What do you think?
Rate this book
Blink
An illustrated spy thriller novel
To win a secret war waged by The Establishment, ex black-ops soldier, Blink, must find and expose the true colors of the men behind the elite organization, which has been manipulating governments since the time of Napoleon.
Driven by the murders of family members, and the fall of her home country, Blink travels the globe seeking the men responsible. She soon finds that their crimes span far beyond her personal vendettas. Operating behind the facade of the International Central Bank, The Establishment uses its massive influence to push a mysterious, sub-governmental mind-control program--known as the Mosquito Project--as well as legislation designed to collapse the global economy. Blink is determined to crush the Mosquito technology and stop The Establishment from carrying out its agenda.
Born with the ability to see the positive and negative energy that makes up all living things, Blink can analyze her targets' colors and quickly discern friend from foe. But in her fight to expose the most powerful, far-reaching organization in existence, Blink finds herself outnumbered and outmatched in a conflict that could force her, and those she loves, to pay the ultimate price.
To win a secret war waged by The Establishment, ex black-ops soldier, Blink, must find and expose the true colors of the men behind the elite organization, which has been manipulating governments since the time of Napoleon.
Driven by the murders of family members, and the fall of her home country, Blink travels the globe seeking the men responsible. She soon finds that their crimes span far beyond her personal vendettas. Operating behind the facade of the International Central Bank, The Establishment uses its massive influence to push a mysterious, sub-governmental mind-control program--known as the Mosquito Project--as well as legislation designed to collapse the global economy. Blink is determined to crush the Mosquito technology and stop The Establishment from carrying out its agenda.
Born with the ability to see the positive and negative energy that makes up all living things, Blink can analyze her targets' colors and quickly discern friend from foe. But in her fight to expose the most powerful, far-reaching organization in existence, Blink finds herself outnumbered and outmatched in a conflict that could force her, and those she loves, to pay the ultimate price.
- GenresThriller
310 pages, Hardcover
Published August 29, 2019
35 people are currently reading
1495 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 17, 2022
Summarily: Excellent prose, apparently sound and thorough research, and top-notch professional art carried this book from cover to cover.
The story, however, struck me as increasingly thin and episodic as I progressed; I felt very little story tension, struggled to find a clear direction for the story and, as such, felt no triumph in the resolution.
Long review (***possible spoilers***)
Brian Hailes has long impressed me with his art (https://www.hailesart.com/), so when I learned he'd written several novels, I was intrigued. I was immediately pulled into the story in the first chapter, and was excited for a well-written, fast-paced, engaging read.
The book remained pretty fast-paced and engaging throughout--plenty of action. It was also consistently well written; clean prose, spot-on dialogue, vivid descriptions, and technical accuracy were hallmarks of this book. I did chuckle, a little, and the various incorrect homophones that got used ("toad sonar" instead of "towed", or "undo" instead of "undue"; little things like that were sprinkled throughout, but didn't ruin anything for me).
Hailes' work also shows marks of real and serious research; not necessarily "doctoral dissertation," but then, this isn't meant as a scholarly work. Still, he manages to treat so-called "conspiracy theories" pretty well, giving them some decent plausibility.
Also, as I said above, the art is literally professional grade (which I expected, since I'd encountered Hailes as an artist first, an author second).
I had initially expected to give this story an easy 4 stars, quite possibly 5 (which I try not to do often). Unfortunately, as I went on, I had an increasingly difficult time giving such a rating, despite the numerous things that Hailes executed immensely well on.
For me, the chief shortcoming was the lack of a consistent, coherent storyline (inasfar as I could determine, anyway). I recognize that Hailes was going for an "illustrated novel" instead of a "graphic novel" or comic book, and I recognize that graphic novels/comics are often episodic in nature. Had Blink been a collection of short stories about Madison "Blink" Campbell, then Hailes' approach would have made a lot more sense to me.
However, this book is clearly a novel, presumably a standalone novel, even (though I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel; Hailes definitely sets the stage for one or more). As such, I anticipated a more discernible plot.
Here's why I say that:
-Many things happened, but seemed disconnected from one another; there were often no story-driving consequences borne from those scenes.
-While it was clear that Blink was out to destroy "The Establishment," I don't recall any sort of plan for how to accomplish that. It just... happened. Past incidents sometimes got referenced, but those scenes rarely seemed to inform decisions, or change the course of things.
-There was good build up in many scenes, but a complete fall-off in resolution (e.g. the awesome elevator/helicopter/diving scene).
-Many of the characters were also inconsequential, even when it seemed clear they weren't meant to be (e.g. Hailey, who Blink tangles with near the book's end. Hailey's made out to be on par with Blink, but there's almost nothing to support her as a hardcore "femme fatale" until almost the end, and even that doesn't come off well).
-Things that seem as though they'll be of great consequence often didn't get the follow-through I expected/hoped for (e.g. the mosquitoes had enormous potential to make things harder for Blink but, after a great opening for them, they fade away to nothing more than an occasional nuisance at best; that was a real let down).
-I get the sense that the story was more "plot driven," since while the characters did generally have their own voice, and moderately-decent development, I never felt invested in them. However, a story-driven book suffers when the story is thin. Better character development would definitely have mitigated this. Even when Blink is at her lowest (and, frankly, rather humiliating) point in the story, I didn't feel all that bad for her.
Though I don't mind a little deus ex machina, now and again, compare the scene of her captivity with one of the early scenes in the 2012 film "Avengers," where Black Widow faces a similar situation, but resolves it in a much more engaging way.
*******
That's an encapsulation of what did the book in for me. Hailes can write a mean action scene, and can keep you invested, but I had very little way of knowing where I was in terms of story progress beyond simple page count. The lack of a story arc--inciting incident, rising tension, climax, and resolution--left the book wanting. Even when the primary antagonists are dealt with, I had no sense that "the good guys had won." It was just another loose thread that got snipped, more so than being "tied up."
I think there's huge potential for this to be a Clancy-level thriller, and I'm very confident Hailes has the wherewithal to pull it off with some revision.
Clarify the storyline. Show the consequences of choices. Help readers invest in characters. Build tension consistently, then deliver a powerful punch of a resolution--one that's very difficult for the protagonists to achieve--at the end.
Had Hailes done that, I think I could easily have given this four or five stars.
I am willing to read more of his works, and I would even be willing to share Blink (the novel) with others interested in action-thrillers.
The story, however, struck me as increasingly thin and episodic as I progressed; I felt very little story tension, struggled to find a clear direction for the story and, as such, felt no triumph in the resolution.
Long review (***possible spoilers***)
Brian Hailes has long impressed me with his art (https://www.hailesart.com/), so when I learned he'd written several novels, I was intrigued. I was immediately pulled into the story in the first chapter, and was excited for a well-written, fast-paced, engaging read.
The book remained pretty fast-paced and engaging throughout--plenty of action. It was also consistently well written; clean prose, spot-on dialogue, vivid descriptions, and technical accuracy were hallmarks of this book. I did chuckle, a little, and the various incorrect homophones that got used ("toad sonar" instead of "towed", or "undo" instead of "undue"; little things like that were sprinkled throughout, but didn't ruin anything for me).
Hailes' work also shows marks of real and serious research; not necessarily "doctoral dissertation," but then, this isn't meant as a scholarly work. Still, he manages to treat so-called "conspiracy theories" pretty well, giving them some decent plausibility.
Also, as I said above, the art is literally professional grade (which I expected, since I'd encountered Hailes as an artist first, an author second).
I had initially expected to give this story an easy 4 stars, quite possibly 5 (which I try not to do often). Unfortunately, as I went on, I had an increasingly difficult time giving such a rating, despite the numerous things that Hailes executed immensely well on.
For me, the chief shortcoming was the lack of a consistent, coherent storyline (inasfar as I could determine, anyway). I recognize that Hailes was going for an "illustrated novel" instead of a "graphic novel" or comic book, and I recognize that graphic novels/comics are often episodic in nature. Had Blink been a collection of short stories about Madison "Blink" Campbell, then Hailes' approach would have made a lot more sense to me.
However, this book is clearly a novel, presumably a standalone novel, even (though I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel; Hailes definitely sets the stage for one or more). As such, I anticipated a more discernible plot.
Here's why I say that:
-Many things happened, but seemed disconnected from one another; there were often no story-driving consequences borne from those scenes.
-While it was clear that Blink was out to destroy "The Establishment," I don't recall any sort of plan for how to accomplish that. It just... happened. Past incidents sometimes got referenced, but those scenes rarely seemed to inform decisions, or change the course of things.
-There was good build up in many scenes, but a complete fall-off in resolution (e.g. the awesome elevator/helicopter/diving scene).
-Many of the characters were also inconsequential, even when it seemed clear they weren't meant to be (e.g. Hailey, who Blink tangles with near the book's end. Hailey's made out to be on par with Blink, but there's almost nothing to support her as a hardcore "femme fatale" until almost the end, and even that doesn't come off well).
-Things that seem as though they'll be of great consequence often didn't get the follow-through I expected/hoped for (e.g. the mosquitoes had enormous potential to make things harder for Blink but, after a great opening for them, they fade away to nothing more than an occasional nuisance at best; that was a real let down).
-I get the sense that the story was more "plot driven," since while the characters did generally have their own voice, and moderately-decent development, I never felt invested in them. However, a story-driven book suffers when the story is thin. Better character development would definitely have mitigated this. Even when Blink is at her lowest (and, frankly, rather humiliating) point in the story, I didn't feel all that bad for her.
Though I don't mind a little deus ex machina, now and again, compare the scene of her captivity with one of the early scenes in the 2012 film "Avengers," where Black Widow faces a similar situation, but resolves it in a much more engaging way.
*******
That's an encapsulation of what did the book in for me. Hailes can write a mean action scene, and can keep you invested, but I had very little way of knowing where I was in terms of story progress beyond simple page count. The lack of a story arc--inciting incident, rising tension, climax, and resolution--left the book wanting. Even when the primary antagonists are dealt with, I had no sense that "the good guys had won." It was just another loose thread that got snipped, more so than being "tied up."
I think there's huge potential for this to be a Clancy-level thriller, and I'm very confident Hailes has the wherewithal to pull it off with some revision.
Clarify the storyline. Show the consequences of choices. Help readers invest in characters. Build tension consistently, then deliver a powerful punch of a resolution--one that's very difficult for the protagonists to achieve--at the end.
Had Hailes done that, I think I could easily have given this four or five stars.
I am willing to read more of his works, and I would even be willing to share Blink (the novel) with others interested in action-thrillers.
April 25, 2021
3 for the story, 5 for the art, split the difference. Good book.
February 6, 2022
This book is what I would call a "hidden gem". Not many people know about it but I feel like they really should. I don't think I've ever read a novel with author illustrations thrown in, which was a very unique and nice touch.
The story ropes you in and keeps you wanting more. I may be a bit biased, because I am greatly a fan of the genre's of this book and the subject matter, but it's great. Sometimes the concepts that are dealt with in this book can seem boring and overdone, but that's really not the case here. The way the book is written makes it feel fresh, and believable. I love conspiracies, while I don't often believe in them, I find them very fascinating and I enjoy hearing more about them. Even when they're not real, the vast majority of conspiracies are theories anyways, which leaves great room for creativity in writing.
The main protagonist goes by "Blink" and she's a total badass. Her name is entirely fitting as she can tell good from bad in the "blink" of an eye with her hidden gift. Her entire motive is to take down the bad higher ups of the establishment, who are essentially an evil world power organization. Like any good story, it's never as simple as it seems, but I won't spoil it for you.
While this book does play off of some common tropes, and the plot generally is seen commonly in this genre, Brian C. Hailes just does it oh so well. If you're interested in this book from reading the back of the cover, or from reviews, and you generally enjoy the genre, go for it. This book is everything I wanted it to be and more.
I also feel a hint of social / world commentary thrown in there, which is very fitting for the genre. Some might feel it's too typical, but I would probably say they're being over critical. This book knew what it wanted to do and aced it.
The illustrations are also very well done, and proves that the author is multi-talented. I am a fan of graphic novels as well, and this is kind of like a light-graphic-novel, if that's a thing lol. The illustrations are detailed and clean, they convey what is on the pages in a wonderful way and help you with visualization.
I don't know what else I can say about this book, just go ahead and read it, you'll have fun, I promise!
The story ropes you in and keeps you wanting more. I may be a bit biased, because I am greatly a fan of the genre's of this book and the subject matter, but it's great. Sometimes the concepts that are dealt with in this book can seem boring and overdone, but that's really not the case here. The way the book is written makes it feel fresh, and believable. I love conspiracies, while I don't often believe in them, I find them very fascinating and I enjoy hearing more about them. Even when they're not real, the vast majority of conspiracies are theories anyways, which leaves great room for creativity in writing.
The main protagonist goes by "Blink" and she's a total badass. Her name is entirely fitting as she can tell good from bad in the "blink" of an eye with her hidden gift. Her entire motive is to take down the bad higher ups of the establishment, who are essentially an evil world power organization. Like any good story, it's never as simple as it seems, but I won't spoil it for you.
While this book does play off of some common tropes, and the plot generally is seen commonly in this genre, Brian C. Hailes just does it oh so well. If you're interested in this book from reading the back of the cover, or from reviews, and you generally enjoy the genre, go for it. This book is everything I wanted it to be and more.
I also feel a hint of social / world commentary thrown in there, which is very fitting for the genre. Some might feel it's too typical, but I would probably say they're being over critical. This book knew what it wanted to do and aced it.
The illustrations are also very well done, and proves that the author is multi-talented. I am a fan of graphic novels as well, and this is kind of like a light-graphic-novel, if that's a thing lol. The illustrations are detailed and clean, they convey what is on the pages in a wonderful way and help you with visualization.
I don't know what else I can say about this book, just go ahead and read it, you'll have fun, I promise!
Want to read
December 6, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/6/2021)! 🎁
April 22, 2022
Great book
September 13, 2019
She can tell who's a friend or foe in the blink of an eye.
She sees the true colors, the energy of people, and uses this gift to stay alive in the deadly cat and mouse games of an elite covert operative.
Theories prove true when she learns who's been secretly murdering influential men and women using futuristic technology and old-world tactics in their quest for global control.
Blink follows the trail of Madison "Blink" Campbell as she aims to take down "The Establishment," an organization using technology, propaganda, and economics to subjugate the world under their control.
With the assistance of Dr. Jamal Hart, and other allies brought along or discovered along the way, Blink finds herself face to face with the proverbial men-behind-the-curtains only to be the one looking down the wrong end of the gun barrel.
Will Blink survive the trap and make it out of the lion's den?
What I liked:
Blink appeals to my love of conspiracy theories. Verifiable facts threaded into an intricate web of imagination pulled me into her world and never let go. The story is compelling to the point that I could believe the events might have already happened.
I also loved the illustrations, images from key moments throughout the story helped me see what the author envisioned during the narrative.
What I didn't like:
Not much. I thoroughly enjoyed Blink and would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery with a militaristic flair.
Overall:
I gave Blink 5 solid stars for imagination and artistry.
She sees the true colors, the energy of people, and uses this gift to stay alive in the deadly cat and mouse games of an elite covert operative.
Theories prove true when she learns who's been secretly murdering influential men and women using futuristic technology and old-world tactics in their quest for global control.
Blink follows the trail of Madison "Blink" Campbell as she aims to take down "The Establishment," an organization using technology, propaganda, and economics to subjugate the world under their control.
With the assistance of Dr. Jamal Hart, and other allies brought along or discovered along the way, Blink finds herself face to face with the proverbial men-behind-the-curtains only to be the one looking down the wrong end of the gun barrel.
Will Blink survive the trap and make it out of the lion's den?
What I liked:
Blink appeals to my love of conspiracy theories. Verifiable facts threaded into an intricate web of imagination pulled me into her world and never let go. The story is compelling to the point that I could believe the events might have already happened.
I also loved the illustrations, images from key moments throughout the story helped me see what the author envisioned during the narrative.
What I didn't like:
Not much. I thoroughly enjoyed Blink and would recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery with a militaristic flair.
Overall:
I gave Blink 5 solid stars for imagination and artistry.
August 28, 2019
A Modern, Intelligent Action Thriller That Takes On the World's Elite Like No Other!
A James Bond-like action thriller written for today, headed by a (badass) female protagonist that has some personal (and very public) scores to settle against the man behind the curtain—That is, the world's elite bankers that operate by means of the ICB (International Central Bank), their far-reaching technology, and their world-class collection of assassins. "The whole world is colorblind" indeed—but she's not. She will show the world their true colors.
A James Bond-like action thriller written for today, headed by a (badass) female protagonist that has some personal (and very public) scores to settle against the man behind the curtain—That is, the world's elite bankers that operate by means of the ICB (International Central Bank), their far-reaching technology, and their world-class collection of assassins. "The whole world is colorblind" indeed—but she's not. She will show the world their true colors.
April 13, 2021
Blink has powers and is on a mission to take down the Establishment. She sees the energy in people as colors. This is a well written fast paced novel. It was a different type of thriller. Brian Hailes introduces the reader to a mind controlling program known as the Mosquite Project. Quite an interesting concept. Also this book has quite a few illustrations. This is not particularly the genre of stories I read but I enjoyed reading this book. It was by no means boring or unimaginative. Thank you for the opportunity of receiving this book. I have already passed it on.
September 4, 2021
This was an entertaining spy thriller with the added experience of the author's illustrations of the characters encountered in the story. The central figure is a rogue female agent who does not appear affiliated with any secret agent organization.
The crisis is a modern threat to change the very basis of international commerce. It isn't crypto -currency but the comparison is there.
I did enjoy the novel even though I thought I had purchased a graphic novel (comic) and received a novel with some graphic pages.
Hope to get my hands on the next BLINK novel.
The crisis is a modern threat to change the very basis of international commerce. It isn't crypto -currency but the comparison is there.
I did enjoy the novel even though I thought I had purchased a graphic novel (comic) and received a novel with some graphic pages.
Hope to get my hands on the next BLINK novel.
February 21, 2020
Best thing I have read all year.
1) detailed black and white illustrations. 2) inserts on the conspiracy that provide exposition on the world. 3) I also have been thinking of mosquito drones. 4) a believable conspiracy of like minded individuals. Flaws. 1) the author name or some other info pops up at the end of every chapter, an odd glitch. 2) the power to see auras seems a stretch?
1) detailed black and white illustrations. 2) inserts on the conspiracy that provide exposition on the world. 3) I also have been thinking of mosquito drones. 4) a believable conspiracy of like minded individuals. Flaws. 1) the author name or some other info pops up at the end of every chapter, an odd glitch. 2) the power to see auras seems a stretch?
February 17, 2021
Exciting, exciting, exciting.
Very creative writing with a plausible premise.
Characters very well developed.
Could not put down until finished.
Hoping for a sequel.
A very good read.
Very creative writing with a plausible premise.
Characters very well developed.
Could not put down until finished.
Hoping for a sequel.
A very good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews