Savage Game

This is one of those infiltrate the badguy team storylines that I like, and from Rogers, it would have to be an excellent one, and it is. Having looked over what other readers have said about this well-reviewed title, I don't have too much to add to the praises as well as the criticisms of it. A better than average villain in The Iceman, an awesome final confrontation with said villain, and cool scenes like the graveyard scenes and the fight aboard the helicopter and the action after the crash. Plenty to like in this action thriller, but I had some issues that kept it from earning the top rating. First, the too convenient plot device where Bolan decides that a friend of Calvin James is the the guy to get his mission going, and wouldn't you know the guy just happens to be the recruiter for the Iceman's group. Bolan himself admits later on in the story that it was a "coincidence". Second, I am not on board with other reviewers about the scene where Bolan answers his cell phone in the middle of battle. This came across to me as silly, and was a weak point in the novel. Third, is a general theme that occurs far too frequently from cover to cover in this book. That being that human bodies, whether it be Bolan, Brognola, Delcarpio, or assorted bad guys would take massive injuries from all sorts of terrible things, bullets, grenades, RPG missiles, blades, poison spiders, lack of oxygen, you name it, and not only survive, but would fight on, whether it be days later, hours later, minutes later, or even seconds later. Oh sure, some kind of super armor vest was often involved, but these kinds of things just happened far too much, far too often. All being said, there was lots to like about this episode in the series. You get more bang for your buck than just about any Executioner title in the long running series, and I got the impression that if the series ever had an end, Savage Game would be a great candidate for the last mission ever for the big guy. Well worth the read, If you like Roger's Bolans, and who wouldn't, you shouldn't miss out on this title.

Another slice of Chuck Rogers genius this be. EXCELLENT action and interaction with Bolan having to put on an Oscar worthy performance to infiltrate an ex special forces group of mercs that have crossed the line. This was so well written that it was like having a movie playing in my head the whole time, even funnier is that Iceman (depicted on the front cover) looks all the world like a young version of actor Tobin Bell (of Saw fame). Its slightly similar to Blood Tide in that Bolan has to infiltrate and prove himself, knocking off common enemies before the the targets start to get close to home and Bolan really has to pull out ALL the stops to protect his cover. Inevitably he's found out and is....interred (seriously the Graveyard....wonderfully nightmare-ish brrrr!) But the small nuances are what make this different. Weapons, tactics and some of the BEST interactions between characters all of whom are three dimensional and believable. The plot is an amazing thrill ride that concludes with a perfect epilogue that seals it all up nicely. One of the most fulfilling reads ever, I'd actually save it til last if you are going through the series because it sets a standard that very few entries can touch.

220 pages of violent, nearly non-stop action, often described in excrutiating detail. This is my second Chuck Rogers book (the other being Crisis Nation), and both had the same attributes: good plot, good original supporting characters, too much action, and a nearly opaque Mack Bolan. I don't know anything about Bolan after reading this book. In fact, we don't really get inside anyone's head, as far as I can remember. Pendletonesque he is not. The book was also full of mistakes - spelling errors, missing words, and repeated description. An editor also could have suggested removing the boring, pointless target practice scene, and replacing it with some interior monologue.

Initially...I though...well, yet another over rated book but it took me a bit by surprise with the breathtaking but at the same time a very sick and brutal start. This was a very intensive way to start a book but sadly the book took another and traditional non-stop action track. It is strange to see how much Bolan takes of beating and being wounded left and right. The Boneyard part is so amazing one and really the most stand alone one in the Bolan sage but there is also a short but great moment in the story when Bolan answered the mobile phone in the middle of a battle to answer the Iceman’s recruiting call while battling his soldiers at the same time. Amazing and fresh idea to say the least. Iceman was sooooooo bad to the bone. He is cool and calm and very secure yet at the same time sick manic with a twisted mind and a brutal way of thinking. Iceman and his gang are in reality the evil alter ego of the Stony Man team in every way and from a certain point of view Bolan is battling himself and his long time friends The end was a twisted and original one to say the least and it can truly be said that the justice comes at the end of the barrel. Original and fresh for most parts and well worth reading. Enjoy and have fun. (Iceland - 2009)

Of the dozen or so Executioners that I have read over the years, this was easily the best so far. Pretty much non-stop action from cover to cover. Mack takes a beating like none that I have read. This could make one hell of a good action movie. I'll definitely need to check out more of the offerings from Chuck Rogers after reading this one.

I wanted to go back and read some of Chuck's earlier books because I have become a big fan of his writing and I was in no means disappointed with this one. Another awesome entry ro the series. I have to agree with a previous review that the way Mack dealt with the Iceman at the end of the novel was pretty damn cool. Chuck kicks ass.

Brilliant effort certainly amongst the best released to date in this series. From the start through two initial initiation sections to infiltrate this group you know you are reading something special here. Mack is up against basically himself and his alter-ego and the group he controls are maybe one of the best challenges faced by the man himself. It will hold you until the last page and you will be amazed by some of the new and original things you will read. What can be done with a scapel is amazing when things come apart and what can be done by our champion when faced with the ultimate and he is at the end of his endurance. The graveyard scenes are superb as are the chase through the forest scenes after a crash in a helicopter. As for the finish when Mack is finally taken down by ...??? FANTASTIC and if that is not all a brilliant epilogue is inserted. Chuck Rogers is without doubt one of the best writers to write for this series. Did I mention ORIGINAL how about that a complete title to read and not a female hostage in sight.. <sigh> 287, 289 :-(

Brutal, well-written entry in the Executioner series. Harrowing stuff. The enemy is the closest they will ever come to battle a parallel universe version of themselves. The last one that comes to mind was “Virtual Destruction” where Bolan fights off a brainwashed Able Team. But that entry wasn’t to the death and the outcome was predictable. Here, Bolan really does fight a group painstakingly, virtually identical in conception to Stony Man Farm. Much like the original Star Trek parallel universe story, where there was a goateed evil Spock, Bolan’s opposite number here is a photo negative – an evil blond guy with a goatee. Iceman also has shades of Ironman. He is also arguably the most brilliant man they ever came up against. The Club is fearsome and throughly corrupt. The book points out they aren’t criminals, terrorists or just military. They are professional operators. The level of talent and ingenuity gives them a mysterious, enigmatic quality that gives this title a weird verve. Somehow Chuck Rogers convinces even this longtime reader this installment is something we’ve never seen before. The level of the plot and the story scream big leagues. Bolan nearly dies (appropriately) big time in this one. If there was ever a final installment of the Executioner series, this is roughly what it should look like. The negatives of the book? Aside from the Green Beret/Marine thing, Bolan smiles so many times its almost out of character. Yeah, its minor, but those are the only flaws of the book. If it weren’t for this website, “Savage Game” and its weak cover art would have gone overlooked for a long time. I had bought this book based solely of the hype and the rave reviews that follow it. It was the last “new” book in Amazon’s inventory. I knew it was special from the first three chapters. I could not put the damn thing down. Wrapped around a horrible cover, this is the Executioner series at its best.

Just when I didn’t think Bolan could get any harder I pick up Chuck Rogers’ Savage Game. Everything that makes The Executioner such an enduring series is embodied in this book. Bolan is a perfectly three dimensional character and it is so much fun as a reader to watch him follow through his mission. The action was intense and cinematic while managing to be gritty and human too. The plot is fantastic with an alter ego to Stony Man. It was amusing to watch Bolan play a character as he infiltrates the Club. Never once did anything he did seem forced and the way he got out of many of his tough situations were fantastic. The Iceman was an awesomely tough bad guy. He was as cool and badass as Bolan but by the end we saw who was tougher. Mack proves that he was and forever will be the top dog. The guy gets buried alive, digs himself out and beats Iceman into a coma for Christ’s sake. The final scene with iceman and Bolan was classic Executioner. The book, however, is not without it’s faults. The faults are minor when compared to the powerhouse that is Savage Game but they are there none the less. It is my opinion that 220 pages is just not long enough for most authors to deliver a story and thus the books suffer. I will always prefer the longer stories to the shorter books. They can be done well but writing a story of appropriate size is an art unto itself it seems. Savage Game’s flaw comes in a forced bit of plot that turns out entirely too convenient. When Bolan takes the cellular phone from Hook Stony Man puts all of their faith in the phone leading them to the Club when they have no evidence to suggest it. Conveniently it does pan out for them. With all of the mercenary recruiting that goes on in the Bolanverse the chances that Hook’s mysterious phone will lead to the Club is too far fetched to believe. Had they received some sort of clue from the Russians about a phone or something it would have maintained my suspension of disbelief but as it was written it is just too weak.

Let me start by saying that this is hands down one of the best Bolan books I've ever read. The writing is solid, the story intriguing and most importantly, the characters were much more than perfunctory "road signs" to advance the plot. Another thing I found refreshing was a distinct lack of expository narration. I.E. showing as opposed to merely telling. I also liked the fact that Mack wasn't portrayed as a bullet-proof ass-kicking machine, but instead took his lumps, got knocked down and nearly ate it a few times. As purveyor of clumsy, ham-fisted writing (my own), I've got a strong appreciation for the craft of writing. Here's a list of four things that I felt made it work seamlessly: 1) A nicely rendered setting, or, a solid sense of place 2) Well written supporting characters, even the "throwaways" 3) Juicy villains 4)A well balanced ratio of action/plot/story Negative criticism? Just some minor things -- and I'm not sure they even qualify as criticism. 1) I would like to have seen the subplot with plan to steal the jets actually happen -- establishing a great storyline for a recovery operation etc. Not to mention how kick ass the raid/jet commandeering scene would have been. 2) This book could have easily been a longer Super Bolan or ever a two-parter; and I wish it would have. However, keeping it short and sweet ultimately resulted in a Bolan adventure that was firing on all four cylinders from start to fininsh -- as opposed to a longer story that starts strong and finishes weak or falls flat in the second act, et cetera. 3) Lawrence (the muscle-bound sociopath) should have appeared in more scenes given how much build up he had. 4) The Ice Man should have his own series. (Seriously, there were times when I was cheering for The Ice Man) I might be one of the only people who would want to read it, but that wouldn't bother me any. ;-) Failing that, I would like to have seen The Ice Man return to wreak even more havoc in another book, but to be fair that's not something Chuck Rogers would've had much say about. Overall it was a well written fun read and it left me wanting more. As it should be. El Gregg-o The Armchair Critic says: TWO BIG ASS THUMBS WAY THE HELL UP!!! Nicely done, Chuck. :)

Ill sum it up to being my favorite bolan book. AWESOME!!! i liked how bolan ended Iceman's life. they should make that book into a comic or TV series or movie or video game! that would rule!

I finally read this one and I enjoyed it a lot. That being said, there were a couple of technical errors that put me off. Mainly it was in Del Caprio's background. Apparently, he was a Marine who went into Special Forces (Green Berets). Technically impossible, as SF is a division of the US Army, and he would have had to leave the Corps, enlist in the Army, and serve for a minimum of 3 years before VOLUNTEERING for SF. No one is recruited anymore. That mistake took a lot of the suspension of disbelief for me, and I cringed whenever I read "Semper Fi" and "Green Beret" in the same description. Still, aside from that, it was a great read. Very fast-paced, good characterization. Lots of action. I still reccomend it.

"Let get it on!" I did get it on with this book as the action kept going until the end. The plot of the story has Bolan going under to find out who killed federal officers and to thawrt an evil Stony Man Farm. I like the way Bolan has to pass test to gain the trust of the organization. The use of the brown widow spiders was orginal. During the novel Bolan uses 12 different types of weapons. Not one the guns is his trusty .44Desert Eagle or Bereta 93-R. The people in the evil SMF were belivable as the alter-ego of SMF. These are the postives in the story. The negatives were the final scences where Bolan fights with the Iceman and later kills him. I was hoping the top brass escaped to pit their wits against SMF in a future book. The book cover to me was lame.

Wow! Simply an amazing piece of writing. Simply put if I could give this book an 11 it would have it. There were no moments in this book that didnt flow, the action, the suspense everything screamed BOLAN TO THE MAX. The graveyard scenes were unnerving, especally for a person as arachniphobic as I am. I cant even imagine being thrown in to a grave and eaten up by vicous little spiders like DelCaprio and the Narc in the begining, Kip. And that sick and sedistic Iceman ( the villan ) never a moment that I didnt lothe his existance. WOW!

It doesn't get much better than this. How could it? I absolutley hate writing reviews, so I'm keeping this short and sweet, but Chuck Rogers deserves another ten for this mother---I OWE it to him for the way this blew me away. Iceman and his team were fantastic adversaries for Mack Bolan. The action was non-stop from page one and the suspense was riveting. And the graveyard scene? HARDCORE. Just like the rest of the book. To sum it up: Awesome work, Mr. Rogers.

Solid work and true classic. Takes Mack to whole new level. When I picked this on up hade read it from cover to cover on one sitting. I have now read it 4 times and it is still damn good.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! Freakin' awesome all around!!!!! Mack taking on what basically Stony Man would be if they ever went bad was bloody magnificent!! The Iceman sure as hell earned his name too. Like what Mack would see if he looked into a magic mirror that shows your dark side.

Savage Game was by far one of the BEST Mack Bolan books ever. Non-stop action, death defying feats, plenty of ammo and destruction, characters that will haunt you. You will never be able to look at a brown recluse the same again. The ice-man is ruthless. Very intense. I need a cigarette. Keep the Bolan adventures coming!

This book was intense, way better than average and kept me eagerly waiting to see what happens next. Besides being suspensful, this story showed some very masculine heroics on Bolan's part and showed them in a sequence of events that kept the story (and the character)interesting. That plus Bolan's expertise about the situation at the book's beginning, his being aware of the manipulative methods of the Club's recruitment tactics, his principled stand against the Club's Russian henchman to save Brognola's life, his psychological strength in overcoming his dire graveyard situation and Bolan's reducing Iceman to emotional weakness during the final fight scene--all of that was an excellent depiction of Bolan as a character supported by top notch writing (with an unconventional ending, too). The negative points: the graveyard scene has Bolan suppressing a scream. A battle hardened Executioner whose witnessed the brutal methods of the Vietcong and the mafia is not going to be reduced to near-screaming. True Bolan would feel fear and tenseness but near screaming seems out of character for Bolan. The second scene where the helicopter crashes in the woods sees Bolan giving in to temporary resignation which is also out of character for Bolan. Since Don Pendleton, Mack has always been determined to kill as many bad guys as he can even when his own life is about to be killed by them. Chuck would have done better had he shown Bolan being resolved to go down fighting. And the third scene that contradicted what Bolan is, was Chuck's making Mack consider his war's end a blessing when Ice pretends he's going to shoot him to death. In actuality, Bolan would never consider his (meaningful) war's end a blessing. Bolan would look upon his life and war without regrets. These points make me deduct 1 star from my rating. However, "Savage Game's" good pts greatly outweigh the bad ones. Whenever Bolan is pitted against his doppelgangers (Ice in "Savage Game" or Don Marqui in "Blood&Sand") I am always dismayed by the lack of character depth. Those types of stories should show what makes Bolan Good and his nemisis evil and why/how they choose different paths in regards to similar situations or backgrounds. Then all that must be interweaved with Bolan's and the villain's actions, so that the actions are character-driven.(No extra stars deducted here since, Chuck can't be expected to incorporate EVERYTHING into a book that is not a SuperBolan or a trilogy. Besides, his depiction of Bolan and writing make this an exciting read).

This book was indeed good. But, I decided the extra star came with the last 50 pages. It was some of the most intense I've ever seen Bolan taking it to the bad guys. Everything up to that point didn't blow me away with 10 star quality. Yes, the villains were very well done and the Boneyard scenes were ultimately cool. But, like Breakaway, Chuck Rogers has been really letting Bolan have it, and with this book, I thought it was a bit of overkill. How much wounding and stabbings and gunshots and broken bones and other sorts of physical damage can one man take and be all right in six months? Like I said, it was classic that Bolan was a death-dealing machine in the finale, but it was a bit too much for my taste.

If somebody were to ask me ‘Is this book the most exciting Executioner that you have ever read?’ I would have to say no; Iron Fist still holds top place for me. However, this novel does come a very very close second. It is that damn good. There were times in the story when I thought that it was all going to go down hill. The worst moment was at the end of chapter sixteen when Iceman reveals his main plot to steal four F22’s and fly them to South America to sell them to the Russians and the Chinese. I experienced deja-vu and wondered where I had read that before. An hour or so later I realised that it was from Dale Brown’s ‘The Tin Man’. The only difference was that the villain wanted to steal F117As. But fortunately this plot thread failed to materialize. Instead we have several rip raoring action packed battles that leave Bolan almost dead. In fact, I was wondering when somebody would say something like ‘we have the power to rebuild him.’ at the end when they find Bolan tearing into the Iceman with his last remaining strength. There was nothing left of Bolan. Nothing at all. He really believes that he has met his match and that this is his last stand. Brand’s voice boomed across the mountside behind him. ‘You’re dead, asshole! ‘Bolan nodded wearily. They were going to bring him down. There were really great moments in this novel, my favourite was when Bolan answered the mobile phone in the middle of a battle to answer the Iceman’s recruiting call whilst taking down the Iceman’s soldiers in a buring house. Brilliant writing. Best stop now before Chuck Rodgers starts walking on water I am looking forward to his next novel, Blast Radius. The only thing that I didn’t like about this book was the poor cover. Otherwise it is a solid ten star story.

This was one hell of a book. This one knocked me out of my shoes and socks. The Iceman, Brand, C.J. -- all those guys the equivalent of Phoenix and Able. Chuck created some characters that were interesting -- no cardboard characters here. We got to see Bolan all out. And shown as human, when he feels sudden panic (the graveyard scene), and all-out raw determination (the fight at the end). Chuck Rogers has outdone himself with this one. And to borrow a phrase written by another author of the same name. Fuckin' A.

Now this was one entertaining book. I loved the concept of the "bizarro" Stony Man, those were some very scary enemies for Mack. The book really kept me guessing, many times I thought to myself, "how is he going to get out of this situation". Chuck Rogers kept coming up with great, inventive ways for Mack to keep up the good fight. I kept thinking Phoenix was going to arrive at the final battle for a huge showdown between the two groups, but was pleasantly surprised that Chuck let Mack and Del Carpio take them on themselves. I can't even begin to describe to graveyard scene with Mack, absolutely stunning to visualize as I was reading it. Well done.

My gosh! I finished this book in 2-3 days! It is THAT good! This is how action should be written, great dialogue, cliff hanger chapter endings, great characters, and well written action. Chuck has done it! I especially love the ending , the way Mack dispenses total justice. Get this book !

I have read dozens of these books. Savage Game is the best one. Hands down. It has the best bad guy (The Iceman), the best crime outfit (Brand, C.T., Lawrence....)the best scene (the graveyard), the best plot, the best action (by far!). This book is a 10. A great big F'n 10! Read this book!

This book was awesome!!!!! I loved the Iceman. He was one bad-ass fucker. A man truly as good as Bolan, maybe even better. I loved the graveyard scene, it was the best! This is one Bolan book every true fan should read.

I recommend reading this book without shoes or socks on. That is, if you don't want to put holes in the building you live in. This book had the return of the infrequently seen BAD MOTHERFUCKER, the wisecracking, scary bitch fucking, high flying, wall climbing, cannon blasting, bastard pounding, clue finding, mind screwing, nail eating, world-travelled superexpert that is Mack "the Bastard" Bolan. The scene in the graveyard... I am pissed as hell that Chuck Rogers wrote that scene, because once a scene like that is written, nobody can do it again, and nobody can top that scene. That scene was just so kick ass... and soooo NOT what the series has devolved into that it made the book cooler than a lap dance with a 38DD stripper. Chuck just carpet bombed the competition with one BAD ASS BOOK!

WOW! I really enjoyed this book, bout time we had another good bolan book, espessially since the last few Stony Man haven't even mentioned him. This was a great book, and kept me going, I just couldn't stop reading it. The book let us get to know Bolan better, and the ending was shear cold. I wish they would've held out and made this one #300.

An excellent and thoroughly enjoyable book to read. The characters are as tough as they come, the action interesting and nonstop, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't put it down! loved it! Absolutely a 10

Being a teacher by profession, I don't live giving perfect marks. Yeah, one of THOSE. So when I do give a perfect mark, it's because, for the life of me, even with the largest amoubt of ill-will I can muster, can't find a damn thing wrong with what I graded. SAVAGE REVIEW is THAT.DAMN.GOOD. Why? It has all the pre-requisites: action, suspense, solid plot, compelling, fluid writing. Even some sex. But that alone isn't enough, to warrant a 10. It has attitude. It has soul. It has balls. It has brains. It's funny. Bolan is a three dimensional character, the main villains are SOME seriously BAD guys. Iceman, Lawrence, Brand...Imagine an evil version of Stony Man. Complete with an evil Barbara/April (Pooky) And I mean EVIL. Bolan, has to take them down...ON. HIS. OWN. The last part, the last 40 or so pages were some of the most intense pages I have ever read in my life. It's just...you have to read it. You honestly do not know how Bolan is going to make it. You know he will because the series isn't cancelled. Otherwise...damn. I was worried for the big guy. For both his physical and PSYCHOLOGICAL well being. Oh, yeah. PSYCHOLOGICAL. Read it, you'll know what I mean. The confrontations between Ice and Bolan...Just AMAZING. Can't say more without spoiling it. And Bolan takes a pounding in this one. Chuck Rogers abuses Bolan as much as Doug did in BLOOD TRADE. This book is hardcore. With a capital HARD.

I like this book because This Bolan book is difrent from any others. Iceman vs Excutuner shoudown was good. Ending was weird and for that reason I give it 9.It was nice book to read.