Ted Russ

I received this as an ARC through librarything from the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, in exchange for an honest review. Whether it means anything to anybody, I'm not currently a part of the US Military, but that may change in the future.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me, not because it wasn't good. Quite the contrary, actually. It was excellent. [a:Ted Russ|15045382|Ted Russ|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1469122588p2/15045382.jpg] has quite a page turner on his show more hands. His characters are superbly written and believable beyond words. I feel like Cadet Avery or Cadet Cooper could have been any one of my classmates from high school that ended up at one of the academies, or even my friend's parents who, I believe would have been a few classes ahead of the Guru, but I don't recall when exactly they graduated.

Regardless, the quality and writing aren't what I struggled with. It was so good that I didn't want the two stories to end, and that was my problem. I wanted to know, for instance, if they were able to extract the Guru after he was captured by ISIS, but I didn't actually want to get there because I knew the story would be almost over by then and I wasn't ready to leave the characters behind.

As I said though, this book is excellent. It takes a little bit to get used to popping back and forth between the past and the present, but only because it's not consistent in how many chapters each is allotted at a time. You just have to pay a little more attention.

[b:Spirit Mission: A Novel|29370475|Spirit Mission A Novel|Ted Russ|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1457290012s/29370475.jpg|49619479] will run you through the gambit of emotions while it grabs your attention and won't let go. You feel with the characters, if that makes any sense, in addition to for the characters. I was incredibly envious of the camaraderie between the cadets and how it stayed with them long past their graduation. These guys put their lives and their careers on the line for each other on multiple occasions.

There's really not much more I can say without spoiling things, however I will recommend this to all who aren't anti-military. I feel like those kind of people would tear it apart without actually giving it a chance. show less

I received this book from Librarything for an honest opinion.

Spirit Mission contains two wonderfully audacious stories. Both could stand alone, but blended together they are dynamite and should never be separated. The current story follows an unauthorized mission to save a friend. It’s very dangerous. Their lives are at stake and they all know the outcome will ruin their military careers. Why they would attempt such an ill-fated mission? The second story provides the answer.
My military show more background was far from the all-consuming world of West Point, but I fully understand the comradery and ideals of the spirit mission. The world of the Army cadet at West Point bleeds discipline and honor. It flows through every aspect of their lives. The spirit mission of the Navy goat is wonderful and crazy, but the possible outcome of the prank is miniscule compared to the illegal plan to rescue “the Guru” as he was known from his days at West Point. This could lead to a Courts Marshall and prison. The final decision to go for the rescue relies on the honor that they share and the ever-ambiguous decision to “doing the right thing”.
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of Spirit Mission and look forward to reading Ted Russ’s novels for many years. show less

I received this as an ARC through librarything from the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, in exchange for an honest review. Whether it means anything to anybody, I'm not currently a part of the US Military, but that may change in the future.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me, not because it wasn't good. Quite the contrary, actually. It was excellent. [a:Ted Russ|15045382|Ted Russ|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1469122588p2/15045382.jpg] has quite a page turner on his show more hands. His characters are superbly written and believable beyond words. I feel like Cadet Avery or Cadet Cooper could have been any one of my classmates from high school that ended up at one of the academies, or even my friend's parents who, I believe would have been a few classes ahead of the Guru, but I don't recall when exactly they graduated.

Regardless, the quality and writing aren't what I struggled with. It was so good that I didn't want the two stories to end, and that was my problem. I wanted to know, for instance, if they were able to extract the Guru after he was captured by ISIS, but I didn't actually want to get there because I knew the story would be almost over by then and I wasn't ready to leave the characters behind.

As I said though, this book is excellent. It takes a little bit to get used to popping back and forth between the past and the present, but only because it's not consistent in how many chapters each is allotted at a time. You just have to pay a little more attention.

[b:Spirit Mission: A Novel|29370475|Spirit Mission A Novel|Ted Russ|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1457290012s/29370475.jpg|49619479] will run you through the gambit of emotions while it grabs your attention and won't let go. You feel with the characters, if that makes any sense, in addition to for the characters. I was incredibly envious of the camaraderie between the cadets and how it stayed with them long past their graduation. These guys put their lives and their careers on the line for each other on multiple occasions.

There's really not much more I can say without spoiling things, however I will recommend this to all who aren't anti-military. I feel like those kind of people would tear it apart without actually giving it a chance. show less

A Spirit Mission is one that is unauthorized, but undertaken for both the daring and the greater good. In his inaugural novel, Spirit Mission, Ted Russ weaves together two stories of Spirit Mission's that gather steam and anticipation as the book reaches its dual crescendo. As the two stories begin to careen toward their conclusions it's hard to put the book down.

Ted Russ' background is as a graduate of West Point, followed by service as a helicopter pilot and Special Operations. He applies show more his deep knowledge of the inner workings of the Academy and the Military to bring to life his characters and stories, which twist and turn like the life he appears to have experienced. show less