Critical Effect

Your typically solid Stony Man from Guenther. Nothing really new, but when both teams are used fairly equally, it can't be bad. Able hunts for the mastermind behind a toxin that is afflicting college students, plus engaging terrorists. Phoenix is in Germany trading shots with a smuggling group and Arab conspirators. Good action as always from this writer, with Lyons being the grump we all know and love. And having Gadgets being infected added a little bit of suspense.

I struggled all through this title, I tried and tried to try to understand what the author was trying to get over but failed to grab whatever it was. Again and again when reading this you will be sidetracked and left confused on what is actually going on where you I presume get to the same stage as me when reading this as to say bloody hell thank god I have finished that. Probably fair to say I didn't enjoy this entry up to you.

This Stony Man novel, the second one I read, was so much better than the last one I read-Act of War. I thought the plot was fascinating, the action was great, and it was a real page turner. I think I read in 2 days. Both Able Team and Phoenix Force encountered some surprises. I am starting to really like these characters. I like how this author switches points of view throughout the book. It made it really interesting.

Able Team dances with the Shangri-La Lady. Phoenix Force smashes an underground railroad. Self-contained Phoenix Force episode meets a self-contained Able Team episode. The links between the two big bads are miniscule at best. An average entry of the series, the author does manage a couple of surprises for each team. I also liked the moments of reflection of each main character and the way the plans are scrapped and changed on the fly. A touch of realism goes a long way. This novel would have benefited with a slower pace with even more characterization. The overall plot is very unremarkable and underwhelming, and I may have trouble remembering it three months from now. I would consider this an average entry of the series. Unintentionally amusing scene: McCarter drinks a Coke and smokes a cigarette. He spends a paragraph field stripping his used cigarette, and pocketing part of it for fear of leaving his DNA behind. Then seconds later, has no qualms of crushing his empty coke can and tossing it away into a waste can (leaving his … DNA … behind.) Notes: Contains yet another example of Carl Lyons being misnamed, a reoccurring mistake in recent years, by possibly bad editing. Last of the 350-page Stony Man novels, a span from #2 to #95.