Damascus Station

Ohhh what a book this was.
It's hard to believe that it is the author's debut novel!

The book starts off a bit slow, and takes some time to set the scene and the events leading up to the heart of the story and gives us a long list of characters and a LOT of acronyms (sometimes these were hard to keep track of, so a glossary of acronyms would've honestly helped a lot).

The first half of the book is definitely exciting, and rich in the world building, but it is slow. And I think that works in favour of the book, because the second half ends up being quite thrilling - very edge of your seat I need to finish this book TONIGHT type.

After about the 50% mark I really couldn't stop reading it. I needed the next chapter and the next. I just wanted to know what happens. I found myself anxious and scared and worried for these characters, and I didn't expect to feel so strongly at all.

Being ex-CIA, the author does bring in a certain realness to the plot, but breaks some rules to make it exciting. And I think he balances the real and the fictional elements of spy craft of it all really well. Things don't feel too absurd to too out of place. Just the right amount of action and drama to maintain the pace of the story, to keep you going.

Genuinely such an excellent book. I am so ready to pick up the next one.

Chewy Spy story... blah

Espionage tales shouldn't be the soft, slightly under-baked cookie of the genre fiction world. This is the so-so B film you watch when you're sick and want nothing more than to survive until your next nap arrives.

I held out how until the end but was ultimately disappointed. At one point, I conjured up a few angles that would have satisfied me but none of them happened.