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Savage

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David Edward's "Savage" is a tour de force in military thrillers, setting a new standard for the genre. This explosive narrative thrusts readers into the chaos of the Darién Gap, where a deadly conspiracy threatens to topple global stability. With breathtaking action and complex characters, "Savage" explores the depths of human resilience and the costs of heroism. It's more than just a book; it's a visceral experience that keeps you on edge until the final page.

Back Cover
In the shadowy depths of the Darién Gap, a covert mission spirals into chaos. As a rogue special ops unit plots a sinister coup, Dirk Lasher is thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Faced with merciless enemies and a treacherous jungle, he must unravel a conspiracy that threatens to ignite a global crisis. "Savage" is a high-octane thriller that delves into the essence of bravery, loyalty, and the unforgiving realities of combat. In this jungle, trust is as elusive as survival.

Inside Flap
Dirk Lasher, once a seasoned operative, now leads a quiet life until a desperate call for help drags him back into the shadows of his former world. In the hostile terrain of the Darién Gap, he faces a rogue unit hell-bent on altering the global order. With allies scarce and enemies lurking at every turn, Lasher must navigate both the jungle and the labyrinth of his own past. "Savage" is a gripping exploration of the lengths one man will go to protect those he loves and the values he holds dear. As the stakes rise, Lasher confronts not just a physical battle but a moral one, testing the very limits of his soul. In this relentless thriller, survival isn't just about making it out alive; it's about holding onto what makes us human.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2024

26 people are currently reading
835 people want to read

About the author

David Edward

44 books113 followers
D. Edward served as a Special Agent in the US Army in the 1980's and 1990's and is a veteran of multiple overseas combat tours. He was the Special Agent in Charge of the 1990 Panama Canal counter-terrorism threat assessment report to the US Congress.

Edward is a graduate of the United States Army Intelligence School where he studied advanced HUMINT (Human Intelligence) and battlefield counterintelligence; also completing training at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama, Central America. He holds advanced degrees in engineering including a Ph.D. from NCU, three related M.Sc. degrees (MBA, MSIT, MSIM), and has an undergraduate degree in business (BSBA).

His books typically reach the Amazon Kindle top 10 upon release in their genre. 'End of Reason' was his first work to reach #1 on Amazon in its category, on June 22, 2021. 'Unreasonable' reached #1 as a pre-order and held the spot for over a month upon release.

You can follow his publication schedule here: https://d-edward.com or email him at his first name, the at sign, the first three letters of the word Florida, a dot, and the word cloud.

He did have a twitter account but then he thought it was stupid so he canceled it.

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5 stars
15 (62%)
4 stars
7 (29%)
3 stars
1 (4%)
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1 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Briann.
419 reviews2 followers
January 29, 2025
For me, there were so many things wrong with this book. Listed below are a few of them.

1. The characterization of women, aka Bonsai, was extremely flat. Bonsai immediately fell in love with Lasher after his wife just died. Bonsai’s only real role was to provide a supporting character and love interest to Lasher. She was a flat, underdeveloped character. Furthermore, as one of the few women in the military of a relatively high rank, I highly doubt that Bonsai would immediately fall for a commanding officer. Especially, when women in the military are aware of the stereotypes, the pressure, the burden, the judgment, and the discrimination they face. I highly doubt she would risk her military career by falling for Lasher, a man almost twice her age who just lost his wife.

2. Continuing on with the underdeveloped characterization of women, the author felt the need to give Bonsai a rape backstory. Men fail to see how disrespectful, dehumanizing, and cruel it is to use rape as a simple backstory or plot device. For more on the trope of “rape as a woman’s dark backstory” or the trope “rape as a comparison between Mr. Wrong and Mr. Right” (in this case, comparing Lasher and Bonsai’s foster dad), I encourage reading Chris Winkle’s article Six Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them.

3. The book is completely unrealistic and ridiculous. I mean, you expect me to believe that Bonsai and Lasher passed out for a week after taking some plants and survived a firebombing of the entire forest. And then the two are going to prance around the forest practically naked because of course, the fire burned their clothes but missed their tent with them sleeping in it. This was only one of many ridiculously unbelievable events.

4. The whole plot in general did not make sense.

5 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2024
David Edward's "Savage" is incredibly well written, so much that once I sat down and started reading the first paragraph, I was shook. My eyes were frantically reading left to right, up and down and I took my sweet time reading through this masterpiece. I'm at the edge of my seat flipping pages furiously because the twists and turns of Dirk Lasher quite literally thrown in Daren Gap have me thinking I cannot put the book down. The whole story had me hungry for more because it's a pure military thriller that just calls out to you. The characters were meticulously well-detailed and just all out complex. The plot makes one question how far one will go to protect their people and how far can one bear failures, what's their morals are if put in the same situation, but this is done through the experience of Lasher. What's for sure is that "Savage" will take you from zero to eighty pretty fast and you'll be glued to the pages from the first sentence. I'm excited to know what's in store for the next book and if there will be spin-offs. I did receive an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
6,405 reviews81 followers
May 9, 2025
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

An out of shape jungle expert is mourning the loss of his wife when he is called back into duty in the border between Panama and Colombia to take down a rogue army unit in 1998.

Lots of jungle survival stuff, which is what I found most interesting.

When they get out of the jungle, it becomes more of a regular Men's Adventure novel.

Good example of the genre.
3 reviews
August 20, 2024
The pacing is so well done I can't beleive it. Jeez what a brutal and exciting story. Talk about breathing new life into a series. Just awesome really. Fast, brutal, I guess Savage is the right title for sure.
Profile Image for William Ringold.
71 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2024
Wow! Brutal throwback. Maybe Rambo II? I don't know but its intense and awesome. I miss this type of book so much. Best book of the year, hands down.
2 reviews
August 24, 2024
This book is perfect. Brutal, but perfect. I live that there is very little bad language.
539 reviews8 followers
November 16, 2024
Very good

Excellent writing, super charactets and fantastic story line. Yep, I liked it and looking forward to next in series. Recommend without any questions.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews