My Review: Conspiracy of Silence, plus GIVEAWAY!

You know when a book description begins with "This is the way the world end" that said book is going to be epic!

Description:

This Is the Way the World Ends.
Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole "Tox" Russell has been disavowed by the United States.  And that's fine - he just wants to be left alone.  But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.

Tox and his former Special Forces team regroup to work with FBI deception expert, Kasey Cortes, and fiery archaeologist, Tzivia Khalon, to search the globe for answers - and a cure.  As the mission leads from one continent to another, it becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague but battling an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden.

With time running out and the threat for a global pandemic rising, Tox and his team realize their sole chance might be to reach back through centuries of silence to find the only answer that can save them all.

About the Author:

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. She's penned over a dozen novels, including The Quiet Professionals series and the A Breed Apart series. She and her hunky hero hubby have a fun, crazy life with their children and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia.

My Review: 5 stars!

There are so many things I could say about this book.  It has 400+ pages and hours of my life were spent between those pages, immersed in a story so compelling I found myself glancing up every so often, making sure I wasn’t in [insert country] with the team, chasing down leads and running for my life.  I’ve found few authors that can hold my attention the way Ronie Kendig always does, even on the second and third rereads.  Her stories practically demand my undivided attention, because otherwise, I’ll be turning back the pages in a matter of moments, trying to figure out what I missed and how on Earth they ended up there.  This story moves so quickly that the both the characters and I were struggling to get our bearings and catch our breath.  If you pick up this book expecting to find a quick, light read, don’t.  This story is hard, sometimes it’s dark, with the realities of war, and it goes by so quickly that you may find yourself looking back and trying to figure out how you’re already halfway through and you just blinked.  This book most definitely met and majorly exceeded my expectations!

As already noted, Ms. Kendig’s books always keep me on the edge of my seat and if I were to try to give a reason why, I wouldn’t have one beyond simply “her writing.”  There is something about it that I find so compelling and that draws me in again and again.  She undeniably knows how to do suspense and she does it on a whole new level.  The twists and turns of this story often left me hurrying to catch up with the newest bend and then quick as a blink, it would change, again.  And she does it in a way that comes across as believable.  Some things do touch the side of outlandish here and there, but even the characters agreed.  There are several controversial topics touched on and argued about throughout the story and I appreciated how honest the conversations they have are: the fear, doubt, questions, and in the end faith, carry weight and emotion in a story that moves so rapidly I wonder that there’s a moment to breathe.  I was pulled in so thoroughly from the very first chapter that by the time I turned the final page, I felt as though I had taken the journey with them - questions, doubts, bullets, arrows, wisecracks, black eyes, unknowns and all.

One thing that sets this book apart from Ms. Kendig’s previous books is the characters.  This book doesn’t so much focus on one particular character and their story, but more the team as a whole and the events taking place.  I confess to being a little confused in the beginning of the story, as I tried to make each character fit into a specific role, then finding that didn’t work.  Cole “Tox” Russel is a main character, but so are Kasey Cortes and Tzivia Khalon, and really the team as a whole.  I wanted them to each fit in the usual boxes: hero, heroine, best friend, villain, character who’s book comes next, and so forth.  But these characters just refused to fit the mold and I found myself having to readjust my thinking.  I did really love the dynamics of the team: Cell with his sarcasm, Ram with his connections, Kasey learning where she fits, Chiji the calming presence.  There are a couple team members that I didn’t get to know as well, so I’m definitely going to be rereading this book for that, but also to catch all of the threads that didn’t connect the first time around or that I flat out missed because I was rushing to find out what would happen next.

I do have to add that if you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend reading the prequel novella that takes place a few years before this book.  It fills in a few otherwise gray areas and gives an extra layer of detail.  It isn’t a must and doesn’t directly tie in, though events that happen in it are referenced a few times here and there.

Overall, I immensely enjoyed this book and will most likely be found rereading it the first chance I get.  

If you took the time to read my review, thank you so much!  If you just scrolled down here to get to the giveaway info, then keep reading - you made it past most of the gushing.  :) 

So, I accidently ended up with 2 paper copies of Conspiracy of Silence and rather than hoarding both of them, which was my first instinct, I decided to share one with someone.  There should be a Rafflecopter form below to help me keep everything straight (if that's possible).  The giveaway will end at midnight on the 18th and I'll email the winner the next day.  Unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to US visitors. 

Oh!  And if you haven't had the opportunity to read the prequel novella The Warrior's Seal, it's currently FREE on Amazon Kindle (if you don't have a Kindle, the app is free).  I HIGHLY recommend it and if you're new to Ronie's books, this is an excellent way to check out her writing and see if it's your cup of coffee (because Tox would cringe at tea). There's a link for it below, along with purchase links for Conspiracy of Silence.

Final note:
Ronie also has a super awesome giveaway happening on her site!  You should totally go check it out!  Click here to be directed to the giveaway.

Thanks again for stopping by!  I hope someone makes you laugh today.  :)
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Conspiracy of Silence
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