Breached

Standout brilliant finish to the Frontier Wars duology where the author continues on from the first installment with no let down whatsoever. The ongoing storyline will keep you gripped as the Big Guy gets closer and closer climaxing with a superb kick ass finish where he crashes through a window into a penthouse suite and very definitely gatecrashes the party. These two titles fall into the section do yourself a favour and read them I reckon and I'm very glad that I did. Highly recommended reading.

Guenther's great characterization of Bolan, story-telling, and superb action scenes continue in this "second-parter." Two stand-out scenes: 1) the part where Bolan doesn't want the corrupt law official to be executed by a distraught Rojero. When Rojero can't bring herself to do it, she and the reader learn something about Bolan: he has standards about which method (killing or some other alternative) to use against criminals. He knows when and when not to kill, motivated by what serves Justice only. He does not commit wonton murders--that would contradict the requirements of Justice. Bolan's larger understanding of his crusade against corruption, makes him selective about killing. That's why he tries talking Rojero out of executing the villain. That's a great character-driven scene and a mark of a great writer in Guenther. The second stand-out scene near the end: the villain boasts about being a successful drug dealer telling the Executioner "there's nothing he can do about it". Then Bolan says "there is" and immediately pops the scumbag dead. Great scene! It was the type of scene that makes you say "Oh YEAH!" Overall, Bolan is portrayed as a highly mature warrior. The overall story was exciting and belivable. The bad guys and secondary good guys are portrayed without withdrawing the limelight from Bolan. Bolan remains the Alpha-Male of the story. However, Guenther could have added more variety in showing Bolan's talked-about traits: The final scene becomes the villains' attempt to exploit Bolan's concern for the innocent. However, Bolan's way of handling it merely becomes another battle scene. As I was following the story, I was expecting Guenther to have a unique scenario in which Bolan confronts the bad-guys then having to be especially clever in getting the civilians' out of harms way---and still kill the bad-guys. That would have added to the already superb Bolan characterization and the suspensfulness. Nevertheless, another 10 star effort from Guenther.

LOC/Breached is really one long novel. I liked the action the best and how Mack was written. The spirit of Pendleton's Mack was very evident in this novel. It is so refreshing also to see Mack as a real character not as a superman like you sometimes see. Mack was shot twice in the novel and both times needed medical care. Also far a trilogy/duology this is the first time that I have read Mack working all along except with Jack. I have not read every trilogy but the ones I have read a few other SM characters get involved or both teams do. I also liked Rojero she was a nice headstrong character. Sure she fell in love with Mack but I liked how he broke it off with her. Except he seemed to have forgotten Barbara although she clearly didn't forget him. The action scenes were fantastic. I liked the action in both Las Vegas and the climax in Hong Kong. Also it was nice how he took out the key players in steps. The villians. Well to me they were the weak spot. The Mexican drug dealer was a very typical villian. Shiu was a slighly more interesting guy but none really stood out. Also I got a bit confused what the arms dealers role was in this triad/mexican drug war. I liked the arms dealer's wife although I was shocked to read she was an informant. Why? Not sure. The lovesick Shiu was fun to read at times. The problem was Jon wrote a positively fantastic villian in the novel set in Greece - Ring of Retaliation. He would have been the kind of villian perfect for a long 700 page novel. The villians in this duology was a let down from that Greek villian. The story also in this duology was far better then the one in Ring. Combine Hellenos from Ring plus this duology's story and it would have been a 10. A solid 8.

Dexter has reviewed this book real well and their is little I can add. The character development with the Chineese was good, nice touch throwing in a Hong Kong operative. Highly recommend both books in this dualogy.

This one picks right up where Line of Control left off. Despite a few chapters of plot advancement early on (great for catching up AND forwarding the story), which were HARDLY slow, once you gots to the shootin' the book just lit up on fire and rocketed along. Lots of intrigue and backstabbing, who dis, who dat, also keep this from being one gunfight after another. Guenther also finally acknowledges that Bolan isn't just some soldier, but someone who has travelled the world and has accumulated enough knowledge of Chinese culture to pass as a "resident alien" in Hong Kong. I take one star off, only because of the fates of three villains left me dissatisfied, but then, that's another pleasure of Guenther's work. You actually have opinions of what happens to the bad guys other than "kill dem ded!" Great book.