Wiz-War Books

Overall a good action/suspense type novel. Good geographical descriptions and interesting settings helped give the story a beleivable feel though I thought the ending was somewhat predictable (but still solid).

The only real gripe I had was the way the two story lines were presented in alternating chapter form. The ultra short chapters (2-3 pages) really slowed down the momentum of the individual stories for me. This is a book not at episode of 24! I ended up reading 2 or 3 chapters for a given story and then going back and doing to same for the next...easy enough I guess.

I gave five stars on Blackwood's first two novels, because they were excellent. Great plot, great characters, great storyline. I was less than impressed with this book however. One of the reviewers stated that there was poor editing, which is true. Early in the book, Johnathan Root is described as a man in his early seventies that has been retired from the CIA since the eighties. Later in the book, Root is describing his involvement with Kestrel and says he found out about the virus "in 1978 when I was 30". Since this book takes place in 2003, that would make him 55, not early 70's, and a bit too young to be retired from the CIA for over 15 years. I saw a few other minor flaws in the book as well. This may seem like nit-picking, but when you're used to the quality of Blackwood's first two novels, it can be disappointing. All in all, the book could have been better researched and edited, but it was still a good read. Looking forward to the next one.

The use of french and german language in this book reeks! It appears that the author used primers as his main, if not sole, source with laugh provoking results.

The ridiculous massacre of the two languages goes on throughout the book. As for editing,at one point, a poor soul expresses himself in "halted" english, which would render any communication impossible compared to "halting".

In the prologue, one can only bow to the acumen of the chief raider, who, in 1918, hears german voices belt the first four lines of "Lili Marlene", a song which was eventually composed in 1938!

All this foolishness, and I skipped through the juicier examples, is not really german... drat... germane to the plot although it becomes a tad annoying by chapter 45, but it casts a shadow of doubt over the content of what is really a fair thriller.

Mr. Blackwood and his editor, or whatever alias the latter uses, should cling as closely as possible to the english language, apparently a challenge in itself, and not force asinine foreign dialogue on his protagonists. At least someone had the grace to include an english translation after most of the abuses,

On a positive note, I will probably read more of Mr, ,Blackwood's prose, with one proviso. The whole plot will have to take place in an english speaking environment and within 5 years of publication!

The highest compliment I can pay Grant Blackwood is that I don't ordinarily read novels in this genre, but I can't put his books down. Simply put, this is a page-turner with a brain and a heart.

An Echo of War continues the adventures of Briggs Tanner, the dashing but gallant protagonist of his previous volumes, The End of Enemies and Wall of Night. Tanner is no cardboard cutout of a hero, but a three-dimensional man of his times whose courage, ingenuity and physical prowess are balanced with a sharp wit and consistent moral center. Tanner's compatriots and enemies are complex characters as well.

Blackwood's world is fully realized, leavening espionage, action and politics with humor, familial concerns, and the odd touch of romance. Most worthy of praise is the fact that he manages to provide enough detail about the necessary trappings of such matters as geography, weapons, and both military and quasi-military procedures to give the reader a clear understanding of what's hapeening without ever drowning the reader in minutae or appearing to simply be showing off (yes, I'm looking at you, Tom Clancy!).

There is more mystery and suspense here than in Blackwood's previous efforts, and An Echo of War really benefits. Blackwood deftly weaves the acts of diverse characters and seemingly unrelated events spread across time and earth into a swirling plot that packs twists and turns to the end but never veers into artifice or strained coincidence.

Great stuff, and I can't wait for the next one! Do yourself a favor -- make Grant Blackwood the new writer you discover this year.

I read Blackwood's first two books (The End of Enemies, The Wall of Night) and loved them, so I was happy to hear his third one had come out. Honestly, though, I was nervous when I started reading An Echo of War. Having watched some of my favorite thriller authors decline with each successive book, I didn't want to be disappointed. Well, I wasn't! On the contrary: Blackwood gets better with every book, and An Echo of War is no different.

From the back cover:
Dinaric Alps, Bosnian region of the Austrian Hungarian Empire, 1918. Four allied soldiers stumble across a biological weapon that could wreak devastation on the world - and take a vow to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Ever since, the deadly substance, code-named Kestrel, has been guarded by the descendents of those four brave men - each with the mission of keeping its existence a secret.

Chesapeake Bay, August 2003. The wife of former CIA director Jonathon Root has been kidnapped - and no one except Root himself knows who carried out the crime or why. His grandfather had been one of the soldiers responsible for stealing Kestrel - and now a group of Bosnian terrorists are trying to force Root to hand it over.

Enter agent Briggs Tanner. His mission follow a trail through the alps, to the heart of where it all began - before millions of lives are lost.

A few reasons why I think Blackwood's An Echo of War is the best thriller I'll read this year: 1) Great plotting. Blackwood weaves a story like no one else, taking seemingly unrelated events and threads and winding them together in a exciting plot that makes the pages fly by. 2) Great hero. Briggs Tanner is my new favorite fiction hero. Resourceful and tenacious; sympathetic and human; larger-than-life and daring without being "superhuman". 3) Great characters. I loved the good guys, hated the bad guys. All the key players have a history and motivation all their own, so you feel like these a real people, doing real things that matter to them and the world.

I loved An Echo of War. It's a great suspense-thriller with heavy doses of espionage, intrigue, adventure, and mystery.