Book seven in the Ryan Drake series and although another good action packed encounter, I feel that there is now becoming a necessity to bring this to a conclusion. Nonetheless, I'm hooked, and will no doubt be reading book eight when it comes along.
Thanks to publishers Canelo for free copy in order for unbiased review.

A non stop action story based around the underside of the spy industry,. in various parts of the world. Lots of violence with a tentative soft thread running through.. Well described characters which brought the story to life.
Tremendous climax to the story, with lots of death and destruction and an unexpected conclusion.

I did not realise that this was a series of books so it would have been good to read the others first, however it did not detract from the story. It was fast paced and believable. I found it very engaging and will look for others in the series now.

Fast paced, compelling story grabs the reader from the first page to the very last leaving you wanting even more.

A very exciting military thriller with firefights, espionage and strong characters.

Wildly improbable tale of over the top death and destruction with revenge thrown in to this confusing mish mash. A diverting pot boiler but not much more.

I’ve received this book through the Canelo, the publisher.
After reading my first Will Jordan book (Blacklist) in 2015, I wrote in my review (published on Hebban.nl) that I was wondering why the Will Jordan books were never translated in Dutch. They are still not and I would like to say that it is a pity that people who only read Dutch have to miss this series.
That being said, I must explain why I gave Blacklist 5 stars and Shadow Conflict only 4. I am a fan of these kind of thrillers, where rogue agent take it on to the world, where government conspiracies play a large role, where nobody is what they seem and where there is, amidst all the violence, a place for humor and even a little romance.
So, this book left me breathless from all the action but a little puzzled with the background. I missed out on book 5 and 6 but I had the distinct feeling I was reading a sequel to book 4. So what happened? Does this mean there was too much in book 4 of the story or not enough in 5 and 6? And even in part 7 there are some very unexpected revelations that could lead… everywhere.
I really liked the beginning of the book where we find our hero almost tortured to death in a secret prison, because you know he will find a way to escape. And escaping is an art Ryan Drake mastered very well. On the other hand, there was just a touch too much violence in this book. There were moments I feared Will Jordan was planning to kill all major characters, to end the series.
After all that happened in Shadow Conflict , I hope Will Jordan will find a way to keep this series interesting and not just a repetition of the first seven books. I’m looking forward to his next book.

Now that I have finished reading, I'm still not sure I understand who loved whom. I would have liked to see more developed characters and histories. While several relationships were implied, I didn't find myself rooting for them because in effect, I still didn't really know them. This book is aimed at readers that like action, particularly inter-personal combat described in detail. If that is the sole motivation for reading, the book is pretty good at ratcheting up the pace and intensity. As someone that preferred Casino Royale over all other Bond movies, I prefer exotic locals where the terrain itself impacts the story and characters that are as vulnerable or complex as they are powerful. Anya's background is hinted at, but we really don't experience anything through Anya's eyes that make us really sympathetic to her. I think this book spins good action and adventure, but I would stop short of calling it a thriller.

Sometimes a big dollop of murder and mayhem with rogue spies is just what you need for a good read and Shadow Conflict hits the spot. In the best tradition of really hard men Ryan Drake survives against seemingly impossible odds. Most enjoyable.

Shadow Conflict is a part of the Ryan Drake series (which I did not know until I read the book whoops). I may not have understood all the background that led to the events happening in the book, but I never felt like I needed to read the entire series before this book. A lot of past events were at least partially explained, and the book flowed well.

The beginning already pulls the reader in, as Ryan Drake is imprisoned in the black-site prison by the CIA's Marcus Cain where they try to force him to give the information about his ally Anya, Cain's ex and the only member of the team that escaped from the assassination attempt on Cain.

The characters are very real, if not relatable (how could they be relatable to us, the 'normal' reader who has never experienced such things), and you never know which side is the good one. I mean, Cain does not look good, but the other side did some truly bad things as well.

At the end, there's a stand-off with Cain and Anya, which has some surprising resolution. The actual ending, however, is even more intriguing and will make you want to read more of this series!

The next book in a series centred around Ryan Drake and his team mates who are still reeling from what happened in the novel before. (no spoilers here). Ryan, feeling battered and exhausted has nothing left as he lies freezing and incarcerated, he knows not where. But he does know who is behind his torture. And he's worried, not for himself but for the one person who can secure his freedom. In a double bluff, full of twist and turns, Jordan makes for a fast paced read.