I love all the Orphan X books, and "Dark Horse" is no exception. Yet again Evan Smoak is called on his Roam Zone with a request for help. This time the caller has questionable moral values and Evan has to struggle with his own moral values in deciding whether to help or not. Luckily for use he takes the case and we get a great story with tactical planning, quick thinking violence to get Evan out of sticky situations, and plenty of explosions.

It's not all guns, gutting and gore, however. We get to see more of Joey and how she manages to push Evan's buttons. As complicated as that relationship is, they really do love each other and are good influences on each other. Joey is great at chipping away at Evan's rigid structured life and manages to get him to re-evaluate many of the ways he's chosen to live.

Mia and Peter also are a part of the story. Mia and Evan's relationship is slowly progressing, and Evan is learning how to have meaningful connections with others through being involved in their lives.

I really enjoyed every part of this book, and look forward to Evan Smoak's next adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

An emotionally complicated story interspersed with amazing bursts of incredible violence, Dark Horse is a dramatic soul searching, ass kicking journey with depth, heart, and lots of dead bodies. Simply put…this book is my jam!

When Evan Smoak was taken from the orphanage and turned into Orphan X, his mentor Jack Johns taught Evan many critical lessons. But maybe the most important was that the hard part wasn’t being a killer. The hard part is staying human. And that has never been more evident than in the pages of Dark Horse, where Evan takes on a mission unlike any other that tests his humanity and moral compass.

A teenage girl has been kidnapped by a brutal Mexican drug cartel and her father begs The Nowhere Man to help get her back. However, this father is no saint. In fact, he’s a bad man who runs his own drug operation in Texas, though bad is relative and as Isaac Hayes once sang, “he’s a complicated man.” But the daughter is an innocent who is in mortal danger at the hands of a psychopath and his band of murderous men. So Evan accepts the mission and must figure out a way to infiltrate the cartel to save the girl. Meanwhile Evan’s personal life is in disarray – he’s rebuilding his penthouse, fighting with Joey and things get even complicated with Mia. All which challenge the seventh commandment: One mission at a time. If he’s able to survive the physical and emotional danger swirling around him, he will become the poster child for the old saying “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

The central theme of this book is a deep dive into self-exploration in search of redemption. For a drug lord, it’s figuring out how far he’s willing to go to save his daughter. Is he willing to burn his empire to the ground to save his own flesh and blood? And for Evan, it’s the continuation of a journey to make amends for all the killing he’s done in the past, seeking to determine if he’s worthy of, and able to have, meaningful personal relationships. Can he operate if he allows himself to connect with other people and therefore has something to lose? But conversely if he eschews those relationships, will he be able to remain human? It’s an emotional roller coaster with depth that will have you alternating between tears and fist pumps.

As much as I enjoyed Dark Horse and love the entire Orphan X series, I have a bone to pick with Gregg Hurwitz. These cliffhangers are killing me! I was hoping that the explosive ending of Prodigal Son allowed him to scratch that cliffhanger itch and this time the book would finish with everything cleanly wrapped up. Wrong! Boy, I was so terribly misguided to believe that would be the case. Because this time, the diabolical Mr. Hurwitz leaves us with multiple cliffhangers. That’s right. Not one, not two, but three huge storylines for which we now must wait another year to find out what happens. Which reminds me of a couple of quotes:

“Life is pain.” – Dread Pirate Roberts

“The waiting. Always the waiting.” – Gabriel Allon

Of course, I say all this tongue in cheek. I will gladly wait as long as it takes to find out what happens next. Because it means we’re getting more Evan Smoak and whatever Gregg Hurwitz has in store for him and the other characters promises to be glorious.

Gregg Hurwitz has written a number of Orphan X novels. The Nowhere Man rises to the occasion in Dark Horse, a captivating tale of cartels and families. He sure does seem to have some luck as Hurwitz puts him in the most difficult circumstances. I was not so pleased with the way the novel wraps up, but it was still a great read.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I had a really odd thing happen during this book. For some reason, in the middle of it I decided to go off and read a couple of other books. Just a reminder - I ADORE this series. Seriously...it is truly one of my favorites. So why, when given an ARC, would I just take a breather? Honestly, I'm not sure. It might be the fact that it was about a cartel fight (sort of) but if I'm truly honest, for the first time ever....I wasn't hooked in the beginning. Wow.....weird? Right?

But, with that being said...once I passed whatever point I was feeling mentally, the plot took off and I couldn't put it down. As I've said before, I love Evan as a character. The last several books have been as much about his growth as a character as they have been with whatever drama is occurring in his life. This book continues that journey. There are several events happening at the same time with his relationship with Joey, events happening with Mia, and the tear inducing relationship he has with Peter.

Did I love this book? Yes, I really did. After putting all this down I realized it was probably just me and my headspace was just off at the beginning. Yes, the whole save the girl from the cartel plot was not my favorite and honestly (no spoilers) I pretty much wanted to spank the girl and shake some sense into her, but it was worth it to get another peak into Evan's life. He is desperately trying and that makes it worth it.

If only the ending didn't set up the next problem......

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

3.5*
Once again I have been let down by the man of my dreams. Well in this case – book dreams!🤣

I have been crushing on Evan Smoak since book one. And love joining him on all his adventures. But this latest… well maybe I should have sat it out.

Evan is off to South Texas.🤠 With a few stop across the border. He is desperately trying to save the life of the daughter of a known drug kingpin named Aragon. Can Evan infiltrate the Mexican drug cartel and rescue her before it’s too late?

Evan Smoak known as Orphan X is my kind of super hero. And yes, you need to suspend some (ok a lot) of believability in order to enjoy his escapades. And with all the previous books I could. But this once Evan was asking a bit too much from me. I just couldn’t do it. Yes he is a bad ass and can take on just about anything or anyone. But an entire Cartel …well…🤨

Evan, I still love ya! And will be sitting here (im)patiently waiting for your next adventure.

A buddy read with Susanne.

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books.

Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Dark Times, They are Upon Us.

For the first time ever, I must admit to skimming an Orphan X novel. I’m sorry to say it but Dark Horse didn’t thrill me.

After the last Orphan X novel, Prodigal Son, I was eagerly awaiting this one. You might even say that I was waiting for this one with bated breath. What I got was a big letdown.

Here, Evan Smoak helps find the daughter of Aragon Urrea, a drug kingpin, after she is kidnapped. Mr. Urrea is not a good man and yet, his daughter is not responsible for his actions, calling into question ethics and morality, which is something Evan must explore.

For me, unfortunately, much of that storyline was a drag. What I did love, however, was the return of Joey Morales. That girl is a hoot and a half! The interaction between her and Evan saved the day for me. Then there was Evan’s relationship with Mia and her son Peter, which gave us all some heart palpitations.

While this one wasn’t my favorite, I look forward to seeing what happens next.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dark Horse is the latest installment in the Orphan X saga. Evan has dedicated his life to helping the innocent and the helpless in a way to atone for his sins. His latest call for help comes from a man who is neither innocent or hopeless. A drug dealer with principals who uses his power to help his small town, needs X’s help. The cartel has taken his sweet innocent daughter and he will do anything to get her back. Despite being everything Evan fights against on the surface, he finds himself impressed with the man and agrees to help rescue his daughter. Evan finds himself in deep doo doo when he infiltrates the cartel to find not everything is as it seems. On a side note, X’s personal life is full of twists of its own. Dark Horse grabs you by the seat of your pants and doesn’t let go until the final page flips. Action packed and suspenseful, Orphan X is one of my favorite characters and series and a must read!!! My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+stars

Solid addition to the Orphan X series. Evan Smoak is fixing his apartment after the explosion from the end of book six. His Nowhere Man help line is used by a drug lord who needs help saving his 18 year old daughter who is the light of his life and of the town. Evan struggles with can a bad man be good--which is the perfect parallel to his own life.

I felt there was a bit more killing/gore than normal and the big baddie was truly reprehensible. Never enough Mia, Peter or Joey in the stories. As usual, I can't wait for the next book.

I love the Orphan X stories. Although this one - and the last one - seemed to drag in the middle a bit.

I love how Evan is becoming more human each book and I love his interactions with Joey and Peter.

When it comes to the Evan Smoak/Orphan X/The Nowhere Man novels and three novellas by Gregg Hurwitz, if one word were used to describe the series, that word would be 'consistent.' From the opening novel, to now the seventh novel Dark Horse, the quality of these works of fiction has been just that - consistent. This is not to suggest these novels are predictable, inert, and stale, but instead, consistently good and consistently progressive in character and story development.

Each new novel and novella adds more depth and layers to not only the main character, but also to each of the recurring accompanying characters and by doing so, Hurwitz avoids allowing his characters to become cliched caricatures and his plot-lines to be filled with too commonly relied upon writing tropes.

While suspending belief may be required for one to fully enjoy the fictional exploits of Smoak/Orphan X/The Nowhere Man, Hurwitz throws in enough technological wizardry and research to make his plots believable when it comes to the thriller/adventure genre in the fictional world.

In Dark Horse, Smoak, in his drive to provide help to those with nowhere else to turn to, is contacted by one of his strangest benefactors yet - Aragon Urrea, a Mexican crime lord. Urrea's 18-year old daughter has been kidnapped by a sociopathic drug cartel rival well known for his extreme measures of torture and murder. At first, Smoak is conflicted with the thought of helping Urrea, but as he learns more and more of the Urrea, a technological savvy wizard himself, and his daughter, the more heavily he leans toward providing his special skill-set to rescue the late teen. Smoak also learns not only is Urrea's rival unpredictably violent, but he also resides in what is thought to be an impenetrable fortress while surrounded by loyal narco-soldiers just as violent as their boss.

Along with the new characters introduced in Dark Horse, Hurwitz also continues to flesh out supporting characters. These characters include Smoak's love interest Mia and her son Peter, as well as his protege Joey. Smoak continues to struggle with these relationships as he realizes one thing he lacks in his training is how to cope with sincere human interactions and the emotions that come along with being human.

Dark Horse and the entire series are highly recommended, especially to those fans of thrillers and adventure-type serials.

Netgalley provided an ARC of Dark Horse for the promise of a fair review.

Dark Horse is set to be released in February 2022.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DARK HORSE (Book 7 of the Orphan X series), by Gregg Hurwitz, in exchange for an honest review. Evan Smoak is struggling with an increase in OCD tendencies following the destruction of his apartment by armed drones. Balancing his anxiety disorder with the renovation of his apartment, his relationship with his neighbor Mia Hall, and his mentorship of his young protégé is overwhelming. When Evan, in his capacity as the Nowhere Man, receives a request for assistance, Evan really wants to turn down the job; this is especially true because the request for assistance comes from a bad man. However, the victim, the bad man’s daughter, is an innocent who has been kidnapped y an even worse man. Soon, Evan finds himself going undercover and immersing himself in the world of irredeemably evil men. Meanwhile, Evan still has to deal with his increasing OCD, the renovation of his apartment, and relationship crises with both Mia and his protégé. With growing cracks in his mental wellbeing, will Evan finally crumble under the pressure?

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I recommend this book and the series to fans of spy thrillers, The Equalizer, and vigilante justice.

Hurwitz is one of the best storytellers in the genre today and he did not let us down in his latest. This was a gripping story with X helping out an unusual type of individual compared to his pervious missions.

Gregg found that beautiful gray area of morality in the Urrea family and made me really connect with those characters. The evolution of Evan and his humanity has been a welcome addition to the series and the heartstrings are being slightly tugged on throughout the book.

Overall, well done and can't wait to see what happens in the next one.

The cliffhanger the last Orphan X novel left off with was resolved in true Nowhere Man fashion. In this latest adventure, humanity, family and responsibility are showcased in the customary high octane, action packed way of Orphan X.

"Can you save a bad man?"
Joey asks Evan.

I adore these books. And Dark Horse may be the best one yet. I think I've said that about books 2 through 6 so I keep repeating myself, but this one was a great read. How does Gregg Hurwitz do it?

Yeah, there was the trademark weird vodka trivia stuff. There was the near incomprehensible (to me) computer/security techno babble. There was the usual "it's got to be make-believe" weaponry stuff, and blah, blah, blah.... And there was a man-eating lion! (That was new.)

Oh, and there was so much gory violence, it felt like I was wading knee-deep through blood. I haven't felt like that since Stuart MacBride's Cold Granite. This was an intense and fast read for me. Thank goodness there was Joey to help break the tension.

The best part for me came with the end.... When it was all said and done, this felt like a story of redemption.
(How does Gregg Hurwitz do that?). There's supposed to be one more Orphan X book and I can't wait for it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for this arc.

This is the seventh book in this ongoing series. I really enjoy his books but some parts of this one seemed far fetched. I did really enjoy the ending

Dark Horse is the seventh book in the Orphan X series and, I say this after every book, but was my favorite in the series. For me, the progression of Evan Smoak as a real boy is what drives the story. Yes, the cool gadgets and awesome action sequences are a main draw but X's growth is what makes these books such hits. Dark Horse is a classic good vs evil but also asks the question: are the worst of the worst deserving of help and second chances? It's really a question that shows up in one form or another in every book.

Dark Horse is unlike the rest of the Orphan X series which is why it makes such an impact. Hurwitz continues to improve and I can't wait to see what Orphan X is up to next. In a year...womp womp.

I would like to thank Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advance copy of Dark Horse.

I love me some Evan Smoak!

Evan Smoak is back in a big way. Having survived the events from the ending of book 6, he now finds himself called to a mission that has him helping a drug kingpin find his kidnapped daughter, putting Evan face to face with a cartel leader. The mission is complicated, to say the least, and puts Evan in grave danger.

Dark Horse adds another layer to Evan as he finds himself in a moral quandary. On a mission to help an individual with questionable morals, Evan is more introspective and learns that all is not black and white and that the murky areas in between are the places he needs to explore for personal growth.

Most of the regulars are back: Tommy, Mia, Peter, Joey, Dog, and the residents of Evan’s condo make appearances. Mia gets some bad news, and Joey is at a crossroads. Poor Peter is precious.

Dark Horse is a solid addition to the series. It’s not my favorite--it felt really long, and I had to suspend my disbelief for a large section of the book, as Evan’s ability to embed himself into the cartel didn’t sit right with me. But I love Evan’s character, as well as Joey, Peter, and Mia. I wish there had been more scenes with them. The atmosphere is dark and tense. The last 20% is highly suspenseful and also quite gruesome.

It looks like a familiar nemesis will be back in book 8! I can’t wait to see how Evan handles this one!

Dark Horse by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz Is the 7th book in the Orphan X Series.

I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed them all. It is an adrenalin paced fast action series, with an electric main character -Evan Smoak.

This book has a different feel than the previous ones, and I had a bit of a hard time with it. It just felt like a done already story, and quite far fetched most of the time.

I enjoyed the last stories more that focused mostly on Evan Smoak and his lifestyle. He is “The Nowhere Man” helping those most in need.

2.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Gregg Andrew Hurwitz, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

Choppy start, great mid-book twist, and fabulous end

This is the first book by this author that I had a hard time getting into. There were a few clunky paragraphs that I had to read twice, mentally adding commas and re-writing sentences so they made sense. I have a pretty good vocabulary but there were some pretty esoteric words sprinkled throughout that didn't fit in a thriller like this. And there were numerous cases of untranslated Spanish. Not being a Spanish speaker, I used the translation feature on my iPad to ensure I didn't miss anything. I found both the latter items irritating.

The plot was solid and the end was excellent, especially the epilogue. The conclusion of the main plot, Evan tries to rescue the daughter of a drug cartel who has been kidnapped by a competing cartel, had the requisite number of shootings, beheadings, stabbings and the like. I am not big on gore so I skimmed over the bloody parts.

I enjoy the continuing development between Evan, a former covert government assassin, and Joey, a teenager who also left the assassin program.

Because of the above issues it wasn't my favorite of the series, and I don't know if it would have made me go read the earlier books. But it is a solid read and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Oh. My. GOODNESS!! I love this series SO much... I'm normally not one for cartel/drug stories - and a lot of this story is why. There is way more graphic horrifying violence here than usual, and it's the sadistic brutal kind that usually sends me running for cover, but for X I'll put up with a lot... There were a number of times where I had to skim the violence here (it was just SO graphic and that's not my thing) but the story itself was every bit as compelling, fascinating, and full of surprisingly adroit life lessons as always.

I really love the way Hurwitz is developing originally-ancillary characters into major features of the series. Joey, Peter, and of course Mia really added a lot of heart to this story (as has been their wont in recent books) and I love the way X is growing into a more human character through his interactions with them. I'm looking forward to seeing what role Aragon plays on the future also, as he seems like too great a character opportunity for Hurwitz to let pass by...

The characterizations, the plot, the moral ambiguity - everything about these stories is managed with a deft touch that made the overwhelming violence all the more stark and brutal. Sure there were a few times when you had to suspend disbelief that even X could pull off what he did - but that's part of the magic of reading these books for me. I WANT to believe he'd find a way to prevail, despite all the odds stacked against him, because I want to believe that good does conquer evil - at least sometimes, when it really matters...

And the ending!! X has a rough road ahead of him - again - on both personal and professional fronts and I can't believe I'll have to wait for so long to learn what comes next!!