Trial by Fire

I loved this adventure and if I had a complaint then it would be that it should have been a SuperBolan instead of a regular Executioner. The plot is similar to the Bruce Willis film The Tears of the Sun. Bolan is parachuted in to rescue a bunch of cadets from being eaten by cannibals, or captured by an Iranian team. The group are pursued across the DRC by the bad guys as well as avoiding crocs and snakes along the way. The introduction of the Dragonslayer helicopter by Grimaldi was a bit Deus ex Machina but I guess something had to happen to keep the word count down. I can't really add any more to what others have said about the story, other than I loved it.

Another one of those adventures that has Bolan with a group of comrades. This time, he's hitting the Congo to rescue a downed plane full of military cadets. Bolan in drill-sergeant mode was fun, giving the cadets their code names. And having to whip this group into fighting shape as they are pursued by cannibalistic terrorists, plus a cadre of Iranian Quds Force made the situation that much more desperate. From ambushes, to a river battle, to taking a stripped-down chopper on a wild ride, Bolan and Co. find themselves in one last, heart-stopping confrontation to get out of enemy territory alive.

Good read. Interesting storyline. We get to see more of the human side of Mack in this one. Get to see his self doubts and his actual contemplation that this maybe the mission he can't win. Enjoyed it enough to keep it in my Kindle list. Have read it several times. A good one worth picking up.

Well the Big Guy is off to the Congo this time where he parachutes into the forest to locate and rescue a plane load of military cadets who have been shot down and bring them to safety from the different sets of bad guys who wish them harm. hmm hardly original this plot has been done so many times indeed even by this author but anyway how is the read? Same old again where he locates the cadets and they are off trying to stay in front of the chasing bad guys. Little action happens as they manage to stay clear initially but choice reading of bush tucker to keep them going. Some good characters introduced which is interesting and the finish is very good in fact one star added but lots of better titles by this author out there compared to this one. Disappointing try reading some of this authors other work I reckon.

In starting to read this, I didn't think I would like it. I wasn't too sure about the teenage cadet storyline and the "drill instructor" Bolan leading the way. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the building excitement and (literally) rooting for the young warriors as they learned from the best. Rogers is a fantastic writer. There was indeed a high level of suspense in the book, and the author did a great job of (1) creating several layers of enemies, (2) adding depth to the characters of the cadets, and (3) creating anger in the mind of the reader at the atrocities of the villians. Also, the action/battle sequences of the book were well-written and very detailed. After completing the book, I think the story was a great idea and was very original ... a different type of Executioner book.

When I got Trial by Fire, I was pretty excited because Chuck Rodgers always writes a quality book. Tons of action, interesting characters and they’re usually a little different in subject matter. This book was no different. When I started reading, I was impressed from the get-go. As you have no doubt surmised from previous reviews, Mack is sent into the Congo to rescue a group of military academy cadets. This gives Rodgers a large cast of original characters to flesh out, which he does with amazing skill considering the length of the book. When I first started reading the book, I was a little surprised with the way Mack handled the stranded cadets. I figured he would have taken a different approach, and thought it a little out of character, but by the end of the book, I realized I should have trusted Mack (and Chuck) all along. Between the cadets of Niner Squad, the diverse blend of villains & the seemingly insurmountable challenges Mack faces, this truly is a must read. If I had to nitpick this book it would be that it’s too short. Can’t really help that one too much, it’s an Executioner, and frankly nothing seems missing from the book, I just wanted more. The only other minor problem I have is just a strange quirk that Chuck Rodgers seems to have in hamming it up a bit with romantic elements. I’ve seen it in other books he’s written, and in this one it seems really oddly thrown in at the end. I mean, it’s seriously odd. Mack’s in pretty rough shape and he just says some weird stuff that made me feel awkward even reading. That being said, it’s still one of the best books I’ve read in a while, and much better than most things on TV or in theaters. All in all this is not a book to miss. Go get it and write a review yourself!

This is a great book. Mack is sent to rescue a group of teenage military cadets from several miltary prep schools after their plane is shot down. It is great reading about Mack doing his best to whip the cadets into a fighting group as they struggle against two groups of enemies. He is hard on the kids to keep them going but the author includes Mack's thoughts about being responsible for the kids. He is espicially worried about what will happen if the kids fall into enemy hands. This book includes alot of the action but also the insight into the executioner that makes a great book. Espicially the way Mack feels about the kids and his willingness to go all out for them.

Trial by Fire is a great Executioner title, full of action and suspense. It kept me turning pages until the very end. Chuck Rogers does a wonderful job throughout, particularly in some fine plotting and characterization. A plane full of American military cadets has been shot down in the Congo, and Mack has been sent in for an extraction (a senator’s son is one of the cadets, which is the reason the flight survivors rate a covert, Executioner operation). Bolan must battle two forces, both vying for the survivors: Of immediate concern are the forces of the Lord’s Resistance Army, led by religious madman, Julius Caesar Segawa – a Congo native and cannibal who believes in “a heady blend of traditional African religions, spirit-medium mysticism and Apocalyptic Christianity.” The second force Mack must deal with are the Arab operatives who shot the flight down, hoping to gather the senator’s son for a hostage leverage. Through in a hulking war criminal in exile from the Serbian Army, and you have a cast of characters worth reading about. As I say, these two enemy forces give Mr. Rogers ample room to create some fascinating characters: For example – Mama Waldi the flesh eating priestess/mystic and right hand of Caesar Segawa – who loves the taste of white children and has had her teeth filed to points!