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Rogue Team International #2
Relentless
In New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry's thrilling Relentless , Rogue Team International joins Joe Ledger in a new hunt that spans the globe and journeys deep into the terrifying landscape of the human heart.
JOE LEDGER’s world has been torn apart. The people closest to him have been savagely murdered and Ledger is on the hunt for the killers. His already fragile psyche has cracked apart, allowing a dangerous darkness to overwhelm him.
His hunt takes him deep into the world of the deadly black market weapons sales, and standing in his way are a new generation of private military contractors. These mercenaries have been enhanced with cutting-edge cybernetics and chemical enhancements, transforming them into real-world super soldiers. Stronger, faster, harder to hurt, and fitted with built-in weapons. They are beyond anything Joe has ever faced.
But he is not the Joe Ledger they expected to fight. He is defined by the Darkness now. The attempt to destroy him―to break him―has backfired. Instead his enemies have turned him into a far more fearsome weapon.
Everyone is out for blood.
JOE LEDGER’s world has been torn apart. The people closest to him have been savagely murdered and Ledger is on the hunt for the killers. His already fragile psyche has cracked apart, allowing a dangerous darkness to overwhelm him.
His hunt takes him deep into the world of the deadly black market weapons sales, and standing in his way are a new generation of private military contractors. These mercenaries have been enhanced with cutting-edge cybernetics and chemical enhancements, transforming them into real-world super soldiers. Stronger, faster, harder to hurt, and fitted with built-in weapons. They are beyond anything Joe has ever faced.
But he is not the Joe Ledger they expected to fight. He is defined by the Darkness now. The attempt to destroy him―to break him―has backfired. Instead his enemies have turned him into a far more fearsome weapon.
Everyone is out for blood.
512 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2021
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
478 books7,574 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller and Audible #1 bestseller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of WEIRD TALES Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.
Jonathan is the creator, editor and co-author of V-WARS, a shared-world vampire anthology from IDW Publishing that was adapted into a NETFLIX series starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES).
His young adult fiction includes ROT & RUIN (2011; was named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards); DUST & DECAY (winner of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award; FLESH & BONE (winner of the Bram Stoker Award; 2012; and FIRE & ASH (August 2013). BROKEN LANDS, the first of a new spin-off series, debuted in 2018 and was followed by LOST ROADS in fall 2020. ROT & RUIN is in development for film by ALCON ENTERTAINMENT and was adapted as a WEBTOON (a serialized comic formatted for cell phones), becoming their #1 horror comic.
His novels include the enormously popular Joe Ledger series from St. Martin’s Griffin (PATIENT ZERO, 2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel) and eleven other volumes, most recently RELENTLESS. His middle grade novel, THE NIGHTSIDERS BOOK 1: THE ORPHAN ARMY (Simon & Schuster) was named one the 100 Best Books for Children 2015. His standalone novels include MARS ONE, GLIMPSE, INK, GHOSTWALKERS (based on the DEADLANDS role-playing game), X-FILES ORIGINS: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, and THE WOLFMAN --winner of the Scribe Award for Best Movie Adaptation
His horror novels include The Pine Deep Trilogy from Pinnacle Books (GHOST ROAD BLUES, 2006, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium; DEAD MAN’S SONG, 2007; and BAD MOON RISING, 2008; as well as DEAD OF NIGHT, and its sequels, FALL OF NIGHT, DARK OF NIGHT, and STILL OF NIGHT.
His epic fantasy series, KAGEN THE DAMNED debuts in May 2022. And he just signed to co-author (with Weston Ochse) a new series of military science fiction novels that launches the SLEEPERS series. Jonathan will also be launching a new series of science fiction horror novels for the newly established Weird Tales Presents imprint of Blackstone Publishing.
He is also the editor of three THE X-FILES anthologies; the dark fantasy anthology series, OUT OF TUNE; SCARY OUT THERE, an anthology of horror for teens; and the anthologies ALIENS: BUG HUNT, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (with George Romero), JOE LEDGER UNSTOPPABLE (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt); two volumes of mysteries: ALTERNATE SHERLOCKS and THE GAME’S AFOOT (with Michael Ventrella); and ALIENS V PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt). He is also the editor of DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, the official tribute to SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. His next anthology will be ALIENS VS PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt), debuting in spring 2022.
Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary series, ZOMBIES: A Living History and TRUE MONSTERS. And he was participated in the commentary track for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED.
His many nonfiction works include VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006); THE CRYPTOPED
Jonathan is the creator, editor and co-author of V-WARS, a shared-world vampire anthology from IDW Publishing that was adapted into a NETFLIX series starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES).
His young adult fiction includes ROT & RUIN (2011; was named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards); DUST & DECAY (winner of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award; FLESH & BONE (winner of the Bram Stoker Award; 2012; and FIRE & ASH (August 2013). BROKEN LANDS, the first of a new spin-off series, debuted in 2018 and was followed by LOST ROADS in fall 2020. ROT & RUIN is in development for film by ALCON ENTERTAINMENT and was adapted as a WEBTOON (a serialized comic formatted for cell phones), becoming their #1 horror comic.
His novels include the enormously popular Joe Ledger series from St. Martin’s Griffin (PATIENT ZERO, 2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel) and eleven other volumes, most recently RELENTLESS. His middle grade novel, THE NIGHTSIDERS BOOK 1: THE ORPHAN ARMY (Simon & Schuster) was named one the 100 Best Books for Children 2015. His standalone novels include MARS ONE, GLIMPSE, INK, GHOSTWALKERS (based on the DEADLANDS role-playing game), X-FILES ORIGINS: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, and THE WOLFMAN --winner of the Scribe Award for Best Movie Adaptation
His horror novels include The Pine Deep Trilogy from Pinnacle Books (GHOST ROAD BLUES, 2006, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium; DEAD MAN’S SONG, 2007; and BAD MOON RISING, 2008; as well as DEAD OF NIGHT, and its sequels, FALL OF NIGHT, DARK OF NIGHT, and STILL OF NIGHT.
His epic fantasy series, KAGEN THE DAMNED debuts in May 2022. And he just signed to co-author (with Weston Ochse) a new series of military science fiction novels that launches the SLEEPERS series. Jonathan will also be launching a new series of science fiction horror novels for the newly established Weird Tales Presents imprint of Blackstone Publishing.
He is also the editor of three THE X-FILES anthologies; the dark fantasy anthology series, OUT OF TUNE; SCARY OUT THERE, an anthology of horror for teens; and the anthologies ALIENS: BUG HUNT, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (with George Romero), JOE LEDGER UNSTOPPABLE (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt); two volumes of mysteries: ALTERNATE SHERLOCKS and THE GAME’S AFOOT (with Michael Ventrella); and ALIENS V PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt). He is also the editor of DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, the official tribute to SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. His next anthology will be ALIENS VS PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt), debuting in spring 2022.
Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary series, ZOMBIES: A Living History and TRUE MONSTERS. And he was participated in the commentary track for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED.
His many nonfiction works include VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006); THE CRYPTOPED
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
June 9, 2021
Relentless
by Jonathan Maberry is the second book in Rogue Team International (RTI) series featuring Joe Ledger. He is no longer with the Department of Military Sciences, but leading a team of independent troubleshooters, Havoc Team that is part of RTI. This is one of the darkest military thrillers that I have read in a long time. Suppose multiple people important to you were murdered. What would that do to your psyche which was already damaged? Read this novel and you will find out how Joe handles the situation.
While this novel focuses on Joe and his dog Ghost, Havoc Team and other colleagues play important roles that give the reader character continuity. The killers are known. The key is how to find them and that journey takes the reader to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa, Antarctica, and North America. Joe is well-developed, compelling, and damaged. His motivation is believable and well-drawn, but I had a hard time with many of his actions in this book. The secondary characters enhance the story and the relationships are believable.
Chapter one hooked me. Chapter two and beyond was so vivid and compelling I felt like I was with the characters, but grateful that I was safe in my home. The story immediately pulls the reader in and never lets him or her off the rollercoaster of action and emotion.
For an action / military thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there are comprehensive descriptions of clothing, people, places and gear involving black market weapons sales, private military contractors, cybernetics, body armor, chemical enhancements, and bioweapons, it doesn’t go into minute detail. I believe this approach will make this novel appeal to a wider audience.
Overall, this novel is a shockingly dark, disturbing, and emotional ride. Be aware that there is plenty of violence and emotional turmoil in this story. An old arch-enemy reappears as well setting up possible threads in future novels. Themes include revenge, anger, grief, murder, PTSD, greed, good versus evil, cyber terrorism, and cyber espionage as well as friendship, love, compassion, honesty, loyalty, and brotherhood/sisterhood relationships.
This is the only the third book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back and reading the original Joe Ledger series. This author’s books are well-written with characters that have depth and there is an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in immediately. I believe those readers that enjoy action thrillers and military thrillers that are dark will want to read this book.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for July 13, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
While this novel focuses on Joe and his dog Ghost, Havoc Team and other colleagues play important roles that give the reader character continuity. The killers are known. The key is how to find them and that journey takes the reader to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa, Antarctica, and North America. Joe is well-developed, compelling, and damaged. His motivation is believable and well-drawn, but I had a hard time with many of his actions in this book. The secondary characters enhance the story and the relationships are believable.
Chapter one hooked me. Chapter two and beyond was so vivid and compelling I felt like I was with the characters, but grateful that I was safe in my home. The story immediately pulls the reader in and never lets him or her off the rollercoaster of action and emotion.
For an action / military thriller, I loved the style that Maberry used. While there are comprehensive descriptions of clothing, people, places and gear involving black market weapons sales, private military contractors, cybernetics, body armor, chemical enhancements, and bioweapons, it doesn’t go into minute detail. I believe this approach will make this novel appeal to a wider audience.
Overall, this novel is a shockingly dark, disturbing, and emotional ride. Be aware that there is plenty of violence and emotional turmoil in this story. An old arch-enemy reappears as well setting up possible threads in future novels. Themes include revenge, anger, grief, murder, PTSD, greed, good versus evil, cyber terrorism, and cyber espionage as well as friendship, love, compassion, honesty, loyalty, and brotherhood/sisterhood relationships.
This is the only the third book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back and reading the original Joe Ledger series. This author’s books are well-written with characters that have depth and there is an interesting plot where the story line pulls the reader in immediately. I believe those readers that enjoy action thrillers and military thrillers that are dark will want to read this book.
St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for July 13, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
October 3, 2022
My thanks, as always to St. Martin's Press, the one and only Jonathan Maberry, and Netgalley. Big breath!! In and out! Every time I hit the end of one of these Ledger books, I wonder where in the heck can we go from here? Maberry somehow shows up on a yearly basis and shows us. This is where we go! I don't know how he "Maberry" does what he does. He makes me happy! Don't get me wrong, because after the last book, I spent ALL of this book being afraid. I didn't like this aspect of Joe. The Darkness! You kidding me? Dude! Joe and Ghost deserve better. I can only say that I worried way too much! It's funny how some people who should have died are now "family!" Yes! This is me giving a shout out to Toys! Such a pest when he was an enemy. So beloved, "by me" as an ally! Again, this was very much a good versus evil story. It's really all I wanted, and too much to come. I know that Maberry was gentle this time around. I'm very much afraid of who is going to die in the next battle! I again just whimpered. Please, be gentle.
July 22, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This audiobook was so delicious, I could barely pull myself away. What a tasty treat!
After the finale of the last book, I feared for Joe Ledger's mental state. Turns out that fear was justified, because Joe is, to put it simply, a mess.
In each book there is talk about Joe's fractured personality. Due to severe trauma in his teens, due to his work as a former policeman, and due to his status as a true warrior in the DMS and now, Rogue Team International. However, in this book a fourth personality has emerged, and I feared that Joe wouldn't survive it. Does he? You'll have to read this to find out!
In an attempt to put my finger on why I like these books so much, I've been mulling it over in my mind. I think it's the combination of the short chapters, from different viewpoints, the action and probably the number one reason is Ray Porter. Military/action books are just not my thing. I'm not into weaponry or macho BS. But get Ray Porter to perform it, and I AM IN. Porter brings a humanity to Ledger over and above what the written words bring. Porter brings the HEART.
RELENTLESS was, well, relentless. A relentless pulling at your heart, a relentless need for things to be made right, a relentless read-I was listening every second that I could spare and a few that I really couldn't spare, but I did anyway. This audio was just that much fun. FUN, I say!
My highest recommendation!
*I purchased this audio with my hard earned cash and as soon as the next book is available I will do the same!*
This audiobook was so delicious, I could barely pull myself away. What a tasty treat!
After the finale of the last book, I feared for Joe Ledger's mental state. Turns out that fear was justified, because Joe is, to put it simply, a mess.
In each book there is talk about Joe's fractured personality. Due to severe trauma in his teens, due to his work as a former policeman, and due to his status as a true warrior in the DMS and now, Rogue Team International. However, in this book a fourth personality has emerged, and I feared that Joe wouldn't survive it. Does he? You'll have to read this to find out!
In an attempt to put my finger on why I like these books so much, I've been mulling it over in my mind. I think it's the combination of the short chapters, from different viewpoints, the action and probably the number one reason is Ray Porter. Military/action books are just not my thing. I'm not into weaponry or macho BS. But get Ray Porter to perform it, and I AM IN. Porter brings a humanity to Ledger over and above what the written words bring. Porter brings the HEART.
RELENTLESS was, well, relentless. A relentless pulling at your heart, a relentless need for things to be made right, a relentless read-I was listening every second that I could spare and a few that I really couldn't spare, but I did anyway. This audio was just that much fun. FUN, I say!
My highest recommendation!
*I purchased this audio with my hard earned cash and as soon as the next book is available I will do the same!*
February 19, 2022
Jonathan Maberry can do no wrong! I have gone through every Joe Ledger book since #1 and they never cease to keep me jumping. The story lines are always fresh and full of surprises. I love Top, Bunny, Junie, Church, Violin and co.
'Relentless' shows us (understandably) the extreme of Joe's dark side. Since his whole family was wiped out in the last book he is beyond itching at the bit to avenge their deaths. This side of him showed no mercy and was a bit disconcerting at first. As the book progressed and his thinking is voiced it became easier to swallow. Of course, Ghost (his most loyal titanium toothed canine best friend) feels all Joe's feelings intensely and is right by his side for the fight of his life. (Love, love, love Ghost!)
The whole story is a roller coaster of pulse-pounding action with the amazing narrator Ray Porter at the helm keeping me on pins and needles until the very epic ending.
Thank you, Mr. Maberry for keeping Joe Ledger and friends going. Cannot wait for Rogue Team International, #3.
'Relentless' shows us (understandably) the extreme of Joe's dark side. Since his whole family was wiped out in the last book he is beyond itching at the bit to avenge their deaths. This side of him showed no mercy and was a bit disconcerting at first. As the book progressed and his thinking is voiced it became easier to swallow. Of course, Ghost (his most loyal titanium toothed canine best friend) feels all Joe's feelings intensely and is right by his side for the fight of his life. (Love, love, love Ghost!)
The whole story is a roller coaster of pulse-pounding action with the amazing narrator Ray Porter at the helm keeping me on pins and needles until the very epic ending.
Thank you, Mr. Maberry for keeping Joe Ledger and friends going. Cannot wait for Rogue Team International, #3.
May 8, 2022
Twelve deep and still massively entertaining these Ledger books are a great way to kill some time. It’s hard to maintain freshness after so many books but Maberry does so in spectacular fashion. Not as shocking as Rage but a nice continuation of that story line.
June 28, 2021
Be prepared to immerse yourself into an all consuming high-octane adventure that spans the globe. Our knight in shining armor is none other than Colonel Joe Ledger .... warrior, knight and killer .... whose sole purpose is to defend the helpless and innocent. Even if you're not familiar with Ledger's previous exploits ... this gem will. be enjoyed as a standalone. Multiple award winning writer, Maberry seamlessly adds the necessary backstory.
Ledger was previously featured on the Echo Team of DMS (Department of Miltary Sciences), which was linked to
the US government. Unfortunately he was frequently hampered by red tape and political party "politics". His boss, the infamous and enigmatic, Mr. Church has rendered DMS defunct and formed the international ultra-rapid response organization of Rogue Team International (RTI) ... freeing his missions from their previous encumbrances. Joe is the leader of the strike team, known as the Havoc team. RTI picks it's own cases and has no oversight. On their previous mission they grappled with an organization that released a "designer" pathogen into the atmosphere of a small island off the coast of North Korea. This induced an extreme state of violent madness to all the inhabitants. This bioweapon called "Rage" resulted in the complete annihilation of the island's populace. The organization behind such bioweapons continues to flourish. "Kuga" is the chief executive of this international criminal empire, that specializes in the black market sale of bioweapons , neurotoxins, and other chemical and technological enhancements to the highest bidder. He has no "politics" ... war, assassination and terrorism is "good for business". Kuga is most likely a former CIA superstar gone rogue . Harcourt Bolton is smart, rich and ruthless., and has taken the pseudonym from the Bosnian word for "plague". His right-hand man is the equally vile, Raphael Santoro. Respected as the world's most feared blackmailer, extortionist, manipulator, and murderer. On Christmas eve , last year, Santoro murdered Joe's entire family and closest friends. Needless to say, Joe wants revenge and retribution on both Kuga and Santoro. His initial assault with the Havoc team in his quest for revenge is on Mitrovic an important arm of the vast organization. His compound is a heavily guarded fortress on a small island off the coast of Croatia. He team floats in undetected and under the radar with Trade Winds Motor-Kites made of aluminum-magnesium alloy that are lighter than a lawn chair, but exceedingly stronger. Accompanying Ledger is his vaunted combat dog, Ghost. The encounter and ultimate battle is gruesome and victorious, with Ledger seemingly "loosing it" Ledger ultimately "goes rogue" with the aim of killing Kuga and Santoro on his own. Ledger's and RTI's subsequent assault takes them across the globe... from North America to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and even Antartica.
Maberry proves to be an amazing storyteller... and weaves a complex and twisted explosive narrative that features a mutlt=dimensional fleshed out supporting cast of soldiers and warriors ... all entering the world of darkness and evil.. Maberry delivers an entertaining roller-coster ride of adventure that successfully juggles violence with a blend of motivations fostered by friendship, love and respect. This adventure is not only replete with high tech gadgets, gizmos and gear, but also a plethora of dastardly villains ... some old and some new, that undoubtedly will populate later adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com)
Ledger was previously featured on the Echo Team of DMS (Department of Miltary Sciences), which was linked to
the US government. Unfortunately he was frequently hampered by red tape and political party "politics". His boss, the infamous and enigmatic, Mr. Church has rendered DMS defunct and formed the international ultra-rapid response organization of Rogue Team International (RTI) ... freeing his missions from their previous encumbrances. Joe is the leader of the strike team, known as the Havoc team. RTI picks it's own cases and has no oversight. On their previous mission they grappled with an organization that released a "designer" pathogen into the atmosphere of a small island off the coast of North Korea. This induced an extreme state of violent madness to all the inhabitants. This bioweapon called "Rage" resulted in the complete annihilation of the island's populace. The organization behind such bioweapons continues to flourish. "Kuga" is the chief executive of this international criminal empire, that specializes in the black market sale of bioweapons , neurotoxins, and other chemical and technological enhancements to the highest bidder. He has no "politics" ... war, assassination and terrorism is "good for business". Kuga is most likely a former CIA superstar gone rogue . Harcourt Bolton is smart, rich and ruthless., and has taken the pseudonym from the Bosnian word for "plague". His right-hand man is the equally vile, Raphael Santoro. Respected as the world's most feared blackmailer, extortionist, manipulator, and murderer. On Christmas eve , last year, Santoro murdered Joe's entire family and closest friends. Needless to say, Joe wants revenge and retribution on both Kuga and Santoro. His initial assault with the Havoc team in his quest for revenge is on Mitrovic an important arm of the vast organization. His compound is a heavily guarded fortress on a small island off the coast of Croatia. He team floats in undetected and under the radar with Trade Winds Motor-Kites made of aluminum-magnesium alloy that are lighter than a lawn chair, but exceedingly stronger. Accompanying Ledger is his vaunted combat dog, Ghost. The encounter and ultimate battle is gruesome and victorious, with Ledger seemingly "loosing it" Ledger ultimately "goes rogue" with the aim of killing Kuga and Santoro on his own. Ledger's and RTI's subsequent assault takes them across the globe... from North America to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and even Antartica.
Maberry proves to be an amazing storyteller... and weaves a complex and twisted explosive narrative that features a mutlt=dimensional fleshed out supporting cast of soldiers and warriors ... all entering the world of darkness and evil.. Maberry delivers an entertaining roller-coster ride of adventure that successfully juggles violence with a blend of motivations fostered by friendship, love and respect. This adventure is not only replete with high tech gadgets, gizmos and gear, but also a plethora of dastardly villains ... some old and some new, that undoubtedly will populate later adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com)
July 23, 2021
This is the sequel to Rage, which follows ten(!) previous Joe Ledger novels and numerous short stories. However, Maberry introduces all the characters with a brief background, so you can jump right in here if you want. This does give some spoilers for previous books.
At the end of Rage, the bad guys hit Ledger pretty hard, so here he goes all John Wick on them.
But the rest of the team remains busy trying to foil the bad guys’ next scheme, which involves super suits and something that sounded like the loaders in Alien.
Ledger also has his dog with him, which I see in Rage. So there’s lots of fighting and blood and violence and testosterone mixed with character moments. It’s a good balance. Pacing and characters are really good. At the back of the book you’ll find Maberry’s music playlist for the book.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: A little bit that is semi-graphic; consent is questionable
Violence: Lots—very bloody, often gruesome
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
At the end of Rage, the bad guys hit Ledger pretty hard, so here he goes all John Wick on them.
But the rest of the team remains busy trying to foil the bad guys’ next scheme, which involves super suits and something that sounded like the loaders in Alien.
Ledger also has his dog with him, which I see in Rage. So there’s lots of fighting and blood and violence and testosterone mixed with character moments. It’s a good balance. Pacing and characters are really good. At the back of the book you’ll find Maberry’s music playlist for the book.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: A little bit that is semi-graphic; consent is questionable
Violence: Lots—very bloody, often gruesome
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Want to read
June 28, 2021Be prepared to immerse yourself into an all consuming high-octane adventure that spans the globe. Our knight in shining armor is none other than Colonel Joe Ledger .... warrior, knight and killer .... whose sole purpose is to defend the helpless and innocent. Even if you're not familiar with Ledger's previous exploits ... this gem will. be enjoyed as a standalone. Multiple award winning writer, Maberry seamlessly adds the necessary backstory.
Ledger was previously featured on the Echo Team of DMS (Department of Miltary Sciences), which was linked to
the US government. Unfortunately he was frequently hampered by red tape and political party "politics". His boss, the infamous and enigmatic, Mr. Church has rendered DMS defunct and formed the international ultra-rapid response organization of Rogue Team International (RTI) ... freeing his missions from their previous encumbrances. Joe is the leader of the strike team, known as the Havoc team. RTI picks it's own cases and has no oversight. On their previous mission they grappled with an organization that released a "designer" pathogen into the atmosphere of a small island off the coast of North Korea. This induced an extreme state of violent madness to all the inhabitants. This bioweapon called "Rage" resulted in the complete annihilation of the island's populace. The organization behind such bioweapons continues to flourish. "Kuga" is the chief executive of this international criminal empire, that specializes in the black market sale of bioweapons , neurotoxins, and other chemical and technological enhancements to the highest bidder. He has no "politics" ... war, assassination and terrorism is "good for business". Kuga is most likely a former CIA superstar gone rogue . Harcourt Bolton is smart, rich and ruthless., and has taken the pseudonym from the Bosnian word for "plague". His right-hand man is the equally vile, Raphael Santoro. Respected as the world's most feared blackmailer, extortionist, manipulator, and murderer. On Christmas eve , last year, Santoro murdered Joe's entire family and closest friends. Needless to say, Joe wants revenge and retribution on both Kuga and Santoro. His initial assault with the Havoc team in his quest for revenge is on Mitrovic an important arm of the vast organization. His compound is a heavily guarded fortress on a small island off the coast of Croatia. He team floats in undetected and under the radar with Trade Winds Motor-Kites made of aluminum-magnesium alloy that are lighter than a lawn chair, but exceedingly stronger. Accompanying Ledger is his vaunted combat dog, Ghost. The encounter and ultimate battle is gruesome and victorious, with Ledger seemingly "loosing it" Ledger ultimately "goes rogue" with the aim of killing Kuga and Santoro on his own. Ledger's and RTI's subsequent assault takes them across the globe... from North America to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and even Antartica.
Maberry proves to be an amazing storyteller... and weaves a complex and twisted explosive narrative that features a mutlt=dimensional fleshed out supporting cast of soldiers and warriors ... all entering the world of darkness and evil.. Maberry delivers an entertaining roller-coster ride of adventure that successfully juggles violence with a blend of motivations fostered by friendship, love and respect. This adventure is not only replete with high tech gadgets, gizmos and gear, but also a plethora of dastardly villains ... some old and some new, that undoubtedly will populate later adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com)
Ledger was previously featured on the Echo Team of DMS (Department of Miltary Sciences), which was linked to
the US government. Unfortunately he was frequently hampered by red tape and political party "politics". His boss, the infamous and enigmatic, Mr. Church has rendered DMS defunct and formed the international ultra-rapid response organization of Rogue Team International (RTI) ... freeing his missions from their previous encumbrances. Joe is the leader of the strike team, known as the Havoc team. RTI picks it's own cases and has no oversight. On their previous mission they grappled with an organization that released a "designer" pathogen into the atmosphere of a small island off the coast of North Korea. This induced an extreme state of violent madness to all the inhabitants. This bioweapon called "Rage" resulted in the complete annihilation of the island's populace. The organization behind such bioweapons continues to flourish. "Kuga" is the chief executive of this international criminal empire, that specializes in the black market sale of bioweapons , neurotoxins, and other chemical and technological enhancements to the highest bidder. He has no "politics" ... war, assassination and terrorism is "good for business". Kuga is most likely a former CIA superstar gone rogue . Harcourt Bolton is smart, rich and ruthless., and has taken the pseudonym from the Bosnian word for "plague". His right-hand man is the equally vile, Raphael Santoro. Respected as the world's most feared blackmailer, extortionist, manipulator, and murderer. On Christmas eve , last year, Santoro murdered Joe's entire family and closest friends. Needless to say, Joe wants revenge and retribution on both Kuga and Santoro. His initial assault with the Havoc team in his quest for revenge is on Mitrovic an important arm of the vast organization. His compound is a heavily guarded fortress on a small island off the coast of Croatia. He team floats in undetected and under the radar with Trade Winds Motor-Kites made of aluminum-magnesium alloy that are lighter than a lawn chair, but exceedingly stronger. Accompanying Ledger is his vaunted combat dog, Ghost. The encounter and ultimate battle is gruesome and victorious, with Ledger seemingly "loosing it" Ledger ultimately "goes rogue" with the aim of killing Kuga and Santoro on his own. Ledger's and RTI's subsequent assault takes them across the globe... from North America to Europe, Indonesia, South Africa and even Antartica.
Maberry proves to be an amazing storyteller... and weaves a complex and twisted explosive narrative that features a mutlt=dimensional fleshed out supporting cast of soldiers and warriors ... all entering the world of darkness and evil.. Maberry delivers an entertaining roller-coster ride of adventure that successfully juggles violence with a blend of motivations fostered by friendship, love and respect. This adventure is not only replete with high tech gadgets, gizmos and gear, but also a plethora of dastardly villains ... some old and some new, that undoubtedly will populate later adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com)
March 28, 2021
Relentless, the second Rogue Team International novel and twelfth Joe Ledger book, just might be the darkest entry in this hero's long-running escapades. Given the shocking conclusion of the prior book, Rage, this probably should come as no surprise but I was still shook at just how bleak much of this book was.
Ledger has been hit hard in a bad, bad way and we find here a haunted, broken warrior desperately clinging to his last shreds of sanity as he hunts down a shadowy arms dealer, Kuga, and the highly skilled assassin Rafael Santoro. With his mind fractured, Ledger goes rogue to pursue these ruthless killers and terrorists and exact revenge. Meanwhile, RTI races to uncover the depth and scope of Kuga's plans to launch what they only know as The American Operation, a sinister plan to involves cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers.
These solders are something else, man. Imagine an entire platoon of terrorists sporting Captain America-like powers - proficient, deadly, and virtually unstoppable - and wrap them up in the suicide bomber ethos of Al-Qaeda, then put inside Ripley's power lifter from Aliens. Jeez-o-Pete! It's a potent, scary threat built on cutting edge science and ripped from the political headlines circa USA 2020. Coupled with Ledger's fragile mental state, well, did I mention yet that Relentless is dark, dark, dark?
Maberry clearly revels in making Ledger's life difficult and miserable, but his brutal sadism is a delight for readers and Relentless puts him at the absolute top of his game. I'm a bit taken aback at Maberry's ability to consistently deliver one solid blockbuster actioneer after another with the Joe Ledger series. Twelve of these suckers and not a bad one in the bunch? That's gotta be a superhuman feat all its own. An even larger feat is taking all of this book's darkness and somehow managing to give us a ray of light once all is said and done. I'll admit I was doubtful such a moment would be possible given the mental and emotional wringer Maberry puts not only Ledger but his readers through! Relentless is the kind of title that has multiple meanings and can be applied to various elements of the book, from the story's pacing and and determination of the RTI squad, right down to the author himself.
Ledger has been hit hard in a bad, bad way and we find here a haunted, broken warrior desperately clinging to his last shreds of sanity as he hunts down a shadowy arms dealer, Kuga, and the highly skilled assassin Rafael Santoro. With his mind fractured, Ledger goes rogue to pursue these ruthless killers and terrorists and exact revenge. Meanwhile, RTI races to uncover the depth and scope of Kuga's plans to launch what they only know as The American Operation, a sinister plan to involves cybernetically enhanced super-soldiers.
These solders are something else, man. Imagine an entire platoon of terrorists sporting Captain America-like powers - proficient, deadly, and virtually unstoppable - and wrap them up in the suicide bomber ethos of Al-Qaeda, then put inside Ripley's power lifter from Aliens. Jeez-o-Pete! It's a potent, scary threat built on cutting edge science and ripped from the political headlines circa USA 2020. Coupled with Ledger's fragile mental state, well, did I mention yet that Relentless is dark, dark, dark?
Maberry clearly revels in making Ledger's life difficult and miserable, but his brutal sadism is a delight for readers and Relentless puts him at the absolute top of his game. I'm a bit taken aback at Maberry's ability to consistently deliver one solid blockbuster actioneer after another with the Joe Ledger series. Twelve of these suckers and not a bad one in the bunch? That's gotta be a superhuman feat all its own. An even larger feat is taking all of this book's darkness and somehow managing to give us a ray of light once all is said and done. I'll admit I was doubtful such a moment would be possible given the mental and emotional wringer Maberry puts not only Ledger but his readers through! Relentless is the kind of title that has multiple meanings and can be applied to various elements of the book, from the story's pacing and and determination of the RTI squad, right down to the author himself.
July 21, 2021
There are few words that can explain the awesomeness and total spectacle that is Relentless. It is a top-tier novel.
May 19, 2021
4.5/5
I loved it. It's over-the-top in every possible way. It features a gazillion of points of view, mixes omniscient, third-person, and first-person narration. Usually, all of this makes my eyes twitch. And yet, in case of this series not only I don't mind at all, but I also dig it.
Perhaps I'm just sentimental - I've been following Joe Ledger series for years (12 books, some novellas, and short stories) and always have fun reading it.
Relentless is probably the darkest one in the series, with Joe finally losing his shit, old enemies returning, and guns blazing left and right. Fans of the series will be delighted by more Church, more Toys, more Joe, more Top, and Bunny.
Fans of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books will be pleasantly surprised as well :)
Joe Ledger series rocks, guys, and I'm happy to say Maberry is in prime form.
ARC through Fantasy Book Critic NetGalley.
I loved it. It's over-the-top in every possible way. It features a gazillion of points of view, mixes omniscient, third-person, and first-person narration. Usually, all of this makes my eyes twitch. And yet, in case of this series not only I don't mind at all, but I also dig it.
Perhaps I'm just sentimental - I've been following Joe Ledger series for years (12 books, some novellas, and short stories) and always have fun reading it.
Relentless is probably the darkest one in the series, with Joe finally losing his shit, old enemies returning, and guns blazing left and right. Fans of the series will be delighted by more Church, more Toys, more Joe, more Top, and Bunny.
Fans of Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard books will be pleasantly surprised as well :)
Joe Ledger series rocks, guys, and I'm happy to say Maberry is in prime form.
ARC through Fantasy Book Critic NetGalley.
July 30, 2021
It's Joe Ledger. You don't need to know anything else.
Read it.
Read it.
September 16, 2023
Excellent, once again Mr Malberry.
July 11, 2021
This review does not contain spoilers....unless you haven't read Rogue Team International 1: Rage. Relentless picks up only a few months after the events that ended RTI 1:Rage. If you haven't read it yet....READ IT! With that said, on to Relentless.
And this story is Relentless. It is very well written non stop action, as all of Jonathan Maberry's stories are. He never disappoints. After the Rage case came to a close Santoro strikes a massive blow to Joe Ledger. He kills Joe's entire family with a Christmas package bomb, which Joe and Junie witness sustaining their own injuries in the blast. Now Joe is physically mended and Church has decided to send him with his team, back into field work. No one is very sure about that decision.
During an infiltration mission, Joe truly goes rogue and sets out to hunt Santoro and Harcourt Boltan aka Kuga, solo.
With Joe's already fractured personality has Santroro's murderous actions pushed Joe into a mental state from which he will be unable to return?
Thank you so very much to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC of Relentless.
P.S. I will absolutely purchase an audio version of Relentless before book 3 of RTI comes out. Jonathan Maberry's writing is outstanding on its own, but Ray Porter's performances don't hurt anything. Please don't make me wait too long.
And this story is Relentless. It is very well written non stop action, as all of Jonathan Maberry's stories are. He never disappoints. After the Rage case came to a close Santoro strikes a massive blow to Joe Ledger. He kills Joe's entire family with a Christmas package bomb, which Joe and Junie witness sustaining their own injuries in the blast. Now Joe is physically mended and Church has decided to send him with his team, back into field work. No one is very sure about that decision.
During an infiltration mission, Joe truly goes rogue and sets out to hunt Santoro and Harcourt Boltan aka Kuga, solo.
With Joe's already fractured personality has Santroro's murderous actions pushed Joe into a mental state from which he will be unable to return?
Thank you so very much to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC of Relentless.
P.S. I will absolutely purchase an audio version of Relentless before book 3 of RTI comes out. Jonathan Maberry's writing is outstanding on its own, but Ray Porter's performances don't hurt anything. Please don't make me wait too long.
December 18, 2021
‘JOE LEDGER’s world has been torn apart. The people closest to him have been savagely murdered, and Ledger is on the hunt for the killers. His already fragile psyche has cracked apart, allowing a dangerous darkness to overwhelm him.’
The one aspect of diving into a series I can never get enough of, be it novels that center around a central or group of diverse characters is the authors’ unique ability to make me the reader feel like I’ve known them for years, even though we’ve just met.
Be it friend or foe, I can’t help but succumb to the incessant urge to learn more about them as I seek answers to questions like: What makes them tick? How did they first meet?
So yes, Dear Readers, I am officially a fan of not only Joe Ledger, but also the bad*ss women and men Mayberry’s created, and I can’t wait to read more about them!
Also, sans spoilers, I will say if you’re a fan of Joe R. Lansdale books…
Well, You will have to read the book and find out for your selves. ;)
RELENTLESS—Highly Recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with an eGalley of RELENTLESS at the request of an honest review.
Note: I purchased the Audiobook (published by Macmillan Audio) of RELENTLESS, read by Ray Porter—who does an excellent job portraying all the characters.
The one aspect of diving into a series I can never get enough of, be it novels that center around a central or group of diverse characters is the authors’ unique ability to make me the reader feel like I’ve known them for years, even though we’ve just met.
Be it friend or foe, I can’t help but succumb to the incessant urge to learn more about them as I seek answers to questions like: What makes them tick? How did they first meet?
So yes, Dear Readers, I am officially a fan of not only Joe Ledger, but also the bad*ss women and men Mayberry’s created, and I can’t wait to read more about them!
Also, sans spoilers, I will say if you’re a fan of Joe R. Lansdale books…
Well, You will have to read the book and find out for your selves. ;)
RELENTLESS—Highly Recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin, for providing me with an eGalley of RELENTLESS at the request of an honest review.
Note: I purchased the Audiobook (published by Macmillan Audio) of RELENTLESS, read by Ray Porter—who does an excellent job portraying all the characters.
December 10, 2021
Notes:
I've listened to the first 2/3 of the book about 12 times. Ha! It's a huge rollercoaster full of anger, despair, angst and nightmares for the 2/3's. I love the series. The crazy violence and terror that makes up the plot line doesn't bother me, but it was hard to read the emotional & psychological nightmare that Joe experienced in the book. That made it hard to finish the story. However, the year is ending and I wanted to finish the book before the end of 2021. The last third was not as grueling as the first two. =P
Looking forward to the next installment in RTI.
I've listened to the first 2/3 of the book about 12 times. Ha! It's a huge rollercoaster full of anger, despair, angst and nightmares for the 2/3's. I love the series. The crazy violence and terror that makes up the plot line doesn't bother me, but it was hard to read the emotional & psychological nightmare that Joe experienced in the book. That made it hard to finish the story. However, the year is ending and I wanted to finish the book before the end of 2021. The last third was not as grueling as the first two. =P
Looking forward to the next installment in RTI.
July 18, 2021
Well, damn. I felt vicarious vindication after reading this. It went down so smooth, like ice cream on a hot day, that I was surprised to be done already.
It was more of a one-man show instead of the normal team effort, but still so compelling. There is usually no ambiguity in the Joe Ledger universe for who is a bad guy. This book straddled the line a bit. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that once again, dogs are the best people!
One of my favorite things about Jonathan Maberry's writing is that I can never guess where the story will go. Highly recommend this book, this series, this writer.
It was more of a one-man show instead of the normal team effort, but still so compelling. There is usually no ambiguity in the Joe Ledger universe for who is a bad guy. This book straddled the line a bit. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that once again, dogs are the best people!
One of my favorite things about Jonathan Maberry's writing is that I can never guess where the story will go. Highly recommend this book, this series, this writer.
July 18, 2021
One of the best Joe Ledger novels to date!
June 3, 2021
Maberry does it again with the second of his Rogue Team International series starring kickbutt commando Joe Ledger. I enjoyed RELENTLESS even more than the previous book, RAGE. Jonathan remains a master story teller who weaves technology and military action into his thrillers like nobody's business. I couldn't put the book down. When the world needs saving from evil masterminds, who ya gonna call? JOE LEDGER! I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2021
Relentless is an edge of your seat, page turner. As the follow-up to Rage, readers find Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International still reeling from the past years' events. The bad guys are back with an even more diabolical plan. Can Ledger overcome his demons to bring justice to his family or will darkness swallow him? Excellent writing, pacing, characterization and all around awesomeness!
July 16, 2021
IMO the greatest writer on the planet scores again in this epic. The Joe Ledger story continues on, heading for the dramatic, and cataclysmic conclusion. Pure brilliance.
July 18, 2021
Joe is having a hard day.
Here is where Maberry gets right down to horror, in my opinion. In listening to the inimitable Ray Porter, I began to wonder if I really wanted this stuff in my brain. The violence here is not for the faint of heart. At various points this is just straight up evil for evil's sake.
But it's also Joe Ledger. Who is seriously a mess! The supernatural element really gets pulled into this story and it's scary. I worried near the end that we would lose some characters. I worried that we would lose Joe, only to find him again in the next book (because if you've read Broken Lands you know you will). I wondered how far the series will go until we hit the Rot and Ruin series, the beginnings of that time in this world.
In the meantime, there was a lot of saving of the world going on. This book is intense. I think for me it was more intense than some of the other books in Joe's world. Before, he and the Rogue Team have had somewhat of a good handle on the bad guys. But here, things just unraveled. It was tenuous.
I know it will be a long wait for the next book in the series, but I also know it will be worth it. Please, Mr. Maberry, give this guy a break. Joe needs a vacation with Junie in a beautiful place (like Hawaii) for a good long while.
Here is where Maberry gets right down to horror, in my opinion. In listening to the inimitable Ray Porter, I began to wonder if I really wanted this stuff in my brain. The violence here is not for the faint of heart. At various points this is just straight up evil for evil's sake.
But it's also Joe Ledger. Who is seriously a mess! The supernatural element really gets pulled into this story and it's scary. I worried near the end that we would lose some characters. I worried that we would lose Joe, only to find him again in the next book (because if you've read Broken Lands you know you will). I wondered how far the series will go until we hit the Rot and Ruin series, the beginnings of that time in this world.
In the meantime, there was a lot of saving of the world going on. This book is intense. I think for me it was more intense than some of the other books in Joe's world. Before, he and the Rogue Team have had somewhat of a good handle on the bad guys. But here, things just unraveled. It was tenuous.
I know it will be a long wait for the next book in the series, but I also know it will be worth it. Please, Mr. Maberry, give this guy a break. Joe needs a vacation with Junie in a beautiful place (like Hawaii) for a good long while.
May 29, 2021
Whew. I love Joe Ledger. I love this series. But Maberry really puts Joe through the ringer in this book. So much so that it is hard to read at some points: both because of what Joe does and because of the grief and numbness that Joe experiences.
At the end of Rage, Joe experiences a devastating loss that threatens his sanity and wellbeing. Although his body heals, his mind is more fractured than ever. After having a bit of a mental breakdown during a mission, Joe goes Rogue and his three personalities (The Modern Man, The Cop and The Killer) are pushed to the background with a new personality, The Darkness, taking hold. As Joe goes down a rabbit hole, committing terrible murders and torture, the rest of RTI tries to find him while also trying to figure out what Kuga, the big bad villain, has planned next.
Kuga is boring. We know it's Harcourt Bolton and honestly I am over him (which makes his fate at the end of this even better). Mr. Sunday though is perfection - a perfectly creepy villain, and although he's not new he is as horrible as ever. It is interesting to see people scared who are usually so strong: Joe, Church, Lillith. Even Top and Bunny. There are a few things that really can throw them and Joe going rogue is one of them. The team is a mess and watching Top and Bunny continue to proceed without their leader is sad. Joe is also an absolute mess and although I enjoyed it, it was at times hard to read. Especially the scenes with Ghost.
Overall, I enjoyed this one - a few storylines wrapped up which was satisfying and there is a positive conclusion. I just again don't know where Maberry is going to go from here. Which is super exciting.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy to review.
At the end of Rage, Joe experiences a devastating loss that threatens his sanity and wellbeing. Although his body heals, his mind is more fractured than ever. After having a bit of a mental breakdown during a mission, Joe goes Rogue and his three personalities (The Modern Man, The Cop and The Killer) are pushed to the background with a new personality, The Darkness, taking hold. As Joe goes down a rabbit hole, committing terrible murders and torture, the rest of RTI tries to find him while also trying to figure out what Kuga, the big bad villain, has planned next.
Kuga is boring. We know it's Harcourt Bolton and honestly I am over him (which makes his fate at the end of this even better). Mr. Sunday though is perfection - a perfectly creepy villain, and although he's not new he is as horrible as ever. It is interesting to see people scared who are usually so strong: Joe, Church, Lillith. Even Top and Bunny. There are a few things that really can throw them and Joe going rogue is one of them. The team is a mess and watching Top and Bunny continue to proceed without their leader is sad. Joe is also an absolute mess and although I enjoyed it, it was at times hard to read. Especially the scenes with Ghost.
Overall, I enjoyed this one - a few storylines wrapped up which was satisfying and there is a positive conclusion. I just again don't know where Maberry is going to go from here. Which is super exciting.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy to review.
August 26, 2023
I enjoyed this so much more than I anticipated. There's a bit of a formula to series like this, and to see that formula thrown out for most of the book made me happy. It's not much of a spoiler, but I was very intrigued to see Joe Ledger walk away from the team in this. To show how much damage he endured from the previous book "Rage". It showed even how tough of a guy Ledger is. He couldn't defeat grief and mourning. He could only go through it. He couldn't ignore it. He couldn't push it down anymore. At least that's what I got from it.
He's taken on everything imaginable, and this is what broke him down. As someone who's read all the Ledger books, this was powerful to me.
He's taken on everything imaginable, and this is what broke him down. As someone who's read all the Ledger books, this was powerful to me.
October 7, 2022
All the stars. This. Book. Gets. All. The. Stars.
Joe and Ghost go through so much during this book. Almost more than I can stand. There is no way to explain my unconditional love of Joe Ledger and his dog Ghost.
Johnathan Maberry, consider yourself put on notice. If anything ever happens to Ghost other than he dies peacefully in bed you will be officially invested in the "Order of the Steel Toed Boot."
By the way, what ever happened to Cobbler? He has not been around in several books.
Joe and Ghost go through so much during this book. Almost more than I can stand. There is no way to explain my unconditional love of Joe Ledger and his dog Ghost.
Johnathan Maberry, consider yourself put on notice. If anything ever happens to Ghost other than he dies peacefully in bed you will be officially invested in the "Order of the Steel Toed Boot."
By the way, what ever happened to Cobbler? He has not been around in several books.
September 5, 2021
Woow. I dont know what to say. This book made me feel all kind of emotions. This was as good as Rage. Can not wait for book 3 of RTI and Joe Ledger.
September 5, 2021
Listened to audiobook with hubby
Narration: ✮✮✮✮✮
Story: ✮✮✮½
Narration: ✮✮✮✮✮
Story: ✮✮✮½
July 14, 2021
God damn Mayberry. You can stop jerking off over how evil and twisted your villians are! We get it! They are just SSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EVIL!!!! its like some retarded ass saturday morning cartoon. And it takes up more then half his books!!!! We spend more time with these flat piss poor characters of villians in a single book then we do following joe in any 2 books together. And they Are. So. Fucking. BANAL.
"Meuhahahaha!! Im evil because im greedy!!! And im greedy because im evil!!!!!!!!" Is basicly how most of it works out. There were a few that were interesting. Mother Night was not interesting. At all. In the slightest. And neither are kuga/bolton, nor... whatever his name is that got his ass beat like a bitch 3 times in the past now. Oh! But wait! He is bringing back an old villian and youll never guess who- you know who it is. Its always him. Its not even a spoiler. Even though they claimed he is gone of course now he is back.
The book itself is mediocre. An interesting idea that is completely wasted by largely ignoreing joe and giving the smallest fraction of a glimpse at what he is doing so mayberry can focus on mustache twirling. No actual character development from the villians, just screaming "EVIL!!!!" over and over. We barely get anything of RTI til close to the end. And it is so fucking boring.
Ive been following the series for a long while. And some of his best are the short stories where he focuses on joe and his team. But longer books he tries to fill with showing off his villians, but they are pointless. They dont really give anything, and their super competence they show at the begining doesnt make the team look any better when they overcome them.
I got it on audiobook, so at least there is raybporter narrating to help save it somewhat, but in the end its still just mediocre. This could have been used to show ledger becoming truely unhinged, him mowing through enemies like john wick on steroids and speed, instead we just get a minor brief and bland aftermath without any real details to engage our imaginations, or at least mine, and as normally audiobooks last almost half again as long from me having to relisten to parts after my brain goes on wild story related tangent, here im skipping parts of villians villianing because its boring, or going "wait was that a fight scene i tuned out... do i actually care enough to rewind back? No."
I cant suggest this book, or series anymore. Its just high off its own dick and doesnt go anywhere. Its all the same cartoonish evil. The characters have barely changed since first introductions, and what changes did happen were just sort of reset back to older versions.
"Meuhahahaha!! Im evil because im greedy!!! And im greedy because im evil!!!!!!!!" Is basicly how most of it works out. There were a few that were interesting. Mother Night was not interesting. At all. In the slightest. And neither are kuga/bolton, nor... whatever his name is that got his ass beat like a bitch 3 times in the past now. Oh! But wait! He is bringing back an old villian and youll never guess who- you know who it is. Its always him. Its not even a spoiler. Even though they claimed he is gone of course now he is back.
The book itself is mediocre. An interesting idea that is completely wasted by largely ignoreing joe and giving the smallest fraction of a glimpse at what he is doing so mayberry can focus on mustache twirling. No actual character development from the villians, just screaming "EVIL!!!!" over and over. We barely get anything of RTI til close to the end. And it is so fucking boring.
Ive been following the series for a long while. And some of his best are the short stories where he focuses on joe and his team. But longer books he tries to fill with showing off his villians, but they are pointless. They dont really give anything, and their super competence they show at the begining doesnt make the team look any better when they overcome them.
I got it on audiobook, so at least there is raybporter narrating to help save it somewhat, but in the end its still just mediocre. This could have been used to show ledger becoming truely unhinged, him mowing through enemies like john wick on steroids and speed, instead we just get a minor brief and bland aftermath without any real details to engage our imaginations, or at least mine, and as normally audiobooks last almost half again as long from me having to relisten to parts after my brain goes on wild story related tangent, here im skipping parts of villians villianing because its boring, or going "wait was that a fight scene i tuned out... do i actually care enough to rewind back? No."
I cant suggest this book, or series anymore. Its just high off its own dick and doesnt go anywhere. Its all the same cartoonish evil. The characters have barely changed since first introductions, and what changes did happen were just sort of reset back to older versions.
February 16, 2022
A darker, and more introspective, Joe Ledger adventure that packs a helluva punch. And possibly leaves our team irreparably fractured.
I really liked the intensity of this novel. There’s still plenty of violence, a lot more unhinged savagery from everyone’s favorite RTI shooter, but that wasn’t even the most gripping narrative at play here. Ledger’s fractured mind, and darkening soul, were more riveting than the scenes of brutal violence. I was engaged the entire time and truly cared about Joe and what he was going through, what he was battling. It was a deep dive into a troubled character that seemed fresh and emotionally resonant. That’s all the more impressive considering this is book 12 and Joe’s broken soul are well documented at this point.
He’s a complex character that just became even more so. I love the guy and I love his adventures. I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next for him and how the drastic, and borderline irredeemable, acts cost him and his team.
Top and Bunny are sort of relegated to side characters this time out, even more so Andrea and Belle and Mia, but it really was necessary for the story. I was really glad to see Toys get a much bigger, and more violent, role though and hope that continues.
The violence is quick and brutal and well spaced out. It’s a long book, at around 500 pages, but they all are. And they all manage to pack in a lotta action. This is no exception. There were more than a few solid face offs here and I was all about em’. I love me some well choreographed gun battles, even more so fist fights. I got both in here.
The only real complaint I have is the ending. It felt kinda rushed considering everything we’d been through to get to that point. Some of the big bads, a couple who have been around for a few books now, were dispatched almost too easily for me. One was off-page and I find that hard to reconcile. I wished the final battles had been a bit longer, a bit more intense and drawn out. More so a couple of the final fights of the book. I’d have liked a much longer fight with a lot less introspection in particular. Small qualm, but that and the occasional redundant rehashing and complicated techno-babble are the only things keeping this from a 5 star.
A gripping, violent, and occasionally heart breaking action thriller with a loveably broken lead. I’m all about it. I love this series and can’t wait for the next entry. I hear it’s called Cave 13 and that immediately makes me think it’ll be a bit more supernatural, horror in nature and that thought is almost too overwhelming to consider. I’ll absolutely be keeping my eye out for it.
I really liked the intensity of this novel. There’s still plenty of violence, a lot more unhinged savagery from everyone’s favorite RTI shooter, but that wasn’t even the most gripping narrative at play here. Ledger’s fractured mind, and darkening soul, were more riveting than the scenes of brutal violence. I was engaged the entire time and truly cared about Joe and what he was going through, what he was battling. It was a deep dive into a troubled character that seemed fresh and emotionally resonant. That’s all the more impressive considering this is book 12 and Joe’s broken soul are well documented at this point.
He’s a complex character that just became even more so. I love the guy and I love his adventures. I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next for him and how the drastic, and borderline irredeemable, acts cost him and his team.
Top and Bunny are sort of relegated to side characters this time out, even more so Andrea and Belle and Mia, but it really was necessary for the story. I was really glad to see Toys get a much bigger, and more violent, role though and hope that continues.
The violence is quick and brutal and well spaced out. It’s a long book, at around 500 pages, but they all are. And they all manage to pack in a lotta action. This is no exception. There were more than a few solid face offs here and I was all about em’. I love me some well choreographed gun battles, even more so fist fights. I got both in here.
The only real complaint I have is the ending. It felt kinda rushed considering everything we’d been through to get to that point. Some of the big bads, a couple who have been around for a few books now, were dispatched almost too easily for me. One was off-page and I find that hard to reconcile. I wished the final battles had been a bit longer, a bit more intense and drawn out. More so a couple of the final fights of the book. I’d have liked a much longer fight with a lot less introspection in particular. Small qualm, but that and the occasional redundant rehashing and complicated techno-babble are the only things keeping this from a 5 star.
A gripping, violent, and occasionally heart breaking action thriller with a loveably broken lead. I’m all about it. I love this series and can’t wait for the next entry. I hear it’s called Cave 13 and that immediately makes me think it’ll be a bit more supernatural, horror in nature and that thought is almost too overwhelming to consider. I’ll absolutely be keeping my eye out for it.
May 11, 2021
Disclaimer: This subgenre isn't what I usually read. Well, I do read fantasy, but never the military-ish/lots-of-guns stuff. But I do (sorta) like watching that kind of movies and shows, so I thought, why not. Also, as you can probably guess, I wasn't aware that this book was part of a series when I requested it from NetGalley, so don't expect me to have had any prior experience with the plot or characters.
Honestly, I really wanted to love this book. There was an interesting premise and extremely complex world-building. Sadly, it was not to be.
If you can look further than the slow-paced layers of dullness, each of the characters do have their own uniqueness and complexity. Interestingly, I found myself rooting for the villains, but only because the purported good guys were so bland. I liked Kuga, with his laid-back, humorous attitude to running a criminal empire and Santoro's stony seriousness.
But most of all, I enjoyed the scenes from Eve's perspective. I was furious at the way everyone treated her when she deserved so much better than to be seen as childish and retarded. As someone who's studied psychology, my opinion of her is that she was a tragically misunderstood character with both Autism Spectrum Disorder (which impaired her worldview and her understanding of social interaction, as well as making her more susceptible to manipulation) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (which impaired her conscience and empathy). I was so angry at how eeryone either used her or vilified her. I just wanted her to kill everyone and then retire to a beach somewhere.
There were other issues in this book as well. It barely passed the Bechdel test, with only a brief exchange of words between Eve and HK that kept it from failing. The only other conversation between two women (at least in the first third of the book) was between Junie and a female scientist who was so unmemorable I can't even remember her name. But that didn't qualify for the Bechdel test, because their brief call was about a man (Joe Ledger, whose horrible crimes, including the murders of dozens if not hundreds of innocents, all the good guys seemed to be turning a blind eye to).
In addition, the tech lingo was just cringey and terrible. The apparently complex hacking strategies that genius hacker Bug was explaining to a clueless higher-up (who was also so unmemorable that I couldn't remember his name, even though I remember the names of most of the people I meet) were so run-of-the-mill that even I've heard of them. And I'm not, by anyone's standards, even remotely knowledgeable about any technology that's not part of my daily life.
But the most problematic thing about this book, which was what ultimately led to me DNF'ing it after forcing myself through a third of it, was that it was just so boring. I'm not someone who DNF's easily from boredom, but this tested and shattered my limits. I don't have ADHD, or any sort of minuscule attention span. I spent three days reading this book, persevering through and hoping it would get better. Spoiler alert: it didn't.
I wasn't invested in any of the characters, except maybe Eve (and only her because I was outraged at her portrayal). This book didn't compensate with exciting fight scenes, thrilling action, ingenious plots, or gorgeous writing; those would've made the boredom easier to live with. Instead, it was page after page of dull, predictable storylines, until I finally decided that enough was enough.
Honestly, I really wanted to love this book. There was an interesting premise and extremely complex world-building. Sadly, it was not to be.
If you can look further than the slow-paced layers of dullness, each of the characters do have their own uniqueness and complexity. Interestingly, I found myself rooting for the villains, but only because the purported good guys were so bland. I liked Kuga, with his laid-back, humorous attitude to running a criminal empire and Santoro's stony seriousness.
But most of all, I enjoyed the scenes from Eve's perspective. I was furious at the way everyone treated her when she deserved so much better than to be seen as childish and retarded. As someone who's studied psychology, my opinion of her is that she was a tragically misunderstood character with both Autism Spectrum Disorder (which impaired her worldview and her understanding of social interaction, as well as making her more susceptible to manipulation) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (which impaired her conscience and empathy). I was so angry at how eeryone either used her or vilified her. I just wanted her to kill everyone and then retire to a beach somewhere.
There were other issues in this book as well. It barely passed the Bechdel test, with only a brief exchange of words between Eve and HK that kept it from failing. The only other conversation between two women (at least in the first third of the book) was between Junie and a female scientist who was so unmemorable I can't even remember her name. But that didn't qualify for the Bechdel test, because their brief call was about a man (Joe Ledger, whose horrible crimes, including the murders of dozens if not hundreds of innocents, all the good guys seemed to be turning a blind eye to).
In addition, the tech lingo was just cringey and terrible. The apparently complex hacking strategies that genius hacker Bug was explaining to a clueless higher-up (who was also so unmemorable that I couldn't remember his name, even though I remember the names of most of the people I meet) were so run-of-the-mill that even I've heard of them. And I'm not, by anyone's standards, even remotely knowledgeable about any technology that's not part of my daily life.
But the most problematic thing about this book, which was what ultimately led to me DNF'ing it after forcing myself through a third of it, was that it was just so boring. I'm not someone who DNF's easily from boredom, but this tested and shattered my limits. I don't have ADHD, or any sort of minuscule attention span. I spent three days reading this book, persevering through and hoping it would get better. Spoiler alert: it didn't.
I wasn't invested in any of the characters, except maybe Eve (and only her because I was outraged at her portrayal). This book didn't compensate with exciting fight scenes, thrilling action, ingenious plots, or gorgeous writing; those would've made the boredom easier to live with. Instead, it was page after page of dull, predictable storylines, until I finally decided that enough was enough.
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