In war torn South Sudan the Dinka tribe is waging a desperate war for a better future. Fighting for its oil-rich land against an invasion of murderous Arab militias, it’s only when PRIMAL intervenes that the Dinka have a chance for survival. Teaming up with Jonjo, a teenage warrior, and Garang, an American-educated veteran, they train and equip the ragtag band of freedom fighters. From the bush of Sudan to the streets of Shanghai and back, our global vigilantes go blow for blow with a merciless enemy that’s deserving of a lesson in double-barreled diplomacy.
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PRIMAL is a team of elite operatives, hell bent on fighting for the downtrodden and oppressed. A renegade agency waging a secret war against the untouchables; powerful criminals, greed driven corporations, and twisted politicians. With cutting-edge technology and tactics they strike across the globe with impunity, stepping in where governments fail.
PRIMAL books are dedicated to those who have fought for a just cause.
It is recommended the PRIMAL books are read in order: 1. PRIMAL Origin 2. PRIMAL Unleashed 3. PRIMAL Vengeance 4. PRIMAL Fury 5. PRIMAL Reckoning 6. PRIMAL Nemesis 7. PRIMAL Redemption 8. PRIMAL Renegade
PRIMAL Mirza and PRIMAL Inception are stand-alone prequels.
I won’t lie, I’m just like every other guy on the planet. I love action movies, first person shooters, fast cars, technology, guns, cool kit and of course beautiful women. I grew up with Dirk Pitt, Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, Doom, Wolfenstein, Commando Comics, James Bond, Rambo, The Predator and more. As a young man I have embraced Counter Strike, Half-life, The Bourne Series, Top Gear, Call of Duty the list goes on and on. Coupled with my military experience this seething mass of adrenalin-fueled testosterone has evolved into PRIMAL.
I’m a huge fan of espionage thriller fiction set in Africa, and Jack Silkstone has not disappointed with his third book in his highly successful Primal series. Primal Vengeance would have to be my favourite Silkstone thus far, proving himself to be the third alternative for fans of Andy McNab and Chris Ryan, former special forces operatives turned blockbuster writers.
To set the scene, Primal is a secretive organisation funded by a very wealthy Emirates corporation tasked with taking down bad guys across the globe, to go into war zones and execute extreme retaliation where the world’s governments can’t, won’t and don’t care to do so.
The last two novels, Primal Origin and Primal Unleashed, were really scene setters establishing the team and key players. Now with a few missions under their belt, the core team comprising of Aussie military intelligence specialist Aden Bishop, Indian sniper Mirza Mansoor and Iranian intelligence officer Afsaneh Ebadi have all established their roles and responsibilities, ready to take on ruthless Chinese businessmen exploiting the oil resources in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.
Caught in the middle are the Dinka tribespeople, victims of the unrelenting raids and brutality of the Janjaweed, Arabic militias funded by the Chinese and the Khartoum government to keep the Dinka suppressed so they don’t arc up and complain about their natural resources being plundered from right out under the ground they live on.
For anyone following geopolitics and Afropolitics in particular will know the people of South Sudan have been repressed for decades and the world has never been able to do anything about it. So I can see where Silkstone is coming from with his Primal team, doing the right thing when no one else can, or will.
Bishop and co. certainly bring in the heavy artillery to take on the Chinese and the Janjaweed, which would cost a small fortune to fund. This make me wonder, what if the Primal’s team has to undergo budget cuts, or get the funding of an operation cut off while deep undercover? What if they had to go through a series of redundancies, or cut back on their equipment budget because the parent company is making a loss? I haven’t read far enough to know if Silkstone has tackled this theme yet, but knowing corporations the way I do having worked for many over twenty years, it is not an unrealistic scenario for the Primal team to face.
The saddest thing about this novel is that real life doesn’t have a Primal team to step in where no one else will, and the horrors of South Sudan continue on, with the latest disaster to hit the region being famine on a wide scale.
But don’t let that stop you from reading Primal Vengeance, an excellent action adventure, pull out all the military hardware and shoot until no one is left standing adventure from Silkstone, at the top of his form.
PRIMAL Vengeance is a lot like PRIMAL Unleashed. Not in terms of plot--they are radically different stories in that regard--but rather in their strengths and weaknesses.
The weaknesses: there are a couple of instances where Silkstone suddenly switches perspectives within a scene without giving some kind of indication that the perspective has switched (the most notable is during an ambush where we switch from the PRIMAL operatives' perspective to that of Chinese contractors and then switch immediately back).
There were a few moments bordering on cringe with the treatment of the female characters. I'm not at all opposed to the men's action fantasy of babes, bullets, and bombs, but it kind of struck me as on the nose. There's also my personal preference of not particularly caring for how Bishop had eyes for a female supporting character when he's in a relationship with Saneh. Perhaps they're in an open relationship? But that wasn't explored.
On the plus side: it is a page turner. The plot is engaging, and much like its predecessors, it leaves you rooting for the PRIMAL operatives working outside the system to do bad things to bad people. The opening scene was very well written. It's clear that Silkstone did his research into the Sudanese conflict and into Chinese influence in Africa. I firmly believe a good piece of action writing set in the here and now should both entertain and educate, and PRIMAL Vengeance does exactly that.
All in all, it's a solid read and I'm looking forward to the next entry in the series.
Jack Silkstone does it again, bringing you to the edge of your seat and holding your breath in Primal Vengeance! Terrific read, hard to put down.
I love this series not just for the action but for the laughs. The heroes in the middle of a battle make jokes and bicker with one another like only best friends can. They always have each others back.
Some of the scenes are very graphic and kind of scary. Wouldn't recommend reading before you go to sleep. The action sequences definitely get your heart pumping.
The Primal Series is so well written. Perfectly balanced in all aspects. I highly recommend this series to all who love action, suspense and laughter. Happy reading! 😎
This is a bang up good one that keeps the action coming. It is definitely a page turner and Silkstone writes a fantastic story line with characters that you love. Action is nonstop from beginning to end. I am definitely a Primal fan and am glad I found Jack Silkstone, we need someone to fill the void from the loss of Vince Flynn. 5
A well written and driven story. There is a high body count, but it's not gruesome. It has tech worthy of the title 21st Century. And the plans to overcome the enemy are quite ingenious. The author does not drown you in jargon but merely nods to it. An enjoyable book.
Although this story had the action, suspense, complex plot, intriguing twists, and more, it also had numerous heartbreaking situations, as well as emotional turmoil. It's certainly not a story or series that you'll want to miss! I would definitely recommend this book, series, and outstanding author.
If you love well written, action-packed thrillers then you'll enjoy this book and this series. Just don't expect to get much else done because once you start one of these books you won't be able to put it down.
Thriller novels are my favorite, and Primal Vengeance doesn’t disappoint. The writing is crisp and tight and the action is virtually non-stop. The pacing of the story is fast with characters that are well-developed and believable. Also, Silkstone has a knack for interweaving pertinent contextual information (such as details about geography and military tactics) into the prose and dialogue in a way that informs the reader, but doesn’t slow down the pace of the book or take the reader out of the story. This was beneficial for me since I do not have a military background.
As a grammar Nazi, I was surprised to learn at the end of this book that Primal Vengeance is self-published. Upon discovering this fact, I wondered what happened to the obligatory grammatical and spelling errors that are commonly associated with self-published works, as I found not a single one while I was reading the book.
Primal Vengeance was my first encounter with Jack Silkstone, and I am eager to go back and read Primal Origin and Primal Unleashed. The book has the makings of a potential film all over it. It would be wonderful to see this series adapted for the big screen, should the author wish. Great read!
Another heart pounding,action packed adventure that steals the sleep from my nights but well worth spending quality time with these exciting characters. Jack does a marvelous job with the fine details of tactics, gear, and locations that it really feels like you are part of the OP. For an independent writer/publisher/author, Jack Silkstone has proven to live the American dream to be placed along noteworthy authors in the same breath like Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and the late Robert B. Parker. Look forward to the next adventure/book. Thank you for the hard work and time creating these wonderful stories.
I liked this book, mostly because it reminds me in a way of Matthew Reilly's books. There is a lot of fast paced action, with heroes you want to root for. However, everyone suffers from what I call superhero syndrome, where reality doesn't exist, and bullets and knives don't injure people for more than half an hour. The story itself is reasonable though. Evil Chinese oil corporation with Chinese Govt backing is using mercenaries to force people off their land to get the oil cheaper from the Sudanese Govt. PRIMAL joins forces with a rebel group to stop them, and eventually manage to do so, after kidnapping the Corp head's son and blackmailing him.
I love all the PRIMAL books by Jack Silkstone. He and I share many of the same tastes in movies and books. His PRIMAL books are well written with real characters you can believe. No James Bond or Rambo characters, but guys/gals who come across like they can get the job done. A well financed organization and covert operators who take on problems all over the world. I usually jump at a PRIMAL book the day it comes out.
PRIMAL Vengeance was a roller coaster ride to say the least. Following the basic story with all the twists, turns, and high tech gadgets you'd expect from a special forces / spy book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters who were both serious and funny — appropriate to the situation of course. I look forward to the other books of the series. I would highly recommend this to those interested in military special forces or action novel fans in general.
The PRIMAL team are back, lending there unique brand of help to the Sudan Freedom Fighters. Bishop and Mirza train and arm them against the Janjaweed, who are being armed by the Chinese. Another good book from Jack Silkstone, it flows nicely but the ending seems rushed, with the final take down of Yang and Zhu's back down.
Another great story, as are all the books in the Primal series. The characters are likeable, and all of the bad guys make you wish that you could grab your weapon, and join in on putting them down. Jack Silkstone is one hell of a writer. I can't wait to start on the next book in the series.
I've read all three books in the Primal series and was disappointed when I finished Vengeance because the fourth book in the series hasn't been released yet and I wanted to jump right into reading about the next Primal mission. I anxiously await the release of the next book in the series.
Reminded me of a recent movie of similar situations dealing with south African problems with U.N. assignment without real teeth. The second of the series that I have read and agree to view more.
Another great story. Still building the Primal series. Each story I think it can't get better and each story proves me wrong. I'm looking forward to competing the story about their adventure in Hungary. Keep them coming, Jack.
Non stop action, yet the heroes get hurt and feel pain, so more realistic. The pace of my own life prevents me from not being able to put down, but always look forward to the next session. When I finish the series it will be too soon.
Many writers claim non-stop action, but few actually pull it off. Jack Silkstone brings it, and really needs to be better known. If you are into action thrillers, you will LOVE the Primal series!