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Muted Rage: Book Two of The Forge Trilogy
They are called the Shadow Guardians, and they are a force of nature, striking out in the name of justice… striking against those who transcend the limits of law and order. Alone, each member is a highly-skilled artisan and potent combatant. Together, they are all but unstoppable.
But they didn’t begin there.
The man who would one day come to lead their ranks, J. J. Moore, was once a computer wunderkind, happy with the life afforded to a Silicon Valley Baron. That life, however, had no defense against treachery from within. One moment, J. J. was riding high. He was very, very rich and very much in love. He lost his fortune, the object of his affection, and his sight at the same time.
But he didn’t die.
And a bunch of people are going to wish he had.
But they didn’t begin there.
The man who would one day come to lead their ranks, J. J. Moore, was once a computer wunderkind, happy with the life afforded to a Silicon Valley Baron. That life, however, had no defense against treachery from within. One moment, J. J. was riding high. He was very, very rich and very much in love. He lost his fortune, the object of his affection, and his sight at the same time.
But he didn’t die.
And a bunch of people are going to wish he had.
194 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2022
5 people want to read
About the author
G. Russell Gaynor
25 books109 followersAlso writes under the pen name Reiter.
The World According to Garp was perhaps the first sign to a troubled young man that his life might very well be okay. It was incredibly reassuring to see that a young man from such a deeply interesting background can find his niche in life. G. Russell Gaynor was not nearly as challenged as T. S. Garp but until the revelation of the character, relatively speaking Russell was the weirdest kid on his block. His father, a career United States Navy man, taught him how to stand up to face the most challenging aspects of life including the unknown. His mother, a nurse and a technician for the U.S Geological Survey, taught him how to love and how to understand.
Russell was 5 when he found that people should be responsible for what they say when he had to write a story to back up his claim to his grandmother that he could do better in his sleep than the black and white movie he had watched. He handed two notebook pads to his grandmother who then agreed with his opinion. That was indeed the beginning!
In the beginning, it was mostly stories about super heroes and the stuff of comic books. Then came the works of Alexandre Dumas and the ideal of romantic heroes. Now there was a need to make women swoon and men weep as poetry was discovered and written. Russell was 12 when he went to his first play, which revealed a love for the stage and was 14 when role-playing games filled his head with the adventures of steel and sorcery. This all concluded with the love of the story and its affect on the audience. Although life defies understanding, Russell has set about the challenge of teaching through his stories, in small baby steps, the lessons of love and life he has come to treasure since learning so much through the viewpoints of others.
It will always be the opinion of those who receive art to measure its worth, but to date Russell is working his way to penning his 40th book. That goes along with his score of scripts, (three which have been optioned), two plays, scores of poems and a role-playing game system. This too is only a beginning!
The World According to Garp was perhaps the first sign to a troubled young man that his life might very well be okay. It was incredibly reassuring to see that a young man from such a deeply interesting background can find his niche in life. G. Russell Gaynor was not nearly as challenged as T. S. Garp but until the revelation of the character, relatively speaking Russell was the weirdest kid on his block. His father, a career United States Navy man, taught him how to stand up to face the most challenging aspects of life including the unknown. His mother, a nurse and a technician for the U.S Geological Survey, taught him how to love and how to understand.
Russell was 5 when he found that people should be responsible for what they say when he had to write a story to back up his claim to his grandmother that he could do better in his sleep than the black and white movie he had watched. He handed two notebook pads to his grandmother who then agreed with his opinion. That was indeed the beginning!
In the beginning, it was mostly stories about super heroes and the stuff of comic books. Then came the works of Alexandre Dumas and the ideal of romantic heroes. Now there was a need to make women swoon and men weep as poetry was discovered and written. Russell was 12 when he went to his first play, which revealed a love for the stage and was 14 when role-playing games filled his head with the adventures of steel and sorcery. This all concluded with the love of the story and its affect on the audience. Although life defies understanding, Russell has set about the challenge of teaching through his stories, in small baby steps, the lessons of love and life he has come to treasure since learning so much through the viewpoints of others.
It will always be the opinion of those who receive art to measure its worth, but to date Russell is working his way to penning his 40th book. That goes along with his score of scripts, (three which have been optioned), two plays, scores of poems and a role-playing game system. This too is only a beginning!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 2, 2025
In The Blind Smith, the first book in G. Russell Gaynor’s The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series, tech billionaire genius John James “J.J.” Moore is severely wounded and rendered blind in an attack that kills his security team and his lover. He is recruited by a secret organization of spies and assassins and obtains the code name, “Augur.” He is able to use his new found abilities and organization to seek vengeance upon his enemies, including traitors to the organization.
The second volume, Muted Rage, elevates J.J.’s status significantly within the organization. Instead of being the rookie student, J.J. is now actively recruiting and training new members. His latest recruit is Sonya Bocharova, a Russian deaf woman. He sees a lot of himself in her. Her arrival can't come at a better or worse time because their enemies are closing in and ramping up their attacks.
This volume focuses primarily on action and plot which works well in the Political Spy Thriller subgenre. Sometimes the various characters and sides are disconcerting because it's hard to tell who is with which organization. Readers and characters are conditioned to be on the lookout for traitors and double crosses so just because someone seems on one side doesn't mean that they are going to stay that way. Sometimes it's a surprise twist but mostly because everyone is so suspicious, have ulterior motives, and live in worlds of morally gray, it's to be expected. Betrayal is the most logical step in their development.
The action also serves as a means for the various sides to show off their intellect. In the first book, J.J., was playing 3-D chess while everyone else is playing checkers. In this book, everyone else is playing the same game of chess. Every character, including J.J., is trying to outfight and outsmart each other. As one organization gets an advantage, the next one fires back and so on. It keeps the Readers invested with its suspenseful tone.
While action is the primary facet to this book, there is some time for insightful characterization particularly in J.J.’s evolution from fresh newbie to hardened veteran. He was always somewhat arrogant in the previous book, though he had moments where his naivete was noticeable. There were also times when his conceit cost him dearly.
In this volume, J.J.’s character ascends to frightening levels. His Authoritarian streak is more paramount. Now that he is leader, his leadership style is iron will. In one chapter, one of J.J.’s colleagues calls him out on his personality and J.J. answers in a way that suggests that he is unapologetic and will only get worse. It raises the possibility whether in a future volume, characters may be driven to stop John James Moore rather than work with or for him.
So far though, J.J. still shows some glimmers of kindness. This is particularly noticeable in his dialogue with Sonya. They have a great deal in common, both have disabilities that they have or are in the process of using to their advantage as assassins. They both carry a lot of grief and anger.
J.J. is at the point where he can guide someone else to channel that anger and put it to good use and Sonya sees a higher opportunity to protect others and unleash vengeance. With the help of sign language and technology that allows them to communicate, the two come to an understanding and partnership, perhaps even a friendship or more.
The action and lead characters help Muted Rage act on many of the things that were hinted at in the first volume. It prepares and keeps Readers in suspense ready for the next one.
The second volume, Muted Rage, elevates J.J.’s status significantly within the organization. Instead of being the rookie student, J.J. is now actively recruiting and training new members. His latest recruit is Sonya Bocharova, a Russian deaf woman. He sees a lot of himself in her. Her arrival can't come at a better or worse time because their enemies are closing in and ramping up their attacks.
This volume focuses primarily on action and plot which works well in the Political Spy Thriller subgenre. Sometimes the various characters and sides are disconcerting because it's hard to tell who is with which organization. Readers and characters are conditioned to be on the lookout for traitors and double crosses so just because someone seems on one side doesn't mean that they are going to stay that way. Sometimes it's a surprise twist but mostly because everyone is so suspicious, have ulterior motives, and live in worlds of morally gray, it's to be expected. Betrayal is the most logical step in their development.
The action also serves as a means for the various sides to show off their intellect. In the first book, J.J., was playing 3-D chess while everyone else is playing checkers. In this book, everyone else is playing the same game of chess. Every character, including J.J., is trying to outfight and outsmart each other. As one organization gets an advantage, the next one fires back and so on. It keeps the Readers invested with its suspenseful tone.
While action is the primary facet to this book, there is some time for insightful characterization particularly in J.J.’s evolution from fresh newbie to hardened veteran. He was always somewhat arrogant in the previous book, though he had moments where his naivete was noticeable. There were also times when his conceit cost him dearly.
In this volume, J.J.’s character ascends to frightening levels. His Authoritarian streak is more paramount. Now that he is leader, his leadership style is iron will. In one chapter, one of J.J.’s colleagues calls him out on his personality and J.J. answers in a way that suggests that he is unapologetic and will only get worse. It raises the possibility whether in a future volume, characters may be driven to stop John James Moore rather than work with or for him.
So far though, J.J. still shows some glimmers of kindness. This is particularly noticeable in his dialogue with Sonya. They have a great deal in common, both have disabilities that they have or are in the process of using to their advantage as assassins. They both carry a lot of grief and anger.
J.J. is at the point where he can guide someone else to channel that anger and put it to good use and Sonya sees a higher opportunity to protect others and unleash vengeance. With the help of sign language and technology that allows them to communicate, the two come to an understanding and partnership, perhaps even a friendship or more.
The action and lead characters help Muted Rage act on many of the things that were hinted at in the first volume. It prepares and keeps Readers in suspense ready for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
The story is mainly about Shadow Guardians and their leader.
Shadow Guardians is a team of heroes and a force of nature. They work for justice and strike against those who doesn't follow the law and order. Together, they are unstoppable as each member of the team is strong, powerful, highly-skilled artisan and potent combatant.
The leader of Shadow Guardians is J. J. Moore who was once a computer wunderkind, happy with the life afforded to a Silicon Valley Baron.
But soon everything got changed. He lost his wealth, fortune, lover and even his sight at the same time. But he didn’t die.
The plot is superb and perfectly crafted. When I was reading this book, all I could think how amazing it would be if it was a movie...
The writing style of the author is lucid and engaging. The language used is clear and concise. It is easy to understand even for beginners. The narration is remarkable.
It is a fast-paced book that makes you want to keep flipping the pages and makes you desperate to know what’s coming next. The story is super intriguing and you will be hooked to the book till its last page.
The description of each and every scene has been amazing. I could picture the events that were going on while reading the book as if I was watching everything in front of my eyes. The characters of the book are all well drawn.
The title is absolutely eye-catching. The cover of the book is so fascinating. Overall it is an unputdownable book. I highly recommend it to all of you. I am sure you will love it. Do give it a try.
Shadow Guardians is a team of heroes and a force of nature. They work for justice and strike against those who doesn't follow the law and order. Together, they are unstoppable as each member of the team is strong, powerful, highly-skilled artisan and potent combatant.
The leader of Shadow Guardians is J. J. Moore who was once a computer wunderkind, happy with the life afforded to a Silicon Valley Baron.
But soon everything got changed. He lost his wealth, fortune, lover and even his sight at the same time. But he didn’t die.
The plot is superb and perfectly crafted. When I was reading this book, all I could think how amazing it would be if it was a movie...
The writing style of the author is lucid and engaging. The language used is clear and concise. It is easy to understand even for beginners. The narration is remarkable.
It is a fast-paced book that makes you want to keep flipping the pages and makes you desperate to know what’s coming next. The story is super intriguing and you will be hooked to the book till its last page.
The description of each and every scene has been amazing. I could picture the events that were going on while reading the book as if I was watching everything in front of my eyes. The characters of the book are all well drawn.
The title is absolutely eye-catching. The cover of the book is so fascinating. Overall it is an unputdownable book. I highly recommend it to all of you. I am sure you will love it. Do give it a try.
August 7, 2023
A great book, don't start it if you have somewhere to be. Once you start, it will pull you in and make you part of the story. You will lose all track of time. I highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for a book that will grab you and not let go.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews