Shadow War audiobook

Read this review and more at www.TheRealBookSpy.comUnlike the majority of new authors trying to make a name for themselves in the political and military-thriller genres, Sean McFate has lived the life he’s now writing about.Drawing from his own experiences, having served in the prestigious 82nd Airborne division of the United States Army, as well as having worked for a private military contractor, McFate adds realism and authenticity to a blistering story about deceit, corruption, and wars fought both by soldiers on the battlefield and by men wearing suits behind closed doors. Tom Locke is a former Tier One operator who now works for a very successful private contracting firm called Apollo Outcomes. While on an operation in Libya, Locke is recalled back to Washington, D.C., where he’s given a new assignment that is far more dangerous–which is his specialty. Locke’s orders are to head to Ukraine and rescue the family of a very wealthy businessman, then lead an assault on Russian forces–a move ultimately designed to place the rich oligarch in a position of influence and leadership. Locke assembles a team of highly-trained individuals who he trusts, but the mission starts out rocky when an old love stumbles, unluckily, back into his life at the very worst time imaginable.What Locke doesn’t know is that Brad Winters, his boss at Apollo Outcomes, has his own secret objective tied to the mission. And given the choice, in order to get his hands on what he wants, Winters is more than happy to let Locke and his team become “collateral damage,” if necessary. With the deck unknowingly stacked against him and an old flame threatening to torch the entire mission before it even gets started, Tom Locke must find a way to stay alive long enough to beat the odds and complete his objectives. Told in first person narrative through Locke’s eyes, Sean McFate’s fictional debut reads like the second coming of New York Times bestselling author Brad Taylor. Shadow War is a rocketing, wickedly-fun ride. MY THOUGHTSShadow War is without a doubt one of the top-five debut military thrillers of the year. It’s explosive, well-crafted, and features nonstop action. We learn in the very beginning, during the scene in Libya, that Locke is a formidable and capable operative who is proficient with various weapons. That level of intensity is carried throughout the rest of the book, and I enjoyed the energy and fast pace that Sean McFate uses to tell this story.The downside, though, is that between the many explosions and gunfights, there is very little character development. The result is multiple one-dimensional characters who never quite bond with the reader. McFate does his best to make up for that with a complex plot that develops and reveals more and more as the pages continue to turn, hooking the reader that way.With shadowy figures and multiple antagonists, I found it easy to root for Locke even though we don’t know him quite as well as I’d like. I just hope the author continues to flesh out the characters in the future.A self-proclaimed “opera-zealot” and lover of classical music, Sean McFate’s new novel Shadow Wars hits all the right notes and pops with gripping authenticity. If you enjoy the genre or are a fan of Brad Taylor’s Pike Logan series, you’ll love this book.

Tom Locke, ancien soldat d’élite, employé d’Apollo Outcomes, spécialiste des actions sur le continent africain, se voit confier une mission à haut risque en Ukraine.Exfiltrer la famille d’un oligarque ukrainien, la mettre à l’abri, propulser son chef de famille sur le devant de la scène politique suite à la mainmise d’un site d’extraction de gaz et contrer les projets de Poutine.J’ai adoré! Tellement authentique qu’il est impossible de démêler de ce qui relève de la réalité et de la fiction! Une révélation livresque!Difficile de classer ce roman: ce n’est pas un thriller, ce n’est pas un roman de guerre véritablement ni un roman axé sur la géo-politique à proprement parler. C’est le roman qui illustre pourtant parfaitement notre société d’aujourd’hui: mondialisation où tous les gouvernements, hommes du monde de la politique comme de l’économie, de la finance, de l’industrie, se mêlent des affaires de tout le monde, mine de rien, en sous-traitant les actions d’éclat, en utilisant des leurres et des vitrines proprettes, en manœuvrant discrètement dans ses propres rangs comme en louvoyant dans les camps adverses, aux fins de pouvoirs ou tout cyniquement, d’argent, toujours plus d’argent.Tom Locke est-il un simple mercenaire n’ayant d’autre objectif que la rémunération et l’adrénaline ou un employé d’une société militaire privée, vivant avec force de bénéfices de contrats fédéraux ou avec la CIA pour des missions secrètes et classées, ou pour assurer la sécurité personnelle d’individus à travers le monde? On sent que l’homme répugne à se faire appelé « mercenaire », est-ce pour se donner bonne conscience, avoir l’illusion de choisir ses causes alors qu’au final, il est le bras armé de celui qui peut payer?C’est un roman qui transpire le cynisme à chaque action. Bien entendu, il loue le courage de ces frères d’armes qui combattent ensemble, affrontent, soudés, les épreuves, les blessures et les pertes mais sortis de ce microcosme que l’on ne rencontre que chez les militaires, c’est toute l’hypocrisie de la scène politique mondiale qui ressort dans cette intrigue.Passionnante, trépidante, dont la limpidité ne se dévoilera que tardivement au travers des différents rendez-vous de Brad Winters, le patron de Tom Locke, cette intrigue mêle Vladimir Poutine et les USA aux intérêts dans les anciens bastions de l’URSS, intérêts liés aux ressources naturelles dont l’exploitation est source de profits et de contrôle économique mais aussi liés à la politique pure quand le retour à la mère patrie serait une avancée notable vers la première place de puissance mondiale.L’auteur sait de quoi il parle lorsque qu’il présente le nouveau visage de la guerre moderne et contemporaine par la délégation de la sale besogne des gouvernements aux armées privées. En effet, ancien soldat, ancien mercenaire, il a été également partie prenante à divers postes importants dans les sociétés très connues que sont la DynCorp, Deloitte Consulting ou la TD International, est reconnu comme expert en politique étrangère et stratégie de la sécurité nationale, comme chercheur, conférencier et enseignant.Son CV est impressionnant et il a su le mettre au service d’un excellent roman qui vous laissera pantois en fin de lecture. Il met en exergue une guerre à laquelle nous allons devoir nous habituer et qui risque de changer tous les codes de l’ordre mondial déjà bien chaotique en ces temps troublésL’histoire de Tom Locke et de l’empire d’Apollo Outcomes m’évoque le parcours d’Erik Prince, fondateur de Blackwater, ancien militaire flirtant maintenant entre politique et philanthropie et dont sa société a vu certaines de ses actions, controversées dans les années 2010.Vous l’aurez compris, ce roman flirte tellement étroitement avec la réalité qu’il dépasse son rôle de lecture récréative pour titiller notre vision du monde et des événements qui l’agitent…Shadow war, guerre de l’ombre (pour la traduction!), porte bien son titre quand le personnage de Tom Locke nous ouvre les portes du monde nébuleux des armées privées! Un seconde tome est paru aux States, l’an dernier, Deep Black. Curieuse de savoir si les éditions Bragelonne vont continuer la publication de cette série. Sinon, c’est certain, je filerai le lire en VO!

I stumbled upon this book when I read Sean McFate's rebuttal to Eric Prince's proposal to turn the US's operation in Afghanistan over to private contractors, aka mercenaries. Naturally I had to check out his novel, and I was not disappointed.When I say I was not disappointed, I must emphasize that this is very definitely a book of its genre, that is, the high-octane spy thriller. There's not a lot of deep introspection or elegant, polished prose: instead what we get are in-depth descriptions of clothes, cars, and weapons. Lots and lots of weapons. If you know what a SAW is (I admit my knowledge is pretty sketchy, but I don't think you use it for cutting wood) or have deep feelings about Berettas, then you'll probably get lots out of this book, maybe more than I did, since the differences between SA-80s, AKs, and M-4s are meaningless to me. That being said, I trust the author's knowledge on that particular topic, since he was, after all, a mercenary himself, a title the main character has the decency to own up to, at least inside his own head, since he can't really go around admitting to everyone what it is he does. There's a fair amount about the lonely nobility of the mercenary profession, which works really as a trope in fiction and actually makes for quite a compelling read. I myself am rather less sanguine about the potential of mercenaries to do good in the world than the characters are, but I'm perfectly happy to read about them and the action is cleverly developed, with lots of cutting back and forth between different and competing points of view. Furthermore, while there are plenty of cliches here, I have to give the authors props for including an unusually interesting and well-rounded female lead, who manages to get off some of the best zingers in the book, such as when she looks at the bookshelf of a young CIA operative and notes that he has the typical reading collection of his type, which includes absolutely zero books by women, unless that woman is Margaret Thatcher. That kind of cutting insight is part of what makes this particular book worth reading, out of all the spy thrillers there are out there to choose from.The book is set during the current conflict in Ukraine, which makes it highly topical. The Russians are unabashedly evil and the enemy to be defeated as part of the modern Great Game, something the author, once again, at least has the decency to admit to straight out, while the anti-Russian Ukrainians are the good guys, and with nary a swastika or wolfsangel in sight. The ending is sufficiently explosive, and sets up the possibility for a fun series.I was reading this book at the same time as I was reading some more American "literary" fiction, also about war, and simultaneously reading some Russian war prose, which allowed me to contemplate some interesting comparisons. Why are these kinds of genre fiction novels so compelling? I, presumably, am one of the more sophisticated readers out there, what with my PhD in literature and all, and I roll my eyes when I read stuff like this, but I...can't...stop...reading...it. It's great! It sucks you in! You really care about the characters! While a lot of the current American "literary" fiction leaves a lot of readers (like me) cold. The Russian stuff is of course excellent, and far superior (not that I'm biased or anything). Why is that? Because, I've decided, genre writers (and Russian authors) aren't afraid to deploy things like archetypes and heroic, mythological story cycles, and that's what our subconscious is looking for. The consciously composed literary fiction that deliberately eschews all that is never going to be as compelling as something like Twilight--or this--that just jumps straight in and starts dealing out archetypes right and left.So, to sum up, if you're looking for a highly topical, high-action thriller written by someone who's actually experienced at least some of the things he's writing about, this book will probably do right by you. You may need to detox from the testosterone and American jingoism afterwards, but that's just a risk you take when you plunge into the genre.

This author really knows his stuff as he provides a truly believable glimpse into modern mercenary warfare. The first of a series by Author McFate, "Shadow War" is a fitting novel of contracted warfare reminiscent of Frederick Forsyth's "The Dogs of War." Tom Locke is a special contractor, a skilled operative, soldier, and now working for a private mercenary company that stops at nothing to meet its needs. Relentless action as well as plot twists and turns will keep the reader engaged until the last page. Mercenaries receive a bad reputation because of their tendency to change sides in a campaign as money dried up or a better offer was made. Add corporate greed to the mix and you can't tell what will happen. Can't wait for the next book in this series due out later this summer. Thank you good reads giveaways for introducing me to yet another super author by awarding me a free copy of "Shadow War."

I won a kindle copy of this book on Goodreads for an honest review of the story which follows.I really enjoyed this book. It is a fast paced military thriller. It could have been ripped from the headlines of the news as it concerns Russia, Ukraine and the United States. The characters are very realistic and I believe is the story line is as well. It is a little brutal but so is war. I am sure the readers who love Military Thrillers will be well pleased with this book. I read many genres and a good rip roaring thriller is alway an interesting change.

I won this book in a Goodreads promotion and I am now officially a fan of this author and can’t wait to read the next in the series. I came upon the book as it was recommended to be similar to other authors that I read and it didn’t disappoint. Not only do you get engrossed in the characters and the twists and turns of the plots, it makes you more aware of how the mercenary world, the deep state and politics intertwine while still allowing you to enjoy it because it’s only fiction. The definition of a great book is when you wish it hadn’t ended and can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways. Very good adventure story about a mercenary and his team sent to the Ukraine on a mission that turns out very badly. The characters are very well developed and I found myself rooting for them to survive their betrayal.

Startling international strategic storyUnbelievably credible international strategic panorama of warfare political double dealing breathtaking military strategy and tactics. Superb read that leaves you uncertain where fiction ends and reality begins

Very good start to the series. Better character development than many other examples in the shadow ops genre. Good balance between action and behind-the- scene geopolitical machinations. Looking forward to the next episode.

Putting all those theories into actual circumstances gets a bit pedantic from time to time. The action sequences are excellent and I enjoy the authenticity (I assume) of the language and tactics. The personal relationships seem a bit disjointed but perhaps they will get better in later books.

A surprisingly good thriller: big oil, Africa, Ukraine and Russia, mercenaries.

This was a pretty good book. It contained facts that I enjoyed reading beside a decent story, though predictable.

The writing was solid, the story felt plausible and authentic, and the characters were reasonably well developed. Pretty good, overall. I’ll look to see if there are more from this author.

Great read that will really make you stop and think about the way the world is run.

Title: Much better than I thought it would be.Synopsis: Mercenary team goes to Ukraine to expose Russian occupation and set up Ukrainian oligarch as hero and savior. At first I thought this would just be an all action book but I'm glad to say it's much deeper than that. The authors did a very decent job of fleshing out all the characters. They aren't just paper cutouts to move the story along as most of these action books are. Secondly, the authors did a great set up of the story: the background of the major character(s), the description of Ukraine and the planning of the action is all very well done. Lastly, though the action is only a short part of the book, it is well written too.All of that would have been satisfactory for a good action book with a linear plot but the authors have added a few side stories/plots:- Flashbacks into the history of the protagonists are added to bring them more to life. They are not necessary for the story but just to add more to the characters. - All the supporting characters have a smaller backstory, not too long to make it boring but again, long enough to add feeling. I felt this contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the book as it mattered to me when something happened to the supporting characters. - An overall macro coverage of the plot. This is the world banking overplot and it explains why the merc team was sent in and what the bigger picture is. Apart from all that, the writing was easy to follow and get into. It took me just a few pages to get into the book and it was smooth reading from then on. So overall, a very enjoyable book. The story moved along quickly and without any boring parts, the characters all felt real and it had a somewhat satisfactory ending. This is only the first of a new series and I would definitely continue reading it. I got this book free as a review copy.

Meet Tom Locke, Army Vet and employee of Apollo, a highly successful military contractor who gets the tough jobs done. His boss pulls him off a mission in North Africa and sends him to Eastern Europe to rescue a businessman that some in the US Government want to use to make a stand against Russia and Putin in Ukraine. The mission is to take back a natural gas facility from mercenaries hired by Russia to take it over. Putin is determined to retake the former Soviet states lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Recapturing Ukraine would be a big step in completing that goal. The mission gets more complicate though when Locke runs into a former lover and his team casualties start adding up. Locke realizes that the very balance of world politics could rest on his success or failure and he is determined to see it thru to the end.Shadow War by Sean McFate introduces readers to Tom Locke worthy of comparison to the characters created by Brad Thor and Daniel Silva. McFate brings his wealth of milrtary experience to his writing and has created a character with depth and a plot with realism. The current climate in the world is definitely one of uncertainty and while that is troubling, it has provided a source of material for some of the best thriller novels available. This is the first novel featuring Tom Locke and I certainly hope it won’t be the last. I could hardly put down this book which is why it gets 4/5 stars.*This book was the only compensation received for writing a review for BestSellersWorld.com.*