Customer Reviews

Out of the Ashes

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Matt Garret and his love, Annie Stewart, are great additions to the genre of adventure fiction. Their creator, Skip Allen, has written a first novel that begs to become a series--a long series. Faced with a plan by al Qaida to send American bad guys into America's Heartland with a biological weapon of mass destruction, Matt and Annie weave through a circuitous adventure that keeps one turning pages and trying to remember to breath. The suspense is almost unbearable and the whole plot is so well written and realistic that one feels they have opened a book with "For Your Eyes Only" scrawled across it. Out of the Ashes' is a truly fantastic tale. It lets us look into the murky world of al Qaida and marvel at the depth of their fanaticism and takes us thru the complex of our own intelligence network. The Navy Seals do their legendary best and the code breakers work away, unsung but celebrated in our hearts. It is a story of the best and the worst that man can do; luckily, honor, integrity and sheer courage perseveres. It is filled with riveting action that makes for a wonderful read, one can hope that Allen writes another one,and soon.

I just finished reading Skip Allen's very thrilling, suspenseful, and enjoyable debut novel. At the end, I was left yearning for more...maybe a sequel? I hope so!

Allen's writing style is superb. He writes very succinctly, yet conveys much meaning.

The characters are very well fleshed out. I especially like how the author goes straight to the root causes of how al Qaida managed to recruit 3 young red-blooded Americans. The family backgrounds, the painful upbringings, the torn emotions...all are very believable, intriguing, while at the same time very scary indeed.

The technicalities and subplots woven throughout this tapestry of a novel are intriguing; especially the descriptions of weapons, computer/encryption descriptions, military procedures, etc. Very interesting indeed.

Other highlights are: detailed descriptions of biological agents, the luscious landscape of Costa Rica so beautifully described, and Allen's arresting ability to tell the story from all sides and all perspectives, allowing the reader to enter the chilling, obsessive and complex world of al Qaida.

In summary, I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more exciting work from this author.

Out of the Ashes is not your usual book where you can guess each move before it happens. It is also a bit scary because it seems so real. Off and on, it was eerie how closely it matched the national news of the day. I especially liked it because it gave me a better insight into how al Qaida looks at things. I still don't really understand but at least I feel like I know more now than before. I had a terrible time with the names, but I'm not at all familiar with Muslim names--they all sound alike to me. This book tells the circumstances under which Americans end up helping al Qaida. I give the author credit because he made the American characters helping the terrorists in the book all seem to be warped mentally even the ones that were in it only for the money. The plot in the book uses an example of how easy it would be to attack America in a completely different way that could cost so many American lives. And, it sounds so easy--that's the really scary part. The ending seems to leave an opening for a follow-on book. Will we be seeing another very interesting book from this author? Will it have a beautiful cover also?

Skip Allen's debut novel, "Out of the Ashes" explores the frightening possibility of domestic terrorism in the United States. Matt and Annie, having failed in their previous relationship, are suddenly thrust together in a battle to stop an attack in the American Heartland when al Qaida terrorists launch their deadly biological attack.

Not only does Skip Allen weave a masterful tale that spans three continents, he does so with a level of authentic detail that can only come from a lifetime of experience. Only a person with a military intelligence background would understand the intricate relationships of government entities and offices as described in this realistic story. With impeccable research, you will believe you are in Costa Rica with Matt and Annie as they face their own possible death to serve their country.

Symbolisms of the Islamic faith are richly interwoven throughout this well-researched tale that rips names from the headlines of today's news to add to the totally realistic feel of this book. You will be angry, frightened, and more vigilant after having read this book.

Ann Baker
Author of "No Coincidence" and "Timing is Everything"

Out of the Ashes is written very well and the story is very intriguing. The book contains so much wonderful description and details about Costa Rica that the reader comes to know the country even having never been there.

At times in the middle of the book, I had to remind myself that al Qaida were the bad guys. Mr. Allen seems to know a lot about the fundamentals of Islam by revealing the thought processes of the terrorist recruits - he definitley did his homework. I was slightly disappointed that Christianity only plays a negative role in the story, but that is attributed to how well Mr. Allen conveys the terrorist frame of mind. The bad guys aren't nice people afterall.

I really, really loved the final 100+ pages of the book with the exciting action and the great twist I didn't see coming, but it completely felt natural. Again, I think Skip Allen writes very well. I don't regret reading Out of the Ashes at all.

As I read Out of the Ashes, I imagined it being played as a movie in my head. Hollywood producers should give Mr. Allen a call, I am certain that it would make a successful movie. Hollywood could use some new material instead of re-making all those same old movies.

I for one will certainly be checking out SkipAllen.com to look out for the sequel.

WOW!!! This is an exciting and timely book! Be warned! You will not be able to put it down until you turn that last page. It is a story of America's war against terrorism and Al Qaeda's war against America! It could be ripped from the headlines of the future; although we pray not.

This first novel weaves literary fiction and historical accuracy with great skill. Allen's use of the written word captivates his reader and makes the heart pound with anticipation of the next plot twist. His unique ability to explain the construction of Al Qaeda's cells, their recruitment programs and their deployment of WMDs, only adds to this tantalizing tale of good vs evil, embodied by the book's two heroes, Matt and Annie, intelligence operatives who just happen to like each other, a lot.

Make no mistake; however, this is not a love story. It is a carefully woven and frightening tale of the conviction and cruelty of the terrorists, and the commitment of the United States to defeat them, at all costs.

In conclusion, I am waiting for just one more thing: Skip Allen's next book! This is screaming for a sequel! Buy this book now and be ready for one scary ride........

Okay will there be a sequel or perhaps a prequel? This story will leave you wondering and yearning for more from this new found author.

As it begins as a mild terrorist attack of biological weapons on America's heartland, it then quickly unfolds plans for another massive attack. Suspense and intrig will keep you tied to this novel, and you will become immersed into all key player's lives.

There is a pretty hot romance between two main characters Matt and Annie, and I only felt I needed to know more about them. But they are hard at work trying to uncover weapons of mass distruction, so the story is not entirly about these two.

You may even notice a sense of humor during the demise of some of the characters. I felt like this was a break form the seriousness of the plot. Apart from the military jargon that goes on, this story kept my attention. I felt "Out of the Ashes" to be well written and I hope to see more from this extrodinary new author.