This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Instinct
Series: Chess Team Adventure #2
Author: Jeremy Robinson
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Action/Adventure
Pages: 365
Format: Digital Edition
Synopsis: |
A rogue Vietnam General comes across a super plague that he weaponizes. He uses it against the President of the United States and that sets the stage for the Chess Team. They are sent in to find a cure [as the plague has the potential to wipe out mankind within 2 years] but of course nothing can go easy, or they wouldn’t be the Chess Team.
They run across a Vietnam special forces who are dedicated to wiping them out. They come across monstrous, devolved neanderthals who are all female and who eat humans and rape men to continue their race. They also come across a lost scientist who has started his own race of neanderthal/human hybrids and who wants the plague to succeed so his “children” can rule the world.
That is a lot to overcome. Plus the burden of saving the whole world. Phhhh, just a day’s work for the Chess Team.
My Thoughts: |
This was easily on track to being a 3.5star adventure. Then the author started talking about shoving guns down the throats of Fox News anchors and calling them fear mongering haters, or something close to that. That tanked this for me. It makes me suspect the author is a dickwad and someone I’d gladly punch in the face. But rather than give in to my baser instincts to hunt him down and beat him to within an inch of his miserable life, I chose to let it go. You don’t see ME threatening to KILL anyone just because I don’t LIKE them. Beatings are VERY different from killing.
On to the book then.
Pretty good adventure and action. The devolved neanderthals and their Lost City of Blah, Blah, Blah and how they used to be Masters of Humanity was a bit much for my taste in conjuction with the whole Plague Wiping Out the Whole World thing, but hey, it’s better to have too much adventure than not enough.
Lots of fighting, lots of guns and stuff. What I expect and what I like in a military action/adventure story. And Bishop, the guy who got super human powers in the last book, he gets his head ripped off, regenerates and comes back badder than ever. And gets a “magic” crystal so he doesn’t go all ravening zombie anymore. Quite convenient that. I guess the neanderthals were good for something.
★★☆☆☆
I read the synopsis and my first thought was WTF followed by “Death by Snu-Snu”, lol. Anyway, don’t you just hate it when an author is trying to project their own feelings/beliefs into their writing, when all you want is the story you signed on for?
LikeLiked by 2 people
WTF would be a better description. The neo-neanderthals are more like orangutans with tusks. Lots of biting is involved.
At least with snu-snu it was all with huge sexy women [man, that futurama episode made me laugh so hard].
The political commentary felt like it came out of no where! And the President in the book is a former Army Ranger too, so it just seemed extremely odd. It didn’t fit the character the author had built to that point. Now maybe some no-name side character? But either way, it did piss me off and ruined the whole book. Now that I know to be on the lookout for it, I’ll be dropping the author if it happens again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mmmm…. while reading the synopsis I kept thinking “been there, done that, even go the T-shirt”, but when I reached your review and read about the author’s oh-so-nice attitude, I knew what a “danger” I just avoided 😀
Thanks for the warning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome. I am really hoping this doesn’t happen again though. Decent action/adventure stories seem to be hard to find for me…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you tried the Honor Harrington series by David Weber by any chance? It’s good military sci-fi, maybe a bit too much on the technical-jargon side of things for my tastes, but others might enjoy it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard of it, but the never ending’ness I sense from it has always put me off.
LikeLiked by 1 person
From what I remember about the books I did read, each one is self-contained even though it’s part of a progression, so you should not feel “trapped” into the series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well then! I’ve been avoiding those for YEARS because I hate unending series. I shall start investigating, post haste.
Thank you. And this is why I like interacting with other readers. Thank you again!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
hahaha yeahhh not gonna read this one. Maybe if they’d considered writing about punching CNN’s lights out Trump style 😉 But that would have been hate speech… (*cough* double standard *cough cough*)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Double standard indeed 😦
Makes it hard to play fair, but somebody has too…
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes indeedy
LikeLiked by 1 person
My previous outings with Robinson’s books have left me with mixed feelings. I mean he wrote one book just to give himself a reason to shoot Hitler in the face. He also pumps out the books very quickly, and it shows in the details that he gets wrong.
https://tysonadams.com/2014/06/20/book-review-secondworld-by-jeremy-robinson/
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far, I am ONLY reading his Chess Team adventure books. After reading your review, I’m guessing this guy is a pansy.
A 50cal handgun is a handcannon 🙂
LikeLike
Tell us how you really feel 😉 Haha this review just made my day. And it is gonna be a HARD pass for me on this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
BVT, I will always do my best to tell everyone how I feel about the book I am reviewing 😉
Of course, sometimes it comes out better than other times…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think this was one of your shining moments personally 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well thank you…
LikeLike
Welp.. This sequel sure did go downhill didn’t it. Excellent review, sir.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, felt like I stepped of the precipice’s edge…
LikeLiked by 1 person