Review – Firethorn

Once again, author Ronie Kendig takes us deep inside the world of the US Special Forces in this fourth installment of the Discarded Heroes series.  She remains true to her passionate portrayal of operators who operate outside officially sanctioned parameters, facing incredible odds with a bemusing smirk and a nonchalant, “What?  Again?” attitude.

In this volume, Team Nightshade is systematically dismantled by outside forces that seem to know everything about them.  Scattered around the globe, the team must somehow reconnoiter in order to face their enemies. 

Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin Riddell forgot to “check six,” and winds up in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  Which is a troublesome issue for Kazi Faron.  The covert operative has the dubious task of re-assembling Team Nightshade.  Failure is not an option.  For Kazi, money is not the issue.  Looking beyond the mission, she has a clear view of her ultimate goal . . . freedom.

While Ronie Kendig continues to craft elaborate plots and mesmerizing story lines, interlaced with plenty of special forces action, this particular story was, in this reviewer’s eyes, incredibly “busy.”  One never really gets a chance to settle in to a scene before one is whisked away half-way around the world to another scene.  Trying to keep them all separated, and hold the main plot in focus, made the actual reading of FIRETHORN difficult.  Having said that, I will still be standing in line for the next installment in the Discarded Heroes series.