Hammer of Angels

Shadowstorm #2

by G.T. Almasi

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.

Genres: Science Fiction, Alternate History, Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Action, Espionage

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 26, 2013

About the author

G. T. Almasi graduated from RISD and moved to Boston to pursue a career as a graphic designer. While he built his design portfolio, he joined a band as the bass player, and wrote and designed the band’s newsletter. Once his career as an art director took off, he continued to supplement his design talents by writing copy for his clients.

As a novelist, his literary influences include Robert Ludlum, Neal Stephenson, and Hunter S. Thompson. He also draws inspiration from John Woo’s movies and Todd Howard’s videogames. Almasi lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with his wife, Natalie, and their lovably stubborn dog, Ella.

Reviews

[Frankie Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Almasi, glad to hear we're going to see this galley soon. Alix is one badass bionic woman, Dark Angel's got nothing on.

-------------------------
Another badass maternal parent fornicator!

=======================
Talk Supe Review & Author Interview

I need Kalmers!

Once again, G.T. Almasi almost made my heart stop and my eyes flutter with his fast-paced, action-packed series, Shadowstorm. HAMMER OF ANGELS is the bomb diggity and Alix "Scarlet" Nico's sheboomigans never fails to make me gasp, exclaim and clutch my ereader with a death-grip. HAMMER OF ANGELS is stuffed with fantastic spy adventures any reader will find it hard to put this baby down! This time around, Scarlet and her new partner, Darwin with the help of other agents go up against neo-Nazis in Germany. On top of this, clues to Scarlet's father's whereabouts is explored and led to such a jaw dropping discovery. Alix finally has closure over her dad, the best spy the agency ever had, Big Bertha, and his disappearance. She's finally reunited with her old man unfortunately, he's not exactly who Alix expected him to be. All I can say about that is that I need Legion of Scorpio NOW! Oh, and per usual, guns are blazing and bullets are flying everywhere complete with statement explosions designed to fire up our imagination.

I can't gush enough about Mr. Almasi's amazing and very believable world building. The Shadowstorm world appears orderly on the outside but behind the scenes, spies are running the show. And oh how I love this spy game! A calculated ambush and carefully plotted missions executed by a chosen few can destroy a powerful organization or even topple a government. Plus the backstories are superb! Don't be intimidated by this alternate world G.T. Almasi created which is based on facts because he will help you get acclimated to his version fast. I wish history was taught the same way it was related in the Shadowstorm novels. I think I would've learned to appreciate significant events better if it was told in the style G.T. Almasi used to catch us up with his alternate history. With every mission and key player introduced, a brief "historical background" is inserted into the story to help us understand current events. Historical backgrounds are in the form of articles, old-school textbook snippets and high level communications that slowly but effectively shape Scarlet's world so one doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Alix "Scarlet" Nico is one badass heroine you won't get enough of. Aside from her wisea$$ remarks and combat skills, Scarlet's attitude and approach on things is awe inspiring. First of all being a soldier, and a spy for that matter, Scarlet has seen a lot of gruesome things in her mission. Death is nothing new to her as she dances with the Grim Ripper on a regular basis. Scarlet is resilient and tough by nature but when she's with her mom and faced with issues concerning her dad, Scarlet turns into Alix. Sheds her tough exterior and turns into a devoted, loyal and vulnerable young woman. The Alix/Scarlet contrast is well-played adding layers to an otherwise hard-ass character.

I would also like to briefly mention Lil Bertha, Scarlet's AI gun which used to be her father's. I'm not a gun person but Lil Bertha made me do phantom trigger pulls! Scarlet's baby is one heck of a weapon, it's like a character on its own.

As a side note, the romance is very minimal in this series which I love. I do appreciate a good romance but not every story requires it. There's a play of attraction between Alix and her partners but it's not the focal point of the stories. If anything, the relationship portrayed is that between partners and teammates. Friendships rather than romance which I think is way more believable as opposed to random humping in obscure places because the characters are high on adrenalin it translates to lust.

HAMMER OF ANGELS is another powerful punch c/o G.T. Almasi. Like I said, the series reads like a movie and Alixandra Janina Nico will take you for an adventure you'll never forget. So if you are fond of adrenalin, or should I say Madrenalin, infused tales, pick up Shadowstorm, you won't regret it.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Mara]

Mr Almasi wrote the most action-packed, fast-paced book I ever read. It has a great plot and a very good world-building that uses an alternate reality as a base.

As a person who both lives in Europe and has worked for a Jewish Museum, I can tell you this alt-history was the gripping idea behind the plot.

Unfortunately, what it lacked was tension and real characters. I felt everything was shallow. There's no depth of feeling. Characters are comic-book super-heroes who never pay for their actions. They survive the most gruelling death. Incredulity was the main feeling this book got from me. (The top was when a "normal" guy jumps from a building, flies over a hoovering heli AND shoot two enemy soldiers. Luckily for me, we were at the end.)

The book can be read as a stand-alone. The background from the first book wasn't necessary to understand what was going on. The only unexplained facet was the heroine's "madness" spells. But then she usually is a nut-case and you don't really understand her anyway... :)

Honestly it's quite difficult to like her and the rest of her team/enemy. She (like all the other characters) is so flat you could drive safely with a flat tire on her.

She is this 19yo wonder woman who has a sexual past with her former team-mate. He died less than 6 months ago. His clone is her new partner. How long do you think she starts mooning on him...yep. that long...

Patrick is a clone, he has his brother's memories. I don't know, but I wouldn't feel that nice if my bro's former lover had ideas on me. Weird, am I?

If this people have feelings (love, hate, fear) I didn't read about them. I couldn't feel them myself.

My main problem was the writing, though. I loved Matrix and I loved its special effects. Reading them is one of the most boring experience I ever did. Seeing a bullet in slow-motion reaching for the hero and seeing the hero avoid it... wow. Reading an entire book that describes this to me? Shoot me with that bullet, please.


I kept reading as a thank you to the publisher and author as they gave me a copy of Hammer of Angels. Otherwise I couldn't care less about the characters and what was going to happen to them.

I'm sorry, Mr Almasi. And again thank you for giving me this ARC.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alix Nico is back in this non-stop, action-packed, emotional thrill ride! Code-named Scarlet, she is the ultimate action heroin with bionic and medical enhancements creating the perfect top secret agent called a Level!

Hammer of Angels begins with Scarlet suffering from a deep loss. Anxious for a new assignment, Scarlet jumps at a chance to infiltrate Greater Germany with a new partner, Darwin. Together, their assignment is to cause havoc with Greater Germany’s human slavery policy, encompassing all of the Jewish population…thereby keeping Greater Germany from aligning with Russia and China. But it seems trouble always follows Scarlet, especially when the mission takes a very unexpected turn.

Together with a ragtag team including a renowned rebel leader, underground railroad coordinators, a few unexpected clones, and other agents, Scarlet and Darwin wreak mayhem while running for their lives. Along the way, surprising revelations are discovered about the enemy’s cloning program, and Scarlet uncovers that her father just happens to be one of their prisoners.

This is my first read by G.T. Almasi, and I can tell you I am now a fan! Hammer of Angels blew me away with its fast-paced, explosive storyline with wonderfully realistic characters in this totally alternate reality. The bionic and medical enhancements would thrill any science fiction fan, while the alternate history tweaks the perfect cord for my dystopia fix. Supernatural abilities, emotionally besieged and heart-wrenchingly human, G.T. Almasi writes a superb science fiction adventure! 5 Stars!

This copy of Hammer of Angels was given to me by Random House - Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an advanced copy of this book free to review from the publisher and my main thought was WOW. It's non-stop action from the very first page. I thought might have a problem following the politics of the storyline as I haven't read Blades of Winter, but it's really not necessary. I'm going to get it though. I want to know what happened to make Scarlet/Alix the way she is.

We start off with a brilliant shoot-out on a tube train because she thinks she's hallucinating, to roaring around England and Europe creating madness and mayhem for the Germans and kicking off a major slave rebellion. Throw in her new partner, Brando, who is her old partner and lover, Trick's double or in this case, triplet and you wonder why your head hasn't spun off.

This is a non-stop, action-packed spy thriller that doesn't let up from the first page until its dragged you, limping and wheezing to the last page. I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter what you're favourite genre.

[Donna D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book was just as good as the first if not better. Scarlet is still the strongest, craziest mofo in town. Looking forward to the next one.

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was much like its predecessor and the first in the series, Blades Of Winter. It takes place in an alternate history of WWII, where the Germans won Europe and the four super powers are the United States, Greater Germany (Europe), Russia and China. And, well, Scarlet and her friends who work under the ExOps Department of the U.S. but do enough on their own that you might call them a fifth power. Well not really but almost and you'll have to READ THE DAMN BOOK to see what I mean.

Spy, mayhem, intrigue, mayhem, pathos, lots more mayhem, sex but not porn, a little more mayhem, pathos and. . . well you get the picture.

If you like an action, fantasy novel with all of the above, told in the first person, then pick up this book and enjoy.

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Del Rey for granting me the chance to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review. Though I received the e-book for free that in no way influenced this review.

WARNING: If you haven't read Blades of Winter yet, do not read this review, as there are inherent spoilers for book one!

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.

This book picks up right where the first one left off, propelled into action like a bullet being ejected from the chamber. The cliffhanger ending at the end of Blades of Winter is resolved/answered within moments, and it is an answered that works very well within the story. I'm not going to lie and say it shocked me, as it didn't, it was what I expected, however that find nothing to lessen its impact.

Scarlet works with Darwin as her IO now, and struggles to come to terms with the loss of her former IO and lover Trick, while dealing with a growing attraction to Darwin. That alone is enough to spin a girl's head, but the most recent mission is more than a handful. Scarlet, Darwin, Raj and others head over to Europe to help foment more social unrest between the enslaved Jewish people and their overlords. Not too terribly hard a job given the large number of sympathizers to the cause, and the loosely organized Circle of Zion is taking all the credit for the Levels work, which is perfect for all involved.

Originally the Levels were sent in to stir up some civil unrest and make it so that Greater Germany had to ask for their assistance in suppressing the uprising. What the US didn't take into account was the amount of support for the anti-slavery movement, so they essentially started something that they no longer could stop. Yet it still served them well, for Greater Germany could no longer risk alienating the US while they were so busy with their own civil unrest.

While on one of their jobs Darwin and Scarlet get even more massive amounts if data on the cloning program, allowing the US to make great leaps forward. So it comes as little surprise that Scarlet is going to rescue her father, who was being held in a secret facility while they tried to map his brain in order to clone his mental patterns into one of the adult Gen-2 clones, since they reach physical maturity after only two years, yet remain two mentally.

Along the way Scarlet and crew pick up a new team member - sharpshooter Falcon. Falcon just happens to have been sent to kill Scarlet by Fredricks, who had found a way to trace all their movements, which explained why they were continually being assaulted before anyone should have known their location. There is more to Falcon then meets the eye, and he is a great character to add.

The question of cloning keeps raising the question of what it means to be human. Are clones human? Do they deserve all the same rights and protections as naturally born humans? Could they be created and just used to switch a sick, or elderly, person's consciousness into a healthy new body? So many moral questions - but no real time to deliberate given the stunning amount of action in this book.

Scarlet does some maturing, but is also facing more and more severe physical and mental health problems in the field. Though terrified of being benched even she knows that she is becoming more of a liability than an asset while in the field. I am sincerely hopeful that there will be more books in this exhilarating series. Not only is the series entertaining, but it also does pose some truly interesting questions about what defines us as human. And of course I want to know what will happen to Scarlet down the road - will she recover from her debilitating symptoms? Is there more going on to cause these symptoms than we are aware of? While there is still plenty of non-stop action in this book, there is also time for fascinating questions of ethics that relate to things in our current world. We don't need Scarlet's alternate history to find that we are facing many of the same questions and issues that Scarlet's world is being forced to confront.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mischievous mayhem

Even more action and adventure than the first book in the series. Alix rolls with the punches and the surprises while kicking endless butt and trying to hang onto her sanity. Keep an eye out for some interesting wildlife.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #2 of G.T. Almasi's Shadowstorm series. I liked the first book, Blades of Winter. Hammer of Angels, I liked even better. It doesn't deal with a lot of the back story and introduction of characters, as Blades of Winter. Both books are high action and very much page turners.

[Marty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Story line was ok and the alternate reality was interesting. Sci-fi aspect was well done. The use of foul language was the issue that kept me from rating this book higher

[Patricia Litz · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe will read another. one fight after another

[Steven Hinkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very similar to book one. Action driven, and entertaining. There was less of a clear goal in the plot, so you didn't know where you were going, you're just along for the ride.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/01/...

Shadowhawk reviews two more upcoming novels by Del Rey/Random House, the steampunk adventure A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz and the spy thriller The Hammer of Angels by G.T. Almasi, the second of his Shadowstorm series.

“Not exactly as good as his debut, Almasi still tells a masterful story about identity, revenge and family against the backdrop of a Cold War-era styled world.” ~The Founding Fields

My first such double review for Random House/Del Rey books was profoundly negative, since I barely enjoyed the two books I read and was massively disappointed with both. Not so for the two books I’m reviewing today, since these were books that held my attention throughout and made me want to get to the endings as fast as I could.

The spy thriller Blades of Winter was my first such novel in ages, and it was a novel that I hold to be among my favourite reads of 2012, as well as a great debut novel that exceeded expectations. Consequently, I wanted a lot more out of the sequel, The Hammer of Angels, since Almasi had built up my expectations to that point. While I’m not sure if the sequel is better, it certainly is quite a decent read all told.

To begin with, it has been a few weeks since we last met Alix Nico and her friends and family. In all this time, she has been seriously over-working herself to bring the people who’ve wronged her family to justice, but the rewards have been next to non-existence since her enemies have a lot of leverage as it turns out. Additionally, her escapes in Europe and the Middle East from her last mission have caught up with her and she has to, in essence, go back and fix things. All well and good so far, until it turns out that what the agency really wants to do is to destabilise the political situation in Greater Germany so that the Germans are forced to continue their “peaceful” alliance with good old U S of A. This is when I started to feel that the narrative was losing its focus and when Alix Nico became nigh-on invincible. Even James Bond or Ethan Hunt or Nick Fury aren’t this good!

Once aspect in which The Hammer of Angels absolutely trumps is the enormous amount of insight we get into ExOps and its inner workings, particularly, all the different types of Levels and how they all work together. We also get to meet another female Level who happens to be somewhat of a contemporary to Alix within ExOps and their professional relationship was equal parts awesome and amusing. There’s something to be said for two biologically/bionically enhanced women laying waste to mob after mob of bad guys with their souped up guns and raw aggression. I feel no shame in admitting that things like these are a guilty pleasure of sorts for me. Everybody loves girls with guns, more when they are written well, and both Alix and her friend have that going for them. There was nothing cliche about them, exactly in keeping with Blades of Winter.

Another is the breakneck speed of the plot. Alix and her friends are told that they have to forment a near civil war in Greater Germany and this is exactly what happens. The whole chaos of the extended mission and the various scrapes that the characters end up in make for really action-heavy reading that often left me breathless. The teams move from place to place constantly and sometimes it gets a bit disconcerting, but never to the point where I felt put off with it.

[Aparajitabasu · Rating 5 out of 5]

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"

[Leah (White Sky Project) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is the second in a series. I haven’t read the first book but it didn’t really matter because the book can definitely stand on its own. It’s very fast-paced and super duper action-packed from the first page to the last.

Countries are at war. Honestly, I can’t tell you which ones are the good guys and the bad guys, and which ones are in line with who or what, but stuff’s going down and Armageddon is upon us. Or them. Whatever, the folks in the book. Then we have Alix Nico, a badass operative or spy who’s had more than a couple of enhancements and modifications in her system. This is a sci-fi so things are pretty high tech and world superpowers have super soldiers and are cloning people and building all sorts of crazy stuff.

Honestly, I really couldn’t keep up with the alternate world or universe that the book is set in. Countries are at war, etc., and Alix and her team are doing some fighting and stuff. I couldn’t keep up with the history and the political situation in the book, but it didn’t really bother me. The world was at war. It was all total chaos. I just enjoyed reading about the team’s missions.

I liked the kickass heroine.

The first few pages really stuck with me because we’re immediately introduced to Alix and what happened in the first few pages sort of set the whole stage for me. Those first few pages clued me in on what kind of person Alix Nico was and how insane the book was going to be. It also clued me in on the fact that Alix was starting to go a little cuckoo. All that’s happened to her and all the modifications and enhancements are finally taking a toll on her mind and body.

I read some of the reviews of this book and some of them noted that Alix was too unbelievable in the sense that she’s a very young soldier yet she’s the best and she can do everything and she never dies. Yep, she’s all that but it didn’t really bother me because I liked her kind of crazy. She’s a killer machine and she’s got issues and she’s going cuckoo just a little bit. She's still very entertaining.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed the action, all the crazy, the whole sci-fi stuff. I liked the part about enhanced soldiers. I also enjoyed the fact that clones of people they know just kept popping up everywhere. That, for me, was interesting. I don’t know if I’m really into the warring countries bit though. I didn’t really pay attention to the political situation, but it was an interesting take on the world superpowers.

If you like action-packed science fiction about super spies, you might enjoy this book. ;)

I received a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligations. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

By about half way through the book the Jewish stuff got disturbing. It wasn't really the author's fault, when he wrote this he didn't know how much anti-semitism in Europe was going to continue to grow in the last few years. And maybe it makes books like this important, reminding us what a few different choices could mean to the world. Especially now that it isn't just anti-semitism. Just since I started writing this review in April of 2015 until the end of 2015 when I'm finally posting it, fear of "the other" in Europe is growing at a frightening pace and a corresponding hatred is as well, it's truly frightening. But in this book, it was quite disturbing to read about millions of enslaved Jews, The Purity League, "the Jewish problem" being worse than ever, etc. And it should be disturbing to read those things. I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that it was in the book. It wasn't an awful thing, it wasn't handled crudely or inappropriately or anything. It's just hard to read about that kind of blind bigotry and hate and to have to think about how pervasive it is in this real world as well.

I have to admit, I got chills when I realized who Garbo really was. It was just that idea again that just a few decisions can make everything spiral so differently. Not that it was just one or two decisions, but it is an interesting premise to follow through on. Like when the CORE briefings that go into the mission parameters or the history, the non-Alix part of the book, showed what other famous people were doing, like Barney Frank worked for the CIA, George H.W. Bush was an Executive Intelligence Chairman (makes sense considering his real history as Director of the CIA). The author used the alternate-history idea very well again in this book.

The tone was much better this time too. Alix was still bold and impulsive but not so stupid and didn't sound like she was an obnoxious little kid. He finally got her voice to match the story he was trying to write for her, and her story to match with the serious (and interesting) alternate history stuff that he's doing with the series. Especially with this book being about Alix and her new partner's mission to create chaos in greater Germany by helping the enslaved Jews, total irreverence and smart-assedness would have been pretty obnoxious. Not that I want her to be serious by any means, I like a brash and bold Scarlet/Alix. Just not one who sounds like and she's thirteen and acts like she has less self-control than a tween too. Her voice and actions match the story much better this time. I'm glad I stuck with the series, it was a good call.

[Shy The WidowMaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with really high expectations as the premise was one that I found refreshing and different and I was not disappointed. I think I was hooked from the beginning when I jumped right into the action from the first page and it never slowed down from there. The world that the author created was such a unique one and also one that I wouldn't want to live in. I don't know that I would have been able to live amid all the power struggles and fighting that was going on but I loved that Alix was just bad ass enough to take it all on. I have to admit that once I heard that Alix was like a souped up bionic woman I was hooked. I guess I shouldn't say that secretly have a guilty pleasure for this type of thing. I love books were the characters have been enhanced in some way. Alix of course didn't disappoint me either. I don't think me calling her ad ass does her enough justice as she is so awesome on so many levels and I mean come on what girl doesn't want to get to play with all the cool toys and gadgets that she has. I was actually quite jealous.

I haven't read this first book in this series but after reading this one I have to go back to get even more back story on Alix and her world. I loved that the author wrote this one well enough that I was able to still read this one without being confused since I haven't read the previous book. I loved that Alix was still a human even though she was enhanced and different. She still had all her human emotions and really was deep down just a girl trying to save the world in her own way and find her father. I loved that Alix had more of a do and think about it later type of thought plan and it was so cool to see her put it in action. I loved that she had a really great partner to with Darwin. I have to say that the whole concept of the clones was something new that held my interest immensely. I loved all the back story we got from the author on all of that without it just reading like a text book reading. The author wove it in seamlessly into the story and made me want to know more about it.

Overall this was a quick and easy read. If you love action,action and more action then this would be the perfect read for you. If you love action and romance mixed in again this is the book you want. Ok If you just want a really awesome read that will hold your attention from start to finish you so want to read this book. I guess by now you can tell I loved this book and I can't wait for another installment in this awesome series. I am seriously recommending this series.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

While straying toward the science fiction spectrum of speculative fiction, HAMMER OF ANGELS nonetheless is likely to appeal to urban fantasy fans looking to shake up their reading habits. After all, the Shadowstorm series features a ass-kicking heroine with superhuman powers plus a cast of witty supporting characters set in a fictional world mirrored after our own – pretty much like every UF novel, it just so happens this one doesn’t have any magic and takes place in an alternate history where Germany won World War II.

One of the things that struck me most about the first book in the Shadowstorm series, BLADES OF WINTER, was how young our heroine, Alix, seemed. Understandable, after all, since she is a nineteen year old scientifically enhanced superspy who is prone to getting in way over her head. However, she comes across as supremely immature, a little too trigger happy, and sometimes just plain stupid, for as smart as she is purported to be. Luckily, in HAMMER OF ANGELS, Alix seems to have grown up a bit, and despite still being a bit trigger happy, shows signs of wanting to live to be old enough to drink legally.

Action-packed and frequently leaving me without a minute to grab a breath, HAMMER OF ANGELS has all the elements of a perfect spy novel: a team going undercover, lots of secretive missions, and quite a few fights that the bad guys don’t come out of. Whereas BLADES OF WINTER felt more like a mystery, HAMMER OF ANGELS is the movie with all the explosions that they release in the middle of summer a la Jason Bourne. This is not at all a bad thing- but it has a bit of a different, more fast paced vibe as a result.

While maybe not something I would have normally picked up, HAMMER OF ANGELS is kind of like book Pringles (really hard to stop reading), plus it gave my brain a break from werewolves, vampires and magic, which is always appreciated. As Almasi has mastered the art of the cliffhanger (don’t think I’m not counting- this one makes two in a row, dude), I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Shadowstorm series. I have a feeling it’ll be as fun as the first two.

Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book in the Shadowstorm series by G.T Almasi which is set in an alternate universe where there are only 4 world powers - a Nazi controlled Germany where they have enslaved the Jewish race and much of Europe, USSR, China and then there is the United States who are fighting all of them with an elite force of technologically enhanced humans. In this instalment the series heroine, Alix Nico, is sent to Europe to fan the fires of dissent within Greater Gemany's slave trade in an effort to do as much damage to them as possible. She is supported by her new partner Darwin and their relationship unfolds along with a lot of action. Working with Darwin is a like a double edged sword as he is a clone of her previous partner and boyfriend Trick. Just to make her mission even more dangerous Alix (code name Scarlet) discovers clues that her father, who was also an agent, may not actually be dead. The chase is on to finish her mission and rescue her father.

I hadn't read the first book of the series - Blades of Winter but I found book 2 very easy to get into and figure out who was who. This was quite a different read from some of the other books I have been reading lately with the non-stop action. There was barely any dialogue that didn't take place immediately before, during or immediately after a car chase, shoot out or bombing. I almost thought there was a bit too much action as there was no let up on the explosions, gun fights and hand to hand combat. At times it could be rather exhausting to read and I wish I had some of Alix's enhancements in order to plough my way through it. I did really like Almasi's alternate reality as it was well developed and executed. I also thought that Almasi opens up a number of potential plot points with the cloning of various characters. I liked but did not love Alix as a character. Perhaps if I had read book 1 I might have warmed to her a bit more. I thought that Darwin could have made a more interesting character especially that he was one of three clones, one of which died while working with Alix. There wasn't very much time given to the development of the other characters and I felt a bit at times like I was reading the plot of a video game. Having said that there was enough to grab my attention and I look forward to what comes next especially, with the big surprise at the end of the novel.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hammer of Angels is the second book in the Shadowstorm series by G.T Almasi which is set in an alternative world ruled entirely by only four world powers –a Nazi controlled Germany where they have enslaved the Jewish race and much of Europe, the USSR, China and the United States. The latter of the lot is fighting all of the others with an exclusive black-ops force of technically enhanced human beings. Although drifting in the path of the sci-fi variety of fiction, Hammer of Angels nevertheless is to be expected to charm urban fantasy fans.

This was quite a different read from some other action-packed books; there was barely any dialogue that did not occur instantly before, during or directly after a car chase, shootout or bombing. I almost thought there was a bit too much action as there was practically no let up on the explosions and fights. At times it all of the non-stop action could be somewhat strenuous to read but all-in-all it was well worth it for the rollercoaster of a thrill it was.

The main protagonist, Alix, did grow up some in this book from when we were introduced to her in the first volume of the series, but she still carries herself a bit too trigger-happy and childish at times, albeit less than she originally was. Ultimately, I look forward to see more of her growth and development in future instalments of Almasi’s series.

Enthralling and repeatedly leaving me without a single moment to grab a breath, Hammer of Angels has all the components of an impeccable spy novel. As Almasi has grasped the art of the dreaded cliff-hanger, I am zealously anticipating the next instalment in the Shadowstorm series.


An Advanced Readers Copy was provided by the publisher in return for an honest view.

[Kris Hasenfratz Ten-Eyck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly addictive. This book, "Hammer of Angels", is the second book in an alternate reality where the United State, the USSR and China share world power with Greater Germany which ended World War II in control of most of Europe and the Middle East. The main character, 19-year old Alix, is an operative code-name Scarlet. Operatives, or Levels as they are called in this world, are often "modified" in order to help them do their jobs.

Scarlet is one of the top Levels of her generation, and Hammer of Angels picks up after the end of her last "assignment" with another undercover assignment in Europe to create mayhem with her partner. To be honest, I had a hard time putting this book down once I picked it up. The characters sucked me into their story, and I really wanted to know what havoc they were going to wreak next. But the book isn't just about the action, the author has a a fully developed set of characters with weaknesses, emotional baggage, hopes and fears which kept kept me emotionally vested.

The best recommendation I can give though, is that if you haven't read "Blades of Winter", the first book in this series, get that first and then come back to "Hammer of Angels." I feel I missed a lot of the back story by not having read "Blades of Winter" first, although the book was still extremely enjoyable.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* Alternative History, Science Fiction
*Rating* 4.0

*First Thoughts*

I have to say that if you are into thrill rides, a bit of science fiction thrown in as well as a very wiseass main character and supporting cast, then you will love this series. I love the fact that it is set in the early 1980's which is when I grew up. In this alternative reality, it's a time where there are four main countries of influence: Greater Germany, Russia, China, and of course, the US. I love the main character Alixandra Nico. She's a 20 something souped up Extreme Operations Operator who just happens to also have a "few" enhancements to make her that much tougher to deal with and keeps a running commentary that is filled with snark.

Hammer of Angels is the second book in the Shadowstorm series and I would say that Almasi has got his groove on. The action is more intense. The danger and missions are that much more important, and a final surprise that has to deal with Alix's father is wrapped up nicely. There are a few other suprises like the fact that Alix is suffering from the effects of long term PTSD and really needs a vacation. Almasi has dedicated this book to the children who have to deal with war. Not a happy subject by any stretch of the matter.

If you've read the first book, this book is a must!

*Recvd 11/12/2012 via Netgalley* Expected publication: March 26th 2013 by Del Rey

[Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashing! This book is another one that grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the end.

Somehow I read the first volume, 'Blades of Winter' without posting a proper review. I'll try to rectify that here.

In the "Shadowstorm" universe, World War II went differently from our timeline. In 1942, a German plot succeeded in assassinating Hitler. That appears to be the point of departure for this storyline. The War ended with the Germans in control of continental Europe, and the present day (1980-81) sees a different political situation from what we remember. The US maintains a balance of power with the Soviet Union, China and Greater Germany. The Germans are allies against the other two powers. Open war is practically impossible, but a colder war is fought between the nations by Levels, agents who have been altered with chemical and bionic upgrades to become the ultimate soldier/spies. Alix Nico is one of these agents, whose father was abducted years ago by German operatives, and who may have been betrayed by one of his colleagues. Alix (codename Scarlet) and her new partner are sent to Germany to foment a rebellion by Jewish slaves.

[Sarah Borden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarlet is my go-to when I want to read about women who are strong, sassy, use ridiculous prose and have fun kicking ass. (I mean ridiculous in the nicest possible way; she calls on her weapons to be things like shooty and stabby). The five star rating came from one chapter that took my breath away. When we meet a re-imagined historical figure (spoilers below) my stomach and heart both tried to float to heaven through my pie-hole. Hey! It is fun to write that way.
Bringing me an idea of what an extraordinary woman Anne Frank would have been as a journalist in Greater Germany brought tears to my eyes. She could have, would have, been so powerful. A fantastic addition to the story. Kudos.
This is a popcorn book. You like the protagonists, like the guns, like the action and look forward to cramming another one down when it arrives. The historical fiction is well-planned and follows its own rules. Very enjoyable.

[Sai Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent addition to Blades of Winter. I think this is like Two towers in LOTR trilogy where main story is sidelined for a different battle in Rohan.

Without many spoilers, Our Alix/Scarlet is sent on a mission to Europe and the entire book takes place in Europe only. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Most of the book deals with slave/Jew uprising against Greater Germany and how ExOps helps them.

Book is an excellent action entertainer. But this is not much more than that. You cannot stop reading this if you like spy movies, but you might not like it if you like spy thrillers - see the difference. Plot is not like spy mind games but rather like action adventure - we will make up plan as we go on. Still, I like it - thats what matters.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/20/14 3.5 stars. In every fantasy/sci-fi series, there's usually one volume that performs the thankless role of exposition, and this was likely it for the Shadowstorm series. Hammer Of Angels retains the flavor of the first book but doesn't share its sense of completion, as it's clearly intended to lead in to a slam bang finish w the final volume. Interestingly, I didn't feel the sense of emotional payoff at the end as I had w Blades Of Winter either. Full review tk.

2/21/14 http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, now that I have read book 2 of the Shadowstorm series, I need to find book 1. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced, action filled Hammer of Angels which takes the 1980's, tosses it into a alternate history blender and makes it interesting again. The heroine (Alix) is an enhanced agent of a US spy agency that is trying to find her father in a German controlled Europe. In the end she succeeds but only by helping raise a slave revolt that spun way past the US planners desires. It will be interesting to see how the author tops this book in the next.

[Melvin Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really a sucker for a good action yarn with clearly defined good guys and bad guys. And who makes better bad guys than Nazis? Throw in super powered protagonists and I'm hooked.

The plot isn't particularly complicated or hard to follow which is good since my pleasure reading time is sort of "catch when catch can." I enjoyed this one as much, if not more than, the first book in the series and look forward to the next.

[Patrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Blades of Winter. It's more or less the same as the first one. If you like Blades of Winter you will like Hammer of Angels. I liked that Mr. Almasi kept the news and com reports at the end of each chapter. It makes the story flow more smoothly. Instead of having the characters explain everything. I think that this on actually has more gory violence in it. I do not recommend eating while reading this book.