Customer Reviews

The Wall of Night

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found Blackwood's second Tanner novel even better than the first, and I can only see Blackwood's books getting better and better in the future!

Tanner is a man with a past, and in The Wall of Night he's given an opportunity to make right something in his past that went terribly wrong. Briggs Tanner is a refreshing everyday hero who isn't "super human" or "all action". He's an average man with a very above average job. He's humble. And I find that very appealing in a character.

I can only hope that we see more novels from Grant Blackwood featuring Briggs Tanner. I want to learn more about him and his life while watching him as he continues to do jobs that others aren't willing, or have the training, to do.

Espionage/Thrillers usually aren't the kinds of books I read, but for Blackwood I will continue to make the exception. Highly entertaining reads!!

This is the second book I have read by Mr. Blackwood and it was as thrilling as the first. This is pure escapism action with a fairly plausible plot line. Briggs Tanner is a great protaginist although he seems almost super human sometimes and is able to escape from impossible situations. This story is similar to those of Clancy and others, but with less technical detail and more focus on plot and characters. The only fault I can find is with the editing. There were quite a few typographical errors that should have been caught. I have seen similar errors in other books from this publisher.
I hope Mr. Blackwood brings back this cast of characters in future novels.

Blackwood's first book "The End Of Enemies" was an outstanding
book. His second book is another fine book. In this book our agent Briggs Tanner is once again the hero.Twelve years earlier Tanner had been sent into China to help Heneral Soong defect to
the west.The escape was broken up by the secret Chinese police
the Guoanbu.Tanner barely escaped with his life. Now Soong wants to defect again.It is up to Tanner to go back in after him.During
his rescue journey the world is perched on the brink of a major war.Tanner is forced to pull off a daring rescue under trying conditions.The ending of the book is also very good. Read this new book and discover an outstanding author. You will be pleased.

Like most of the other reviewers, it seems, I was anxiously awaiting this book after devouring Blackwood's debut novel, The End of Enemies. I wasn't disappointed. This is suspense/adventure/thriller fiction at its BEST, and believe me, I've read them all, from the best of Clancy to the worst rehashed, rambo-ish stuff out there.

Why did I like this book so much? It's hard to answer that in just a few short sentences, but I'll try:

1) Great plotting. Blackwood knows how to weave stirring subplots around a central story line. You can't wait to find out what's happening to who, or where they are now, or how it's all going to fit together. And in the end, it all does fit together -- tightly, neatly, and satisfyingly.

2) Great characters. Briggs Tanner, the hero from The End of Enemies, is back along with all the others (Including some new villains that I loved hating). Tanner is a hero you can sink your teeth into, the kind of good guy you want on your side -- and the kind the bad guys don't want against them. Don't misunderstand: He's far from the trite, tough-as-nails, "testosteroney" superman you see in other books, but rather a smart and resourceful (and very human) protagonist who's got a personal stake in winning the day.

3) Great pace. Blackwood knows how to write a page-turner. I can't tell you how many times I told myself I was going to put The Wall of Night down "after the next page" only to find myself keeping going. You always want to find out what's around the next corner. For me, that's the definition of "un-put-downable".

Here's the thing: I read a lot of fiction and with so many books being published every year, so it's hard to choose sometimes. The Wall of Night (and, yes, The End of Enemies) was a no-brainer for me. No question about it, I'm putting Blackwood's books on my "gotta get" list.

Grant Blackwood's book helps to reclaim a chunk of this reader's past. In college I read many "spy novels", stories of international intrigue; tales of hard-boiled, tough as nails, handsome, super human guys who controlled every situation in which they found themselves. And no situation was unplanned. It was cool, guys so in control of their lives that they would possess any woman they desired - whether Countess or Queen, all the while saving the world for the baddest of the bad guys. They even casually tossed off witty and biting one-liners as they saved the world for the baddest of the bad guys. Must of have been my stage in life, totally unsure of what I would do post college, baffled by the big world outside the cozy confines of a university town. Somehow, this super-race of world savers gave me comfort that I would get out of Biology II, Trig, whatever, and go on to find my own world, albeit a much, much smaller one. Must of worked, life went on and these unrealistic, jet-setting, Bond-ish guys moved off my shelves.

Wall of Night, and the first Briggs Tanner novel, End of Enemies, moved those memories back into my consciousness. I may not read the Wilbur Smith, Lawrence Sanders, and Ian Fleming titles again, but Briggs, the main character in Blackwood's first two novels, gives me a character I can respect. Competent and sure, strong, accomplished and confident, Briggs has an attribute that is missing in some of the other intrigue characters I am familiar with - humility. Briggs does every thing those guys I read in my college days did, but he does it with a style that makes him seem more human. He is fallible, he'll admit to it, and heck, he even maintains a close relationship with his mom and dad.

Briggs and his colleagues are great characters. Read the Briggs novels. You got page turning action, great heroes, and believable, well-informed plots. You even have something else lacking in many other spy novels - good writing! Blackwood, even though apparently a young writer, has mastered a great economy in his descriptions. Still, he uses vivid imagery to paint the picture in detail adequate enough to put you in the scene. In Wall of Night, Blackwood puts the reader inside a sub dangling on a ocean floor shelf, just waiting to drop off into the abyss. You can feel yourself there. Tanner and associates deal with folks doing good and evil all over the planet and Blackwood takes you in and out each environ with ease, and with an understanding of each culture that provides a realistic feel, while maintaining the dignity of that culture. Ya just gotta read the description of Briggs, the Chinese farmer, and the farmer's truck. Good stuff, add this one to your reading list today!

Grant Blackwood's new book is a sizzling blend of mystery, suspense and political intrigue.
For me a good book needs three criteria:
One - is it a page turner...it was. I couldn't wait to see what was happening in D.C., Russia and China.
Two - am I sad it's ended....I was.
Three - can I jump right into a new book or not...NOT. I am still in China with Briggs Tanner.
If you LIKED "End of Enemies", you'll LOVE "Wall of Night".

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is very fast-paced and kept me turning the pages late into the night. I was constantly curious about what would happen next-and usually guessed wrong! Lots of surprises, right to the very end!

I literally read the last 200 pages of this book in one night staying up until 3 am to do so. Espionage and entrigue all over the place, this book is great.

However, I have to hope that Grant based some of the events of this book on reality or other fiction (particularly the early escapades of the Zi's), because if he thought about that on his own, then he is really one sick cookie.

I enjoyed Blackwood's End of Enemies...it was fast paced, exciting and well written, so I had high expectations for his follow-up novel, The Wall of Night.

My expectations were exceeded.

The writing is tighter, the plot even more compelling, and Blackwood seems to have developed an even greater ability to place you in the action ( see the Fighter jet scene). No Sophomore jinx here.

Tanner once again shows himself to be a fully developed and engaging hero. His loyalty to Soong is both laudable and believable and the pain he feels after one of the plot twist'a is palpable.

The Wall of Night is a great read, but if you haven't read Blackwod's End of Enemies, I'd start there. You'll appreciate the growth of Tanner's character and Blackwood's skill as a writer.

I couldn't put it down! Janet Burns, Seattle, WA

I picked up The Wall of Night on the advice of a friend who loves thrillers and had read Blackwood's first book, The End of Enemies. To be honest, suspense-thrillers are generally not my sort of book, especially since most of them appear to be geared toward men rather than women. But, trusting my friend's advice, I gave Wall of Night a shot.

I'm glad I did! From the first page I found myself drawn into the story, wondering how the different plot pieces and characters fit together, and how it was all going to turn out. I spent a good portion of my weekend finishing the book, but it was time well spent! As I turned the last page, I was surprised to find my heart pounding.

Once done, I gave the book to my husband (a fan of Clancy, Cussler, Grisham, and all those) and he too promptly found himself unable to put it down. Once he's finished, we're picking up a copy of Blackwood's first, The End of Enemies.

Like a lot of people, I enjoy finding new authors and books that I can fall in love with, but it's especially fun when the book comes from out of the blue. If you like thrillers, you'll love The Wall of Night, and if you love good stories but aren't so sure about thrillers, try this one. You might be pleasantly surprised.