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Cassidy #2
Silent War
Cassidy joins the rebellion fighting the dark regime responsible for the suppression of the governing AI, pitting his extraordinary skills and resolve against the forces of corruption and control. While one truth has set him free, a second revelation awaits.
But will it elevate him to the next level…
...or lead to the downfall of everything?
But will it elevate him to the next level…
...or lead to the downfall of everything?
- GenresScience FictionCyberpunk
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2021
87 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Forbes
165 books1,008 followersM.R. Forbes is the author of a growing number of science-fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, Stars End, and the Forgotten novels. Having spent his childhood trying to read every sci-fi novel he could find (and write his own too), play every sci-fi video game he could get his hands on, and see every sci-fi movie that made it into the theater, he has a true love of the genre across every medium. He works hard to bring that same energy to his own stories, with a continuing goal to entertain, delight, fascinate, and surprise.
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
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He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes
Follow him on Bookbub:
bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 18, 2021
SILENT WAR is the 2nd volume of the Cassidy trilogy that started off as a hardboiled cyberpunk assassin thriller about the body-hopping Cassidy that worked for the mysterious SHADE organization in a dystopian future. After rescuing a little girl decades earlier, he found out that most of what he knew about reality was a lie and went to try to shut down the AI that was controlling their society. This led to a cascade of revelations that even summarizing them would serve as major spoilers.
Silent War moves from an Altered Carbon-esque premise to something close to the Matrix as Cassidy has to deal with the entire foundations of his reality multiple times. As always, the "needs of the many" are used to justify the most heinous of actions. Note how rarely it is the rich and powerful who pay the price for such things.
Action packed and full of fascinating twists. However, it ends on a cliffhanger and I know some readers hate that.
Silent War moves from an Altered Carbon-esque premise to something close to the Matrix as Cassidy has to deal with the entire foundations of his reality multiple times. As always, the "needs of the many" are used to justify the most heinous of actions. Note how rarely it is the rich and powerful who pay the price for such things.
Action packed and full of fascinating twists. However, it ends on a cliffhanger and I know some readers hate that.
June 28, 2024
Review forthcoming…
December 15, 2021
This was easily the weakest of the three book series to me. It is mostly a bridge to get from the first book to the third book. The first book actually feels like a reasonably fresh idea to start, and then it cliffhangers without any meaningful resolution. This book reveals all is not what it had seemed, and things no longer seemed so fresh. The third book finally gives more complete answers for what's going on, so it's got that going for it at least.
There's plenty of action and carnage really throughout the series; too much probably. I prefer a book that has things going on regularly to a book full of characters' long internal thoughts and such overly elaborate descriptions of everything that I can't imagine for myself what the scene is because it's described in such excruciating detail as to leave nothing to the imagination. But at some point action fight scenes get repetitive in a work, no matter how much the author tries for variety. Already in this second book it was feeling like 'really, another battle? is this a book or a play along of an arcade game?' Filling hundreds of pages with fights because the underlying story is fairly thin works for a time but ends up demonstrating that action can in fact become boring. As time goes on through the series there's further time spent on people standing around talking about getting ready to fight each other, to further fill pages I suppose. If you love all the action still by the end of this second book then you may be quite happy with the third also though.
I do also accept that the familiarity of the series' premise as revealed in book two left me disappointed, even made it harder to remain immersed in the story... and it's not possible to evaluate how much I might have enjoyed the book had that not been an issue. As it is though, I've found this to be a series that started with a lot of promise but seems more mediocre the longer it goes on. Maybe it should have only been two books this length or just one longer novel.
Lastly, maybe it shouldn't bother me, but I presume either an SF author or their editors should know the difference between cement and concrete. Every time I hear cement used in this when they clearly mean concrete I shake my head. It's like someone doesn't know the difference between milk and ice cream, and repeatedly talks about how a character is licking their milk cone. And I'm supposed to believe this author knows enough to say anything intelligent about scientific topics or consider what constitutes life/sentience but doesn't understand something so basic?
My review of book 3 here, but note that the book's own synopsis contains spoilers for this one. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There's plenty of action and carnage really throughout the series; too much probably. I prefer a book that has things going on regularly to a book full of characters' long internal thoughts and such overly elaborate descriptions of everything that I can't imagine for myself what the scene is because it's described in such excruciating detail as to leave nothing to the imagination. But at some point action fight scenes get repetitive in a work, no matter how much the author tries for variety. Already in this second book it was feeling like 'really, another battle? is this a book or a play along of an arcade game?' Filling hundreds of pages with fights because the underlying story is fairly thin works for a time but ends up demonstrating that action can in fact become boring. As time goes on through the series there's further time spent on people standing around talking about getting ready to fight each other, to further fill pages I suppose. If you love all the action still by the end of this second book then you may be quite happy with the third also though.
I do also accept that the familiarity of the series' premise as revealed in book two left me disappointed, even made it harder to remain immersed in the story... and it's not possible to evaluate how much I might have enjoyed the book had that not been an issue. As it is though, I've found this to be a series that started with a lot of promise but seems more mediocre the longer it goes on. Maybe it should have only been two books this length or just one longer novel.
Lastly, maybe it shouldn't bother me, but I presume either an SF author or their editors should know the difference between cement and concrete. Every time I hear cement used in this when they clearly mean concrete I shake my head. It's like someone doesn't know the difference between milk and ice cream, and repeatedly talks about how a character is licking their milk cone. And I'm supposed to believe this author knows enough to say anything intelligent about scientific topics or consider what constitutes life/sentience but doesn't understand something so basic?
My review of book 3 here, but note that the book's own synopsis contains spoilers for this one. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 29, 2021
Not as good as the first in the series
I found this second book in the series to be just okay. It was a fast read with good pacing, but little actual plot advancement. It serves as a weak bridge between the first and third (hopefully the last) book in this series.
After reading several books by this author, I am beginning to wonder if M.R. Forbes is a “bot program” attempting to write sci-fi novels. I say this because it seems like “training data” in the form of existing works of sci-fi (movies and literature) are digested, dissected, and then rearranged to form a new “original” sci-fi novel. The first book in this series was pretty good at mixing existing sci-fi tropes, themes, and plots into a fairly original and entertaining novel. However, this novel clearly leaned heavily on ‘The Matrix’ even going so far as to use an almost direct quote regarding the disuse of one’s eyes for actual vision. It also seemed to borrow liberally from ‘The Minority Report’ for material.
I will read the third book in this series because I am invested now - I always fall for the “sunk cost fallacy”....
I found this second book in the series to be just okay. It was a fast read with good pacing, but little actual plot advancement. It serves as a weak bridge between the first and third (hopefully the last) book in this series.
After reading several books by this author, I am beginning to wonder if M.R. Forbes is a “bot program” attempting to write sci-fi novels. I say this because it seems like “training data” in the form of existing works of sci-fi (movies and literature) are digested, dissected, and then rearranged to form a new “original” sci-fi novel. The first book in this series was pretty good at mixing existing sci-fi tropes, themes, and plots into a fairly original and entertaining novel. However, this novel clearly leaned heavily on ‘The Matrix’ even going so far as to use an almost direct quote regarding the disuse of one’s eyes for actual vision. It also seemed to borrow liberally from ‘The Minority Report’ for material.
I will read the third book in this series because I am invested now - I always fall for the “sunk cost fallacy”....
April 23, 2021
Oh wow!!
I got so deep into this book it's killing me that book 3 isn't available!! Don't end the story like that!!
Being a shade for 70 times he finally starts figuring things out. The Hush are scary at what they have done but they are weak. The Underground? There are only hints about it, and it's worse than the Hush. The build up from the first book came out running hard in book 2 and wow I can't wait for book 3!!
I got so deep into this book it's killing me that book 3 isn't available!! Don't end the story like that!!
Being a shade for 70 times he finally starts figuring things out. The Hush are scary at what they have done but they are weak. The Underground? There are only hints about it, and it's worse than the Hush. The build up from the first book came out running hard in book 2 and wow I can't wait for book 3!!
August 10, 2021
The book description on the Amazon book page does not do justice to the inventive, unusual story that takes place in unexpected universe, quite unique in its concept. I gave it a four star because at times there are shades of the Matrix, but just shades. The story goes to very different places. After reading so many sci-fi novels and stories, it is hard to find something totally different, and this one did not disappoint and was welcomed. Enjoyed it very much.
May 7, 2021
Wow
MR Forbes gives us a great second act. We finally find out what’s really going on only to realize we don’t have a clue and are as stunned as Cassidy is. Master storyteller in action here, Loved every bit of it!
MR Forbes gives us a great second act. We finally find out what’s really going on only to realize we don’t have a clue and are as stunned as Cassidy is. Master storyteller in action here, Loved every bit of it!
May 12, 2021
Deeper and deeper we go…
This second installment of the Silent War brings us to a real war for freedom. Cassidy kicks butt and doesn’t have time to take names. Stronger than book one even more enjoyable. Best read yet.
This second installment of the Silent War brings us to a real war for freedom. Cassidy kicks butt and doesn’t have time to take names. Stronger than book one even more enjoyable. Best read yet.
May 24, 2021
Great series
Forbes has done it again. I started reading his books just under a year and always get disappointed. Not at his work its at the wait between the next book. I guess back to the honey do lisr.
Forbes has done it again. I started reading his books just under a year and always get disappointed. Not at his work its at the wait between the next book. I guess back to the honey do lisr.
July 1, 2021
Matrix rip off
The first book was full of promise. In the second book I discovered that all the story is just a rip off from the Matrix, but more confusing. I stopped reading immediately.
The first book was full of promise. In the second book I discovered that all the story is just a rip off from the Matrix, but more confusing. I stopped reading immediately.
May 11, 2021
Fantastic!
What an awesome change of pace this series has turned out to be. Pick up the first book and get started! Excited for the next one, what a rush!
What an awesome change of pace this series has turned out to be. Pick up the first book and get started! Excited for the next one, what a rush!
December 21, 2021
Cool story!
Very nice Science fiction, well written and characters you like to root for. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Very nice Science fiction, well written and characters you like to root for. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
October 4, 2022
Surprising
Amazing turn of events. Not what you would expect to happen. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Amazing turn of events. Not what you would expect to happen. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews