Reviews by
OpsFan
18 reviews
-
A little on the dated side, but this one's a definite collector's item that'll give ya a handy glimpse into what this series was like in its heyday. An updated version of this puppy might not be a bad idea. -
I'd started to read State of Aggression by the same author but put it aside because it was so bad. I saw this at a friend's and thought I would see if this was any better. It was, but it was also pretty much the same book only moved from South America to Indonesia. There are a lot of the same action descriptions and same dialogue which makes you think the writer just copied this, so who knows if somewhere in these series there's not still another ripoff of this same story by the same writer. There oughta be a law. Maybe on its own I would give this a slightly higher mark but it's hard not to take into consideration the crummy 'remake'. -
Probably the only Bolan book with a child on the cover and the book itself was unique in showing an almost paternal side to his character that makes him more well-rounded. Of course, when it came to push and shove, The Executioner came out fighting and took no prisoners in true form. All in all a nicely written, well-plotted entry to the series. -
Just when the Stony Man series showed signs of coming into its own, along comes this clunker, a truly wretched book filled with some of the worst writing ever in this series, especially in terms of dialogue and characterization. Worse yet, the book ends with promises of a sequel! Bad news for the franchise. -
This book has its moments and there is some good camraderie between Bolan and his allies as they go up against the cartel thugs, but the pacing was a little uneven and some of the writing clunked, especially in terms of dialogue. Overall a cut above the pack but not really a must-read. -
An eerie read in light of recent events, what with all the tension evolving around the select virus plot. The overall story got to be a little convoluted in places, but ultimately this ranks as a solid thriller far better crafted than many of its predecessors in the STONY MAN series. -
A bravura effort in tackling the difficult task of tying up a long-loose end in the Bolan saga. There was a nice balance of keeping the onstage action percolating while filling in the backstory, which I'm sure gave some new readers problems. And, yes, as others have said, the climax rocked!!!! If you can't find this book but want to read a similar storyline about a major character going head-to-head with a long-ago arch-rival, check out Vector Three, which deals with a 'ghost' from T.J. Hawkins' past. -
Found this at a flea market. Raciest cover I've ever seen on an Executioner novel. Wasn't expecting much by way of story but was suprised by the power of Newton's writing and the way he got into Bolan's head in terms of him wanting to avenge anew his sister's fate. An underrated classic. -
Nice handling of what might otherwise have been a routine story. I liked the way the author built up suspense as Bolan closed in on the Wizard. -
Great mix of action, suspense, and characterization. An even greater feat considering it's a Stony Man, where there is usually too much going on to get involved with the story. The book ended quicker than I would have liked but I got the sense it was the editors and not the writer who cut things off so quickly. Far better dialogue than in most other books of this type, and I especially liked the one-liners between Hawkins and the female bounty hunter Jane Bahn. The backstory involving Hawkins and the Swedish major was very cool also. A definite tenner for this one. -
I give the author points for trying to reinvent the wheel here and there are some great moments and brilliant writing passages, but ultimately it's like trying to make a meal of nothing but desserts; it gets to be too much. Too over the top and too far-fetched. Couldn't rate it lower, though, because, as others said, the writer clearly put a lot of heart and soul into this. -
Nice re-telling of HIGH NOON with a little RED HARVEST and spaghetti Westerns thrown in for good measure. Like the interplay between Bolan and Johnny, too. Would have rated it higher only the borrowed premises and references seemed a little too obvious. -
Bought this based on rave reviews and guess I suffered from over-expectation. Good, solid storytelling here, but nothing spectacular and the comparisons to Pendleton seem off, unless referring to some of his lesser entries in the War against the Mafia series. Still, a solid notch or two above most current efforts out there. -
There were some nice moments here and some great action scenes, but too much of it seemed incredible, as in not believeable. Overall a good effort but hardly worth the 10 stars so many people gave it. -
A nice change of pace in the Bolan canon. All the courtroom testimony got to be a bit draggy but was laced with enough intrigue to keep you reading up until the payoff of a big climax. A little more action and faster pacing would've made this a sure 10. -
A handy, if now-dated, reference tome, but I'm not sure if it's right to rate it as if it were a bonafide novel. What would really be of help for readers is some kind of annual equivalent to the War Book. Writers could probably use it also to improve continuity. -
Books about Nazis and neo-Nazis are usually so redudant they're not worth reading but this was an exception, mainly because of the well-written storyline about Heine. To make such an old guy seem like a credible foe is no small feat and the author did a good job pulling it off. Good job. -
An okay read that would have been better with more action, especially on the part of Able Team. I thought Bolan could have been put to better use, also. Good, solid writing, though, for the most part.