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The King of Raqqa
As coalition forces reach Raqqa, the global capital of terror, victory appears within reach. Unknown to the coalition forces, though, Raqqa has been patiently waiting for their advance. Unleashing a surprise counter attack, Raqqa quickly disarms the coalition of its prized air superiority, balancing the battlefield. But this isn't the only surprise Raqqa has in store for the coalition. Raqqa's leader is about to take the war to the heart of Europe...
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2017
53 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 6, 2017
First of all, I really couldn't decide between four or five stars for this book. The plot was excellent, the characters were well developed, and it truly was a good thriller. I really loved the book but thought that as a THRILLER, it gets 4 stars due to its excess in military detail. I disagree with one of the previous reviewers: The level of military detail is a bit much for a thriller. While I could imagine myself inside the tank during the battles, the battles would have been easier to follow if the author had reduced the discussion of military systems that are inside a tank.
Then again, I understand that battles today are filled with not just tanks fighting tanks but so many other complexities including anti-tank guided missiles which seem to ever loom on the battlefield in J.T.'s book here. The systems the tanks are outfitted with in the book are a reality and tank combat goes further than just firing away with shells at the enemy - true -so I can appreciate the author being bold enough to take on the realities and complexities of war today. He truly does a good job integrating in the military technology but again, for me, I would have perhaps just preferred to read parts abstractly referring to the tank combat, not living every second ad every move the tank makes.
Otherwise, a really great read! Hope the author considers cutting out some of the military details - I'll be back for the next book!
Then again, I understand that battles today are filled with not just tanks fighting tanks but so many other complexities including anti-tank guided missiles which seem to ever loom on the battlefield in J.T.'s book here. The systems the tanks are outfitted with in the book are a reality and tank combat goes further than just firing away with shells at the enemy - true -so I can appreciate the author being bold enough to take on the realities and complexities of war today. He truly does a good job integrating in the military technology but again, for me, I would have perhaps just preferred to read parts abstractly referring to the tank combat, not living every second ad every move the tank makes.
Otherwise, a really great read! Hope the author considers cutting out some of the military details - I'll be back for the next book!
October 10, 2017
The story line for this book is ridiculous. The idea that two opposing tank forces would stop and get out to inspect the enemies tanks was just too stupid to believe.
October 3, 2017
The King of Raqqa, the novel of author J.T. Winter, is a thrilling, classically written military thriller that will keep you turning the page for more. Armed with powerful battle scenes and a highly political rivalry that contends with the legacies of Achilles and Hector, this saga will leave you wanting.
The story starts off mid-battle in a war waged between the hostile Raqqa empire and the coalition forces, where the scene is set as Major Hadad, a commander of a coalition tank unit, launches an attack on an enemy tank with his crew. Tensions rise when their advancement is dispatched by a counter attack that puts their air support out of action, leaving the tanker vulnerable and effectively disarmed with only a parting message from one of Raqqa’s Knights: that Hadad’s death would not come from this battle but another, at the hands of a higher member of the Raqqa elite.
Left alive and conflicted, Hadad must face the revelation that the war he thought he knew was merely one level of the global machinations of the Raqqa elite. Forced to accept new terms of a grander scale, Hadad will have to redefine tactics and even confront the loyalties of his own men to face up against the complex politics of the vitriolic Raqqa regime to turn the tide of this war and dispel the poison at its source: The King of Raqqa.
For those who have followed the escapades of the Syrian civil war, this is a must-read for all. The novel unravels the story in the perspectives of a tank commander and also a surprise standpoint of a seemingly common Raqqa refugee that has secrets of her own, who turns out to be as vital to the storyline as Hadad or his men. I found the complexities of the inner Raqqa compelling in how the social constructs echoed those in chess: a curious spin I have not yet read in this genre, a welcome reprieve from its predecessors.
The story starts off mid-battle in a war waged between the hostile Raqqa empire and the coalition forces, where the scene is set as Major Hadad, a commander of a coalition tank unit, launches an attack on an enemy tank with his crew. Tensions rise when their advancement is dispatched by a counter attack that puts their air support out of action, leaving the tanker vulnerable and effectively disarmed with only a parting message from one of Raqqa’s Knights: that Hadad’s death would not come from this battle but another, at the hands of a higher member of the Raqqa elite.
Left alive and conflicted, Hadad must face the revelation that the war he thought he knew was merely one level of the global machinations of the Raqqa elite. Forced to accept new terms of a grander scale, Hadad will have to redefine tactics and even confront the loyalties of his own men to face up against the complex politics of the vitriolic Raqqa regime to turn the tide of this war and dispel the poison at its source: The King of Raqqa.
For those who have followed the escapades of the Syrian civil war, this is a must-read for all. The novel unravels the story in the perspectives of a tank commander and also a surprise standpoint of a seemingly common Raqqa refugee that has secrets of her own, who turns out to be as vital to the storyline as Hadad or his men. I found the complexities of the inner Raqqa compelling in how the social constructs echoed those in chess: a curious spin I have not yet read in this genre, a welcome reprieve from its predecessors.
October 11, 2017
A tank commander in a battle of Iraqi led coalition forces battles a despotic tyrant aiming to conquer Syria and rule the world. In J.T. Winter’s explosive thriller The King of Raqqa, the action starts on the very first page and does not stop.
Major Hadad, an experienced tank commander, is battle hardened and crafty. With his driver Sergeant Nidal and gunner Corporal Shatab, they scour the desert looking for insurgent terrorists who have taken over the town of Raqqa. When he meets a man named Knight and later learns that the Rook is leading Raqqa’s forces, he realizes that he has become embroiled in a real-life chess match.
Added to the mix is the mysterious Alya, a woman who is able to come and go from the terrorist stronghold to deliver messages to the Major. With her family being held captive by the Rook and her father pressed into service to help develop weaponry, she seeks to find a way to help Hadad defeat his enemy.
Reading like a mix of The A-Team and Mission Impossible, this novel is one that sweeps you into its world and makes you feel as though you are inside the tanks and the great battles as they wage war for control of Raqqa. The author knows how to keep the story moving and the action fun. The characters and the situations they face are believable and timely. For fans of action and military thrillers, this is a fantastic read.
Major Hadad, an experienced tank commander, is battle hardened and crafty. With his driver Sergeant Nidal and gunner Corporal Shatab, they scour the desert looking for insurgent terrorists who have taken over the town of Raqqa. When he meets a man named Knight and later learns that the Rook is leading Raqqa’s forces, he realizes that he has become embroiled in a real-life chess match.
Added to the mix is the mysterious Alya, a woman who is able to come and go from the terrorist stronghold to deliver messages to the Major. With her family being held captive by the Rook and her father pressed into service to help develop weaponry, she seeks to find a way to help Hadad defeat his enemy.
Reading like a mix of The A-Team and Mission Impossible, this novel is one that sweeps you into its world and makes you feel as though you are inside the tanks and the great battles as they wage war for control of Raqqa. The author knows how to keep the story moving and the action fun. The characters and the situations they face are believable and timely. For fans of action and military thrillers, this is a fantastic read.
October 6, 2017
I've been following the whole Syrian civil war and this read, though fiction, is really magnificent! The tank battles leave you feeling like you were a crew member in the protagonist's tank, itching to kill the evil enemies from Raqqa. The Raqqa ranks system is interesting and I think the author uses it to demonstrate how asymmetric their terror operations and structure really is. What I love most is that the story emerges out from tank into a fast paced thriller that you won't want to put down. Seriously, 5 Stars!
October 13, 2017
I read through all the 5 and 4 star reviews thinking this book could not be THAT great, but after reading the first couple chapters I could understand the 4 star reviews. By the end, I understood why everyone gave this one 5 stars and agree, this was a really intense thriller that kept me reading. If you're looking for a thriller you can start and not be able to put down for an entire day or two this is it!
January 3, 2018
I was disappointed. I loved that action scenes. I felt like I was there. The plot was something else. It was totally unbelievable. It read more like a World War I story about opposing airplane pilots and their personal duels. Just not going to happen on the modern battlefield.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews