Audiobook Review: Raptor 6 by Ronie Kendig

Title: Raptor 6
Author: Ronie Kendig
Narrator: Adam Verner
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Series: Quiet Professionals, Book 1
Genre(s): Military Thriller, Contemporary Romance
Published: 2014

 Book Description (from publisher, Shiloh Run Press):

Captain Dean Watters keeps his mission and his team in the forefront of his laser-like focus. So when these two things are threatened by hackers, Dean’s Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Failing to stop the hackers from stealing national security secrets from the military’s secure computers and networks isn’t an option. Zahrah Zarrick is a missionary teacher to Afghan children in Mazar-e Sharif. And a target. When Zahrah is captured because of her expertise in quantum cryptology, endangering the US national security, Dean is forced to crack the lockbox around his heart—a move that might come at the highest cost.

My Thoughts:

This may be the first of its type (military fiction) that I’ve read so far, certainly my first by this author, and I have to say I’m impressed.  Even though this is a little bit outside my normal reading habits, I read so many positive reviews of Ronie Kendig’s novels by bloggers whose opinions I respect, I had to give this a try.  Especially when I found a good deal on the audio version.

Here’s a glimpse of what I loved about Raptor 6.  The action and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what might be coming next.  The characters were engaging and felt realistic, with flaws and a history.  I really enjoyed seeing the camaraderie among the Raptor team members, and I loved how Zahrah stood by her beliefs even when things got difficult.  And yeah, “difficult” is probably the understatement of the year.  This book definitely puts the hero and heroine through the ringer, which makes for some intense reading, and plays a big part in the development of their relationship.  I also found the first person viewpoint of one of the bad guys a pretty fascinating complement to the rest of the story.

Recommended to those who enjoy an action and suspense oriented story with romance on the side.  Raptor 6 is first in the Quiet Professionals series, which includes Hawk (November 2014) and Falcon (May 2015), each telling the story of another of the Raptor team members introduced in this book.

Specific to the Audio Edition:

I haven’t come across very many Christian fiction audiobooks read by male narrators yet, so Adam Verner’s performance made for a nice change.  He did a good job differentiating the characters’ voices and making even the female voices sound natural.  I also thought his narration included just the right amount of character and emotion to give depth and added interest to the listening experience.  I think audiobook fans will find this one worth listening to.

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