কলসাইন: রুক

Chesspocalypse #3

by Jeremy Robinson, Md. Fuad Al Fidah (Translator)

ব্যর্থ এক মিশনে সঙ্গীদের হারিয়ে সাইবেরিয়ে থেকে পাততাড়ি গোটাল স্ট্যান ট্রেম্বলে, যার কলসাইন: রুক।
ক্লান্ত রুক আশ্রয় নিল ফেনরিস কিস্টবি নামের একটা শহরে। প্রথম দেখায় আর্কটিক সার্কেলের এই ছোট্ট শহরটাকে ছিমছাম বলেই মনে হয়!
কিন্তু শারীরিক ও মানসিকভাবে বিপর্যস্ত স্ট্যান অচিরেই বুঝতে পারল: শহরের শান্ত পরিবেশের নিচে ঘনিয়ে আসছে ঝড়। সদ্য আগতদের দেখতে পারে না শহরবাসীরা, রহস্যময় একপাল নেকড়ে রাতের বেলা প্রহরা দেয় শহরটাকে...
...আর এক ইয়েতি খুন করে বেরাচ্ছে শহরবাসীদের!
সিদ্ধান্ত নিল রুক: এর শেষ দেখে ছাড়বে। কিন্তু দৃশ্যপটে আগমন হলো শহরের রহস্যময় মেয়র আর নাৎসি জার্মানদের।
ফুটন্ত কড়াই থেকে জ্বলন্ত আগুন পড়ল রুক!

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Action, Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Mystery

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2011

About the author

Jeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.

Reviews

[Shariful Sadaf]

Rook takes you on a wild ride filled with a great adventure and suspense.

[Tridev Devnath]

এটা অতটা ভাল লাগেনি। একেবারেই ছোট।
কুইন এর গল্প ই মেল ভার্সন দিয়ে চালিয়ে নেওয়া মনে হল।

[K.M. Ettahad]

৪.৮ তারকা দিব। ভালোই লেগেছে। বাট শেষদিকে মনে হল অসম্পূর্ণ। বাট প্লট টা খুব ভালো লেগেছে।

[Robin]

Another great book, Jeremy!

This has become one of my favorite book series. I want to read them all, but I don't want to end the series.

[Julie Carter]

I love Rook, so this novella was a fun addition to the series. As always, there are great monsters and great characters which makes for great reading!

[Zain]

Fast!

Like his other Callsign books, Jeremy Robinson’s Rook takes you on a wild ride filled with a great adventure and suspense.

[Dale Russell]

Third in the Chess Team CALLSIGN series of short novellas focusing on the individual members of the team in the own, solitary adventures.

Jeremy Robinson, writing with Edward G. Talbot, takes us through the story of Stan Tremblay - AKA Rook - as he is attempting to return to the US after the disastrous outcome of his last mission where he was the only survivor of the team he was leading. Robinson and Talbot create a short interlude in that journey as Tremblay is traveling through a desolate, mountainous region of Norway.

As is typical with Robinson's stories, this is a mixture of adventure, thriller, and...in this case... man-made horror thrown together to create a fun ride.

These short novellas are used to give Robinson the ability to focus and concentrate on each of the Chess Team members, drilling into their emptions and psyches in an attempt to fuller flesh out those characters. With the opportunity to center the story solely on a single individual, the writers are better able to bring them to life for the readers.

While you can read this book as a stand alone story, as most of the action focuses on the character and the activities in this adventure, the reader could go back to the previous full Jack Sigler Chess Team adventures for more background and history.

Still a fun, straightforward read.

[Farhan Nayem]

প্লটঃ এক মিশনে ব্যর্থ হয়ে সাইবেরিয়া থেকে পাততাড়ি গোটাল স্ট্যান ট্রেম্বলে,যার কলসাইনঃ রুক। আশ্রয় নিল ফেনরিস কিস্টবি নামক রহস্যময় এক গ্রামে। বাইরের জনমানব থেকে বিচ্ছিন্ন গ্রামটিকে রাতের বেলা পাহারা দেয় নেকড়ের দল। আর এক ইয়েতি একের পর এক খুন করে চলেছে গ্রামের লোকদের। সিদ্ধান্ত নিল রুক- রহস্যভেদ করে ছাড়বে।তারপর?

★রিভিউঃ জেরেমি রবিনসনের "চেসপোক্যালিপ্স" সিরিজের তৃতীয় নভেলা "রুক"। সিরিজের আগের দুই নভেলাও খুব আহামরি কিছু ছিল না। কিন্তু গল্পের গতি ও প্রচুর পরিমানে একশন থাকায় ভালোই লেগেছিল আমার। কিন্তু তৃতীয় নভেলা "রুক" একেবারেই ভালো লাগল না। আগের দুটি নভেলা থেকে এই নভেলার গল্প দুর্বল ছিল। তুলনামূলকভাবে একশনও তেমন ছিল না। তাছাড়া শেষটা পড়ে অসম্পূর্ন বলে মনে হলো। অন্য দুইটি নভেলার শেষে আলগা সুতো ছেড়েছিলেন লেখক,কিন্তু পুরো গল্পটা সম্পূর্ন ছিল। এখানে তা হয়নি,বরং প্রপার কোন এন্ডিং না থাকায় পড়ে হতাশই হয়েছি বলা চলে। মোটের ওপর,চেস টিম এডভেঞ্চার সিরিজের সাব সিরিজ "চেসপোক্যালিপ্স" এর প্রথম তিনটি নভেলা পড়ে তেমন মুগ্ধ হতে পারলাম না।

[Dave Edlund]

Callsign: Rook, by Jeremy Robinson with Edward G. Talbot is a novella focused on a single member of the Chess Team. The story takes place following the events of Threshold and before the events of Ragnarok (each a full-length novel). Robinson and Talbot deliver a heart-pounding action thriller that combines conventional military action with mystical creatures. The story is true to the Chess Team series with brisk scenes and edgy dialog. This is a standalone plot even though there are multiple references to other books in the series. The authors build suspense with various elements throughout the story, and mostly bring closure at the end, leaving sufficient threads to entice the reader (hopefully) to pick up Ragnarok.

[M. Sprouse]

A very different Novella, that takes chances and most of them turn out fine. I think this is my favorite Chess Team, Novella. The first chance it takes is by starting the book well into Rook's story. The authors assume you know Rook and at least some of his background and most recent mission.

The second chance is that the whole Nazi prequel story is sparcely told and the authors leave it to the imagination. It works, but the plot is more interesting than the other Chess Team Novellas and I would have appreciated another 100 pages at least. In some ways it's a very simple and almost gothic story, in other ways it's a story that moves with decent amounts of action and suspense.

[Lars E Jorgensen]

Great entry in the series

The series let you get to know each member of the team better and follow them on Solo adventures. Rook is a great character and the setting in Norway really sets the tone and even though it is fantasy, it never feels unreal. Scarily enough. It does leave us with a cliffhanger ending though. The mystery remains, what is really going on it that little Norwegian town?

[Siobhan D]

I really enjoyed the narration of Jeffrey Kafer

This book is a mixture of adventure, thriller, and fast action.
Rook finds himself in a creepy town where wolves and a beast roam the woods and something is killing people.

[Corey Baltzer]

It is hard to believe, but the Chess Team novellas are more strange than main series!

[Michael Ray]

Adventure and monsters

Two words that make a good book! This short book is full of enough of both to keep the reader satisfied. Enjoy!

[Rakib Hasan]

আমার কাছে রক বেশি ইন্টারেস্টিং লেগেছে কিন্তু আরেকটু বড় পরিসর হলে ভালো লাগতো ।

[Aritra]

Last one was werewolves. Well, time for bigfoot I guess. Kinda getting repetitive now.

[Jordan Anderson]

Of the 3 Chesspocolypse novellas I've managed to read so far, this one was clearly the weakest and easily the worst. When it comes right down to it, Callsign: Rook was a mess and not in the good way. Simply put, this one was a huge bore and waste of talent.

I'm man enough to admit that I went into this story with a chip on my shoulder regarding Rook and where in the overall scheme of the Chess Team books this one takes place. Having already read the horribly awful Ragnarok (of which Rook is a pseudo prequel), it was a no brainer to figure out that Rook's solo adventure would be along the same lines. The story doesn't make much sense and like Ragnarok the setting and characters are flat, the action cliched and somehow boring as hell, and worst of all, doesn't even do much to make Rook likeable or even someone you want to read about. At least with the King and Queen novellas, there was substance and enough of a plot device to further their development and even the entire Chess Team series. Here though? The entire story seems pointless and only an engine to drive the even worse story of Ragnarok.

I know that my dislike of this novella is due, in large part to the fact that I read it literally the day after I finished James Rollins's fantastic Warhawk. And while I love Robinson and still find him to be one of this genres biggest talents, there are times when he can't hold a candle to the plots and intricacies of Rollins. Plus, the addition of the coauthor Edward Talbot really brought down the overall quality of the story. This might have been a 3 star book for me but It's obvious that Callsign: Rook was Robinson's book in idea only, and the vast majority of actual writing was farmed out to Talbot, a decision that brought this novella down to 2 stars and into my "duds of 2017" list.

[Jamey Goodyear]

Wounded warrior

Rook, Stan Tremblay, is wandering through Norway after a disastrous mission in Russia where his mission failed and he lost all his men. He isn’t ready to go back to the Chess Team headquarters, even though he knows his teammates are probably concerned about him and may even think he is dead. He’s taking time to heal, but coming events pull him back into battle.

Rook is just trying to find some peace and rest when he stumbles upon a small Norwegian village. The village is totally cut off from the outside world and it villagers are terrified by some type of huge creature. Rook takes on the challenge to help rid the village of threat. While proceeding to do just that, he stumbles upon some old secrets that could lead to even bigger problems than the creature.

Rook is my favorite Chess Team member, so far. He’s a man of action, with a swift temper, but he’s also very kind. He’s the kind of person who gets the job done. This character is engaging. I found I wanted to keep reading just to have more time with Rook. Conspiracy theorists as well as monster lovers, and those that like action/adventure stories are sure to like this short story. I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to reading the next short story in the series.

[Angela]

CALL SIGN: ROOK can be a stand alone read; however, I believe those of you that purchase Rook, would please your passion for reading by buying ALL The Chess Team books, novella's, etc... to start with.

Familiarize yourselves with players of The Chess Team, an elite handpicked group of Delta Force operatives that have specialized fighting skills and are dedicated to completing mission assignments by any means necessary.

I admire Rook and his tough exterior...yet his sensitive interior adds to his charm. This story is set in Norsemen country. Monsters, mortifying secrets, action and suspense star in this "I'm unable to put my book down until I finish! " adrenaline infused read.

Many thanks for writing Rook, my favorite Chess Team member.

[Nancy Silk]

Agent Stan Tremblay (Callsign: Rook) has lost his team members in Siberia and flees overland to arrive in a small town in Norway. He's scarred from wounds, exhausted, and just wants to rest up for a while to recoup his energy. The town is very isolated and the inhabitants do not welcome strangers. He holds up in a barn to rest when he is suddenly awakened by the ranch owner with a rifle in his face. From there, he discovers the reason why the townspeople live in fear. The story sends you at a racing pace to learn the cause. Very imaginative story, well written, and a quick read for a dark and spooky night. Read it; you'll want more!

[FictionFreak]

Rook finds himself in a creepy town where wolves and a beast roam the woods and something is killing people. This Call Sign novella, the third in the series and seventh Chess Team story-following Prime, Pulse, Instinct, Threshold, Call Sign: King book 1, and Call Sign: Queen, is my favorite Call Sign novella so far, not to take away from the first two. I liked them too. Now, onto Call Sign: Bishop! Read this book!

[Dee Haddrill]

I love Rook... really really LOVE Rook. Nothing fazes him and he always has something snarky or witty to say. Even battling werewolves and crazy Norwegians, he keeps his sense of snark (humour). I can't wait for him to make it back to Queen... I mean, the rest of the team LOL

[Lianne Burwell]

Another fun novella in the Chess Team series. This time, Rook is dealing with the fallout of experiments in Norway. I did find the monsters a little similar to the previous one (Callsign: Queen), but that's fine. I like the characters, and there was plenty to differentiate. Pulpy fun.

[Rian Martin]

The Chess Team books are a blast to read and I loved each of the Callsign books. Get to know each character a little better with a great story. You can't go wrong with Jeremy Robinson's books, check them out!

[Kim Fraenza]

This was a tidy little adventure for one of a team. The Chess Team series are some of my favorite adventure books. I love the high action commando style laced with just the right amount of humor. Even better throw in a hearty dose of sci fi! You can't go go wrong with that!

[Karsyn]

These short stories are enjoyable quick reads, with the Chess Team members spread across the world. I enjoy reading about them individually, but I look forward to when they get back together, where they belong. :)

[John Kilgallon]

This was the first Chess Team book I got, but did not read until I started the series last week, in sequence. Combine cryptids, old Nazi Science, and action will create a story I cannot put down. One day!

[Adam Cassar]

A quick and pleasant read and it filled some of the gaps I encountered when reading Ragnarok.

[Kelly]

It was great to have a whole story dedicated to Rook, he is such a well written character. I dare anyone not to laugh at some of his one-liners. Another great addition to the Chess Team stories

[Teagan]

Really interesting Fast paces thriller.