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Grant Valor #1
Maximum Damage
In MAXIMUM DAMAGE (Book #1), former Army Ranger Grant Valor faces a deadly mission when he is recruited to stop a surgical strike on crucial waterways that can lead to global collapse. As Grant and the team track dangerous adversaries across continents, every move could trigger devastation or avert disaster.
Yet his team, composed of outcasts as willing to bend the rules as he is, is up for any challenge.
Yet his team, composed of outcasts as willing to bend the rules as he is, is up for any challenge.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2025
298 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Jack Mars
407 books697 followersJack Mars is author of the bestselling LUKE STONE thriller series, which include the suspense thrillers ANY MEANS NECESSARY (book #1), OATH OF OFFICE (book #2) and SITUATION ROOM (book #3).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 30, 2025
Not as enjoyable as other adventures by Jack Mars.
During all the action onboard the ships and in last chapter, was not believable. Fighting and shooting like that doesn't exist in the real world. Nor does motorcycle driving. Luke and Zero are admirable and interesting . I doubt that I shall read more of Grant Valor and shall not recommend to other readers I know . I shall complete reading the Zero series and remaining loyal to Jack Mars and Luke Stone , then back to Lee /Andrew Childs and Vince Flynn. I am glad to finish Maximum Damage.
During all the action onboard the ships and in last chapter, was not believable. Fighting and shooting like that doesn't exist in the real world. Nor does motorcycle driving. Luke and Zero are admirable and interesting . I doubt that I shall read more of Grant Valor and shall not recommend to other readers I know . I shall complete reading the Zero series and remaining loyal to Jack Mars and Luke Stone , then back to Lee /Andrew Childs and Vince Flynn. I am glad to finish Maximum Damage.
April 18, 2026
I just finished listening to Maximum Damage by Jack Mars, and I have…mixed feelings.
The premise was excellent. Grant Valor and four others find themselves in the maximum amount of trouble possible with their respective governments. These are not rule-followers. They’re the kind of people who get results…even if those results occasionally make their superiors nervous.
Enter Commander Kent, who forms Sentinel, a covert team designed to stop trouble before it starts. They operate outside traditional government restraints, outside normal chains of command, and definitely outside the comfort zone. I was in. It’s a solid setup for a fast-paced thriller. A group of highly skilled operatives, working off the grid, tackling global threats before they explode? Yes, please.
The story itself was good. I think. And that’s where things get tricky. Because the narrator kept pulling me out of the story.
You know how sometimes a narrator enhances a book so much that you forget you’re even listening? This was…not that. Definitely Not That.
The voice sounded like a four-pack-a-day smoker, and there was something just…off…about the cadence. Pauses where there shouldn’t be pauses. Sentences that sounded like they were restarted mid-thought. Occasionally, it even felt like parts of lines were skipped or repeated. Instead of getting lost in the action, I kept getting pulled back to the actual narration. And that’s frustrating, because the story deserved better.
I really think the right narrator could have added so much more tension, urgency, personality. Instead, the narration made it harder to fully connect with the story. That said, I’m not giving up on the series. The premise is strong enough, and the characters interesting enough, that I’d like to give the author another chance. This time, though, I think I’ll grab a hard copy of the next book. Because this feels like one where reading it myself might make all the difference. After all, it’s not the author’s fault the narration left a lot to be desired.
And sometimes, the right voice changes everything.
The premise was excellent. Grant Valor and four others find themselves in the maximum amount of trouble possible with their respective governments. These are not rule-followers. They’re the kind of people who get results…even if those results occasionally make their superiors nervous.
Enter Commander Kent, who forms Sentinel, a covert team designed to stop trouble before it starts. They operate outside traditional government restraints, outside normal chains of command, and definitely outside the comfort zone. I was in. It’s a solid setup for a fast-paced thriller. A group of highly skilled operatives, working off the grid, tackling global threats before they explode? Yes, please.
The story itself was good. I think. And that’s where things get tricky. Because the narrator kept pulling me out of the story.
You know how sometimes a narrator enhances a book so much that you forget you’re even listening? This was…not that. Definitely Not That.
The voice sounded like a four-pack-a-day smoker, and there was something just…off…about the cadence. Pauses where there shouldn’t be pauses. Sentences that sounded like they were restarted mid-thought. Occasionally, it even felt like parts of lines were skipped or repeated. Instead of getting lost in the action, I kept getting pulled back to the actual narration. And that’s frustrating, because the story deserved better.
I really think the right narrator could have added so much more tension, urgency, personality. Instead, the narration made it harder to fully connect with the story. That said, I’m not giving up on the series. The premise is strong enough, and the characters interesting enough, that I’d like to give the author another chance. This time, though, I think I’ll grab a hard copy of the next book. Because this feels like one where reading it myself might make all the difference. After all, it’s not the author’s fault the narration left a lot to be desired.
And sometimes, the right voice changes everything.
April 1, 2026
Audiobook. The book itself, I'd give 3 stars, the narration? 2 maybe 1.
Narration: I'm not an author. I don't know how they record audiobooks. I'm speculating based on the reading/narration in this book. The narrator paused every few words. Noticeable, distracting pauses, and I was listening at 1.2X speed. It occurs to me that this must be to allow for splicing together various takes, and to ease in re-takes if an error is found well after the fact. It makes sense, but also makes for a choppy, unnatural flow that takes away from the story. Also, just because it came up very near the end, so it is fresh in my mind, scOWrged for scourged? Really!? And the author didn't pick that up when he reviewed it?
Story. It was fine. 3 isn't terrible, it isn't particularly memorable either. There was a lot of description of the action where I could very easily picture the movie scene the author was going for, but at the same time it felt awkward as a book description. Almost more like it was a director, or script notes rather than a narrative. Also, the subplot with David was pointless and barely resolved. As well as needlessly vulgar. Speaking of which, there is one woman on the team, and she's bisexual, because of course, she is, as well as obviously falling for Grant Valor, our hero!
The book is a big, dumb, action movie. You watch stuff blow up and listen to a few one-liners. Afterward, you don't regret having seen it, but you don't remember it either.
Narration: I'm not an author. I don't know how they record audiobooks. I'm speculating based on the reading/narration in this book. The narrator paused every few words. Noticeable, distracting pauses, and I was listening at 1.2X speed. It occurs to me that this must be to allow for splicing together various takes, and to ease in re-takes if an error is found well after the fact. It makes sense, but also makes for a choppy, unnatural flow that takes away from the story. Also, just because it came up very near the end, so it is fresh in my mind, scOWrged for scourged? Really!? And the author didn't pick that up when he reviewed it?
Story. It was fine. 3 isn't terrible, it isn't particularly memorable either. There was a lot of description of the action where I could very easily picture the movie scene the author was going for, but at the same time it felt awkward as a book description. Almost more like it was a director, or script notes rather than a narrative. Also, the subplot with David was pointless and barely resolved. As well as needlessly vulgar. Speaking of which, there is one woman on the team, and she's bisexual, because of course, she is, as well as obviously falling for Grant Valor, our hero!
The book is a big, dumb, action movie. You watch stuff blow up and listen to a few one-liners. Afterward, you don't regret having seen it, but you don't remember it either.
March 25, 2026
I got 23% in and couldn't stomach anymore. Prose are super weak, very bland and generic. I swear, in one chapter, he used the words "gave way/ give way" like 5 times in 1 1/2 paragraphs. Also, tell me you've never been in the military without telling me. Telling a Colonel at a court martial to go F-himself? Eye roll. His father held off 600+ Taliban members by himself while his squad escaped? Uh, skipping the regular combat load for a patrol unit—given that this is special forces, can't remember which one—it completely overlooks what sustained fire does to a weapon and its barrel, the fact that I seriously doubt they're just on flat terrain without anything to hide behind, not to mention flanking maneuvers or being overwhelmed with suppressing fire... The audiobook itself had some mistakes, where several sentences were doubled up right behind each other, as if multiple takes were taking, and they forgot to cut them out afterward.
March 27, 2026
Chirp Audio Books offered this selection, and I decided to expand my horizons a bit. I didn't have enough testosterone to appreciate this story. This is definitely a guy-sort-of-a-book.
This includes five superhero types who must work together to face terrorists. The amazing thing is, they could recover from losing 90% of their blood and be back on the job in a few days. Sophie's recovery from an abdominal wound was ridiculous. I found the fight scenes to be laughable. If you can believe it, one of the characters was struck by lightning while parachuting down onto a ship, jumped up, and started to fight.
The reader of this book was a poor choice. He was not adept at doing different voices, and he seemed not to understand what he was saying.
I have no interest in this series. Overall score = 2 stars.
Grant Valor
** 1. Maximum Damage (2025)
2. Maximum Force (2025)
This includes five superhero types who must work together to face terrorists. The amazing thing is, they could recover from losing 90% of their blood and be back on the job in a few days. Sophie's recovery from an abdominal wound was ridiculous. I found the fight scenes to be laughable. If you can believe it, one of the characters was struck by lightning while parachuting down onto a ship, jumped up, and started to fight.
The reader of this book was a poor choice. He was not adept at doing different voices, and he seemed not to understand what he was saying.
I have no interest in this series. Overall score = 2 stars.
Grant Valor
** 1. Maximum Damage (2025)
2. Maximum Force (2025)
August 4, 2025
It was HORRIBLE!!!
30 chapters and 25 had a knife fight.
Really???
The story - for want of a better description - was as basic as possible.
The good guys went to a location and were involved in a skirmish.
Excruciatingly described in a blow by blow account that went on f o r e v e r.
Rinse and repeat.
It's a shame there's no easy way to fast forward an epub.
Nevertheless, for all my previous blinders,mistakes and indiscretions karma has had its revenge.
I have rated this book a VERY generous 1.
30 chapters and 25 had a knife fight.
Really???
The story - for want of a better description - was as basic as possible.
The good guys went to a location and were involved in a skirmish.
Excruciatingly described in a blow by blow account that went on f o r e v e r.
Rinse and repeat.
It's a shame there's no easy way to fast forward an epub.
Nevertheless, for all my previous blinders,mistakes and indiscretions karma has had its revenge.
I have rated this book a VERY generous 1.
Read
October 18, 2025Over the Top
A covert organisation with its first recruits a bunch of professionals at the top of their game trying to take down a very nasty bad guy. The team needs to learn to trust each other and work as a cohesive unit. Hmm!
The Gung ho storyline, with our main protagonists seemingly indestructible, reduces the credibility of this book. Grant, at one point appears to have three hands. He has a rifle in one, a handgun in the second but somehow manages to grab and throw a knife at the same time!
Could have been better.
A covert organisation with its first recruits a bunch of professionals at the top of their game trying to take down a very nasty bad guy. The team needs to learn to trust each other and work as a cohesive unit. Hmm!
The Gung ho storyline, with our main protagonists seemingly indestructible, reduces the credibility of this book. Grant, at one point appears to have three hands. He has a rifle in one, a handgun in the second but somehow manages to grab and throw a knife at the same time!
Could have been better.
December 17, 2025
An undercover special force put together with ex-soldiers, who were expunged from the military because they did not obey orders, to fight the worst in the world. They are like super heroes, they fight like all hell is breaking loose, they recover from deep wounds before anyone was supposed to, they defy each other and they do not respect each other, they are not a team, but they succeed. I listened to the story and I might´ve liked it better if I read the book, as some of the character's voices were really annoying.
I thank the author for the free copy of this audiobook.
I thank the author for the free copy of this audiobook.
January 26, 2026
Badasses to the Rescue
A bunch of highly skilled misfits, each with colorful back stories, thown together to work CIA black ops mission. This mission: saving the world from potential catastrophic nuclear mayhem. Action, intrigue, and a few twists or two. The killing of "bad guys" is non-stop. It's the reason I gave the story 4 stars. The author's nonchalance descriptors of the killings coupled with actual high body count numbers was desensitizing. Beyond that, it was a colorful, bare knuckles, action thriller story that kept me engaged and entertained.
A bunch of highly skilled misfits, each with colorful back stories, thown together to work CIA black ops mission. This mission: saving the world from potential catastrophic nuclear mayhem. Action, intrigue, and a few twists or two. The killing of "bad guys" is non-stop. It's the reason I gave the story 4 stars. The author's nonchalance descriptors of the killings coupled with actual high body count numbers was desensitizing. Beyond that, it was a colorful, bare knuckles, action thriller story that kept me engaged and entertained.
November 19, 2025
This book has Action on top of Action piled so High it’s Wobbles.
There is a lot of action to keep the story going, some of it is on the make believe side because honestly I don’t think it could be done. The characters are good. This is what keeps the story going. There is a chemistry between the characters that takes hold early in the story. The book is very much a work in progress that will probably change over each book. Read and enjoy.
There is a lot of action to keep the story going, some of it is on the make believe side because honestly I don’t think it could be done. The characters are good. This is what keeps the story going. There is a chemistry between the characters that takes hold early in the story. The book is very much a work in progress that will probably change over each book. Read and enjoy.
December 8, 2025
Book 1
Book 1 had a few errors throughout and the plot and characters are developed well enough. Some of the banter/fighting is annoying, but clears up mostly towards the end. It is an odd mix of characters, with their own strengths and struggles, with the information being out there and explained.
Book 1 had a few errors throughout and the plot and characters are developed well enough. Some of the banter/fighting is annoying, but clears up mostly towards the end. It is an odd mix of characters, with their own strengths and struggles, with the information being out there and explained.
February 16, 2026
This was a huge disappointment coming from an author that I have read many books along different series.
Character development was there but the encounters(which were many) came one after another and ended quickly.
I doubt I will continue with this series due to the fact that this author is better than this.
Character development was there but the encounters(which were many) came one after another and ended quickly.
I doubt I will continue with this series due to the fact that this author is better than this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2026
Suspend belief, no, not possible.
The story is beyond belief. There is no character development. You don't become invested in anyone. There is nothing to like about a single character. I likely have more affection for a stranger would recon the st sorry but I don't see myself reading a reading any future tales
The story is beyond belief. There is no character development. You don't become invested in anyone. There is nothing to like about a single character. I likely have more affection for a stranger would recon the st sorry but I don't see myself reading a reading any future tales
October 1, 2025
Great Characters and Great Action
My attention was glued to this book from start to finish. Superb characters and plot. Whenever we need these kind of people in the real world, I'm glad we have them.
My attention was glued to this book from start to finish. Superb characters and plot. Whenever we need these kind of people in the real world, I'm glad we have them.
November 16, 2025
Decent short read
Good action. Not too over the top. One or two plot inconsistencies and a few typos, but nothing too distracting. Could use a little polish, but not a bad start for the series.
Good action. Not too over the top. One or two plot inconsistencies and a few typos, but nothing too distracting. Could use a little polish, but not a bad start for the series.
November 21, 2025
Dirty Bombs
I really enjoyed this book. There was violence, a dirty bomb, a mad man, humor, and a lot of action. The book used characters from a number of countries to work together to stop the mad msn
I really enjoyed this book. There was violence, a dirty bomb, a mad man, humor, and a lot of action. The book used characters from a number of countries to work together to stop the mad msn
November 30, 2025
And... Action!
Thought provoking, high stakes, high tension thriller. The team have to succeed, the potential of failure is not an option, no matter how deadly the consequences. Edge of the seat at times.
Recommended for fans of special forces genre.
Thought provoking, high stakes, high tension thriller. The team have to succeed, the potential of failure is not an option, no matter how deadly the consequences. Edge of the seat at times.
Recommended for fans of special forces genre.
December 12, 2025
That was an outstanding and thrilling ride!
Great plot and the pace of the novel was excellent, really enjoy this author's writing. Definitely recommend reading the thrilling adventures from Jack Mars.
Great plot and the pace of the novel was excellent, really enjoy this author's writing. Definitely recommend reading the thrilling adventures from Jack Mars.
December 14, 2025
Mind Blowing!
An unbelievable edge of your seat nail bitting thriller! This grabs you immediately & doesn't let go. So much action & suspense.. I couldn't put it down. Loved all the believable characters. Awesome read. Thanks Mr. Mars. U have a winner here!
An unbelievable edge of your seat nail bitting thriller! This grabs you immediately & doesn't let go. So much action & suspense.. I couldn't put it down. Loved all the believable characters. Awesome read. Thanks Mr. Mars. U have a winner here!
January 7, 2026
This is a stupid book. It reads like a comic book, maybe Spiderman and Superman. There is very little character development, just a lot of totally unbelievable stunts by Grant and Sophie and their cohorts. I got about half way before I said enough.
October 1, 2025
Great read
Compelling and adventurous. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for excitement and suspense. Looking forward to more books like this.
Compelling and adventurous. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for excitement and suspense. Looking forward to more books like this.
October 5, 2025
Action
There’s more action than most thrillers. Good characters that fill their roles. Mars a potential series to match his first one.
There’s more action than most thrillers. Good characters that fill their roles. Mars a potential series to match his first one.
October 7, 2025
Terrible.
October 7, 2025
Good read
A very exciting read , with lots of turns and twists in the plot . Looking forward to
a good series .
A very exciting read , with lots of turns and twists in the plot . Looking forward to
a good series .
October 11, 2025
good book
Lots of action and intrigue. And bloodshed. A nitty gritty thriller and the good guys come out on top this tkne
Lots of action and intrigue. And bloodshed. A nitty gritty thriller and the good guys come out on top this tkne
October 26, 2025
I'm a fan of Jack Mars. We all need a super hero.
November 1, 2025
Two stars is a gift. So I changed it. This team? Is comprised of special forces personnel that were kicked out due to insubordination (or failing to obey an order) now most of the time they disobeyed orders to save lives. Now they are thrown together and twenty pages after meeting each other ( no intensive training not any significant team building) they are the ones sent to get victor who is detonating dirty bombs etc. not seals not other special forces these guys. One or more loses 90% of their blood yet is ready for more in a week. This was horrible don’t read any more of these
this guy writes the Troy Stark books, which are very good. interesting
this guy writes the Troy Stark books, which are very good. interesting
November 14, 2025
very readable action novel
November 18, 2025
An excellent new series with great characters and plots and plenty of action.
November 30, 2025
So over the top it was comical.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews