The Azrael Initiative (Kayla Falk Series, #1) by K. Hanson Book Review
Reviewers Note: “I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.”
Delving into the complicated world of terrorism, this upcoming book from author K. Hanson, The Azrael Initiative (Kayla Falk Series, #1), is a
relevant look into the fight against the terrorist organization ISIS and the way in which we view the Muslim community as a result of this terrorist
organization. Here is a synopsis:
Best friends Kayla Falk, an engineering student, and Olivia Bellamy, who is studying nursing, are nearing the end of their college career when
terrorists attack their university. Through a combination of cleverness, bravery, and luck, the two manage to foil the deadly plot. A mysterious
man from the United States government, Mr. Hightower, sees their potential and attempts to recruit Kayla and Olivia for a program to take on
ISIS. They initially refuse, but another terrorist attack that strikes close to home pushes them to change their minds and join the Azrael
Initiative.
After several months of hard training, the two women are dropped into Al-Raqqah, the capital of ISIS, in Syria. Once there, they must blend in
with the locals as they strike from the shadows to kill ISIS leaders, destroy their facilities, and free captives. As Americans deep within
enemy territory, they know that they will be killed if discovered. As women, they also know that they would suffer before death. Walking the
line between vengeance and justice strains their relationship. As they work to resolve their differences, the symphony of brutality around them
ultimately pushes them closer together and forges them into the warriors that they were meant to become.
Read the first three chapters: http://www.khansonbooks.com/first-three-chapters-of-the-azrael-initiative/
You can now pre-order The Azrael Initiative at http://www.khansonbooks.com/pre-order-the-azrael-initiative/
If you receive this novel in a giveaway after pre-ordering it, you can simply cancel your pre-order.
This was a fascinating and interesting read to say the least. As someone who is personally invested in making sure no one group is categorized
as evil simply because they share the same religion or skin color as a terrorist organization, I found this to be a great read that delved into
that complicated world that we find ourselves currently living in. Showcasing the struggle of both those affected by terror attacks around the
world and those trapped under the tyrannical rule of the ISIS organization in places like Syria was a powerful use of imagery in this story,
and helped further the plot significantly. The twists and turns this story takes are heart-pounding to read, and the close-knit relationship
between friends Kayla and Olivia is palpable to read.
Now I only have one little criticism for this story, and only because I think it will help the author as they move forward with this important
series, (i look forward to the next entry in the Kayla Falk series)! While reading this book, I did notice that the book in certain passages
suffered from a case of show versus tell storytelling. What this means is that rather than showing the reader certain things through storytelling,
the author had instances where they would go into too much detail, (whether through dialogue between characters, or descriptions of scenes). I
understand this struggle more than anyone as I have written several stories that I later realized had a show versus tell problem. My recommendation
would be to allude to things more and leave some things to the reader’s imagination, rather than going into too much detail. However this
was not a problem, but rather a minute detail that did not take away from the overall narrative at all.
Overall, this was a fun, intense and important book that needed to be told. It sets up a complex world that mirrors our own world in an intense
way. With a shocking twist ending that promises more story that needs to be told in the next book, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys
action books with a strong moral theme. I give this book a 8/10 rating, and highly recommend you guys pick up your copies when it comes out on
March 3rd, 2017!