No Man's Land

Rowan series #2

by Davis Bunn

CIA field agent Kelly Kaiser is drawn into a dangerous, top-secret mission to stop the number of people affected by the rowan tree's mysterious forces getting out of control.Junior CIA field agent Kelly Kaiser jumps at the chance to lead a risky mission to enter Mexico and gather refugees from under the nose of the notorious drug lord who murdered her fianc�.When the mission takes a revenge-fuelled twist, Kelly finds herself facing dismissal, but Agnes Pendalon, the CIA's chief 'spook' lady, has other ideas. Kelly must lead a new, top-secret team to hunt down everyone infected by a magical, mysterious rowan tree's supernatural forces, and stop the outbreaks getting out of control. Facing an enemy she cannot see or define, Kelly is pulled into a war between alien forces and humanity, and soon discovers that there is more to her fianc�'s death than meets the eye . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Christian Fiction, Science Fiction

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2024

About the author

Davis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than eight million books in twenty languages.

Honored with four Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, Davis was inducted into the Christy Hall of Fame in 2014.

His bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was serves as Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

Davis Bunn also writes under the names Thomas Locke (for his epic fantasy and techno-thriller novels) and T. Davis Bunn (for books published prior to 2002).

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of things I need to note before I get into the review. First is I have never read a book by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Second, this is the second book in a series but it’s perfectly fine to have not read the first one. It reads like a standalone sort of, but there’s a couple of minor cliffhangers. So, at first, I was a little confused when I was reading this. There was so much information thrown at me in the beginning, it took me a little while to get situated. Once that was done, it was definitely full steam ahead. I became so invested in the characters, I wasn’t sure who to root for…even after I’m done, I’m still not very sure. There isn’t much down time, the action is pretty much non-stop, and it is well written. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next, and I’m hoping that we get to see some of these characters again. I loved this and can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Barbara Maddox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series and it is very necessary to read the first book first. If you don't read the first book, you will not know who is good and who is not good. The book has two different groups of main characters involved, who stories eventually begin to intersect. However, I found it difficult to keep up with the names and positions of many of the lesser characters. Toward the end, the story picked up and became quite exciting. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Oliva Sunny-Days · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly Kaiser is a CIA field agent trying to bury herself in her work after the murder of her fiancé. Denton Hayes is a former police detective rebuilding his life as a corporate insurance investigator following a relapsing struggle with drugs. When a mysterious series of events brings the two into opposition, both sides head into an adventure they could never have predicted.

When rumors of a group of people with magical powers surface, the government will stop at nothing to prevent further outbreaks. Denton and Kelly will both be faced with tough decisions – do they give themselves the magic powers? And if so, whose side will they be on once they’ve gotten them?

With so many characters and moving pieces in this story, I initially found it a bit hard to follow. As the story progressed and characters met each other, it was easier to understand. The plot, however, did not feel resolved to me. The government is very against these magical powers, but it’s not made clear what they’re so upset about. There is not a clear enemy to me, and the ending definitely left me wanting more information. Hopefully there will be a follow up book to clarify the point of the powers and why some are so set against them.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Bunn’s science fiction/speculative fiction book, The Rowan. There is little mention of the characters from the Rowan, and new “followers” only come via leaves saved from the tree. Most of the action takes place in southern California, with lots of interference from the big shots in Washington, DC, who want to control and get rid of those “infected” with the effects of interacting with leaves from the Rowan.

There are a LOT of characters in this book, and I had a hard time keeping track of them all (which person with a last name starting with R is this one?) and being older, having a female lead with a name that to me indicates a male, led to more confusion – mostly because I was reading fast to find out what is going to happen, rather than taking my time to makes lists of who are the characters and which side are they on.

There will obviously be at least one more book in this series. I’ll probably read it to see how Bunn draws things together.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NoMansLand #NetGalley

[Trish (Beautiful Chaos Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ★
0 🌶️

No Man's Land is the first book I have read by Davis Bunn and it was a great introduction. I quickly discovered this is the second book in this series but I also found the author does a good job of catching you up to what is going on by weaving it very nicely into the book's story. The two main POVs you follow have rather sad backstories and you can see why they are drawn to whatever is happening. Both of these characters end up on opposite sides of the "problem," however you can't determine if there is a good guy or a bad guy. I truly enjoyed that tension. There are a lot of threads in this story and you have to pay attention because it all moves very fast. You feel the urgency of the characters in their "quests" in the pacing of the novel. I could tell we are not getting the same characters as were in the first book, which leads me to wonder if we will see the characters from this book again. I have a feeling this is another thread that will culminate in a later book and I look forward to reading what's to come.

Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the arc, these opinions are my own.

[Cynde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Rowan, a series by Davis Bunn. Reader should read the first book in the series before beginning this book. The first book covers the people who found and were affected by the Rowan tree. The Rowan tree is a mystical tree that's leaves impart a type of mind expanding connection to a group. This book is about the teams(Governments) that are working against the "infection of the Rowan tree, which they believe is an alien invasion (like the body snatchers from old movies.) The government agencies are trying to track and shut down the spread of those infected.The pace of action is swift in the books but takes concentration to follow. Both books end in a cliffhanger indicating there will be more in the series.The characterizations are wonderful and the reader will be engaged in there progress through the often odd events: houses and building vanishing as well as people. I did enjoy the story and will read the sequel when available.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in a series. Not sure if reading book 1 would have helped or not. Definitely a scifi storyline. The premise was definitely interesting although at times, rather confusing. The story is told from 2 different angles & multiple points of views. It took a bit to figure who was on what side. The interesting thought when done reading is who's good & who's bad? Or are both sides wrong? The next book will be interesting for that reason.
Thank-you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle Treas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This story jumps between multiple characters points of view. The beginning of the book was slow to hold my attention and at points got confusing. As the story progressed it became more interesting and things started to make more sense. This book is the first in the series and I believe it was laying the groundwork for what is to come.

[Feya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is laying the foundation of the story, you’ll experience a lot of groundwork and different point of views from the characters. The story itself is told from their perspectives. As the story unfolds, you do get more answers to questions from the beginning. The story itself does pick up as it progresses through the book.

[Laura Clipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book so fast. I enjoyed the first one so was very happy to read this one. It was from a different perspective this time. More government procedural than science fiction but I enjoyed it all the same. I liked the characters of Denton and Connor. I really enjoyed the ending and look forward to reading any more books to come.

[Deb Haggerty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunn Has Exceeded Even His Own Brilliance

I thought I had been drawn to a higher plane or reading enjoyment with The Rowan. No Man’s Land was even better. A book where you have no idea of the hero or the villain until near the end kept me reading intensely. But was that realization correct? We have to wait until Book 3 to know for sure. 5 Stars!

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in a series that can be read as a stand alone. Well plotted, gripping, plenty of characters and POVs that are never confusing.
Entertaining, gripping
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Charleen Weismantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing

I almost gave up on this book: lots of names and not a lot of connection (by design. I'm sure). I began to think that I would never find the thread to the story. I final did and enjoyed the rest of the book.

[Tom Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

This was excellent follow-up to the initial 'Rowan', but it takes off - then hits hyper drive. Bunn has really followed the first entry with a dazzling display of authorship.

[Marilyn Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who is who?

There were a lot of different people with names that were similar enough to be confusing. Also having names that are easily male or female added significantly to the difficulty of being certain who was doing what.I prefer to not need a note pad to know who is whom!

[Noah Tiihonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm flabbergasted by the writing and the cover! This book reminds me of Shadow and Bone. I was also in a rush trying to finish this book too 😅

[Josh Caje · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation of the last one--very good!