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Nick Baron #0
Wraith
After the towers fall on 9/11, Lieutenant Nick Baron and the rest of the 81st Fighter Squadron are desperate for action. But CENTCOM puts them on the sidelines, leaving the young Warthog pilots restless—and reckless. Then the unthinkable happens. During a high-risk training flight, a rookie wingman slams into the ground.
In the darkness that follows, Nick wonders if he will ever learn to trust a wingman again—or even learn to trust himself. He will soon find out. Despite the black mark on his record, Nick’s application to the elite Stealth Wing is approved. A recruiter for a new covert team has taken note of Nick’s unique combination of skills. Suddenly Nick is swept into Operation Cerberus—a top secret mission that will take him from a harrowing flight over a black testing facility to a fight for his life on the Iraqi Dunes.
“Hannibal brings together a terrific mix of real air technology with intrigue and nonstop action. A true suspenseful story that will keep you turning the pages until the exciting finale; it really is a great tale.”—Clive Cussler
In the darkness that follows, Nick wonders if he will ever learn to trust a wingman again—or even learn to trust himself. He will soon find out. Despite the black mark on his record, Nick’s application to the elite Stealth Wing is approved. A recruiter for a new covert team has taken note of Nick’s unique combination of skills. Suddenly Nick is swept into Operation Cerberus—a top secret mission that will take him from a harrowing flight over a black testing facility to a fight for his life on the Iraqi Dunes.
“Hannibal brings together a terrific mix of real air technology with intrigue and nonstop action. A true suspenseful story that will keep you turning the pages until the exciting finale; it really is a great tale.”—Clive Cussler
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2010
12 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
James R. Hannibal
20 books654 followersJames R. Hannibal an award-winning author of kids fiction, spy and military thrillers, and young adult fantasy. As a former stealth bomber pilot and drone pilot James is no stranger to action or secrets. He has been shot at, locked up by a surface to air missile system, and aided the capture of High Value Targets.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 29, 2014
Wraith is exciting and full of action. I couldn't put it down!
November 20, 2014
This is a new ebook edition of the 2010 Wraith hardcover.
The new Wraith (previously a stand-alone) now serves as a prequel to the Nick Baron series. It is tighter and more fast paced, with less time spent on character histories. Some readers may miss getting Dr. Scott Stone's whole life story as soon as we meet him, but I think the book reads much better without it. Also, it appears that Mr. Hannibal moved a lot of the character background information to the Stealth Ops app, which is free.
Even without the lengthy character histories, this book still spends more time than the other two in developing the characters of the Triple Seven Chase squadron. We get to see who they are and how they met, which is in the crucible of a mission plagued by Murphy's Law that forces them to mesh together into a team.
Wraith is much more traditional-military-focused than the other two Nick Baron novels, probably because it takes place early in Nick's US Air Force career. The air battle and close air support scenes are intensely realistic, drawing from the author's background as a combat pilot. At points I had to remember to breathe.
Each book in the series has its own strengths. Shadow Maker is still my favorite, but Wraith was a great read as well.
The new Wraith (previously a stand-alone) now serves as a prequel to the Nick Baron series. It is tighter and more fast paced, with less time spent on character histories. Some readers may miss getting Dr. Scott Stone's whole life story as soon as we meet him, but I think the book reads much better without it. Also, it appears that Mr. Hannibal moved a lot of the character background information to the Stealth Ops app, which is free.
Even without the lengthy character histories, this book still spends more time than the other two in developing the characters of the Triple Seven Chase squadron. We get to see who they are and how they met, which is in the crucible of a mission plagued by Murphy's Law that forces them to mesh together into a team.
Wraith is much more traditional-military-focused than the other two Nick Baron novels, probably because it takes place early in Nick's US Air Force career. The air battle and close air support scenes are intensely realistic, drawing from the author's background as a combat pilot. At points I had to remember to breathe.
Each book in the series has its own strengths. Shadow Maker is still my favorite, but Wraith was a great read as well.
August 28, 2015
Authentic and precise...an accurate representation of Air Force pilots and flight tactics. Well put together story that was quite exciting! I look forward to reading the rest of Hannibal's books!
March 9, 2015
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned – W.B. Yeats – The Second Coming – 1919
Wraith is, by no stretch of the imagination, a light read. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by details – details about everything from exactly how an Irish Cross is carried out ‘arguably the most complex maneuver in the Warthog tactics manual.’ And no, that isn’t something from Hogwarts – It is a four aircraft multiple weapon attack on a target – to every single step, step by (for me) excruciating step, including weapons, planes, and everything else required in war.
I wanted to read this book. I really like military thrillers, and, if these are the types of books you like, I would recommend you try it out. The problem for me was that it simply exhausted me – from word choices to descriptions, there was just too much. Too much description, too many jumps between settings. The overall writing and plot could have been so very much better with a good, sharp editing pencil. Of course, that is my opinion – for many readers of military thrillers, this is just the sort of read they are searching for and will absolutely love Wraith. The plot is good, though very heavy in the overall concept. But if you are extremely interested in warfare and all of its levels, this is an exceptional book to meet that armchair warriors needs.
I received an e-ARC through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned – W.B. Yeats – The Second Coming – 1919
Wraith is, by no stretch of the imagination, a light read. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by details – details about everything from exactly how an Irish Cross is carried out ‘arguably the most complex maneuver in the Warthog tactics manual.’ And no, that isn’t something from Hogwarts – It is a four aircraft multiple weapon attack on a target – to every single step, step by (for me) excruciating step, including weapons, planes, and everything else required in war.
I wanted to read this book. I really like military thrillers, and, if these are the types of books you like, I would recommend you try it out. The problem for me was that it simply exhausted me – from word choices to descriptions, there was just too much. Too much description, too many jumps between settings. The overall writing and plot could have been so very much better with a good, sharp editing pencil. Of course, that is my opinion – for many readers of military thrillers, this is just the sort of read they are searching for and will absolutely love Wraith. The plot is good, though very heavy in the overall concept. But if you are extremely interested in warfare and all of its levels, this is an exceptional book to meet that armchair warriors needs.
I received an e-ARC through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.
January 27, 2015
An okay read. The author was clearly an expert in air combat and planes. There was just too much military jargon for me to enjoy it more.
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August 16, 2022NOOK
September 7, 2010
Wraith by James R. Hannibal
The book begins just before the 9/11 tragedy. The American Air Force is running training missions in Saudi Arabia and Missouri and other locations around the globe. As news of the towers tragedy spreads, everyone pauses, trying to process the informaiton. But when the European squadrons are left out, Michael "Victor" Baron is frustrated in Germany feeling like his hands are tied. He has been denied to fly the B-2 Stealth. Not only is he not in America or in Iraq where the action is, but as an expert in Islamic Terrorism, he desperately wants to apply his knowledge and avenge the lost, innocent lives. However, he struggles with his deep respect for life and wonders where the fine line exists between avenging those lives and just wanting to flat out kill the terrorists he had studied so long.
But as the military life goes, Victor doesn't stay in Germany. After a training mission takes an unexpected turn, he is transferred to Missouri. Though he now realizes his dream to train with the B-2s, the opportunity is overshadowed by the accident and feeling like he is still benched from the war.
The war continues and airmen are called in from Missouri, Arizona, Louisiana, and Washington D.C. Victor answers the call to fight and to partake in a new top secret mission with brand new technoloby. While the test runs are mostly successful, the real mission encounters problem after problem that drops Victor in enemy territory staring down the enemy. Literally.
James R. Hannibal does a great job of creating memorable characters, building suspense, transitioning from different points of view and describing Air Force terminology in a way the average civilian can understand. I was only lost on a couple of flight maneuvers, but not for long. The hand-to-hand combat scenes gave me chills. This is an action-packed Air Force thriller that makes you wonder where the line is between reality and science-fiction. Though Wratih is set around the 9/11 tragedy, the focus in on the aftermath and the action the U.S. takes against the terrorists. With the different points of view, Hannibal shows the reader not only how different people reacted to the tragedy, but also how the Air Force works together as a team.
This is the first book I've read by Jim Hannibal. I loved it! I will definitely be following this author and reading more of his work.
The book begins just before the 9/11 tragedy. The American Air Force is running training missions in Saudi Arabia and Missouri and other locations around the globe. As news of the towers tragedy spreads, everyone pauses, trying to process the informaiton. But when the European squadrons are left out, Michael "Victor" Baron is frustrated in Germany feeling like his hands are tied. He has been denied to fly the B-2 Stealth. Not only is he not in America or in Iraq where the action is, but as an expert in Islamic Terrorism, he desperately wants to apply his knowledge and avenge the lost, innocent lives. However, he struggles with his deep respect for life and wonders where the fine line exists between avenging those lives and just wanting to flat out kill the terrorists he had studied so long.
But as the military life goes, Victor doesn't stay in Germany. After a training mission takes an unexpected turn, he is transferred to Missouri. Though he now realizes his dream to train with the B-2s, the opportunity is overshadowed by the accident and feeling like he is still benched from the war.
The war continues and airmen are called in from Missouri, Arizona, Louisiana, and Washington D.C. Victor answers the call to fight and to partake in a new top secret mission with brand new technoloby. While the test runs are mostly successful, the real mission encounters problem after problem that drops Victor in enemy territory staring down the enemy. Literally.
James R. Hannibal does a great job of creating memorable characters, building suspense, transitioning from different points of view and describing Air Force terminology in a way the average civilian can understand. I was only lost on a couple of flight maneuvers, but not for long. The hand-to-hand combat scenes gave me chills. This is an action-packed Air Force thriller that makes you wonder where the line is between reality and science-fiction. Though Wratih is set around the 9/11 tragedy, the focus in on the aftermath and the action the U.S. takes against the terrorists. With the different points of view, Hannibal shows the reader not only how different people reacted to the tragedy, but also how the Air Force works together as a team.
This is the first book I've read by Jim Hannibal. I loved it! I will definitely be following this author and reading more of his work.
November 29, 2014
I found the book a bit hard to get through because of all the military jargon. It starts out before 9/11 and there are pilots in training just itching to get out there and get those bad guys back. I found the book well written and I did enjoy it. I don't know if Mr. Hannibal has military service or just really well researched his book. If you have military service let me take a moment to thank you for your service sir.
wraith: a wisp or faint trace of something. One of the men who flew a secret manned drone which they had previously named Baby, was given the moniker of Wraith.
If we knew what our soldiers go through every day... like is described in this book, the wives were not told the truth of where their husbands were. It was a secret mission and only a few knew of it.
Good book.
wraith: a wisp or faint trace of something. One of the men who flew a secret manned drone which they had previously named Baby, was given the moniker of Wraith.
If we knew what our soldiers go through every day... like is described in this book, the wives were not told the truth of where their husbands were. It was a secret mission and only a few knew of it.
Good book.
September 26, 2014
This is the second book by James Hannibal that I have read and I enjoyed it immensely. It rates right up there with Dale Brown and Tom Clancy. It is a wonderful book for those who enjoy the military tech genre. I highly recommend it.
October 3, 2011
Enough USAF jargon to choke a horse.
January 8, 2015
I actually liked this book. Even though I could relate to a lot of the information I processed it wasn't for me. I got this in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2015
This book is written for 24 year old pilots and no one else. Jargon rich and plot thin.
July 4, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews