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The Athena Protocol #2
The Shadow Mission
Jessie Archer faced down death to prove her dedication to Athena, the elite organization of female spies she works for. Now she’s back on the team, in time to head to Pakistan to take down the man whose actions spurred Athena’s founders to create the secretive squad.
But his connections spread farther than anyone knew, and when a girls’ school in Mumbai is bombed, a shadowy far-right organization reveals itself—and its evil plans to continue attacks.
When someone close to the investigation turns on Athena, Jessie knows that their time to save everyone is nearly up. Once again, she’ll have to risk everything to protect the vulnerable and prove herself.
But his connections spread farther than anyone knew, and when a girls’ school in Mumbai is bombed, a shadowy far-right organization reveals itself—and its evil plans to continue attacks.
When someone close to the investigation turns on Athena, Jessie knows that their time to save everyone is nearly up. Once again, she’ll have to risk everything to protect the vulnerable and prove herself.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
15 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Shamim Sarif
11 books436 followersBorn in the UK, Shamim is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and director.
Her next book, The Athena Protocol, is an all-female YA contemporary action thriller that is published by Harper Teen in September 2019.
Her debut novel, The World Unseen, won a Betty Trask award and the Pendleton May First Novel award.
Shamim has adapted and directed the films of three of her novels including, most recently, Despite the Falling Snow. The book was published by Headline in the UK and St Martin’s Press in the US. The movie stars Rebecca Ferguson and Charles Dance in a story of love and betrayal in cold war Russia. Her films have won 47 awards internationally.
Shamim’s third novel, I Can’t Think Straight, formed the basis of her cult hit film of the same name.
Shamim’s book festival appearances include Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Edinburgh.
An accomplished speaker, Shamim has spoken at TED events worldwide, at the INK Conference in India and DLD in Munich. Corporate speaking events have included Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Disney.
Shamim lives in London with her wife, Hanan, and their two sons
Her next book, The Athena Protocol, is an all-female YA contemporary action thriller that is published by Harper Teen in September 2019.
Her debut novel, The World Unseen, won a Betty Trask award and the Pendleton May First Novel award.
Shamim has adapted and directed the films of three of her novels including, most recently, Despite the Falling Snow. The book was published by Headline in the UK and St Martin’s Press in the US. The movie stars Rebecca Ferguson and Charles Dance in a story of love and betrayal in cold war Russia. Her films have won 47 awards internationally.
Shamim’s third novel, I Can’t Think Straight, formed the basis of her cult hit film of the same name.
Shamim’s book festival appearances include Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Edinburgh.
An accomplished speaker, Shamim has spoken at TED events worldwide, at the INK Conference in India and DLD in Munich. Corporate speaking events have included Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Disney.
Shamim lives in London with her wife, Hanan, and their two sons
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 13, 2020
Wow I actually really enjoyed this. It’s way better than book 1 and I would love for there to be a third book in the series cause Jessie is a bad ass. Better RTC
February 1, 2022
I didn't love this as much as the first book but it's still pretty good.
Poor Jessie's heart just can't catch a break. Although, I think her interactions with Amber are really cute... so I have my fingers crossed that they get together.
I need more of The Athena Protocol series!
Poor Jessie's heart just can't catch a break. Although, I think her interactions with Amber are really cute... so I have my fingers crossed that they get together.
I need more of The Athena Protocol series!
Want to read
November 20, 2020The first book "The Athena Protocol" was an amazing thrill ride that needs more love! Also I LOVE the cover of this so freaking much! I have to know what happens next!
September 28, 2022
3.4 star rating
Liked this a tad better than the first book in this series. I had to go reread the first before commencing this story in order to reacquaint myself with the story and i sincerely still stand by mý review of the first book. This story was a little better for me. I do feel the protagonist has a thing for messy emotions and ones very apart from her existing reach. Which begs the question is this a subconscious and deliberate attempt to continuously sabotage her emotions...because i bet what she is seeking might just as well be found already around her.
Liked this a tad better than the first book in this series. I had to go reread the first before commencing this story in order to reacquaint myself with the story and i sincerely still stand by mý review of the first book. This story was a little better for me. I do feel the protagonist has a thing for messy emotions and ones very apart from her existing reach. Which begs the question is this a subconscious and deliberate attempt to continuously sabotage her emotions...because i bet what she is seeking might just as well be found already around her.
November 1, 2020
jesus christ just let jessie kiss a girl
November 16, 2020
yeah, I just didn't like this one as much as the first one. Also there were a number of things that gave me more than a little pause and I think there could have been better choices made regarding.
August 7, 2021
4 stars
I read the Athena Protocol last year and loved it. It was such a fun take on the spy genre. I had The Shadow Mission sitting on my TBR for way too long, so I decided to give it a go. I loved this book too and while I was considering ranking it 5 stars, there were a couple of things that didn't sit well with me, so a four-star rating is what I went with.
After their mission in Belgrade, Athena is deciding to take on a far-right group known as Family First who feel women shouldn't be educated and belong in the home. Family First orchestrates a terrorist attack on an all-girls school that Kit founded. This leads to Athena investigating further. Jessie is thrown into the investigation and connects with Riya, a detective who is also investigating the bombing. Together, they uncover another subplot on a different boarding school, can they stop it in time?
Jessie has matured quite a bit. In the first book, I felt she was a bit too naive and immature. In this book, I started to find myself growing attached to her story and why she is the way she is. Caitlin and Hala were still as intriguing as ever. The founders of Athena were also a highlight of this.
The action in this book was still fast-paced. I ended up reading this in a day and a half because I couldn't put this book down.
While I loved this book, there were a couple of things I questioned. I feel these are spoiler enough as is, so I have hidden them under spoiler tags, read at your own risk.
I loved this book, however, I think I liked the first book better. I did find this book to be a bit too short. At only 281 pages, I felt this could have been longer to draw out the investigation into Family First. Overall, I'm still excited that this series exists and I can't wait for book #3
I read the Athena Protocol last year and loved it. It was such a fun take on the spy genre. I had The Shadow Mission sitting on my TBR for way too long, so I decided to give it a go. I loved this book too and while I was considering ranking it 5 stars, there were a couple of things that didn't sit well with me, so a four-star rating is what I went with.
After their mission in Belgrade, Athena is deciding to take on a far-right group known as Family First who feel women shouldn't be educated and belong in the home. Family First orchestrates a terrorist attack on an all-girls school that Kit founded. This leads to Athena investigating further. Jessie is thrown into the investigation and connects with Riya, a detective who is also investigating the bombing. Together, they uncover another subplot on a different boarding school, can they stop it in time?
Jessie has matured quite a bit. In the first book, I felt she was a bit too naive and immature. In this book, I started to find myself growing attached to her story and why she is the way she is. Caitlin and Hala were still as intriguing as ever. The founders of Athena were also a highlight of this.
The action in this book was still fast-paced. I ended up reading this in a day and a half because I couldn't put this book down.
While I loved this book, there were a couple of things I questioned. I feel these are spoiler enough as is, so I have hidden them under spoiler tags, read at your own risk.
I loved this book, however, I think I liked the first book better. I did find this book to be a bit too short. At only 281 pages, I felt this could have been longer to draw out the investigation into Family First. Overall, I'm still excited that this series exists and I can't wait for book #3
September 13, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...
THE SHADOW MISSION is an even better sequel to THE ATHENA PROTOCOL with lots of action and spy-related danger. In this one, Jessie travels to Pakistan to take down a horrible man involved in human trafficking and other terrible things, but that leads her to Mumbai where a school for girls is bombed. Jessie is on the case, trying to work peacefully with the local investigator, Riya, to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.
This book is full of twists and turns as well as tons of action, investigation, and all the awesome spy-related thrills you would expect from this series. I found that this sequel moved faster and with greater purpose than the first book. The plot is well composed and it takes on a procedural style as we follow the clues with Jessie and the other girls/women working for Athena.
What I loved: As someone who enjoys suspense and procedurals, I really enjoyed following this case and the high-stakes thrills of the Athena spy network. I also really love that all the spies, hackers, and others working for the organization are girls/women. It is so fun to see a teenage spy who knows what she is doing and does it so expertly. Jessie is highly trained and gives us interesting insights into the case, but she does not work alone and has a great team behind her. The book manages to mix in a little humor here and there when she is trying to relate to and work with Riya, who is a new character that I also really enjoyed. Riya is invested in the case because she could have been one of the girls in the school and she has a dedication to solving the crime, reluctantly working with Jessie. As the book continues, they must learn to work together.
This book is really fast-paced, so there is a lot going on and a lot of action throughout. If you like fast-paced spy reads, this would definitely be a good one to pick up. While we get some minor character insights and development, this is definitely more action/suspense than not. The book really focuses on the case and so the plot drives the book forward quickly.
Final verdict: A solid and engaging sequel, THE SHADOW MISSION is a great YA action/suspense read with strong female characters and high-octane crime solving.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
THE SHADOW MISSION is an even better sequel to THE ATHENA PROTOCOL with lots of action and spy-related danger. In this one, Jessie travels to Pakistan to take down a horrible man involved in human trafficking and other terrible things, but that leads her to Mumbai where a school for girls is bombed. Jessie is on the case, trying to work peacefully with the local investigator, Riya, to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.
This book is full of twists and turns as well as tons of action, investigation, and all the awesome spy-related thrills you would expect from this series. I found that this sequel moved faster and with greater purpose than the first book. The plot is well composed and it takes on a procedural style as we follow the clues with Jessie and the other girls/women working for Athena.
What I loved: As someone who enjoys suspense and procedurals, I really enjoyed following this case and the high-stakes thrills of the Athena spy network. I also really love that all the spies, hackers, and others working for the organization are girls/women. It is so fun to see a teenage spy who knows what she is doing and does it so expertly. Jessie is highly trained and gives us interesting insights into the case, but she does not work alone and has a great team behind her. The book manages to mix in a little humor here and there when she is trying to relate to and work with Riya, who is a new character that I also really enjoyed. Riya is invested in the case because she could have been one of the girls in the school and she has a dedication to solving the crime, reluctantly working with Jessie. As the book continues, they must learn to work together.
This book is really fast-paced, so there is a lot going on and a lot of action throughout. If you like fast-paced spy reads, this would definitely be a good one to pick up. While we get some minor character insights and development, this is definitely more action/suspense than not. The book really focuses on the case and so the plot drives the book forward quickly.
Final verdict: A solid and engaging sequel, THE SHADOW MISSION is a great YA action/suspense read with strong female characters and high-octane crime solving.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
November 13, 2020
Poor Jessie just does not have good luck with women .... I was really rooting for her and Riya. I definitely need a third book that explores all three of the girls pasts in more depth because I love them and want to know more about their lives. Sob.
July 4, 2021
Once again, Shamim Sarif delivers an action-packed and riveting thriller filled with all the spying and undercover operations that I have always wanted to binge read. I’m a huge sucker for books with feminism and female empowerment as the main themes and this book definitely ticks those boxes. I was living vicariously through Jessie, Hala and Caitlin as they travelled between London and Mumbai in order to track down and stop a terrorist group with deep political connections from killing school girls. Shamim Sarif has a bad habit of creating realistic, witty and lovable characters that will always have a special place in my heart. Even though this story is the sequel to The Athena Protocol, it can be read as a stand-alone because the author did a great job with filling in important bits of information from the previous book.
December 16, 2020
Shamim PLEASE let Jessie be happy and write a girlfriend for her that doesn’t end in a tragedy. It was honestly a solid four stars as the first book for a woman focused spy cliche filled thriller, but it loses a star for two plot point that really don’t sit me well
SPOILER ALERT AND TRIGGER WARNING (am on phone it’s midnight will put it in an actual spoiler thing later)
for bury your gays and unnecessarily giving the main male villain who killed girls and was conservative and violently anti-LGBT+ a boyfriend and treatening with outing
SPOILER ALERT AND TRIGGER WARNING (am on phone it’s midnight will put it in an actual spoiler thing later)
for bury your gays and unnecessarily giving the main male villain who killed girls and was conservative and violently anti-LGBT+ a boyfriend and treatening with outing
September 29, 2021
I have been eagerly awaiting this book after finishing book 1, The Athena Protocol. This book was every bit as action packed! Great and fast-paced plot. Loved the characters and how the main characters have a great friendship and watch each other's backs. I also just really loved having a bunch of strong female leads!!! This was seriously a book I really loved!!!! BOOK THREE WHEN?!!!
October 9, 2020
Will Jessie ever get to be happy?😪
November 14, 2022
Chce mi się płakać, co to w ogóle za zakończenie. I Riya😭😭😭
November 29, 2020
Find this review and more on my blog at
Worlds Unlike Our Own
.
Having proven herself, Jessie is back on the team, and she, Hala and Caitlin head to Pakistan on their next mission to find the man whose crimes resulted in the creation of Athena and extract information from him regarding a planned terror attack. Their information leads them to a girls’ school in Mumbai – one of Kit’s schools - but they are not in time to prevent it. Jessie must work with local detective Riya to uncover the organization behind the bombing before any further attacks occur.
I have to admit, I had my doubts about this book and nearly didn’t read it at all, but I’m glad I did! This was a huge improvement on the first book, and the plot moved so much faster – I maintain that this series would be great on screen. I adore spy stories and one like this where we get to see not only the action, but what goes on behind the scenes, pretty much describes my favourite kind of thriller.
The biggest difference in this book is that Jessie doesn’t work alone, but with her team and the support of Athena and all its resources, so we get to see some good team dynamics. The breakneck action easily draws the reader in, and as the many twists keep the story entertaining as Jessie and her friends try to figure out not only the culprits behind this deadly attack, but also who can really be trusted as everyone begins to appear suspicious.
Now this isn’t a bad thing exactly, but I found it strange that a group of super secretive spies were working so openly, and that too with a bunch of people outside their organization who are definitely not supposed to know who they are and what they do. After the great care they took in this matter in the first book, this sudden 180 was just odd.
On the downside, there was very little time spared for any sort of character development in this book. It’s mostly building off the information that was introduced in The Athena Protocol which was rather disappointing as I was hoping to get some insight on the characters we didn’t see as much of previously. Athena being a vigilante organization on this scale still sounds strange to me, but that is actually discussed in this book as an enterprising journalist seems to be intent on digging up the truth behind the organization. Personally, I found it to be a bit of a letdown how easily this hurdle was resolved.
I found the ending to be rather abrupt, considering how good the build-up was, and the main point of the story was essentially wrapped up in two lines with the action happening off page, but I’m looking forward to any future novels in this series. Overall, The Shadow Mission was a solid read, if a little shorter than I would have liked. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced and entertaining read with some high-stakes thrills, this would definitely be a good choice.
Having proven herself, Jessie is back on the team, and she, Hala and Caitlin head to Pakistan on their next mission to find the man whose crimes resulted in the creation of Athena and extract information from him regarding a planned terror attack. Their information leads them to a girls’ school in Mumbai – one of Kit’s schools - but they are not in time to prevent it. Jessie must work with local detective Riya to uncover the organization behind the bombing before any further attacks occur.
I have to admit, I had my doubts about this book and nearly didn’t read it at all, but I’m glad I did! This was a huge improvement on the first book, and the plot moved so much faster – I maintain that this series would be great on screen. I adore spy stories and one like this where we get to see not only the action, but what goes on behind the scenes, pretty much describes my favourite kind of thriller.
The biggest difference in this book is that Jessie doesn’t work alone, but with her team and the support of Athena and all its resources, so we get to see some good team dynamics. The breakneck action easily draws the reader in, and as the many twists keep the story entertaining as Jessie and her friends try to figure out not only the culprits behind this deadly attack, but also who can really be trusted as everyone begins to appear suspicious.
Now this isn’t a bad thing exactly, but I found it strange that a group of super secretive spies were working so openly, and that too with a bunch of people outside their organization who are definitely not supposed to know who they are and what they do. After the great care they took in this matter in the first book, this sudden 180 was just odd.
On the downside, there was very little time spared for any sort of character development in this book. It’s mostly building off the information that was introduced in The Athena Protocol which was rather disappointing as I was hoping to get some insight on the characters we didn’t see as much of previously. Athena being a vigilante organization on this scale still sounds strange to me, but that is actually discussed in this book as an enterprising journalist seems to be intent on digging up the truth behind the organization. Personally, I found it to be a bit of a letdown how easily this hurdle was resolved.
I found the ending to be rather abrupt, considering how good the build-up was, and the main point of the story was essentially wrapped up in two lines with the action happening off page, but I’m looking forward to any future novels in this series. Overall, The Shadow Mission was a solid read, if a little shorter than I would have liked. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced and entertaining read with some high-stakes thrills, this would definitely be a good choice.
July 15, 2023
"'You really want to help, Jessie?'
I nod, eager to get her on my side.
'Then stay the hell out of my way,' she says abruptly. 'There, that's the exit.'"
It's hard to write a good book, but it's even harder to write an even better sequel to a good book. Well, The Shadow Mission by Shamin Sarif is one of those wonderful books where you either can't stop crying, laughing, smirking, or are just paralyzed by shock. The action is rapid, making it energizing and draws the reader in. Of course, the characters still have their clashing personalities: Jessie's sarcastic wit, Hala's quiet observation, and Caitlin's easygoing confidence. Except now, there is another person in play: Riya Kapoor, a sharp and hardworking police detective. Jessie is warned not to let her feelings get in the way, because the last time she let her emotions get in the way of the mission, the person she loved was the daughter of a human trafficker and believed in human trafficking. And it turns out Detective Kapoor is like Jessie too, queer as well.
What's more, Athena is on the verge of being found out, by none other than the nosy journalist Jake Graham. He has a picture of Caitlin, and has connected the relationship between Jessie's mother, Kit Love, with Peggy Delaney, another founder of Athena. They're not sure how far he's going to get, but they have to be on the defense, because if they're found out, it means four letters: jail.
However, Athena has a lead: they've found two shady companies and an even shadier politician, after one of Kit Love's schools for girls is bombed. The bad side, though, is that they are much stronger than they think...
"If I tell her that, how would she be able to trust me ever again?"
I was crying by the end of this book. Listening to it over audiobook made it all more emotional. I recommend this to people who love undercover spy mysteries, fast-paced action, wonderful sarcasm, bittersweet romance, and conspiracy—basically anyone, really. I hope you enjoy it!
"I have to do better by the women and girls we've pledged to help. And I'm not playing by the same rules anymore."
I nod, eager to get her on my side.
'Then stay the hell out of my way,' she says abruptly. 'There, that's the exit.'"
It's hard to write a good book, but it's even harder to write an even better sequel to a good book. Well, The Shadow Mission by Shamin Sarif is one of those wonderful books where you either can't stop crying, laughing, smirking, or are just paralyzed by shock. The action is rapid, making it energizing and draws the reader in. Of course, the characters still have their clashing personalities: Jessie's sarcastic wit, Hala's quiet observation, and Caitlin's easygoing confidence. Except now, there is another person in play: Riya Kapoor, a sharp and hardworking police detective. Jessie is warned not to let her feelings get in the way, because the last time she let her emotions get in the way of the mission, the person she loved was the daughter of a human trafficker and believed in human trafficking. And it turns out Detective Kapoor is like Jessie too, queer as well.
What's more, Athena is on the verge of being found out, by none other than the nosy journalist Jake Graham. He has a picture of Caitlin, and has connected the relationship between Jessie's mother, Kit Love, with Peggy Delaney, another founder of Athena. They're not sure how far he's going to get, but they have to be on the defense, because if they're found out, it means four letters: jail.
However, Athena has a lead: they've found two shady companies and an even shadier politician, after one of Kit Love's schools for girls is bombed. The bad side, though, is that they are much stronger than they think...
"If I tell her that, how would she be able to trust me ever again?"
I was crying by the end of this book. Listening to it over audiobook made it all more emotional. I recommend this to people who love undercover spy mysteries, fast-paced action, wonderful sarcasm, bittersweet romance, and conspiracy—basically anyone, really. I hope you enjoy it!
"I have to do better by the women and girls we've pledged to help. And I'm not playing by the same rules anymore."
January 11, 2021
"The Shadow Mission" is the sequel to "The Athena Protocol" by Shamim Sarif, and both novels feature Jessie Archer, a secret agent/vigilante who works for Athena, a secret, nongovernmental organization dedicated to helping children and women around the world who are being targeted by fanatical groups or governments.
In the first book, we learn that Jessie's mother, Kit, formerly a famous musician, created the group with two other powerful women. One is Li, a Chinese tech billionaire, and the other is Peggy, who was the first African American women to be a US ambassador to the UK, and who has contacts in every continent and country. Jessie and two other women form the active troops who actually get the "saving" part done. Caitlin is former military, served in the Middle East and has PTSD. Hala is from Syria and was a refugee; she still worries about her brother, who is stranded in their homeland.
In this novel, a radical group called Family First has burned down one of the schools that Kit sponsored with the students and teachers inside the school in Pakistan. Family First is a shadowy Muslim terrorist organization that wants girls to have no choice but marriage — no education, no college, no independence. At the start of the story, Athena received word that another attack is planned on a school in Mumbai, and Jessie and the two others must find out where the attack will be. They don't have much time. In fact, they manage to save most of the schoolgirls, but their information came too late to save them all.
Read the whole review at: PamelaKramer.com
In the first book, we learn that Jessie's mother, Kit, formerly a famous musician, created the group with two other powerful women. One is Li, a Chinese tech billionaire, and the other is Peggy, who was the first African American women to be a US ambassador to the UK, and who has contacts in every continent and country. Jessie and two other women form the active troops who actually get the "saving" part done. Caitlin is former military, served in the Middle East and has PTSD. Hala is from Syria and was a refugee; she still worries about her brother, who is stranded in their homeland.
In this novel, a radical group called Family First has burned down one of the schools that Kit sponsored with the students and teachers inside the school in Pakistan. Family First is a shadowy Muslim terrorist organization that wants girls to have no choice but marriage — no education, no college, no independence. At the start of the story, Athena received word that another attack is planned on a school in Mumbai, and Jessie and the two others must find out where the attack will be. They don't have much time. In fact, they manage to save most of the schoolgirls, but their information came too late to save them all.
Read the whole review at: PamelaKramer.com
October 13, 2020
I think this went a bit too fast. The storylines didn’t get time to be developed, the new characters just didn’t have time to actually appear so I just didn’t care about them and thought weird how the old characters liked them so much after meeting them twice. I also felt like they forgot about the things that happened in the first book till the half of this second book and then they just threw like “oh this happened before” and left it at that.
The basic plotline was very interesting but it was finished too easily and that didn’t match with how serious the characters said the situation was. And the other side plotlines were forgotten and got only a sentence in the end to be dealt with.
Also I feel like for a group of basically private spies they were really dumb about procedure and hidding and dealing with people who shouldn’t know they were there dealing with those things. It’s weird because the first book didn’t had this problem.
It’s not a bad book, it would work for a 40 min television show but it was definitely disappointing for a full book, especially after I liked the first one so much. I’ll still read the next one if it’s released but I really hope it looks more like the first one than this one.
The basic plotline was very interesting but it was finished too easily and that didn’t match with how serious the characters said the situation was. And the other side plotlines were forgotten and got only a sentence in the end to be dealt with.
Also I feel like for a group of basically private spies they were really dumb about procedure and hidding and dealing with people who shouldn’t know they were there dealing with those things. It’s weird because the first book didn’t had this problem.
It’s not a bad book, it would work for a 40 min television show but it was definitely disappointing for a full book, especially after I liked the first one so much. I’ll still read the next one if it’s released but I really hope it looks more like the first one than this one.
May 26, 2021
Loved this one almost as much as the first and I read the whole thing without stopping. The ending was a bit disappointing and I'll have to wait for the next book to come out. The story plot overall was a good one, but in terms of relationships I was disappointed that Jessie still didn't get even a chance of a good relationship continuing into the future. Maybe written differently it would have worked out, but it just seems like the author keeps teasing a girlfriend for Jessie with no follow through.
I was curious about the use of the acronym LGBTQI+ including the I but excluding the A (pages 9 and195) Maybe I've just never seen it this way and that's normal, but the odd cutoff seemed exclusive.
I was curious about the use of the acronym LGBTQI+ including the I but excluding the A (pages 9 and195) Maybe I've just never seen it this way and that's normal, but the odd cutoff seemed exclusive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fact that we got to see the Athena team in full force together. The fact that the mission was personal for the entire team was great. It just seemed so dire, and important. I didn’t love the fact that Jessie attempted another mission romance. I would think she would be smarter this time, but the reader loved to root for them. The fact it ended in devastation again hurt a lot. Wish it could have been more positive experience. I also wished the book jumped in time some so that everyone had time to get over the first book. I thought the spy element is amazing.
Highly recommended this book, who doesn’t love a feminist lesbian spy romance novel? It ended kinda not wrapped up, where’s the next book?
Highly recommended this book, who doesn’t love a feminist lesbian spy romance novel? It ended kinda not wrapped up, where’s the next book?
October 25, 2020
I was vibing with this one all the way up to the last like 4 chapters and then everything ended so abruptly and suddenly, if i knew there was going to be a third book i might have been more willing to give it 5 stars but as it stands i feel cheated out of a proper ending. I LOVE this series though so i really hope there does end up being a third
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April 28, 2023Graded By: Regina
Cover Story: Awkward
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Laconic
Bonus Factors: Location, Teamwork
Anti-Bonus Factor: Gratuitous Tragedy
Relationship Status: Sophomore Slump
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Awkward
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: Laconic
Bonus Factors: Location, Teamwork
Anti-Bonus Factor: Gratuitous Tragedy
Relationship Status: Sophomore Slump
Read the full book report here.
April 9, 2021
I actually liked the first book a tiny bit more, mainly because the love relationship felt more real. But overall, this is an intense series!! Things happen all the time and i had a hard time putting it down for the night or even a meal😅
April 30, 2021
This is gay and it slaps...but it’s def a thriller/spy book so lots of genre-typical CW
CW: misogyny, referenced anti-equal rights movements, suicide, bombing/acts of terror, major character death, brief description of torture, grief
CW: misogyny, referenced anti-equal rights movements, suicide, bombing/acts of terror, major character death, brief description of torture, grief
February 19, 2022
I wasn't supposed to end up crying this hard...
Good writing, amazing female characters, great plot. It will keep you entertain. Loved this second part of Shamim Sarif second book of The Athena Protocol. Riya's the best, loved her.
Good writing, amazing female characters, great plot. It will keep you entertain. Loved this second part of Shamim Sarif second book of The Athena Protocol. Riya's the best, loved her.
June 4, 2023
I dont know if i enjoy the first or second book more but this book had some more likable characters i think. I feel like the book ended in a way that it could be continued but it isnt. Overall i enjoyed the series but it isnt extraordinary.
September 5, 2025
As everyone else has said, my girl canNOT catch a break! Pretty upsetting tbh. I wish this series was being continued, as the ending implies, because I'm intrigued as to what happens with Jessie next, given the ending of this one. And I NEED HER TO JUST BE ABLE TO LOVE SOMEONE GOD DAMN.
Want to read
September 29, 2020I loved the first book so much, and cannot wait for this sequel!
November 17, 2020
This book is also fantastic! with an absolutely shocking gut wrenching ending but its perfection and i hope the series keeps going. Shamim is sooooo sooo talented.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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