Assassin

Agent G #3

by C.T. Phipps

Agent G, now going by the name Case, thought he'd won. He'd exposed his former employers, shared Black Technology with the world, and killed the man who'd started it all. Unfortunately, history slows for no man. After a volcanic eruption decimates the United States, G spends the next decade witnessing humanity rebuild itself into a corporate-run dystopia.

Preferring to the be the boot rather than the ant, Case has become a powerful executive in the new cyberpunk world. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's immune to his past. Contacted by the only woman he ever loved, Case finds himself once more embroiled in a conspiracy to take what little the public has left. Now he has to decide whether to save what remains of the world or rule it.

Genres: Cyberpunk, Espionage, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2018

About the author

C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.

He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.

Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

Website: https://ctphipps.com/

C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps

Reviews

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, this is the book I've been waiting for when society finally collapses and becomes a full-on cyberpunk dystopia.

Delicious!

Mind you, I'm biased.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassin
(Agent G #3)
by C.T. Phipps
Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
This is a book I requested and the review is voluntary. This really shows how Phipps shines! An action packed sci-fi adventure that has plenty of great characters, terrific plot, unpredictable, and so many witty comments I have to slow my reading down to keep up with them! So much wit, snark, and funny gems sneak up out of the blue causing smiles and giggles constantly! I really love this series! Most of his books are like this!
With Kafer as narrator, who can pull off this dry wit like no one else, it is a perfect blend! Just what I needed to listen to as the stress of the election looms!
I recommend this to all sci-fi fans, someone looking for something different, and those looking to relax and smile!

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third book in the Agent G series was every bit as much fun as the first couple of books in the series. This is fast paced sci-fi thriller that mixes crazy sci-fi action with plenty of humour and fun characters. Agent G is like a mix of Bond and The Terminator!

The story in this third book was fun and even more crazy than the stuff we got in the earlier books. We got a bit of a time jump in this instalment and with all the black market tech available to everyone for years the world has dipped into full cyperpunk craziness. It was a fun change and the world had some Altered Carbon and Blade Runner vibes to it.

The good thing for the story was that Agent G was as fun a lead character as ever to follow and had not mellowed at all after passing his originally intended lifespan. He was as violent and hilarious as ever and is pretty much just a cybernetic James Bond with extra laughs thrown in. The other big plus this series has is the fact that the support characters are a fun bunch. Most of the good ones were back from the earlier books and all were as untrustworthy as ever!

All in all I felt like this was a fun read and a good instalment of a very enjoyable pulp action sci-fi series.

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: As always Jeffery Kafer did an excellent job with the audio.

[S.C. Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished AGENT G: ASSASSIN (Agent G #3) last week, completing my foray into the wonderful world of Spy-Fy that our very own Charles Phipps has created.

I’m giving this series the Cyberpunk rating of “Gateway Drug.”

The first two books in this series are not cyberpunk of the ‘rainy nights and neon lights’ variety. Phipps embraces what some might call a post-cyberpunk vibe, placing his cyborg assassin/spy character directly into our world. No dark, dystopian future here. We’re already living in it.

To me, this doesn’t make the work any less cyberpunk. Especially as Phipps tackles a lot of major cyberpunk themes including how technology could be used by world governments to oppress and control the general population, how technological disparities could cause a greater and greater divide between the haves and the have-nots, the psychological side-effects of body augmentation, and the cheapness of human life in an increasingly technocratic world.

But for those who haven’t read a lot of classic cyberpunk and want to start with a more familiar setting, I think AGENT G would make a great place to start. What’s better than a classic James Bond spy story, if not a cyborg James Bond spy story, right?

G himself is meant to be a morally gray character. He works as a spy and assassin for an international group with dubious ethical boundaries, generally doesn’t ask a lot of questions, and lives a life of luxury thanks to his uniquely lethal skill set. But as the series progresses, and the true motivations of his employers are revealed, G himself evolves into a surprisingly complex and ethical character operating in a corrupt world. After a series of brutal betrayals and revelations in the first two books G’s world view is deconstructed piece by piece.

Then he returns the favor, and deconstructs the world.

The most interesting part about the Agent G series for me is the fact that Phipps tackles the fall of modern civilization and the birth of our cyberpunk dystopia as a part of the main plot line, rather than as a flashback from the dystopian future. This, too, makes it a great jump off point for people who are new to the genre because Phipps goes into great depth about a variety of things that could cause us to go from our sad present of ‘cyberpunk mundanity’ to the more familiar cyberpunk setting we know from science fiction movies and video games.

The third and final book in the Agent G series, ASSASSIN, jumps into the dystopian future that G unleashes upon the world at the end of book 2 (not really a spoiler if you read the book blurbs) and we really start to explore the dark underbelly of technology.


This series is an unusual combination of intense, fast-paced action scenes on one hand, and witty banter with introspective/philosophical debates between the characters. Either way, it’s never boring, and you will really get to know and love (or hate) some of the characters. The back and forth between the characters actually serves as a great intro to a lot of cyberpunk themes and questions without feeling heavy handed. There’s a good dose of popculture references for you trivia buffs, too.

SO MANY EASTER EGGS!

Whether you are new to cyberpunk books, or you’re an old cyborg looking for a light, fresh take on the genre, AGENT G will not disappoint. Enjoy!

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since the last book for me. So I'm greatly thankful for the refresher in the beginning (prologue).

Case is aware he's an old man. lol. 20 years. Hearing him is like listening to a dad talk. lol. But! With being a cyborg of sorts, technology does age quickly, so 20 could be the new...40 or 50? lol.

I think this book would have been better read over listened to for me. I struggled a little with the audio version as I couldn't keep up with the plans and understanding them all. I felt like there was a lot of talking between characters and memories. A lot of going over plans but felt like not much in action. There were flashbacks that happened too.

We do learn about Case and his relationships with others and business. It's always an adventure with Case.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

I love being back in the world of Agent G, the cybernetic, smart assed assassin. G is a great character and makes a wonderful anti-hero type. He’s an assassin and kills without remorse, but the people he kills have it coming. He loves to quote movies. Like, all, the time. And I love the quotes and references.

So I can’t go much into Assassin without giving away stuff of the first two books. But this story takes place 15 years after the end of book two, Saboteur. As with the other books, you never know where this story is going to go. Characters always throw several wrenches into plans and you never know who is sincere or is a traitor, but then I guess that is what you get when you hang around with assassins.

I really enjoyed how this story and series ended up. I never would’ve guessed we would be here when I started the first book and I think that is one of the things I like most about this series. I also really enjoy the characters, but then that is no surprise. I generally love C.T. Phipps’s characters (or at least love to hate them).

If you want to try a good cyberpunk/science fiction story about assassins and secret government agencies. There’s also a smart assed AI, which how can you not love that?? Needless to say, I’m sure you all know how much I like this author and this series is no different. I highly recommend you give him a try.

Narration (5 stars)

Jeffrey Kafer again does a great job with the narration of this series. There is a large cast of different characters and I love all the voices he uses for each character. They always fit the character’s personality perfectly. Kafer is always great at bringing out the humor in a story. I guess I’m saying, he does snark very well. I’ve listened to him perform many different genres and I’ve never been disappointed.

**I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a big fan of so many of CT Phipps other series, when I heard he was writing a sci-fi spy thriller, I was excited. The finished product, featuring a cyborg assassin in a clandestine group, was just fantastic. The second book continued the trend, filling in holes in the main characters life and back story, and setting up the third, which, with the events of the second book, take a radically different turn, going straight out of clandestine and right into dystopian cyberpunk. While it may seem a strange juxtaposition, it was carefully set up with the events of the first two books.

PLOT SUMMARY

When the super volcano in Yellowstone erupts, the world is thrown into disarray with the resulting climatic, societal and economic chaos. After a massive die-off of the worlds populations, society is just getting back under something resembling control. The governments are massively weakened, while the multinational corporations are massively powerful, basically using the governments as puppets. Many people live in arcologies, trading in freedom for the illusion of security. Case also released all the Black Technology that had been kept from the world through the AI known as Delphi, resulting in even more societal changes, as the advanced tech made whole industries obsolete.

Ten years into this new paradigm is where we find Case, formerly Agent G, assassin for the International Relief Society. He is now chief security executive of The Atlas Corporation, the worlds premier security company. Working with Lucita and Agent S, former lovers and assassins themselves, Atlas tries to mitigate the worst excesses, while also turning a massive profit. When another former lover, Claire, involved with an advocacy group, H.O.P.E, which has a radical violent element, gets involved in a mission to find the mythical Black Dossier, which is supposed to have the deepest dark secrets of all the corporations and their executives, from every dirty deal made to what depravity the executives engage in, Case as to make some decisions where his loyalties lie.

Case and Claire begin their hunt for the Dossier, which is complicated when Marissa, Case's former lover/handler/enemy, gets involved in the chase, as well as Case's Society nemesis, Agent A, the best of the Letter cyborg assassins. Their involvement complicates things a great deal, as the Dossier contains in information about medical Nanotech, which is of particular interest to Agent A. So interested in it, in fact, that he will kill anyone in his way to get it. This all leads to a wild series of events, as Case must face some painful parts of his past as he tries to keep millions more people from being harmed by information contained on the Dossier, and Case and Claire must work to keep their worst nightmare coming true, killing millions in the process, resulting in a climactic final showdown.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

Like all CT Phipps books, the Agent G series is all about the characters first. We have seen G, now called Case, go from a remorseless (well, mostly) cyborg assassin to a person who cares about more than just where the next contract is coming from, that is willing to make sacrifices for those he loves. His evolution as a person is one of the key selling points of the series. The secondary characters are also given lots of attention as far as building them into believable characters, especially with the huge changes the world has gone through. The introduction of Agent A was a bit unexpected, but he paid off in the story. Marissa and Claire Had especially wide arcs, and their character development survives a lot of turbulence, both of which the readers can really appreciate.

The world which Case helped create with his release of Black Technology is the amalgamation of every cyberpunk world. Corporate oligarchs run the world through weak puppet governments, while the poor have either died off, or are forced to live in archologies where they surrender freedom for a feeling of security. The only alternative is live a hardscrabble life in the slums where life comes cheap. While the world building doesn't reinvent the wheel, it does show a deep knowledge of and appreciation of the genre, without being so outside recognizable that non cyberpunk fans cant get into the story.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Any time a series make a huge change in plot line, it can result in a a disjointed story. Fortunately, that's not what happened here. The shift to a cyberpunk future creates more storytelling opportunities, and I have the suspicion CT Phipps will take full advantage of them. I can whole heartedly recommend this story to a wide variety of fans.

[Sean E Britten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following through on the promises set by the first two novels in the Agent G series, Phipps’ has graduated to full-blown cyberpunk. After the release of “black technology” to the general public and the Big Smokey eruption, plus a fifteen-year jump, Phipps might have done the impossible and founded a cyberpunk setting that is both exaggeratedly entertaining while not so far removed from the real world as you’d expect.

All the classic cyberpunk tropes are there, corporate control, a stark division between rich and poor, environmental destruction, out-of-control tech growth, and questions about what measure is a non-human. Interestingly, where most cyberpunk stories are taking all this in from the level of ‘the street’, as codified by William Gibson, here most of the story actually takes place among the upper echelons of the new society. G, or Case as he now prefers to be known in just the most obvious of the story’s nods toward Gibson, fits somewhat uncomfortably, love of easy sex and new toys aside, in the powerful corporate 1%.

Apart from the new setting, the story is very much what I’ve come to expect from Agent G. Great action, a main character dragged into doing the right thing, lots of intrigue about loyalties and even identities. I’m torn about recommending this as a jumping-in point for readers uncertain about the first two books. On the one hand, it’s a real refresh for the series and the plot is still easy enough to follow without foreknowledge. On the other hand, massive spoilers abound and the plot still lays heavily on personal relationships established in the first two books, making them a lot less meaningful to come in here.

[Todd Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Agent G series! Agent G, now Case Gordon, is a cyborg assassin. As with the rest of this series, this book is non stop action and packed with laughs as well. Phipps even references his other books including my favorite, Cthulhu Armageddon! (need more of that one by the way) Great narration by Jeffrey Kafer!

[Dennis Crotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you to a near future were man has come more machine than human by adding and modifying the human form either to look hip or to survive after the The Big Smokey event. Case/G is still trying to help but in many ways he does his best but it backfires and someone he loves dies or use to love. Also you see a time were you can move your mind from one body to another or create a whole new look and not know it unless you are really know the person. As in the beginning big corporations rule the world and mankind is trying to survive another day and Case decides he must do something or help in someway now he is on his fifteen year as a clone and out of twenty six created maybe there is five or six still living but the bad thing Case has not really learned anything he still thinks of himself as a machine more than a human and makes so many problems for himself. And to be honest it is due to the people he gets involved with or falls in love with he knows they are using him or playing him against someone but he can not face it and so something about it. But in the end he finds a reason to start making changes in his life and learn to be more human that is due to two people Clare and Barbara. He met Clare as a human fell in love and as the years passed she died and here mind and memories were placed in a manufactured body against her will. Barbara is the daughter of the man who he was clone to look like and when the Big Smokey happen he moved her and her mother to a safe place hoping they would never know but she does and to her he is her uncle and father that she never knew or later found out how corrupt he was.
The ending is very hard to listen to you see love, hatred, and death and one clones named G/Case having to realize the truth he never wanted to except.

[David Hambling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Licensed to snark, locked and loaded with cyberpunk pop culture references, Agent G is back on a one-agent mission to save the world…or at least look after his own interests and maybe save the world on the way.

Fifteen years on from the previous episode everything has changed, but nothing has changed. Catastrophe has struck the US, empowering the megacorporations and weakened the government. In the ensuing American carnage, G has carved out a comfortable niche working in ‘security’ and lives a life of gangster-rapper-luxury -- until a figure from his past rolls up. The maguffin here is a mysterious ‘Black Dossier’ that threatens everything, stored Johnny Mnemonic-style in someone’s brain.

The seemingly indestructible G is a cynical anti-hero who believes in nothing and leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes. While avowedly a fan of Connery, his style is perhaps more Roger Moore: heavy on the gadgets and expensive set pieces, and a stream of quips from the agent who remains unruffled by the surrounding chaos.

It’s a fun, easy read, and while the background of multiple shady organisations locked in octopus-like struggles is perhaps overly complex, the essentials of one man sneaking in to kill the bad guys and rescue the girl are easy to follow.

[J.A. Duxbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I said it with the other two books and I'll say it again - this is an awesome series.

It just gets better and better.

When I thought the author couldn't go any further, they turn around and surprise me again.

It's one thing to be betrayed by those you love, but when you suddenly realise that the main instigator had a much larger scheme in mind than you'd ever thought they did, that's just mind blowing.

And to reconnect with a side of your life that you thought you didn't have a chance to enjoy? Monumental.

C.T. Phipps does all the above in amazing writing. Their visuals and characters are well-rounded and when it rains in their books, you can damned well feel that water showering you in hard raindrops.

Well-thought out, very complex and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Julz.

[Jon Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Editing and proofreading kept it from being higher.

[Audrey Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable continuation of this series.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agent G to the rescue
As if corporations are not enough of a villain, now natural disasters follow. Agent G and his friends (loosely) are at it again to save the world.

Fabulous series by C.T. Phipps and narrated by the incomparable Jeffrey Kafer. Can't wait for the next one.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this book but it was highly improbable that I wouldn't as I loved the previous books and this is a continuation from them. I would say to get the full impact of the series that you need to listen (or read) them all but you won't be disappointed. It is packed full of action and backstabbing so you have no idea where the story (or the series) is going to take you next and with the technology it could go just about anywhere. The only limit is the very talented authors imagination. The characters are sassy and perfect for a few laughs. A great series and one I highly recommend.
Case, formally an assassin called G, thought that by taking out the organisation that created him he could retire to an anonymous beach and wait out his days. A volcano exploding sees his plans change and he is once again back in action trying to save the world. The world has changed and not for the better and once again he finds himself making hard decision about who wants the best for the world and taking out those who are working on there own a gender, even if it means taking out old friends. Still questioning who he can trust G must once again pull out the big guns and become a killer.
I think the narrator was born to read this series and can't imagine anyone else who could do a better job at bring the characters to life.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Ed Nemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the aftermath of the worst natural disaster to hit the US, Case (Agent G) finds himself the head of Atlas Security. A position that allows him to render aid to the survivors of the US, as well as keep himself in the lifestyle he is used to. Unfortunately, old colleagues and ex-girlfriends all want his help...and none of them ask nicely. Blackmail, threats, and subtle manipulation rule Case's life and threaten the only people he cares about. What's he going to do?

Well, when you are a cybernetic assassin with a James Bond complex, the answer is to get out there and blow the bad guys away. His cybernetics may be a little outdated, but he always has an angle...and maybe a DL-44 blaster too!

I love this series! A cybernetic assassin with a heart of gold and terrible friends that he cares about anyway. Guns and cybernetics against evil corporations and the almighty dollar.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As book 3 in this series, I suggest you enjoy the first 2 books before jumping into this book.

Time has passed since the end of book 2 (~15 years) saw some magnificent tech released to the world at large plus a massive volcanic eruption. It’s now a different world. World governments have suffered, or fallen, and the common people continue to struggle on. Luckily for Agent G, or Case, he has managed to stay on top with his independent wealth, abilities, and blackmail material.

Case’s love life is still a mess, mostly because of his choices, innate personality, and the people he chooses to associate with. In walks Marissa with an offer he just can’t say No to, even if he wants to. You never know for sure who is a traitor or not, and that adds to Case’s well-earned paranoia.

While Case leads the security department of the Atlas Corp, working with his ex-lovers Agent S and Lucita hasn’t uncomplicated his life. I did really like how Case teamed up with Claire, who is associated with a sometimes radical group, as they hunt for a super secret item. Meanwhile a new-ish villain arises, Agent A, along with a new big bad threat to humanity.

Full of action and snark, the hits don’t stop coming. Case has plenty to get done and little time to do it in. I especially liked the references to pop culture tucked into every corner of the story. This is one of those series where it’s hard to not like the bad guys as well as the good guys, because, hey, who really is good or evil in this story, right? Nearly everyone is a mix of the two. I ended up really liking the leap forward in time as it gave Case a new cyberpunkian world to play in. Some parts of the backdrop really reminded me of the noire feel to the movie Blade Runner. I’m very much looking forward to where this series will go from here. 5/5 stars.

Narration: Jeffrey Kafer has continued to be the voice of Agent G/Case. I love how he has managed to keep all the characters consistent throughout the series (I just finished rereading the first 2 books before dropping into this one). His female voices are done well and I love Case’s no-nonsense voice when he is handing out a bit of coercive violence. The pacing is perfect and there are no tech issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are 100% my own.

[Anders Haywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This next installment of the Agent series blew me away! Fast paced, intense and well written, thiese books keep getting better! It was so nice to be back in this world again, I genuinely felt some nostalgia when I ssrted this one.
This book start is set mostly 15 years after ther events of book two (no spoilers). Initially, I wasn't sure about that, but as always, Phipps made the best narrative choice and this book was all the stronger for it.
As always, the titular Agent G, or Case as he now prefers, is the standout of the series. His charisma and his well crafted personality draw you in all over again. The dichotomy between the killer that he was made to be, and the person he'd like to be (which also maybe a partly artificial construct of his new state of being), is genuinely well done and makes Case feel like a real person. That's what makes this series standout, I think. It's the author's ability to get inside the minds of such characters and make them seem so vividly real in their thoughts and actions that is so engrossing.
I won't mention the plot, because anything I say is pretty much guaranteed to be a spoiler. If you've read the other two books, you understand (if you haven't, start at number one, definitely not here).
Anyway, I honestly can't recommend this book and this series enough. You will not be disappointed!

[Thais · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the weakest of the three. The plot felt thin and uninteresting, and the twists didn’t hit like in the earlier books. Case somehow built himself a harem of dangerous women but still pines after Marissa—I don’t get it, and it feels kind of pathetic. Unfortunately, I didn’t click with much of it. That said, I love how Case/G is this old, billionaire hypocrite who doesn’t give a thing about anything (and I mean that as a compliment!).

[Brian Hinck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing end. Or is it?

This final (?) book of the trilogy conveys the full force of a future that reflects the world that we already live in. I hope that this is not the last that we see G...er I mean Case.

[Susanna Schwacke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agent G, now going by Chase, sure does end up finding his fanny in the fire. There's enough sarcasm and snark in this to make it quite fun to read. Phipps is a solid world-builder in his series.

[Chung Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the first two books in the series, but the story line in this one is just idiotic.

[Htb2050 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring compared to previous books. just talk talk and more talk.