Finally read and completed this. If I am being honest, I skim read most of this to get to the good parts. It was a struggle reading this. The plot was ok-ish but because the story also jumped around, I found it hard to relate to the characters and their struggles. Plus, it was another pandemic-issue thriller.

Cannot recommend this. Absolutely nothing like the thrilling suspense of Dan Brown. Awful reading experience,

Thanks to Kent Lester, NetGalley, and MacMillian Tor Forge Nightlife for an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

Already available!

simply could not get into this book. the writing was fine, dialog good I just could not connect with the characters

I really enjoy Dan Brown's work and was hoping this would be in the same vein. It started out well, and I got through about half of it before I lost interest in the characters. Not leaving a social review since I didn't love it. Thanks for the opportunity to check out Lester's work.

The writing in this book had me cringing. I found the first few chapters so terrible I couldn't continue.

This is the first story I have read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, although some of the technical language was beyond me. I hope to see more on this series and will be checking out other works by Mr. Lester.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary

Action-packed sequel full of science, history, and moral/ethical dilemma is fast and fun.

This follow-up to THE SEVENTH SUN takes prediction scientist Dan Clifford and his girlfriend, Rachel Sullivan, to a new threat involving ancient, secret societies and the scary organism known as the Devil's Paradox. You will want to read the first book before opening this one. Full of realistic technology, conspiracy theories, political corruption, DNA hacking gone amuck, and all sorts of other interesting details, the story is a thriller as well as an adventure. There's even a bit of romance and the characters are unlikely, reluctant heroes who do their best to save the world. A bit of social commentary lends credence and believability to the narrative.

I enjoyed both books very much and recommend you read them back to back if possible. I like the writing style and the pacing that made this hard to put down. I'd love to see a film adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the e-book to read, review, and recommend.

Thank you to netgalley for this advanced copy. I was very interested in the premise of this story however, I wasn’t ready to read about it yet. The writing was good and I enjoyed the characters.

Much of this novel was beyond my familiarity and understanding. Most of the terminology was foreign to me. The plot took a long time to get going. Dan going to a hacker convention and then party was not an engaging concept to get me invested in the novel.

I did find it interesting to read about many of the things hackers were inventing. I had read about the masks avoiding facial recognition software and a vendor at the hacker convention was selling such items. I was amazed at the gene editing that could be done by innovative people with just the right equipment needed. There is a ton of cutting edge technology and political intrigue ultimately included.

After a multi-page virtual reality adventure, I struggled to retain interest in the plot. It was just too far from my experience. I think this novel would appeal more to younger readers who are more interested in gaming. Lester's writing style just did not appeal to me. I liked all the futuristic content but the novel in general did not appeal to me.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I really struggled getting into Kent Lester’s book, ‘The Third Instinct’. I became engage about half way through the story. Although the story was a bit unrealistic, it did hold my attention mid way through.

The premise for this novel caught my attention, but unfortunately the writing and action scenes were just too formulaic and predictable. Having not read the prior book on this series, I found the characters lacked depth and the action scenes just too far over the top. Good if you enjoy that kind of thing, but not if you’re looking for anything unique or memorable.

Dan Clifford has a complex history. He's a scientist. But he is known as a super hacker. Even though he isn't. He just happens to know a good super hacker who is willing to let Dan get the credit.

Based on his reputation, he is called in by the FBI to find another super hacker who is hacking into government sites and causing trouble. But it's worse than that. The hacker has also stolen a substance capable of killing millions.

This book is well written with wonderful character development. Sometimes, the scientific information got a little deep. But, by and large, complex scientific principles were presented in an understandable way.

If you like Dan Brown, you'll like this book.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Third Instinct by Kent Lester is a heart-stopping techno-thriller that pulls together biological and technological warfare into a story that feels eerily relevant.
Actual Reading Experience:
This is the second book in a series, and though I could tell this based on references in the story, it did not impact my enjoyment or understanding of the story at all. I love when books in a thriller series can act as standalone. It makes it so much easier for me as a reader. Do I want to go back and read book 1? I would love to because if it is anything like The Third Instinct, I will love it!
I loved the NerdVana event and was only disappointed because it’s not real, or at least not that I could find. I’m such a techno-geek that a convention featuring the latest technology would keep m entertained for days. I wouldn’t be able to hang with the hackers because I have no idea how to do that, but I would be happy walking around and exploring what each booth offers.
Not only is there lots of cutting-edge technology, there’s also a historical secret society which I found endlessly fascinating, and a biological component that referenced Covid and brought in a more poignant plot thread in the story. I absolutely adored this humanity within the story. It gave it a depth that other similar types of thrillers never achieve.
Of course, it has a breakneck pace with lots of unexpected twists that floored me every time. I think that probably goes without saying, but I will say it anyway.
Characters:
Dan Clifford is a solver of puzzles and a fixer of wrongs. He listens and processes then acts. But make no mistake – he will act swiftly and definitively. I liked his character. He was willing to take the brunt of things to protect others – how can you not like someone like that?
Rachel Sullivan is Dan’s significant other and specializes in all things biological. I loved her guts and determination. She didn’t always make the right choices, but I loved that she owned her decisions.
Read if you like:
• Fast-paced thrillers
• Mind-blowing twists
• A blend of history and SciFi (technology and biological aspects)

Dan Clifford is an unlikely hero. He wants to propose to his girlfriend Rachel but is rightfully afraid she will say no. This story is an adventure from start to finish. I did not read the first book but that didn't affect reading this story at all. It was a wild ride and there are some out there theories proposed but while you are reading you will buy into all of them.

Title: The Third Instinct
Author: Kent Lester
Release Date: December 6th, 2022
Page Count: 361
Start Date: November 25th, 2022
Finish Date: December 7th, 2022

Review:
Story: This book was both hilarious and intense. A very unique combo to have in a story and I loved every minute of it. I found out before starting this book that it was the second book in the series. I was nervous to read it without reading the first book first. I decided to give it a chance anyway. I really didn't have any problems following along. It doesn't mean that it can be read out of order. I may regret my decision when I read the first book. We will see.
Characters: I really liked Dan. He seemed to be in over his head half of the time. Yet he still managed to pull everything off. My favorite character in the whole book was Rudy. Even if he wasn't in the book as much as I would have liked. I really empathized with Rachel. However, she made some decisions that I didn't really agree with. She actually reminded me of 13 from House.
Critiques: None
Final Thoughts: This book was so fun! Just when it seemed like things were calming down, it all blows up again. I am looking forward to other books by this author. I also really look forward to reading the first book as well. I'm hoping there are many other books in this series!

Overall, this is a book about good and evil. It reminded me of a Dan Brown novel. I enjoyed the fact that the main character was a scientist, but having just been through a real pandemic that required isolation, I wasn't as excited about this as I think I would have been had I read it before covid. It is an ok read, but not a favorite of mine.

It's alway difficult reviewing an ARC, because as an editor I catch stuff that may not be in the final version of the book when it's released. So, despite stumbling over what struck me as a rather large plot hole and having some issues with the two main characters' sense of self-preservation, suffice to say Mr. Lester is a master of good pacing, so if you're looking for a good thriller to while away a weekend you won't be disappointed in this second book in his Dan Clifford series.

I didn't read book one, so I can state without reservation you don't need to, either, because unlike a lot of writers Mr. Lester is also adept at providing just enough information from the previous book to keep the reader oriented. That's important with a series, because it's all too easy to not hit the right balance. That doesn't happen here.

It struck me as I neared the end of the adventure that one could describe this novel as "Brave New World with viruses". The theme isn't new, but then, neither is the never-ending urge by closet eugenicists to improve the human race one way or another, willy-nilly. And, as the author notes about midway through the adventure, "When you're entertained and well-fed, you'll ignore all kinds of atrocities".

I've always been a fan of thrillers where the work of stopping the villain(s) requires teamwork, and The Third Instinct provides that. I look forward to the next installment.

The Third Instinct by Kent Lester is about good vs. evil, a tale of kings, heroes, villains, elves, dwarves, and hobbits. You have a bit of everything. Biohackers, Computer hackers, politics, corruption, greed, and airplane stunts, to name a few. They are all nicely woven into the story, making it a fascinating book.

The Third Instinct
by Kent Lester
Pub Date: 06 Dec 2022

"The Third Instinct" is a story about good vs evil, tale of kings, heroes, villains, elves, dwarves and hobbits.

Compare it to "Lord of The Rings" but in a thriller version!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Macmillan-Tor/Forge Forge Books for an advanced e-ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

I rated this 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I liked very much the premise of this book, seemed like a highly relevant and interesting thriller. The writing left a lot to be desired, even though the characters and settings had great potential. I also didn't read the first book in the series which wasn't a total barrier to reading, but at times I felt out of the loop when the narrator referenced events I assume took place in the past.

I'm not sure if it was the slow pacing, the fact that I hadn't read the first book, or just not in the mood, but this book didn't engage me at all. I only read about a third of it and I found I wasn't that interested in what happened next. The storyline was somewhat convoluted and the characters felt one dimensional. Not recommended