Dark Horse

Later than expected but I finally finished reading my latest book. Sorry about the lack of a blog on Saturday. My day got away from me and before I knew it, I was climbing into bed and realised that I had not posted a blog. Let’s see if I can get 3 blogs posted this week. But, enough of that. I’m sure you’re wanting to know what Dark Horse was about and what I thought of it. So, let’s get this review started.

Dark Horse Summary

Dark Horse is the seventh book in the Orphan X series. Let me tell you, Gregg Hurwitz knows how to keep a series interesting. In this book Evan is asked to help a cartel leader. His daughter was kidnapped, and she’s innocent and not a part of his dark life. She has been taken by another cartel and they are known for their viciousness. They kill without a second thought. As Evan dives into the cartel world to figure out how to save this girl, his personal life is rocked and relationships begin to fray. Then the mission takes a surprise twist. Not just a regular mission for Evan, and he has to piece together his personal life as well. In some cases, that’s literal.

Positives

The high stakes suspense in Dark Horse was very real. Situations Evan finds himself in are so complex that you scratch your head and wonder how he’s going to overcome this obstacle. There is a situation in the book that Evan is forced to face with helplessness. All his training can’t possibly prepare him for this and he doesn’t like it. It’s uncomfortable. As each book goes on, in this series, Evan finds himself becoming a little more human and a little less weapon. But, at the same time, he’s still highly effective in his job. Action, suspense, complex relationships – Dark Horse has them all. Oh, and then we get a cliffhanger of an ending.

Negatives

As I was typing the blog up to this point, knowing I was coming to this point, I tried to think. Was there any negative aspect to this book? If I have to be picky about it, I suppose a friend opened my eyes up to the one thing I could do without. There is a lot of swearing in this series. I tell myself that it makes sense, especially considering the kinds of people that Evan has to face off against. Yet, if I think about it, Evan and his friends sometimes get colourful with their language as well. So, if I had to pick a negative, that is it. I could do without the swearing.

Dark Horse Rating

There is no question about it. I have to give Dark Horse a 5 star rating. Now, I know that I’ve said 5 star ratings should be for books I can’t put down. And this book I was able to put down. However, it was not the book’s fault. Lately my Ninja Turtle obsession has become a little out of control. To the point where if it’s not ninja turtle related, I’m not interested. So, I have to force myself to do other things. While I was reading Dark Horse, however, I was able to forget about Ninja Turtles and just enjoy the story. The book is a 5 star read, in my opinion, and I still recommend this series to thriller fans.

Crazy Goal

So, with Dark Horse done I’m sitting at 21 books out of 50. And we are well into August already. If I’m going to make my goal I’ve got to buckle down and get going. As I sit here, there are 4 books sitting on a shelf staring at me. This is where the crazy goal comes in. I want to finish those 4 books before the end of the month! Realistically, this is completely attainable. Heck, I should be able to finish one this week. But I really want to be able to say I have reached the halfway point before the end of this month. That means I have to push down my obsession and just pick up a book and read. I suppose I do have a bit of a busy week this week, but I should be able to finish a book. The trick will be picking the book that is going to hold my attention for longer than two chapters at a time. But, we all know, anything can happen if I try. Now, let’s pick the next book!