Shadowstorm #2 Hammer of Angels

As marvelous as the first and if not with much more action than before. Presenting Shadowstorm #2 Hammer of Angels by G.T. Almasi.

Here is the summary of the book:

In G. T. Almasi’s thrilling alternate reality, the United States, the USSR, and the Republic of China share a fragile balance of power with Greater Germany, which emerged from World War II in control of Europe and half of the Middle East. To avoid nuclear Armageddon, the four superpowers pursue their ambitions with elite spies known as Levels, who are modified with mechanical and chemical enhancements. Nineteen-year-old Alix Nico, code-named Scarlet, is a kick-ass superheroine with killer Mods and an attitude to match. She’s considered one of America’s top Levels, even though her last mission nearly precipitated World War III. So now Scarlet and her new partner, Darwin, have been sent to Greater Germany to help sow the seeds of anarchy and prevent Germany’s defection to Russia and China. But where Scarlet goes, chaos follows—and when her mission takes an unexpected turn, she and Darwin must go ever deeper into enemy territory. As Scarlet grapples with a troubling attraction to her new partner, explosive information comes to light about the German cloning program and one of its prisoners—a legendary American Level who just happens to be Scarlet’s father.

Espionage and adrenaline-square-action, Hammer of Angels has it all. Alix Nico is back with her mods, 'lil Bertha and that crazy madrenaline pupping through her veins. Still dealing with the repercussions of what happened in Blades of Winter, Alix suffers through great loss. Anxious for a new case to leave behind all the hurt and the accessories that come along with this particular emotion, Alix and her new partner Darwin start tailing a suspect but the revelations and the unload is actually much bigger this time.

Alix, the machine gunning, modulated special agent of ExOps, now jumps a case to infiltrate Germany, with Darwin. She suffers from great loss. Patrick gone and no idea where is dad really is? Thats a hard thing to process. But she is more than determined to see it done. Then there is the fact that she is way past her limits and its finally showing through with her work....a little thing called consequences. All those escapes and near death shots Alix had averted are finally taking their toll. Beautifully put and progressed to show that she has weaknesses and that she is not perfect in any sense at all.

I liked one thing about this book, we got to meet a lot more special agents at a personal level than we did in the first one. Besides the superb alternative world building by the author and the tallying load of info that seals the deal, it is a marvel to read about of whom we never heard of before in the first book or were just mentioned in passing.

G.T. Almasi has done it again though, built a convincing alternative world whose history differs a little bit from the real one. Built up the enormous amount of info needed to make it look real and even then the plot fast-paced, and action-oriented till the last sentence.

"A fast-paced spy thriller with an alternate history, designed to keep you on your toes....the perfect and well measured sequel to Blades of Winter"

Genre :      Alternate History, Espionage, Action, Adventure


Publisher: Del Ray


My Copy:  netgalley and publisher


Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Shadowstorm #1 Blades of Winter

I'm not very knowledgeable as far as alternate history goes but GOD this book just took my breadth away...AMAZING. Presenting Shadowstorm #1 Blades of Winter by G.T. Almasi.

Here is the summary of the book:

In one of the most exciting debuts in years, G. T. Almasi has fused the intricate cat-and-mouse games of a John le Carré novel with the brash style of comic book superheroes to create a kick-ass alternate history that reimagines the Cold War as a clash of spies with biological, chemical, and technological enhancements. Nineteen-year-old Alix Nico, a self-described “million-dollar murder machine,” is a rising star in ExOps, a covert-action agency that aggressively shields the United States from its three great enemies: the Soviet Union, Greater Germany, and the Nationalist Republic of China. Rather than risk another all-out war, the four superpowers have poured their resources into creating superspies known as Levels. Alix is one of the hottest young American Levels. That’s no surprise: Her dad was America’s top Level before he was captured and killed eight years ago. But when an impulsive decision explodes—literally—in her face, Alix uncovers a conspiracy that pushes her to her limits and could upset the global balance of power forever.

The perfect cover and a scintillating synopsis, those were the things that attracted me to this book and the line about it being as alternate history.....and I was sold. From the first page to the last this is a minefield of a book. And impressive is the fact that Mr. Almasi put much work into it to produce such an amazing read....and it is clearly visible as we proceed into the story.

Strong characters and strong settings push this story in the right direction. Alix Nico is the perfect protagonist. The perfect killing machine. This infiltrator is the best one in the field and she knows it. From tumbling down giant building rooftop to leading a merry goose chase against the enemy in the desert country half-dead, to combating the enemy, Alix does it all.

A one woman show, Blades of Winter makes a smoking start to the Showstorm series. G.T. Almasi's world, a different post WWII world, where the countries fought a different form of war altogether. This is a world where Germany won a short termed victory in the war. This is a world that harnessed the science of cloning much before the real time period (our world) did. And it is interesting to see the implications of it from the author's pen. And if you are a fan of James Bond and John le Carré then you should definitely check it out.

"Fast-paced, gadget-savy and informative, packed with the scintillating twist and turns -- perfect blend of James Bond and John le Carré's George Smiley"

Genre :      Fiction, Thriller, Alternate History


Publisher: Del Ray


My Copy:  Publisher and Netgalley


Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)