Warning Order: A Search and Destroy Thriller

I like the intrigue/conspiracies that seem to make up the Kane character and how the author ties it together with a supporting cast. That said, the story was incomplete. I'm not fond of authors that do that as I think their motives are misplaced, e.g., they're either lazy or trying to create too much of an interest for their next book. Hood has potential and so does his his character Mason Kane. But a good book read must come from a readers perspective and that means you need some closures and only one, which was suspect to begin with, was accomplished This is a (minor) spoiler alert but the weakest closure was with respect to Warchild.

Josh Hood has completed the second novel, Warning Order, in his authentic Search and Destroy thriller series. For newcomers, the Search and Destroy books literally strap a parachute onto a reader forcing them out of the plane and onto the battlefield. This new gripping military thriller lines up all other combat tomes from the sub-genre, sweeps them off the bookshelf into a freshly dug grave, then double taps them face down before air support is called in to bombard competitors into oblivion. Quite simply, no one can write a balls to the wall down-range novel like Hood can that gives the reader the full experience of war’s sights, smells, and sounds. He mixes knowledge of special operations, general purpose forces, and policy makers that result in a perfect blend of how this country wages war while giving a nod to brotherhood bonds and barriers in combat. In Warning Order, the beloved core cast of characters are back with Mason and Renee leading the charge in Syria and Iraq to stop a series of U.S. supported ISIS attacks. That’s right. Anvil is back! And Hood hammers all that stand in its way while still giving a mature caricature of the power vacuum of politics, intelligence, and operations that happens today in Middle Eastern conflicts. Hood takes war so close, readers earn jump wings and an Airborne tab.

Joshua Hood's Warning Order, the follow up novel to Clear By fire finds Mason right back in the thick of things and gives you every bit of action and battle you could want. Joshua does a great job of giving you plenty of details but not too many, giving you the opportunity to create your picture of the battlefield and the situations that Mason and Renee find themselves in.

Joshua's dedicated time to our country in the 82nd Airborne definitely helped shaped his understanding and thought process of men and women in battle. Mason finds himself in a very similar situation battling not only the enemy but the same people who want him to fight. Renee is still trying to define herself as a combat soldier while living in the world of war, that most people do not see fit for women.

I was fortunate enough to have read Clear By Fire and then was able to receive an ARC of Warning Order (Thank You!!). Not taking anything away from CBF, but you can tell that Joshua has really embraced his characters and taken them to the next level in Warning Order. 2015 was a big year for me and i honestly thought CBF was the best book I read (I did read more than 1 book). I firmly believe that in 2016, Warning Order will compete with the likes of Thor, Taylor and Bell.

The experiences that Mr. Hood has been through while serving the ole Red, White and Blue has definitely allowed him to make you feel like the rifle rounds and mortars are flying right by your head and exploding all around you. His ability to draw you in and keep the pages turn made my heart beat a little harder and feel like I was right in the thick of it. Although I have never been in battle, I feel like I have now because of Warning Order. The only negative with this book is that we must wait a little while for book three, the spoils of an ARC are brutal (haha).

You will not be disappointed in this one, and you haven't read the first, pick up Clear By Fire (2015) and enjoy. There is not reason not to go ahead and pre-order this one and have on your doorstep on pub day! Happy Reading!

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Touchstone.

This book probably falls more into the 3.5 star rating for me because I liked it but I did have some problems with it. It is positively a military action thriller with the emphasis on the action almost to the exclusion of all other elements usually expected in a novel. I read a lot of action adventure novels set within the military community. I like those types of books so this isn't the first novel of this type I've read. Therefore, when I say the novel was too heavily oriented toward violence, I say that from having other novels to compare it with. There was little, I'm almost tempted to say no, character development. This is the second book of the series and I did not read the first book so it's always possible that the characters were explained in the previous novel. If so, including some of that information for those of us who missed the first book would not have gone amiss. Several sentences placed almost at the end of the novel just wasn't enough. Mason Kane is obviously not in the military, nor is his warring best buddy Zeus, a Libyan and ex-intelligence officer who speaks Arabic. That comes in handy since the story opens in Syria in 2014. The non-combat characters go all the way from the President of the US, through highest ranking Cabinet officers to field officers to a CIA agent, David Castleman. The military missions are supposed to be either off-the-books or flying under the radar of media.

As odd as it may sound, the characters I connected with the most were Renee who is serving in the military and definitely knows how to hold her own within her elite unit and Zeus. The main character, Mason Kane, has the appearance of being nothing more than a highly inventive killing machine, impervious to any and all major wounds. I didn't get any sense of his humanity and didn't like him at all. I don't feel I was given a reason to like him.

Perhaps if the author could have scaled back some of the time spent on the warrior scenes if he was pushed for space and added depth to the characters in the novel so I could understand their motivation more fully, then I would have enjoyed his novel more completely. The first fighting scene of the book was still not fully completed by the 30% point in the book. From there the story simply moved into a different fighting scene. I understand from reading the biography of this author that he has the credentials to write with authority about the types of face-to-face combat and military infrastructure found in this novel. I simply feel spending some of his writing time making the characters in his novel more understandable and even sympathetic for the reader would result in a more well rounded story. It will always be violent, because that is the nature of the story, but it would at least be nice to be given a reason to like the lead character.

Last year Joshua Hood kicked the doors to the military thriller genre off the hinges with his explosive debut novel Clear by Fire. This year, Hood has topped himself with Warning Order, the second book in his gritty, action-packed series following elite super-soldier Mason Kane.

There is nobody like Mason Kane in the genre right now, and here’s why: to some extent, even on a small scale, Mason is Joshua Hood. By that I mean Hood draws on his own combat experiences to shape Mason, and he doesn’t shy away from controversy. In fact, Hood’s first two books read like a character study into mindset of a soldier, and it’s oftentimes as heartbreaking as it is compelling.

Warning Orders starts with a comprised mission, that leads the heroes and heroine into further thrilling good story line filled with twists and turns.

This book is not for the weak faint of heart. Taut and suspenseful, written with realistic gritty action and battle scenes because Hood has been there. He succeeds in throwing the reader right into the fighting combat zone, tasting and smelling the horrific results of combat. This is the front lines in America’s war on terror.

Hood pushes his characters to their breaking point in a realistic way while continuing to keep you engaged in the story. Mason Kane is a killing machine. His best buddy Zeus, is a Libyan and ex-intelligence officer who speaks Arabic. The relationship between Renee Hart, a DOD operative, has potential for romance in the future.

The non-combat characters go all the way from the President of the US, through highest ranking Cabinet officers to field officers to a CIA agent, David Castleman. The military missions are supposed to be either off-the-books or flying under the radar of media.

Mealy mouth people who still think the administration has it under control, will protest the fiction scenes that describe the incompetence and ruthlessness of politicians more concerned about their careers than the lives of men sent into battle.

Hood takes war so close to the readers with action ripped from today’s headlines, but so much more realistic.

Second in what should become a popular and successful set of novels about the US army in battle with elements of radical Islam. Hood's book is nothing short of an adrenaline rush. Combat is present from start to finish keeping the reader glued to the pages mesmerized by the action. Mason Cane, on the US government's Black List strikes a deal with the CIA to clear his name and throws himself back into action. He finds that he is up against a radical cell of terrorists with possible roots within the US president's inner circle.
Moving against the cell Cane is joined by a group including Renee Hart a DOD operative and special forces soldiers. Action is constant with no let up. Renee was apparently set to become a love interest for Mason Cane in the first book by Hood, "Clear by Fire", but there is no time in this novel for any private contact for the two. The ending finds Cane wounded in action and taking a leave in order to recuperate from his wounds. He is contacted by the individual that guides his actions, and the book ends as Mason is ordered into his next actions.
The book is for any reader that appreciates combat action written by a veteran of war who has the knack to describe military action and the weapons used in the fighting. Well done novel of war showing what it really is
is.

This really was a very enjoyable read. If you like Action Thrillers, then you will love this book. Joshua Hood has done a great job with not only the storyline, but the Characters as well. Mason Kane didn’t take long to work out that something wasn’t quite right when they stormed the target house in Syria. Besides nearly getting killed he found evidence that his friend Mick Boland might have been compromised, and the enemy probably know all about him which will put in extreme danger. The Agency wanted Khalid al Hamas, a pretty high profile Iranian target who was meeting with Jamal Latif, the commander of Al Nursa. Mick Boland organised a meeting with these men through an intermediary asset of the US. Unfortunately for Mick he was double crossed and was taken prisoner by Khalid’s men. Now Mason is doing everything he can to get his friend Mick back safely, through some very hostile country, and with Jihadist everywhere. Mason doesn’t realise, but he has another problem with the National Security Advisor Jacob Simmons wanting him dead. The story moves along at a good pace, and there is always plenty of interesting things happening. This is an exciting adrenalin filled adventure, and it is definitely worth a read.

Review:

I have been in love with Matthew Reilly since the day I got my hands on one of his book. But never in my lofe, I could imagine a book that could compete with the sheer brilliance of Reilly’s action-packed narrative. Warning Order seriously lived upto every expectations that I had after reading this book. Every single chapter keeps you hooked in such a way that it is a compulsion for you to finish the book before you find peace. The second book in the Search and Destroy series is simply brilliant; the plot is simple and yet flavorsome and the action packed into every single narrative and nuances helps in making the reader want for more. The characters are definitely interesting and wholesome and will make you want to learn more about them.

The cover image lives upto all expectations that you have when you come actoss a book on covert operations. However, I did not see why the title has been named so.

My opinion: I am definitely recommending this book. Personally, I am going to go hunt out the entire series now.

My rating: 4 out of 5

This 2nd book in Search and Destroy series by Joshua Hood is similar to the 1st book in that there is lots of military based action and the narrative is fast paced. There are 2 things about it though that bring it down from a 5 star rating. First is that there are numerous Military inaccuracies in it that this veteran came across, primarily in regards to service references other than the Army. For example, the title Marine should always be capitalized and is never in the novel and a Corpsman is not a Marine, he is a Sailor attached to a Marine unit. Secondly, there are lots of typos and wrong wording throughout the novel. A more thorough proof reading is needed prior to publication. Overall, a good read though.

Joshua Hood's Warning Order is an all action - all the time thriller that portrays a battlefield realism that you don't typically see in the thriller genre. Its a fast moving story that is hard to put down, perfect summer read.

Joshua Hood has been to Hell and back—Ramadi, Tora Bora, Jalalabad—and it shows.
Every page of Warning Order throbs with the beat of battle—real battle—and Hood
pulls no punches in this white-knuckle grinder. Steel yourself!

This really was a very enjoyable read. If you like Action Thrillers, then you will love this book. Joshua Hood has done a great job with not only the storyline, but the Characters as well. Mason Kane didn’t take long to work out that something wasn’t quite right when they stormed the target house in Syria. Besides nearly getting killed he found evidence that his friend Mick Boland might have been compromised, and the enemy probably know all about him which will put in extreme danger. The Agency wanted Khalid al Hamas, a pretty high profile Iranian target who was meeting with Jamal Latif, the commander of Al Nursa. Mick Boland organised a meeting with these men through an intermediary asset of the US. Unfortunately for Mick he was double crossed and was taken prisoner by Khalid’s men. Now Mason is doing everything he can to get his friend Mick back safely, through some very hostile country, and with Jihadist everywhere. Mason doesn’t realise, but he has another problem with the National Security Advisor Jacob Simmons wanting him dead. The story moves along at a good pace, and there is always plenty of interesting things happening. This is an exciting adrenalin filled adventure, and it is definitely worth a read.

Review:

I have been in love with Matthew Reilly since the day I got my hands on one of his book. But never in my lofe, I could imagine a book that could compete with the sheer brilliance of Reilly’s action-packed narrative. Warning Order seriously lived upto every expectations that I had after reading this book. Every single chapter keeps you hooked in such a way that it is a compulsion for you to finish the book before you find peace. The second book in the Search and Destroy series is simply brilliant; the plot is simple and yet flavorsome and the action packed into every single narrative and nuances helps in making the reader want for more. The characters are definitely interesting and wholesome and will make you want to learn more about them.

The cover image lives upto all expectations that you have when you come actoss a book on covert operations. However, I did not see why the title has been named so.

My opinion: I am definitely recommending this book. Personally, I am going to go hunt out the entire series now.

My rating: 4 out of 5