On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush. But when those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government.

Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he’s learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.

How was it?

This book is hella predictable, I mean from the first few chapters alone I knew exactly how this was going to go down. It is kind of paint by numbers and yet, quite entertaining. I wanted to follow Reece’s journey even if I knew where he was going. I also found it fascinating how this book is written for a specific audience and it shows throughout. When you read it, if you haven’t already, you’ll know what I mean.

It’s not very nuanced but the action is solid and not too fantastical. Carr does a good job at making it believable. I wasn’t as much into the story as I was observing the thinly veiled social commentaries peppered throughout this book. It’s fascinating.
As for the main character, James Reece, he is portrayed as competent, ready to die and to put everything on the line for his revenge but for some reason, it doesn’t sound completely true. At some point, it seemed like the character was felt more slighted and disrespected by what was done to him rather than angry and grieving. It’s a little disturbing since what happened to him, despite being mentioned many times almost seems like an afterthought. If you’re able to look past what is essentially a fridging and strong political views, the action and the methodical way James takes his enemies down is entertaining.

The Terminal List is available on The Book Depository and other book retailers near you.