Monday, August 13, 2012

Review # 215: Agent X by Nicholas Rodda

Description: (from Amazon)
     For Agent X, finding his target was easy. Knowing who to trust was the hard part. And surviving the day could prove to be impossible...

     Assigned to track down suspected corporate extortionist and multi-millionaire Derek Slyrind, Agent X gets more than he bargained for. Between the local police and a trained assassin hot on their trail, Agent X and Slyrind must expose a nefarious plot that could have dire implications for both men.
Review:

     What I was expecting - a hardcore James Bond-esque agent who kicked butt and took names, but what I got was a gun-slinging super spy with the capability for greatness, but whose thoughts and odd mannerisms left me confused and slightly agitated. I never really got into spy novels, but there are a few out there that have sparked my interest over the years, so I decided to look into Nicholas T. Rodda's Agent X which seemed dark and covert - just my style. However, after reading about 100 pages, I knew the book was not for me. Agent X - the only name given to our "hero", started out as a more complex, emotionally solid character; cool, calculating, and ready for action, but as the story progressed, it became hard to enjoy reading about him. I couldn't relate to him, he wasn't appealing in the usual sense, and I felt like he wasn't prepared for his role as an agent. There were moments when I believed that the representation of him could turn around, but I was usually disappointed; the other characters had the same effect on me.  As for the plot-line, I was completely intrigued in the beginning. The Agency was described very well, and the possible future of America's justice system was strangely realistic. The levels of justice - police, agents, government - were still around, but there were slight differences that made Agent X's world seem colder, more defined, and ultimately more interesting to read about/experience. The books abrupt beginnings allowed for a spark in the pace, (gunfights and car chases only added to the action), and Agent X's tactics for tracking down suspects, (and running from an assassin himself), immediately intrigued me; but alas, the thrills and suspense did not last. As for dialogue, there were moments when I got lost in what Agent X was actually saying/thinking. He went on a couple tangents that really did not add any additional value to the book, and just left me bored. Overall, I was left feeling like there was something missing from the book, although I cannot place it. Maybe it needs some more editing, (I did see quite a few grammatical typos), or some updates in character development. Sadly, overall I was not  satisfied by Agent X even though there were a few aspects of it that I did enjoy.

Rating: DNR (2.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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