Helpful Score: 3
For "no excuses" bone snapping, bloody brain-spattering, joyous mayhem, John Ringo's ex-SEAL hero known as "Ghost" is a killing machine. Lots and lots of almost believable action. (For the real thing read anything by Navy SEAL Captain Richard Marchinco- a true American Hero VERY badly treated by limp dicked bureaucrats- but that's another story.) About a third of the way into a great read, Ringo loses it and starts a totally unbelievable descent into BDSM porn. I couldn't believe it- I know some of the real people he models his "Ghost" character after, and believe me, THIS AIN'T THEM! He got his fingers burnt as his follow-up Ghost book "Kildar", (A much more professional job, and a really tough one to put down.), almost completely avoided the crudities in the "Ghost" book.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a techno-thriller not his usual (or at least to me usual) sci-fi. Definitely written on the dark side full of violence. Part of series.
Helpful Score: 2
WARNING!!!!
If you are a liberal, do not read this book!
If you are a feminist, do not read this book!
If you are a Baptist, do not read this book!
If it weren't for the great action sequences, in this offering, I would think you could only find GHOST in an ADULT book store. The book tells three stories revolving around a former SEAL who doesn't candy-coat the fact that he is a bad man. He has two ways of venting his frustration and relieving tension--he has to kill someone...or he has to rape someone. Fortunately, he only kills bad guys...and he only rapes by contract. He is heavy into S&M, bondage, Goth, and patriotism.
GHOST is full of all of the above. The body count is high, the sex is plentiful and extremely graphic, and the action is nonstop.
And there's a sequel!!!???!!!
If you are a liberal, do not read this book!
If you are a feminist, do not read this book!
If you are a Baptist, do not read this book!
If it weren't for the great action sequences, in this offering, I would think you could only find GHOST in an ADULT book store. The book tells three stories revolving around a former SEAL who doesn't candy-coat the fact that he is a bad man. He has two ways of venting his frustration and relieving tension--he has to kill someone...or he has to rape someone. Fortunately, he only kills bad guys...and he only rapes by contract. He is heavy into S&M, bondage, Goth, and patriotism.
GHOST is full of all of the above. The body count is high, the sex is plentiful and extremely graphic, and the action is nonstop.
And there's a sequel!!!???!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Somewhat different military fiction. Ringo has added some S & M interludes which are a little disturbing and the frequent pro-Republican stuff is also off putting.
Great first book in an action filled series. The military action descriptions are what you would expect from a Ringo book and are much enjoyed. This first book in the series is actually two different adventures of the main character. There are very graphic BDSM descriptions in this series so it might not be something you would want a young teenager to read.
Excellent first book in the series, if a bit too hard core macho. Gets more human in later books in the "Kildar" series.
This was my FIRST John Ringo book (followed by almost everything else he has written). This is a great book, but reader beware. Do not start this book unless you can read for a few hours. It starts fast, gets faster and is very hard to put down. The hero Mike Harmon is a former SEAL instructor (His Seal nickname was "Ghost"). He is smart and dangerous. He is ready to be a quiet student for a while, but cannot resist a damsel in distress. This is the first book of a five book series. It's the most fun because you don't know how persistent he is. You might want to get your hands on all five books before you start reading this. Oh, and tell your spouse to send in food periodically and hold all calls.
Enjoy
Enjoy
This is basically 3 novellas thrown together done in a style of Anne Rampling does Mack Bolan... The stories revolve around a former Navy Seal - Mike Harmon - trying to settle into civilian life and college. In the first story our hero witnesses a snatch and grab on a college coed. Going along for the ride our hero ends up rescuing a large bevy of stark naked college girls in a slave ring while killing a huge number of Middle Eastern terrorist types. In the second story Harmon has to stop a terrorist cell with a nuke on an island in the Caribbean and again does a bang up shoot 'em all dead job. Following this Harmon then assists in tracking down a nuclear weapon that has been set to explode in France. In all three stories the action is good and the story is engrossing.
The problem is that between the first two stories we spend about a hundred or so pages descending into a scenario where Harmon takes two young ladies onto his yacht and explicitly teaches them the do's and don'ts of bondage and sexual slavery in fairly explicit terms. The whole section is unnecessary and almost made me put the book down. In the middle of the third story Harmon basically rapes and brutalizes a Russian prostitute and then tries to improve her lot in life out of guilt. Again... unnecessary.
If you like military action and a basic American hero kills the terrorists in a world hopping rampage - this is a good book. But don't read it if you have a problem with bondage and multi-partner sex scenes.
The problem is that between the first two stories we spend about a hundred or so pages descending into a scenario where Harmon takes two young ladies onto his yacht and explicitly teaches them the do's and don'ts of bondage and sexual slavery in fairly explicit terms. The whole section is unnecessary and almost made me put the book down. In the middle of the third story Harmon basically rapes and brutalizes a Russian prostitute and then tries to improve her lot in life out of guilt. Again... unnecessary.
If you like military action and a basic American hero kills the terrorists in a world hopping rampage - this is a good book. But don't read it if you have a problem with bondage and multi-partner sex scenes.
Well...this first part of this book was quite good from a Military run and gun action stand point. The second half just about made me throw it out. It's basically a introductions to BDSM... why this had to be included in such depth I have no idea. Way more information than needed to be told for character development and waaay too graphic. (the guy has rage issue, we get it) Cut out all that and there really wasn't much left for the second portion. The third part again got out of control, but cut out the garbage and there was at least a story line. Not sure where the story line will go with the other books, but if they are anything like this one I'll have to be giving them a thumbs down. And that's coming from a former Marine.
I enjoyed parts of this book but had to stop reading about half way through. There is too much violence against women and misogyny.
For fans of John Ringo science fiction this book will be a change. It still contains Ringo's military detail but in a much more raw context. The book also contains some explicit sex scenes which may offend some readers. It's the first book in a different series genre for Ringo.
As the author himself described it, a "techno-thriller crossed with porn". Fantastic action sequences, supurb technical accuracy, good character development.
