Greetings, book lovers! I hope your holiday time has treated you well and that you’ve had lots of quiet time to relax and read.
With the kids home from school for a couple of weeks, I have had nothing of the sort! But I will live vicariously through you…
I have gotten lots of reading done, but I’ve had to be selective about the kind of books I read. I need fast paced, action-packed thrillers that have me so invested in the lives of the characters that I physically cannot be interrupted, even by the most persistent cases of “Mom, I’m hungry!” or “Mom, she’s breathing my air!”
If you, too, suffer from these kinds of interruptions… I give you C.T. Phipps’ Agent G series!
I’ve already reviewed Agent G: Infliltrator (Agent G #1) and loved it. You can read my take here.
I was excited to start the next book in the series after the first one had me on the edge of my seat, and Phipps does not disappoint.
Agent G: Saboteur (Agent G #2)
Cyborg James Bond? Yes, please…
The Blurb
From the best-selling author of the Supervillainy Saga comes the sequel to Agent G: Infiltrator.
Agent G has left the service of the International Refugee Society, the world’s biggest provider of murder for hire, in order to work for the US government. Unfortunately, they are sending him after his former employers, and they know him as well as he knows them.
The clock is ticking, though, until the Society’s remaining leadership starts eliminating their opponents and attempts to seize control of the presidency. A traitor is also providing them with all the information they need to survive until their puppet is in power.
Will G and his allies survive the purge?
Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a cyborg spy.
My Review
I absolutely loved the first two Agent G books, and have already downloaded the third and final book in this series for my January reads.
This is an action-packed spy thriller series with a sci-fi twist, full of political intrigue, lies, double-crossing, lies and more lies.
Did I mention the LIES?? I’m practically traumatized by all the betrayals in this story. And yet, here I am, itching to start Book 3…
The plot is relentlessly fast-paced. I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next, but none of the twists felt like cop out, deus ex machina type devices. Phipps does a great job of laying the groundwork so that everything that happens, as wild and crazy as some of it is, feels true to the plot and the characters.
The characters, by the way, are my favourite part of these books. There’s a great dynamic between all of the various people who have worked for, betrayed and been betrayed by the Society and the American government. Everyone has their own agendas, but there are strong interpersonal connections that keep each of them from being predictable. I loved the banter in this one, just like book 2, and I especially loved the depth of thought that Phipps has put into these characters and their relationship to their world.
The setting of this story is a kind of pre-cyberpunk. Phipps offers up some speculation as to how our current world might devolve into the cyberpunk dystopias we love (and love to worry about). He also tackles a lot of themes that I believe are integral to the genre, including questions about what make us human (do memories make the man? can our actions redeem us?), how an android or cyborg might approach spirituality, how technological disparities could be our undoing, etc.
Again, like Book 1, you can really approach this series with as much or as little introspection as you like. There is more than enough action and adventure and one liners to keep you entertained if you just want an exciting way to spend a few hours. But if you want a book that makes you think, Phipps gives us plenty of things to ponder.
Fans of classic spy thrillers who are looking for a fresh take on some old tropes will absolutely love Agent G. Likewise, science fiction fans who are looking for a departure from space ships and aliens but still want lots of high-tech intrigue, look no further!
I had a blast with this book and highly recommend C.T. Phipps as an indie author to keep your eyes on. He also has a bestselling super-hero parody series, The Supervillainy Saga which is worth checking out if you like quirky urban fantasy, pop-culture references, and hilarious shenanigans.
Discussion
What have you been reading this month?