is the 2023 follow-up to author, and former CNN host, Brian Stelter's 2020 book, Hoax. This book is mostly a continuation of that book, focusing on events that occurred after (and a bit during) the 2020 election through late 2023. 

The hardcover version of the book has just under 330 pages of substantive text. The last 40 pages are divided between source notes and the index. The book is basically a continued excoriation of Fox "news", with a huge focus on the rise, and subsequent fall of fucker Carlson, with Stelter (who has a ton of sources inside Fox) detailing what was going on behind the scenes when Carlson was dumped after the settlement of the defamation case brought by Dominion voting systems against Fox and several of its personalities because of the lies the network allowed to be spread after the 2020 election. 

Stelter definitely is not writing this book in an objective journalist mode. He does not hide his feelings about the network, the people who run it, and the personalities on it. The crux of Stelter's analysis is that Fox shot itself in the foot by allowing the "news" division, however small it was to be aced out by the entertainment division, which caused people like Chris Wallace and Shep Smith to leave and because of all of the lying by the people in the entertainment division and the failure of those left in the news division to push back hard against the bullshit being spewed by the orange genital wart and his clown-car of inbreds, on the few occasions the network did tell the truth, it caused Fox's viewers (who they spent years radicalizing and lying to) to jump ship for the even crazier batshittery of OAN and Newsmax. 

While Stelter is clearly not an unbiased objective observer (he clearly hates Fox and many of its on-air personalities) he brings receipts for all of the assertions he makes in the book (without outing his sources). The book is yet another warning about just how dangerous Fox has become as a network and how it is unlikely to change anytime soon, despite one almost billion-dollar settlement and a second defamation suit that is in progress that may cause the network to lose even more money. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Dune: House Harkonnen (Dune #8)

 

House Harkonnen is the 8th novel in the Dune series when read chronologically and the second in the third overall prequel trilogy (aka, the Prelude to Dune series) to the original novels written by Frank Herbert. The book was published in 2000 and was again written by the combination of Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian. Like the first book in this trilogy was not entirely focused on the Atreides, this book is not focused solely on the Harkonnens. The story jumps between Caladan, Corrino, Arrakis, Geidi Prime, Ix, Wallach IX, and Lankiveil and tracks Leto, Vladimir and Abulurd Harkonen, Emperor Shaddam Corrino, Duncan Idaho, The Fremen (with the focus on Liet Kynes), and the Benne Gesserit. To the extent that the book is focused on the Harkonnens, it mainly deals with Baron Harkonnen's maneuverings against all of the other major players.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages, and as I said above, the book jumps from one storyline to the other. Most of the storylines are separate, but some elements intersect with each other here and there.  The events of the novel are set a few years down the line from the end of the novel House Atreides and it has a couple of short time jumps throughout. Most of the book is relatively slow-paced, but the story picks up a lot in the last handful of chapters (which was enough for me to bump it up to five stars). The big points in the book are the development of Leto and Jessica's relationship, Baron Harkonen's plots to take down House Atreides, Emperor Corrino, and the Bene Gesserit, Emperor Corrino's attempt to produce spice independent of Akkaris, the Bene Gesserit's plans to create god-like bloodlines, and Duncan Idaho's swordmaster training. Ultimately, the book is setting up the original Dune novel and laying out the backstory for the two original trilogies based on Frank Herbert's notes and unfinished works. It makes what was already a sprawling story even larger. It is not an easy book to read because of the fact that it has a lot of characters and jumps between storylines. But, if you are a fan of the sci-fi genre, this (and the other prequel novels) are worth your time to read. I am reading the novels in chronological order so I have not yet read the two original trilogies written by Frank Herbert, and I am not sure how this compares to those books, but this is written in pretty much the same style and tone as the other prequel novels, so if you like those, you will probably like this one.

Book Review: The Last Patriot (Scot Harvath Series #7)

 

The Last Patriot, published in 2008, is the 7th book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thriller novels written by Brad Thor. This book is set down the line from the events of the prior novel, The First Commandment, with Harvath determined to get out of his role as a quasi-spy/assassin based on what he sees as being kept in the dark, sold out, and then betrayed by President Rutledge. This book starts with Scot and Tracy vacationing in France where they are witness to (and get involved in) an attempted assassination/hit. Their involvement gets Scot pulled back into working for President Rutledge in a storyline that mirrors a National Treasure-like follow-the-clues storyline, all while trying to avoid the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short, coming in at just over 330 pages. In the Afterword, Thor lays out the background research he did for the book and goes through what elements of the story were real (or at least based in reality) and what he made up. The book has a good mix of action and suspense and by the end, essentially resets the overall storyline leaving the direction of the series very much open. There is less political intrigue/fighting as in some of the prior novels, but something like that would not have worked in this story anyway.  If you are a fan of the prior novels in the series this one is absolutely worth the time to read.