I sure hope Cole can keep this up! Excellent read. ( )

This is the second novel in the Shadow Ops series by Cole, and again, I am amazed at his writing. Like the first book followed Oscar Britton as he became 'Latent', this story tells the story of Alan Bookbinder, as he becomes 'Latent' and also continues the main story that is happening, including Britton, the FOB, etc. It almost sounds like there is too much going on, but the details are clearly explained, and the story just keeps you hooked, wondering what is going to happen next.

Even though I am not one much for heavy military reading, Cole is able to make the reader feel like they are "in the know" with military lingo and routine. What one feels he may have left out, it just isn't needed in the story. Great continuation on the story from the first novel, introducing a new major character, yet keeping the time line constant. Though there are small contacts with previous characters, there is not much additional detail about them, which leaves me to think that Cole did this on purpose to keep the reader focused on the new characters here. In a sense, that he will expand in more detail in a future book (s).

I greatly enjoyed this read, as much as I did the first one. At this time I know there is a third book out, and I will be reading it soon. ( )

Second book in the Shadow Ops series consumed! Another wild ride, though a little more fragmented than the first. It makes sense later in the book. The first quarter of the book, we get to know Bookbinder. A pencil pusher dropped in at the deep end when he discovers he's not like everybody else. We reconnect with Britton and his gang later in the book and there are some pretty cool twists in there.
Did I mention there are snakes? Lots and lots of snakes. And goblins.
Off to read the third book now. :) ( )

Very enjoyable. I much prefered the Colonel Bookbinder storyline over the Oscar Britton storyline. I don't much like the Britton character. I think he comes off as whiny (maybe?) ( )

The big thing about over-the-top action flicks (or books like this) is that we've got heavily stereotyped hero characters from all walks of life doing heavily stereotyped things in big flashy over-the-top action scenes.

It's kinda the defining characteristic. We sometimes love to have a big steaming plate of our favorite foods over and over and over because it tastes good and it's comforting... and this is no different.

Bookbinder is a paper-pushing Officer who awakens with frighteningly powerful magics and gets sent to the front lines in the Other World. He's smart, he's flexible, and he's not willing to let obvious problems slide... like having all the supplies to the Forward Base cut off.

Of course, the only one who can reestablish connections is a certain AWOL soldier from the first book.

See how this works? Simple tale. Lots of flashy magics and Army Hoo-Rah, can-do attitudes, pathos, and competence versus corruption. And did I say that it's flashy? It is. Popcorn fiction.

Magic and the Army. Fast-paced, nothing really new, but still written in that shiny way that is pure edge-of-your-seat entertainment.

I liked this one a lot more than the first. :) It has a brand new problem with stereotypes, too, eschewing the whole Indian thing for a Hindu thing. *sigh* But it's hard to take any of it seriously, here, because these cardboard characters are even bigger and shinier than the ones in the first book. It's like... Wow. Look at that. Good thing they're all Nagas, right? *shakes head*

Still, don't let me get you down. It was still a great mindless action flick. :) ( )