Redemption: (Ryan Drake: book 1): a compelling, action-packed and high-octane thriller that will have you gripped from page one

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A new thriller series featuring British CIA agent Ryan Drake—perfect for fans of Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and David Baldacci Will Jordan is better known as The Critical Drinker on Youtube, but he's also a successful author of spy novels. This is his first effort, and it's not bad. Will Jordan is the bestselling, internationally published author of the Ryan Drake series. He was born in Scotland in 1983. His works to date include: Drake represents the present. He’s younger and still relatively new to the world of covert operations. He certainly has some baggage (much of which will come out later in the series), but he’s still something of a blank slate with lots of potential for growth.

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Ryan Drake, once a decorated field operative, is now wanted for treason. On the run from the CIA’s corrupt Deputy Director Marcus Cain, he has spent the past six months in a remote French safe house. Drake’s former life seems to be behind him, but the uneasy peace is shattered when Cain moves against him with startling force. Immediately scoped out the second book and will be buying it when I've finished typing this review. Came to this book as a fan of the author's YouTube persona, The Critical Drinker. I'll frame this by saying that I don't consider myself to be a fan of this particular genre, but props to Jordan for entering a field already well-populated (saturated, even) with big names and heavy-hitters.

This book does not let up. It hits the gas and it doesn't let up on the pedal.' -- ***** Reader review Pursued by his former comrades and thrown together with a dangerous woman he doesn’t trust, his journey for answers takes him from Russia to America, Saudi Arabia and finally Iraq.

Redemption (Ryan Drake, book 1) by Will Jordan

Hunted by his former comrades and those willing to do anything to protect a deadly secret, Drake is left with no choice but to trust a dangerous woman he barely knows.For Ryan Drake, this is just the beginning as the sniper is revealed to be Anya – the rogue former CIA agent he helped rescue from prison nearly two years earlier. Now she has allied herself with an elusive but deadly new terrorist group bent on the utter destruction of the Russian government. For fans of World War Z, a chilling mystery, an ancient threat, and a race against time to save humanity–inspired by the true events of the Dyatlov Pass incident In a tense and action-filled novella, Ryan Drake and his team must go to Ukraine to find a compromised CIA source – but is new unit member Keira Frost up to the job? During one particular film shoot he was required to undertake military boot camp training, as he was to play the part of a World War Two soldier, and it was this training that led to his keen interest in military history and the many conflicts that have occurred. It was this interest that led him to research historical conflicts and, with his love of writing having already been ingrained from an early age, he then went onto write his first novel that was to see the introduction of Ryan Drake as a lead character. Other research included visiting Eastern Europe and America, spending time on the weapon ranges there, a journey which also took him to Washington D.C.

Redemption: Ryan Drake, Book 1 (Audio Download): Will Jordan

Sacrifice touches on war and how the pieces of that war can be manipulated for personal gain. It also provides an energetic adventure for battle-hardened operative Drake, a man we’re going to be itching to see more of and it might be a sacrifice worth making.’ Maras on the other hand represents the past. Her character has its roots in the dark days of the Cold War when East and West faced off across a divided Europe. She’s older and more experienced than Drake, having spent the better part of two decades doing dirty jobs for the CIA. Her experiences have left her jaded and embittered, but also extremely dangerous.For me the story is all about the changing relationship between Drake and Maras. To begin with he’s deeply distrustful of her, which soon gives way to anger and resentment as things begin to unravel for him. Gradually however he begins to see the humanity in her, and the two of them form a bond of sorts through their shared experiences. It’s not exactly a cosy friendship, as the end of the novel proves, but it’s definitely intense. I also love playing with the notion of who the ‘bad guy’ really is. No character should be 100% good or bad in my opinion, and I think that holds particularly true for the antagonists. In Redemption, characters may do bad things but in their own minds (and perhaps even in the real world) they’re serving a greater good. I think that makes them far more interesting because it gives the reader a different perspective.

Ryan Drake Series by Will Jordan - Goodreads Ryan Drake Series by Will Jordan - Goodreads

What broke my suspension of disbelief was the character of Maras, the woman Ryan and his team are sent to rescue in the beginning of the story. I'm all for strong and interesting female characters, but Maras seems like a superhero in an otherwise grounded story. She's way too strong and fast, unbelievably perceptive, skillful in everything she does, and established as pretty much the toughest fighter there is.As the title suggests, this books is about the pursuit of redemption. Both Drake and Maras have done bad things in their pasts, and are each searching for a way to make that right. However by the end they each realise that redemption can’t be given by someone else – it has to be earned. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It's clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation, plot and pacing. Personally, I would also have welcomed some of the author's natural wit to have come across in the novel. Following his trail of destruction, the team must fight to save Drake not only from a list of ruthless enemies, but even more urgently, from himself. Sadly the tone of the characters is not always consistent, and several moments that are supposed to be emotionally important come too soon or are otherwise underdeveloped. The closer we get to the ending the more most characters seem to start following a typical Hollywood formula with all the clichés you may find in generic action movies, along with lines we've all heard uttered before. In any case, the book is written well enough and the story is compelling enough to keep the reader hooked.