Shadow Squadron: Elite Infantry

Shadow Squadron

by Carl Bowen, Wilson Tortosa (Illustrator)

Lieutenant Commander Cross has served his country with excellence for many years. When his time in the armed forces comes to an end, he is given a job offer he can't command an elite squad of soldiers tasked with tackling military ops that are blacker than black and far beyond the call of duty.

Genres: Fiction

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know how I found these books, but my 10 year old son devoured them in a matter of hours. He'd like to know when the next one comes out! And, this is from a boy who really does not like to read anything but non-fiction/gaming manuals. Great books for young kids interested in war/special forces/conflict.

[Ginnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read the set of 4 together. I read the 1st one to be supportive, then I read the other 3 back-to-back, then I poked him in the shoulder and told him to write more (and hurry up!).

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

MUCH better than I expected: well-written description of special forces squadron's missions (a collection of the first 4 books in this series). You get some background on how it was formed (6 men from various forces--Navy Seals, Green Beret, etc.) there's some power struggle going on between Ryan Cross and his second, Alonso Walker; but otherwise just elite soldiers doing their thing, flawlessly, so kinda thrilling. Reminded me a bit of James Bond: e.g. Somali pirates hiding their ship in a wave-level cave in an uncharted island.

Includes, maps, some history/geography/ and full page comic book and video game style illustrations. For kids who love all things war, a great thing. I'll be buying more.

[Will Moyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's a great book. Its about a group of elite soldiers called the shadow squadron and there missions. I also like how there are some illustrations in there to but not to much so there's a good amount of reading but some pictures too. I like the set up as well. The briefing and debriefing pages look really cool, in them you can see there main objectives and secondary objectives its really cool!






So overall I think its a great book not to long but not to short and I recommend it.

[Andrew Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed thriller

A novel concept for an action packed storyline where the author tells each members story in a way that helps the reader to understand how and why they are in the shadow warriors team,because their individual skills complement each other perfectly.
Each individual story is told in such a way that the reader is engrossed in the overall achievement of the team.

[david p finlay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Comic strip

The beauty of the written word is result fired your imagination to fulfill the draft for example if the character this format takes that off you. Not my cup of tea writing was fine if a little report in style but the content and characters were believable.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a commander and his elite team of soldiers doing missions most others wouldn't. I liked the way the author put so much detail into his writing.

[Matthew Weigelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book series. Quick reads. Great graphics. Action-packed. (Read them twice, a rarity for me)

[Michael McGrath · Rating 1 out of 5]

Adult comic

Reads like something for a teenager.
Unbelievable characters and scenarios.
Glad i didn't have to buy this book.
Hope the author improves

[Sue Morcumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different kind of book and it was not one I would read again, nothing really wrong with it it was just not what I was used to. I thought it was going to be more realistic but it was more like a manual rather than a book, and it may have been the writer's way of changing the way a book is, but it did not appeal to me. I am sure I would get used to it, but it just seemed strange to have a book written in such a strange way, the only way that you would know what I mean is to try it for yourself.

[Sully · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. Upon opening it, the first thing that caught my eye once I got past the cover was the awesome mission briefing/debriefing page setups. The style and coloring of these pages are awesome, and give it a high tech feel. The character bios/introductions are neat too since there is not a lot of character development (at least not early on and not for all the characters).

This book is more like an omnibus of four short stories than a novel. Elite Infantry consists of four different missions the shadow squadron is sent on. All four mission are completely separate and individual, and each is laid out on a mission briefing page.

Each mission is definitely a fast paced ride. Reading through the first mission felt like watching an episode of The Unit, but dialed down a bit for a younger target audience. This novel is definitely targeting adolescent boys with interest in guns and fighting (the author certainly repeats the names of the guns and weapons often enough). Each member of shadow squadron comes off as trigger happy in the first two missions, and there is no storage of killing in the novel. While not something I would want my son to read, I think younger males will enjoy this novel.

When it came to the plot, I started to falter. For such a black ops, elite crew, shadow squadron does not seem to make the cut. In all four missions, they fail to get in and out undetected. In addition, they get caught in at least one mission by a foreign country, which definitely would not sit well with the military/government. In their second mission, it costs a team member their life. In another mission, a member is caught and as a result tortured. While these plot points certainly add to the excitement, as an older reader they made me feel the team was sloppy and careless.

The full page graphics were a great addition for this style of writing. My biggest fault with them has to be that each member of the team is characterized as an extreme bodybuilder jacked up on steroids, muscles bulging to the point where I am surprised their shirts don't rip and their Kevlar vests can even strap on. I know military guys and special ops guys have to be fit, but these characterizations are certainly gross caricatures.

Overall, while not much of a story I could get into and treat realistically, I could see this novel doing well with its target audience. It definitely has a high tech flare and offers an adrenaline of a pulse pounding ride.

[Daniel Ou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome cool book I loved it I'm trying to get the other copies