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Matt Rowley #1
Jade Sky
Matt Rowley hasn't been human for years. A commando for the International Council on Augmented Phenomena, he hunts down superhuman monsters the military can't handle. But his abilities come with a price: bloodthirsty whispers that urge him to acts of terrible violence.
An encounter with a giant, angelic being with wings of smoke and shadow casts him into a world of inhuman brutality, demonic possession, and madness, where he must choose between his family and his soul.
An encounter with a giant, angelic being with wings of smoke and shadow casts him into a world of inhuman brutality, demonic possession, and madness, where he must choose between his family and his soul.
236 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2014
6 people are currently reading
1059 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Freivald
40 books74 followersPlease visit me on my website, http://patrick.freivald.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 17, 2015
I read Jade Sky because it a nominee for the Bram Stoker novel of the year. So my mindset is already in a horror frame of mind. What I got was an action novel with a sprinkle of supernatural that somehow just didn’t fit well with the story. The action felt all over the place and sometimes convoluted. I almost looked forward to chapters with no action to help with the character development. Matt Rowley the lead character didn’t develop any emotional attachment for me no matter how hard the author tried to force it. The book was mixed for me some chapters I was like that was a really good chapter, some I was like it was meh, and some I felt like skimming through.
The book has some spectacular reviews, so it might be me.
The book has some spectacular reviews, so it might be me.
August 3, 2016
Early on in my reading of Jade Sky I wasn't so sure that I would like it. Thankfully I continued to read it and I hit a point in the book where things started coming together, and from then I was hooked and flew through the rest of the book. It is not an exact match, but I liken Jade Sky to a futuristic military Sci-Fi version of an Indiana Jones. The characters are well defined and easy to relate to. I highly recommend Jade Sky. A truely awesome book!
March 19, 2014
Rated it 3.75 Stars!
Matt Rowley is augmented. He has precognition, strength, agility, and infrared vision. He's the ultimate cop/detective for a secret CIA-like department called ICAP. His job is to fight/destroy other augmented humans and bonks (human-like creatures who have had too many augmentations that they go insane). His current mission is to bring down the leader of a Jade (a highly addictive drug worse than heroine)cartel. However, he learns on his mission that nothing is what it seems. His world might be filled with lies and truths beyond his imagination.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, fast, and exciting. The beginning was a bit confusing because the author jumps into the story, but I was able to figure things out soon enough. Patrick Freivald doesn't shy away from the gore and violence, yet it wasn't excessive to the point it overpowered the fight/battle scenes. The main characters were likable, if not, tolerable and I found myself rooting for them. While I think the ending was a little rushed, it has me waiting for the second book. All-N-all I definitely liked the book and the world that the author created.
Matt Rowley is augmented. He has precognition, strength, agility, and infrared vision. He's the ultimate cop/detective for a secret CIA-like department called ICAP. His job is to fight/destroy other augmented humans and bonks (human-like creatures who have had too many augmentations that they go insane). His current mission is to bring down the leader of a Jade (a highly addictive drug worse than heroine)cartel. However, he learns on his mission that nothing is what it seems. His world might be filled with lies and truths beyond his imagination.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, fast, and exciting. The beginning was a bit confusing because the author jumps into the story, but I was able to figure things out soon enough. Patrick Freivald doesn't shy away from the gore and violence, yet it wasn't excessive to the point it overpowered the fight/battle scenes. The main characters were likable, if not, tolerable and I found myself rooting for them. While I think the ending was a little rushed, it has me waiting for the second book. All-N-all I definitely liked the book and the world that the author created.
August 9, 2016
Pros: lots of action, realistic relationships
Cons: a few plot points were problematic, esoteric slant might put off some readers, gory descriptions, some name confusion
ICAP agent Matt Rowley is given a small team of fellow augmented agents and tasked with taking down the Jade drug king pin Dawkins. But a lot of smaller problems must be dealt with before getting to the big one, and Matt starts to realize that not everything he believes about his crew, the augmentations they’re using, the drug, and ICAP itself is true.
This is a high octane action adventure story with lots of blood, guts and gore. The first half of the book focuses on the drugs and augmentations (including bonks - people whose augmentations have made them go insane), giving it a military SF feel. The second half of the book becomes more of a cat and mouse chase with an esoteric plot element eventually taking the fore. There’s still a lot of action, but readers looking for a full on military style near future SF story might be thrown by the more religious and relationship elements that crop up.
I loved that the relationships in the book were portrayed so realistically. The ICAP crew had communications and personality clashes, while still working well as a team. Meanwhile Matt and his wife, with her complicated pregnancy and fear of another miscarriage, helped ground the second half of the book. Matt’s motivations are solid and believable throughout the novel.
I did question a few of the plot points in the last quarter of the book, which I’ll mention in the spoiler section below.
I’m not a fan of excessive gore, but the book’s use of it wasn’t gratuitous, and it did emphasize the difficulty in killing augmented people. The esoteric antagonist had some pretty cool powers, making it a worthy bad guy for the team.
Several characters were introduced together by first and last name. After that, they were sometimes called by first name, and sometimes by last - often by different people as part of the same conversation. I personally found this confusing and it took me a while to get all the names and people straight.
While not perfect, this is an entertaining read that will keep you guessing.
Spoilers
I couldn’t understand how Janet was still employed by ICAP - and in such a high security position - when Dawkins was her brother. Sure Dawkins split off 10 years prior to this novel, but someone at the company must have known their connection and would have removed her. The fact that the book never addresses this issue is a problem as I constantly wondered when ICAP would attack her house, especially once Dawkins was freed from prison.
The second plot point I had trouble with also occurred at the end of the book and comes in two parts. One, how and when did Blossom get the augments she used? And two, after reading that Matt felt sick after getting his own augments and that they took a day or two to surface, how did he inject himself during the final battle and have almost instantaneous use of his powers without any nausea or other negative side-effects? That directly contradicts what we’re told only a few chapters earlier.
Cons: a few plot points were problematic, esoteric slant might put off some readers, gory descriptions, some name confusion
ICAP agent Matt Rowley is given a small team of fellow augmented agents and tasked with taking down the Jade drug king pin Dawkins. But a lot of smaller problems must be dealt with before getting to the big one, and Matt starts to realize that not everything he believes about his crew, the augmentations they’re using, the drug, and ICAP itself is true.
This is a high octane action adventure story with lots of blood, guts and gore. The first half of the book focuses on the drugs and augmentations (including bonks - people whose augmentations have made them go insane), giving it a military SF feel. The second half of the book becomes more of a cat and mouse chase with an esoteric plot element eventually taking the fore. There’s still a lot of action, but readers looking for a full on military style near future SF story might be thrown by the more religious and relationship elements that crop up.
I loved that the relationships in the book were portrayed so realistically. The ICAP crew had communications and personality clashes, while still working well as a team. Meanwhile Matt and his wife, with her complicated pregnancy and fear of another miscarriage, helped ground the second half of the book. Matt’s motivations are solid and believable throughout the novel.
I did question a few of the plot points in the last quarter of the book, which I’ll mention in the spoiler section below.
I’m not a fan of excessive gore, but the book’s use of it wasn’t gratuitous, and it did emphasize the difficulty in killing augmented people. The esoteric antagonist had some pretty cool powers, making it a worthy bad guy for the team.
Several characters were introduced together by first and last name. After that, they were sometimes called by first name, and sometimes by last - often by different people as part of the same conversation. I personally found this confusing and it took me a while to get all the names and people straight.
While not perfect, this is an entertaining read that will keep you guessing.
Spoilers
I couldn’t understand how Janet was still employed by ICAP - and in such a high security position - when Dawkins was her brother. Sure Dawkins split off 10 years prior to this novel, but someone at the company must have known their connection and would have removed her. The fact that the book never addresses this issue is a problem as I constantly wondered when ICAP would attack her house, especially once Dawkins was freed from prison.
The second plot point I had trouble with also occurred at the end of the book and comes in two parts. One, how and when did Blossom get the augments she used? And two, after reading that Matt felt sick after getting his own augments and that they took a day or two to surface, how did he inject himself during the final battle and have almost instantaneous use of his powers without any nausea or other negative side-effects? That directly contradicts what we’re told only a few chapters earlier.
May 14, 2014
Review copy
A great opening line will get your attention, draw you in, and make you want to know everything about what you're about to get yourself into as a reader. "Blood rained from the ceiling." And I'm hooked.
Jade Sky, the new novel from Patrick Freivald, gets right to the action with ICAP (the International Council on Augmented Phenomena) engaged in battle, fighting to control a super drug called Jade and the spread of Gerstner technologies.
"ICAP agents walked the line between Captain America and Bane and were the only law enforcement capable of hunting down other augs." Augs are "augmented" individuals, and the reason ICAP agents where so good at hunting down other augs is because the agents themselves had augmented powers. Think X-Men where you get to choose what powers you get.
It took me a little while to get into Jade Sky, but once I got comfortable with what was going on, I settled in and enjoyed the experience. Kind of like and old-school roller-coaster where you get slowly pulled to the crest of the first peak and then there's the rush of adrenaline that carries you from that first drop right through to the end of the ride. Just like a great coaster, there are plenty of twists and turns, too. Everytime, I though I had an idea where the author was going, BAM, another twist.
Jade Sky is part action-adventure, part horror, part sci-fi and part urban fantasy, all woven into a very enjoyable story. I could see myself in the theater watching this on the big screen, chewing on some popcorn.
Jade Sky is from the team at Journalstone Publishing who have been releasing some great product in recent years and is scheduled for publication on May 16th, in a variety of formats. Check their website for details or you can purchase from Amazon.com.
Recommended.
A great opening line will get your attention, draw you in, and make you want to know everything about what you're about to get yourself into as a reader. "Blood rained from the ceiling." And I'm hooked.
Jade Sky, the new novel from Patrick Freivald, gets right to the action with ICAP (the International Council on Augmented Phenomena) engaged in battle, fighting to control a super drug called Jade and the spread of Gerstner technologies.
"ICAP agents walked the line between Captain America and Bane and were the only law enforcement capable of hunting down other augs." Augs are "augmented" individuals, and the reason ICAP agents where so good at hunting down other augs is because the agents themselves had augmented powers. Think X-Men where you get to choose what powers you get.
It took me a little while to get into Jade Sky, but once I got comfortable with what was going on, I settled in and enjoyed the experience. Kind of like and old-school roller-coaster where you get slowly pulled to the crest of the first peak and then there's the rush of adrenaline that carries you from that first drop right through to the end of the ride. Just like a great coaster, there are plenty of twists and turns, too. Everytime, I though I had an idea where the author was going, BAM, another twist.
Jade Sky is part action-adventure, part horror, part sci-fi and part urban fantasy, all woven into a very enjoyable story. I could see myself in the theater watching this on the big screen, chewing on some popcorn.
Jade Sky is from the team at Journalstone Publishing who have been releasing some great product in recent years and is scheduled for publication on May 16th, in a variety of formats. Check their website for details or you can purchase from Amazon.com.
Recommended.
September 3, 2014
To sum it up in one sentence--Jade Sky is a fun novel. It's action packed from the get go and never really lets up. The first in what appears to be a series, author Patrick Freivald has obviously put a lot of thought into the world he is trying to build. Because of that complexity, the first few chapters are confusing and a couple border on almost too conveniently expositional, but readers are encouraged to stick with it. Once Jade Sky hits its groove, it's off to the races.
Some may be put off by the violence and the gore, but if so, why are you reading this book in the first place? You know what you are getting, and Jade Sky gives it to you. Frankly, that's why I gave it five stars. Jade Sky does exactly what it seeks to do, and does it well. Is it as good as Freivald's Twice Shy? No. That book was, in my view nearly perfect. The plot in Jade Sky isn't quite as good, and the characterizations pale in comparison. But when toe-to-toe to other similar thrillers? Jade Sky shines.
If you love action, if you love thrillers, if you love a little sci-fi magic, don't let Jade Sky pass you by.
Some may be put off by the violence and the gore, but if so, why are you reading this book in the first place? You know what you are getting, and Jade Sky gives it to you. Frankly, that's why I gave it five stars. Jade Sky does exactly what it seeks to do, and does it well. Is it as good as Freivald's Twice Shy? No. That book was, in my view nearly perfect. The plot in Jade Sky isn't quite as good, and the characterizations pale in comparison. But when toe-to-toe to other similar thrillers? Jade Sky shines.
If you love action, if you love thrillers, if you love a little sci-fi magic, don't let Jade Sky pass you by.
May 16, 2014
It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I did....it was 'Buckle up Buttercup'! What a thrill ride! Matt Rowley is a sort of regular Joe...if regular Joes were augmented to heal quickly, move fast, and hunt superhuman monsters. This is a helluva thriller about a guy and his team of augmented peeps. The language and slang took a bit to get used to, but I got into the swing soon enough.
There's drug traffickers to chase down as well as angels...big scary ones who seem to be in charge of the drug trade.
No one is as they appear to be, perfect for fast page-turning action. Cannot wait to read the next in the series. An author to follow fer shure!
There's drug traffickers to chase down as well as angels...big scary ones who seem to be in charge of the drug trade.
No one is as they appear to be, perfect for fast page-turning action. Cannot wait to read the next in the series. An author to follow fer shure!
September 11, 2025
Don’t recommend this author. This guy celebrates the murder of innocent people. Save your money.
July 21, 2014
When I go to read a book, it’s often I find myself stumbling over countless titles in the same genre who all read exactly the same. Stylistically it’s hard to find an author whose narrative voice is distinct and clear and can keep my interest throughout an entire novel. I’m a stickler for books, it’s the truth and I have come to accept it. So while I was searching for something that would blow my mind in the action & fantasy department, I came across JADE SKY by Patrick Freivald.
Ten pages in and I was hooked. Freivald has an uncanny ability as a writer to throw high paced action at you without negating from a core characters growth and development. JADE SKY is a perfect example of information versus action done right.
JADE SKY tells the story of Matt Rowley, an agent who has enhancements to his body through augmentation and becomes essentially a Captain America type figure. He is a part of a group of super-human augmented agents known as “Augs.” It’s a fight of good versus evil, with lots of enhanced ability action tossed into the mix.
Rowley is an extremely likeable character straight out of the gate. His constant inner struggle is masked by his mind-numbing want to lead a normal life. He constantly upgrades his body and tries to be the best he can be, while all the while hoping each day to be better no matter the cost. It’s easy to develop great sympathy for him, but at the same time wanting to slap some sense into him!
JADE SKY touches on many social issues that seem to transpire no matter what age we are living in. Governmental affairs, cover ups, the war on drugs, they are all touched on in this work and done so without bias or frills.
The action is top notch, the military descriptions are spot on and it leaves your heart racing after every scene. At the same time, the character interaction and intelligence point of view is not lost in a sea of shoot-‘em-up violence. The two are blended seamlessly and almost effortlessly into a story that is great from start to finish.
In short? JADE SKY is not a book you want to pass up. If you like super heroes, military fiction, fantasy and high paced action than this is right up your alley. If you don’t know if you like all that, well pick this up and give it a shot! JADE SKY is a reminder of why we love books so much, a high profile story with substance and skill.
Ten pages in and I was hooked. Freivald has an uncanny ability as a writer to throw high paced action at you without negating from a core characters growth and development. JADE SKY is a perfect example of information versus action done right.
JADE SKY tells the story of Matt Rowley, an agent who has enhancements to his body through augmentation and becomes essentially a Captain America type figure. He is a part of a group of super-human augmented agents known as “Augs.” It’s a fight of good versus evil, with lots of enhanced ability action tossed into the mix.
Rowley is an extremely likeable character straight out of the gate. His constant inner struggle is masked by his mind-numbing want to lead a normal life. He constantly upgrades his body and tries to be the best he can be, while all the while hoping each day to be better no matter the cost. It’s easy to develop great sympathy for him, but at the same time wanting to slap some sense into him!
JADE SKY touches on many social issues that seem to transpire no matter what age we are living in. Governmental affairs, cover ups, the war on drugs, they are all touched on in this work and done so without bias or frills.
The action is top notch, the military descriptions are spot on and it leaves your heart racing after every scene. At the same time, the character interaction and intelligence point of view is not lost in a sea of shoot-‘em-up violence. The two are blended seamlessly and almost effortlessly into a story that is great from start to finish.
In short? JADE SKY is not a book you want to pass up. If you like super heroes, military fiction, fantasy and high paced action than this is right up your alley. If you don’t know if you like all that, well pick this up and give it a shot! JADE SKY is a reminder of why we love books so much, a high profile story with substance and skill.
June 2, 2014
Other reviews can be found at http://wellreadviking.blogspot.com/
I received this book from LibraryThing. When I first read the description of the book I felt like I knew what type of book it was going to be. The blurb mentioned that the main character, Matt Rowley, was a commando for the International Council on Augmented Phenomena and that he hunted down superhuman monsters with his own augmented abilities. In my mind I thought that meant that this book was going to be a cross between Monster Hunter International and the Dresden Files. I love those series so I figured I would love this as well.
As I started reading I found out that it wasn't going to be anything like those series, but that this wasn't a bad thing. Patrick Freivald was giving us something new. Imagine you are in a world that has the ability to augment humans. They can make them super strong, super-fast, give them the ability to regenerate and in some cases even see a few seconds in the future. There is a catch, however. If you augment yourself too much you will end up succumbing to the whispers in your mind and "bonking out". You end up killing anything else that is near. The more you augment the louder and stronger the whispering gets. With people augmenting themselves the government decided they needed a group of their own to handle these creatures, and so ICAP was born.
In this book you follow Matt on a journey as he seeks answers to what has been done to him and whether what he has believed from the beginning is true. This book is full of furious, fast and blood drenched fighting. The story is fast paced and the main character is likable and is someone to whom you can relate (Even though he can reattach a limb that has been hacked off). The book takes you places you do not expect and dives into some esoteric religious topics. If you are looking for a fast read (the book is only 236 pages) that has a lot of action and some religion and magic thrown in then this is the book for you.
Rating 4.25/5 Stars
I received this book from LibraryThing. When I first read the description of the book I felt like I knew what type of book it was going to be. The blurb mentioned that the main character, Matt Rowley, was a commando for the International Council on Augmented Phenomena and that he hunted down superhuman monsters with his own augmented abilities. In my mind I thought that meant that this book was going to be a cross between Monster Hunter International and the Dresden Files. I love those series so I figured I would love this as well.
As I started reading I found out that it wasn't going to be anything like those series, but that this wasn't a bad thing. Patrick Freivald was giving us something new. Imagine you are in a world that has the ability to augment humans. They can make them super strong, super-fast, give them the ability to regenerate and in some cases even see a few seconds in the future. There is a catch, however. If you augment yourself too much you will end up succumbing to the whispers in your mind and "bonking out". You end up killing anything else that is near. The more you augment the louder and stronger the whispering gets. With people augmenting themselves the government decided they needed a group of their own to handle these creatures, and so ICAP was born.
In this book you follow Matt on a journey as he seeks answers to what has been done to him and whether what he has believed from the beginning is true. This book is full of furious, fast and blood drenched fighting. The story is fast paced and the main character is likable and is someone to whom you can relate (Even though he can reattach a limb that has been hacked off). The book takes you places you do not expect and dives into some esoteric religious topics. If you are looking for a fast read (the book is only 236 pages) that has a lot of action and some religion and magic thrown in then this is the book for you.
Rating 4.25/5 Stars
August 22, 2014
Opening in the midst of a significant firefight and rarely letting up the pace for more than a brief gasp of badly-needed air, Jade Sky follows a group of augmented commandos who work to make the world safer by ridding it of a nasty drug by the name of Jade. Along the way they battle other augmented foes that have gone mad as a result of their augmentations, and whom need to be stopped in a permanent way if “norms” are going to be able to sleep safely in their beds. Led by main character, effective soldier and pending family man, Matt Rowley, the commandos soon find themselves uncovering evidence of a conspiracy that explains more than they could have imagined whilst threatening the very existence of the world.
So there’s the set up. If you’re thinking that sounds fairly lacking in horror, you’d be right on at least one level. Jade Sky is less of a horror novel and more of an action, thriller, urban fantasy hybrid with the odd supernatural element thrown in for good measure. It mostly works and works well, though it does get a bit lost in developing its own mythos at times. And though it may not be a horror, author Patrick Freivald describes some impressive brutality as his characters bend, rend, tear and pulverize each other beyond human recognition. The action scenes are all of particularly high quality, Matt Rowley is well-developed and easy to empathise with, and there seems to be enough here to warrant further adventures in the world Freivald has created (which appears to be the plan). The writing is also very solid, never detracting from what is unfolding on the page and drawing the reader along toward a conclusion that most will be satisfied with.
Fans of Jonathon Maberry’s JOE LEDGER series should be especially pleased and are recommended to seek Jade Sky out sooner rather than later.
3.5 Bonked Bonks for Jade Sky.
The preceding was originally posted at Horror After Dark and was based on an ecopy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
So there’s the set up. If you’re thinking that sounds fairly lacking in horror, you’d be right on at least one level. Jade Sky is less of a horror novel and more of an action, thriller, urban fantasy hybrid with the odd supernatural element thrown in for good measure. It mostly works and works well, though it does get a bit lost in developing its own mythos at times. And though it may not be a horror, author Patrick Freivald describes some impressive brutality as his characters bend, rend, tear and pulverize each other beyond human recognition. The action scenes are all of particularly high quality, Matt Rowley is well-developed and easy to empathise with, and there seems to be enough here to warrant further adventures in the world Freivald has created (which appears to be the plan). The writing is also very solid, never detracting from what is unfolding on the page and drawing the reader along toward a conclusion that most will be satisfied with.
Fans of Jonathon Maberry’s JOE LEDGER series should be especially pleased and are recommended to seek Jade Sky out sooner rather than later.
3.5 Bonked Bonks for Jade Sky.
The preceding was originally posted at Horror After Dark and was based on an ecopy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2014
This was not my general choice for what to read, but it was definitely interesting and engaging. I will first note that if you have a weak stomach, this probably isn't the book for you, as it's pretty graphic in the blood and guts department, but that's not something I have a problem with, so it wasn't a problem for me. In general, this is definitely a plot driven book, with a ton of action, which was quite a bit of fun. I basically thought of it as being a lot like Wolverine meets Dan Brown conspiracy theories. The world that was depicted was really fascinating, with people who have the ability to be augmented ("aug"ed), which can give them a variety of skills, from being able to be healed, to see the future. At first it's billed as just a new drug that allows for these enhancements, but as the novel progresses, the truth comes to light...and it isn't pretty. Tying in the nephelim was what originally caught my attention, and without giving away anything more, it was really kind of cool. Anyhow, overall if you're looking for a good beach read (and don't mind a little b&g) then this one's for you!
November 11, 2014
This is an action-packed, multi-genre book that will appeal to a wide audience. It has a bit of hard science fiction, a bit of fantasy, a bit of horror, and a lot of things going on. I was thinking of "super soldiers" as I read the book. It is also populated with strange creatures, good and evil, as well as a healthy dose of the supernatural.
The book at first has a bit of a comic book quality--I do not mean this as a criticism. At the beginning, as Matt Rowley fights a fierce battle, he seems to face defeat, but then his powers of healing kick in, and after that his precognitive powers help him. I am reminded of the 1960s TV show, "Batman." On many occasions when Batman and Robin were in big trouble, Batman would say, "Our only chance is to use the Bat-Life Jacket" or another item that saves them. Also like a comic book is the amount of blood and guts spatter.
Even though urban fantasy is not my favorite kind of literature, and super soldiers are not my particular interest (living near Fort Bragg has made me cynical over the years), I enjoyed the book. For those who enjoy this kind of action-packed narrative, the book is a goldmine.
The book at first has a bit of a comic book quality--I do not mean this as a criticism. At the beginning, as Matt Rowley fights a fierce battle, he seems to face defeat, but then his powers of healing kick in, and after that his precognitive powers help him. I am reminded of the 1960s TV show, "Batman." On many occasions when Batman and Robin were in big trouble, Batman would say, "Our only chance is to use the Bat-Life Jacket" or another item that saves them. Also like a comic book is the amount of blood and guts spatter.
Even though urban fantasy is not my favorite kind of literature, and super soldiers are not my particular interest (living near Fort Bragg has made me cynical over the years), I enjoyed the book. For those who enjoy this kind of action-packed narrative, the book is a goldmine.
January 16, 2014
Matt Rowley hasn't been human for years. A commando for the International Council on Augmented Phenomena, he hunts down superhuman monsters the military can't handle. But his abilities come with a price: bloodthirsty whispers that urge him to acts of terrible violence.
An encounter with a giant, angelic being with wings of smoke and shadow casts him into a world of inhuman brutality, demonic possession, and madness, where he must choose between his family and his soul.
An encounter with a giant, angelic being with wings of smoke and shadow casts him into a world of inhuman brutality, demonic possession, and madness, where he must choose between his family and his soul.
December 29, 2014
3.5 Stars (when I give half-stars, I round it up or down, depending on the book).
I liked this. Not as much as I wanted to, but I liked it.
The variance in tech vs magic/religion had me confused for a while, until the two storylines managed to combine.
After that, it was plain sailing all the way to the end.
Not too bad at all.
I liked this. Not as much as I wanted to, but I liked it.
The variance in tech vs magic/religion had me confused for a while, until the two storylines managed to combine.
After that, it was plain sailing all the way to the end.
Not too bad at all.
April 27, 2014
Holy cow what an exciting book. Sci-fi/horror with a little "religious" history thrown in for grins! I love the honorable mention of probably the coolest getaway car ever. This is pure non stop action.
September 11, 2025
Not worth the ink.
May 27, 2014
I loved this book!
Primarily a sci-fi adventure--with elements of horror and mystery--the tight prose and lightening-speed pacing make this a tough one to put down.
Matt Rowley is a government agent who's undergone a series of augmentations (ranging from precognitive abilities, to on-the-battlefield regeneration, to mind reading), turning him into, essentially, a super-hero. The lettered government agency, ICAP, employs and maintains a whole team of augmented humans, known simply as "Augs", and their main function is to regulate an abilities-altering drug known as Jade, and to track down and destroy other Augs who are up to no good--fighting bad Augs with good Augs, basically.
Being a superhero sounds great, of course, but if the augmented part of these agents is not kept in check, they will go insane and turn into gigantic, mutated, mindless killing machines known as "bonks", who are physically even superer than they were before, and really hard to kill!
In the opening pages of the book, we are introduced to the team while they are working a typical job. And by typical, of course, I mean filled with crazy badass weapons, devastating injuries, and a ton of outright violence. All quite ordinary for these guys, and part of a day's work. But it's when Matt and his team encounter something very much out of the ordinary that things get moving. After sharing a vision / hallucination of what they believe to be an angel, the team's investigation takes them far out of their comfort zone, and they soon realize there's a lot more at stake than they could have imagined.
This was a fascinating story, well researched and precisely written, with a cast of real-as-you-can-get characters and believable scenarios. Personally, it reminded me of the sort of futuristic military-driven world that might have been envisioned by Robert Heinlein (sans the overt social commentary), but also with a main character like something out of a Jack Reacher novel--Matt Rowley is smart, reasonable, incredibly tough, and despite spending all his time in the darker side of humanity (and superhumanity), manages to retain an incorruptible moral code.
If this turns into a Matt Rowley series, and I hope it will, I will be pre-ordering the next installment as soon as I am made aware of it!
Primarily a sci-fi adventure--with elements of horror and mystery--the tight prose and lightening-speed pacing make this a tough one to put down.
Matt Rowley is a government agent who's undergone a series of augmentations (ranging from precognitive abilities, to on-the-battlefield regeneration, to mind reading), turning him into, essentially, a super-hero. The lettered government agency, ICAP, employs and maintains a whole team of augmented humans, known simply as "Augs", and their main function is to regulate an abilities-altering drug known as Jade, and to track down and destroy other Augs who are up to no good--fighting bad Augs with good Augs, basically.
Being a superhero sounds great, of course, but if the augmented part of these agents is not kept in check, they will go insane and turn into gigantic, mutated, mindless killing machines known as "bonks", who are physically even superer than they were before, and really hard to kill!
In the opening pages of the book, we are introduced to the team while they are working a typical job. And by typical, of course, I mean filled with crazy badass weapons, devastating injuries, and a ton of outright violence. All quite ordinary for these guys, and part of a day's work. But it's when Matt and his team encounter something very much out of the ordinary that things get moving. After sharing a vision / hallucination of what they believe to be an angel, the team's investigation takes them far out of their comfort zone, and they soon realize there's a lot more at stake than they could have imagined.
This was a fascinating story, well researched and precisely written, with a cast of real-as-you-can-get characters and believable scenarios. Personally, it reminded me of the sort of futuristic military-driven world that might have been envisioned by Robert Heinlein (sans the overt social commentary), but also with a main character like something out of a Jack Reacher novel--Matt Rowley is smart, reasonable, incredibly tough, and despite spending all his time in the darker side of humanity (and superhumanity), manages to retain an incorruptible moral code.
If this turns into a Matt Rowley series, and I hope it will, I will be pre-ordering the next installment as soon as I am made aware of it!
August 1, 2014
I received a review copy of this book thru LibraryThing Early Reviewers
The novel opens with augmented super soldiers from, ICAP (the International Council on Augmented Phenomena) in a pitched battle with smugglers, trying to close the trade in the drug Jade and stop the spread illegal augmentation to criminals.
And the action continues when Sergeant Matt Rowley an augmented super soldier gets to form his own team to go after Dawkins, the biggest smuggler of all, and rumoured to be a former agent of ICAP.
But when his own organisation, ICAP, send men after him and his family, Matt needs to quickly work out who he can trust.
Jade sky is a fast pace story with plenty of action, and a couple of twists near the end.
I was a little disappointed when the source of the augmentation turns out to be religious/ mystical/ magic, rather than scientific genetic manipulation.
Overall a good book to start a new series.
August 5, 2014
I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program for the purpose of a fair review.
Matt Rowley is a braver man than I am. He is willing to court insanity to stop people who are super-human in their abilities. All in order to stop the drug, jade, from being released to the public.
Jeez. Well-written book this is, but if you’re like me, then you’ll want a bath at the end of it. There was blood and gore from one end of this book to the other. And it’s so close to Matt, you feel like you’re walking the tightrope between insanity and doing the right thing.
Be strong in your faith before you read this one, the true evil will make you question a lot of it if you aren’t.
It was a good story. Recommended for those who like the gore and is extremely strong in faith. A real shoot ‘em up.
Matt Rowley is a braver man than I am. He is willing to court insanity to stop people who are super-human in their abilities. All in order to stop the drug, jade, from being released to the public.
Jeez. Well-written book this is, but if you’re like me, then you’ll want a bath at the end of it. There was blood and gore from one end of this book to the other. And it’s so close to Matt, you feel like you’re walking the tightrope between insanity and doing the right thing.
Be strong in your faith before you read this one, the true evil will make you question a lot of it if you aren’t.
It was a good story. Recommended for those who like the gore and is extremely strong in faith. A real shoot ‘em up.
January 21, 2015
This is an exciting action, fantasy, horror novel that starts off with a great opening line and never lets up. The hero, Matt Rowley, is something of a super-soldier, a man augmented with cutting edge science to allow him to lead a team of international law enforcers against a world-wide drug cartel, selling Jade. There are deep roots to the international mystery involving Rowley, Jade and the roots of the science and power at play. This can be fairly compared to Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger. The military action runs high, though Rowley is certainly a darker in a bleak world. The real highlight of the book, for me, is the characters who's back-stories are hinted at through most of the book, and who really seem to live in three dimensions. Looking foreawrd to the future books in the series.
December 29, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story is set in a future with manipulated super soldiers produced to police the activities of addicts using the compounds required for those manipulations. Addicts eventually go crazy and a killing spree follows (turns out the soldiers go crazy, too). The novel is very violent and really graphic about that violence. The twist comes in the origins of the chemicals used to produce the drugs. It's very conspiracy heavy with good guys and bad guys a little hard to discriminate. Overall, I thought it had a pretty good pace and an interesting story line. Character development was a light, but who could tell with all of the blood that was flowing.
This story is set in a future with manipulated super soldiers produced to police the activities of addicts using the compounds required for those manipulations. Addicts eventually go crazy and a killing spree follows (turns out the soldiers go crazy, too). The novel is very violent and really graphic about that violence. The twist comes in the origins of the chemicals used to produce the drugs. It's very conspiracy heavy with good guys and bad guys a little hard to discriminate. Overall, I thought it had a pretty good pace and an interesting story line. Character development was a light, but who could tell with all of the blood that was flowing.
July 26, 2014
JADE SKY starts off with a bang and doesn't let up when Matt Rowley, the leader of an augmented commando team, gets caught up in what appears to be a drug war. As the story progresses we find out there's so much more going on, and behind it all is an evil ancient mythos. Bravo! This novel took all of my favorite interests and rolled them into a non-stop action story with lots of twists and turns to keep me going. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, the author turned things upside down and intensified the plot. A great read, particularly for those into sci-fi/thrillers with a dark fantasy element.
August 4, 2014
I received this book in a FirstReads giveaway, thank you thank you!!
This book was incredible! So much so, that I'm hoping this might end up being a book 1 of many more to come?
The story concept and deliverance of said concept was executed prestinly. The writing style, well done. Characters were rich, bigger than life, and insightful. Character and story development was strong. Environments illustrated like Picasso.
I can't say enough good things about this book.
This book was incredible! So much so, that I'm hoping this might end up being a book 1 of many more to come?
The story concept and deliverance of said concept was executed prestinly. The writing style, well done. Characters were rich, bigger than life, and insightful. Character and story development was strong. Environments illustrated like Picasso.
I can't say enough good things about this book.
August 26, 2014
This crazy adventure had me on the edge of my seat, I felt like I was right there with the characters experiencing their emotions, and living their lives with them. I got this book yesterday, and couldn't put it down. I finished it in a day! Great read, I have passed it on to my husband who is starting it soon!
February 19, 2015
"Jade Sky delivers vivid imagery and spine chilling action that would make watching an MMA fight ringside look tame."
Visit the following website to read the rest of my review. http://milaballentine.blogspot.com/20...
Visit the following website to read the rest of my review. http://milaballentine.blogspot.com/20...
November 17, 2014
Jade Sky is full of action and suspense. It also has elements of horror and the super-nautual. It has non-stop action but also has fully developed characters. Each chapter ups the ante on the thrills and action. You will not want to put this book down until the very end.
March 17, 2015
Explosive sci-fi that reads like a Call of Duty video game. Just enough blood and gore to satisfy those who enjoy horror. Good character development and unexpected twists. Well-deserving of its Bram Stoker nomination.
February 5, 2015
Fast-paced thriller about enhanced cops versus enhanced killers. Lots of fun and well done.
December 4, 2017
I really enjoyed the ideas Freivald was playing with here. Dealing with super-science and its origins in this world can be tricky, but Freivald pulls off a nice balance between exploring the plot and the human elements.
For the most part, the action was solid and well-executed, although when things got more "weird" (I'm leaving it as such so as to not reveal the main twist), some of the bits were a bit hard to follow.
Overall, it's a fun read and recommended for fans of sci-fi action movies and/or anime.
For the most part, the action was solid and well-executed, although when things got more "weird" (I'm leaving it as such so as to not reveal the main twist), some of the bits were a bit hard to follow.
Overall, it's a fun read and recommended for fans of sci-fi action movies and/or anime.
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