Friday, December 27, 2013

The Kiss of Night / K.S. Brooks


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Action-Adventure/Thriller

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

K.S. Brooks has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense, satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is co-administrator of Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog “celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating on matters of interest to both readers and authors.

For more, visit Brooks’ website.

Description:

“The world's top anti-terrorist agent has a new mission: dealing with being forced into early retirement by a debilitating injury. Former Special Agent Kathrin Night fights the demons of her past, present and future while dealing with her new mysterious Russian bodyguard, Agent Aleksey Khovechkin. Sent compliments of the Russian Minister of Defense, refusing his services is not an option. But is Aleksey's true mission to protect her, or does he have another agenda?”

Appraisal:

Kiss of Night is a different kind of book. It is a little bit action-adventure, primarily because of flashbacks the protagonist, Kathrin Night, has about her time as a special agent working for and with multiple intelligence agencies. It also has many aspects of the thriller or suspense novel, primarily due to Night’s concern that she has enemies who are trying to track her down and possibly kill her. However, the real story here isn’t whatever action happens or intrigue Night experiences, but the struggles she’s going through as a person. This novelette is transitional as Night tries to figure out the answers she has to questions regarding her future. Will the injuries she sustained on her last case which forced her into retirement prevent her from ever returning to the kind of work she knows and loves? Is she capable of living (more or less) like a normal person? Does she even understand how a normal person lives?

So unlike a typical story in this genre neighborhood, Kiss of Night is much more driven by, and focused on, the characters than the plot and action. This is different in a way I enjoyed and sets the series up nicely for the next installment, Night Undone, where the action and intrigue intensify, but Kathrin’s personal struggles continue.

FYI:

Some adult language and situations.)

There is a prior book featuring Kathrin Night (Lust For Danger). However, enough of Agent Night’s history and backstory is included in this book that it can reasonably be read as a standalone.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.


Rating: **** Four stars

3 comments:

K.S. Brooks said...

Thank you, Al! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the great review.

Unknown said...

I also really enjoyed this novel. Brooks has a unique way of sprinkling some beautiful poetic turns of phrase into her work.

The great thing about this story was the very real and palpable agony the MC goes through in coming to the realization that her identity has been wrapped up in her work to the exclusion of developing or even recognizing other aspects of her humanity. It is almost allegorical.

Great review, Al, and congrats, Ms. Brooks. :)

K.S. Brooks said...

Thank you for the kind words, Mr. Hise!