The_Guy

Another good Bolan effort by Chuck Rogers. This isn't the first time, or the last, that Mack went up against satanists, but it was certainly the best. The action is fantastic, and the book reads like a slick horror thriller. Its only flaws were that the villain was way underdeveloped, and the author is far too fond of killing off great side characters. Also, what happened to the old guy with the garand? He just disappears midway through. Anyway, another memorable effort from one of the best Bolan writers out there. Definitely read this one ASAP.

It's impressive to see what sort of content author Mike Newton can create when he actually cares. The Trial is a series classic, no doubt about it. The story is gripping and engaging every step of the way. All of the characters, be they series veterans or brand new, are well-written and fairly well fleshed out. Newton must have delivered a huge word count, as each page is jam-packed with tiny text, and none of it feels like the typical Newton filler that I often complain about. My criticisms are fairly small for this one. There are still too many exclamation points, and I was disappointed that we got to see so much insight into the judge's thought process, but never got to hear what his actual verdict would have been. The cliffhanger ending also bugged the hell out of me. Does Bolan ever encounter this villain again in the future? If you know the answer, please tell me. The Trial is a fantastic novel, one of Newton's best, and one of the best that the series has to offer.

A fantastic entry into the series. The story is intense and fast paced. I enjoyed Bolan's interactions with the dumb cop who's too proud to take orders from him. The side characters are excellent and likeable and the action is good. It's everything you want and need from an Executioner novel.

This one is pretty tough to judge. The first 50 pages are bad. Really bad. The action is poorly written and oddly truncated. I'm still not sure if the book genuinely got better, or if I just got used to the writing style. Anyway, the plot is all over the place. One minute we're following a character through Vietnam, the next we're watching Bolan beat up a bookstore bodyguard, an incident which serves no purpose and is never mentioned again. There are too many scenes like this, scenes that happen, but don't connect properly. This one is just average, I'm afraid.

This one was definitely one of Mike Newton's stronger books in the series. The story was compelling and well-written, which made it easier for me to get through those instances of Newton's trademark padding. I also liked the side characters, but Bolan's callous reaction to an ally's death rang untrue to the character for me. A solid read, though, one I can recommend.

Another excellent Chuck Rogers outing. One more the author provides us with great action, likeable side characters and a fluid, fast-paced story. My only gripe was the lack of villain development. We learn that the bad guys are nazis descended from WW2 soldiers who fled germany and wound up in Argentina. I felt this concept could have been explored much deeper. Thankfully, it's a minor gripe that doesn't hamper the overall experience very much. Definitely give this one a read, as it is jam packed with awesomeness.

A well-written and enjoyable title that feels pretty unique. Bolan is laid up on account of two bullets to the shoulder, whose origin remain a mystery. The supporting cast is great, and help the story become more three dimensional. There's some mucking about with a few pages dedicated to the brothers reserving suits which leads no where, and we never do learn who gave Bolan his wound. But, this still remains a unique and very readable story. It makes me wish that the author had written more entries into the series.

A few years ago, this was my first taste of the genius that is Chuck Rogers. It was also my first Executioner novel. Even now, it still holds up damn well. Bolan assembles a crack team of mercenaries to help him out, which, honestly, is one of my favorite tropes, and it was implemented so well. The supporting cast is strong, the action is crisp and the story moves along lightning fast. While this book got me into the series, I kind of wish it wasn't my first read, as it really did spoil the hell out of me. Very few entries even come close to this level of quality.

The book started off very promising, with Mack taking down a mysterious hitman in his hotel room. From there, the book just gets more and more dull, rapidly descending into typical Newton filler. The book is all build up, no payoff. Bolan also spends a few pages thinking about how he needs to get to an untapped payphone. Once there, he calls up Hal and proceeds to speak entirely in code. Inconsistencies like that really bug the hell out of me. This is yet another in a long line of Newton novels that are best left unopened.

Another inadequate Newton effort. Bolan will spend pages at a time considering every possible way he could attack an enemy, instead of actually attacking the enemy. Sheesh, I thought this series was adventure, not speculative fiction (ba dum tsh). This, among other typical Newton padding really drag the book down. This one was a real snooze fest that wouldn't even be worthy of a 190 page Executioner, let alone a 320 page SuperBolan. Life's too short for this one, friends.

A first time effort for writer Keith Decandido, who is primarily known for his media tie in work. Here he manages to craft an excellent story that exists outside of the usual Bolan formula, something I appreciated. He does tend to have some off-putting sentence structure here and there, which I found a bit annoying. I enjoyed the story quite a bit. A shame he only wrote 2 adventures, as this entry proves he could have provided us with multiple top notch adventures.

This one's a pretty solid read which contains some good action. The story gets a bit repetitive at the 130 page point, however. Bolan goes undercover and keeps putting off the assassination of a kingpin for no discernible reason. When the time finally comes, it feels rushed and anti climactic. Bolan's new ally, a crooked cop turned repentant, is pretty decent. I did think it was strange how every woman in the story unashamedly wanted to bone Bolan, though. This one is entertaining enough, a solid adventure if not one of Vancook's best.

Like another reviewer mentioned, there are things in this book that are just straight up racist and ignorant. Not to mention the fact that some of Bolan's inner monologues make him come off as a crazy jesus freak. In addition to this, the action is flat and the plot is dull. I was surprised at how bad this one is, especially since VanCook is a fairly good Bolan author. This one is only worth seeking out if you're a collector and need to own every book in the series.

Another rip-roaring title from Phil Elmore, one of the best Bolan authors out there. This one sees Bolan go up against a death cult alongside a wisecracking interpol agent. I found this book to he quite energetic, offering up one crackling action scene after another. The only big flaw I could find with this one was the final chapter, which seems implausible at best. But, Elmore saves it with that zinger of a one-liner at the end. Good action and good times, definitely check this one out.

Bolan takes on evil in its purest form-child pornographers. This was my first Mertz novel, and he has got some strange sentence structure at times. Still, he manages to craft a captivating and intense read that was quite fluid and enjoyable. It was a solid adventure packed with equally solid action and good side characters. Definitely give this one a read.

The story here is a lot more special than the standard Executioner title, and I really appreciate that. I just wish that it had been handled better. The problem I had was with Michael Newton's usual word count padding; characters will spend pages upon pages thinking about what's going to happen, about how every upcoming situation could play out, only to conclude that such thoughts don't matter. Wow, thanks for wasting my time, Mr. Newton. The character moments are what make this book readable. It's nice to see Mack form a bond with Al Weatherbee, even if their team up is kind of rushed. The central conflict was also compelling, and it was nice to get inside the villain's head and explore his years-long pursuit of revenge. The final conflict was rushed and felt anti-climatic, however. But that dream sequence? Stunning and profound. Overall, this one is above average, but not great. Definitely worth a read, though.

Whether it be Hot Swedish maids, geriatric badasses in wheelchairs, knife fights, cannibalistic hermits or romance, this book has absolutely everything. There are some strong supporting characters that I really liked, and the way the author does a good job of developing them and making them interesting. There a lot of good action, and I have to say this is easily one of Jerry Vancook's best titles in the series.

Since the series has gone kindle only, I've largely abandoned it. The series has lost a lot of appeal once the collecting aspect was removed. But, I will always buy a Chuck Rogers book, no matter what. Thankfully, Rogue Elements does not disappoint. It's packed with fun action set pieces, good side characters and a healthy dose of the author's humor. This one is fun from beginning to end.

Yikes, what a mess. This book was, for the most part, a real slog to get through. The action and plot were dull as can be, and it doesn't begin to get interesting until 140 pages in. The author also loves to bathe in an amateurish and upsetting amount of exclamation points. It seems he can't go more than a couple of sentences without using them. The rain-soaked setting was good, but under-utilized. All in all, a real dull read.