Customer Reviews

Rogue Avenger

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

 

 

After reading John Hindinger's extraordinary debut novel, 'Rouge Trident,' I had no idea how he was going to top his own performance. Now I know.

'Rouge Avenger' is a heady mix of suspense, steamy sensuality, and heart-pumping action. If you're a military thriller fan, or an adrenaline junkie of any stripe, BUY THIS BOOK NOW! You won't be disappointed.

- Jeff Edwards, award-winning author of Torpedo

In Rogue Trident, author John R. Hindinger introduced us to Jake Slate, a renegade US Navy submariner who stole a nuclear missile submarine. Now, years later, Jake and international arms dealer Pierre Renard are back, acting as mercenaries for the Taiwanese against the dreaded Chinese Kilo class subs. And before long, they are dragged into hunting a rogue Pakistani submarine whose capain is bent on the nuclear destruction of both US and international assets.
Hindinger uses his submarine experience to paint a believable backdrop for a unique storyline with well-developed characters and well-paced action. The author strikes the unique balance between too little technical detail and too much, giving just enough to solidly ground the story and make it enjoyable for both techno-thriller types and those who enjoy general military fiction. Hindinger further demonstrates his writing skills with the introduction of a believable and relevant love interest for Slate. Often only a detriment to military fiction and techno-thrillers, the female character of Olivia McDonald is instead a key player in the story, and the subplot between her and Jake is neither forced nor superfluous. Easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to enjoy (even if you didn't read his first book), Rogue Avenger is definitely worth picking up and definitely hard to put down.

After reading the first book, I next day shipped this book. I am so involved in the story line. I loved how the adventure grew and the new characters that were introduced. I am currently in the Navy and love how the author has been there and done that with operating the subs. This book inspires me to learn more about the submarine fleet! Thank You...keep writing!!! This is a definite must buy book.

This sequel to Rogue Trident pulls you into the action from the very first page. The unexpected introduction of a strong female character really adds interest, especially for us female readers. I guess we like a little romance with our action. Adding a family for Renaud to be used as hostages also invests the story with more suspense and concern for the outcome of the heroes' adventures. The character development in this book is a little more complex than the first one and it is not as technical, which makes it a faster read for the general audience.
Again, I enjoyed the fast pace and the unexpected twists and turns. This story leaves you wanting more and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

I agree with the reviews here and for Rogue Trident (which I read after Rogue Avenger and liked, but not as much) about the action, thrills, and balance. John Hindinger makes you feel like you're in the submarine, on the motorcycle, in the airplane etc. The plotting and twists are wild, fun, and intricate, and it somehow comes together tightly at the end.

Of course, Slate and Renard are exciting characters who drive the plot and are well developed for an action novel, but, as a woman, I wanted to address Hindinger's introduction of his first major female character, Olivia McDonald (Marie, introduced in Rogue Trident, was strong, seductive, and vital to the plot but only a secondary character).

I liked Olivia a lot, and I thought the author did a respectable job portraying the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a woman. However, he could never fully understand the perspectives of a young lady going through what McDonald encounters, and he gets around this by keeping her distracted with actions on pace with the speedy plot. He also makes her a bit masculine with her CIA training, but he balances this with a few emotional scenes where she is either vulnerable or respectably strong, and she is the character who experiences the most inspiring personal change from start to finish.

I thought about a 5 star rating, but not quite. A little more character development and exploration of their thoughts would have helped, but I gave it a strong 4 stars.