Arkhangel is one of 2021’s smartest and darkest action thrillers. James Brabazon sidesteps tropes to create genre-bending stories that you just can’t help but marvel at.
Max McLean is a formidable assassin working deep in the dark for Her Majesty when he’s set up on an assassination mission. With his cover blown and deadly forces out to get him after he receives a mysterious message linked to his past, he must survive long enough to find out who sent him the message and who wants it bad enough to kill with impunity.
Arkhangel truly deserves to be described as action-packed; there are cinematic shootouts and brutal hand-to-hand combat sequences in almost every other chapter. Along with the sheer quantity of action, each shootout and fisticuff is smart and efficient. Brabazon nails the nitty gritty technical and tactical details, especially ones that many action thrillers skip to achieve Hollywood style over realism, adding to the authenticity of Max McLean as a world-class operative and assassin.
Arkhangel offers more than just relentless and stellar action. James Brabazon highlights the perils of running and gunning in today’s clandestine climate as Max’s enemies are not as easy to identify as they would have been in the old days. No flags or outdated ideologies to advance, rather a rat-race for technological advancement that will alter the course of humanity. Brabazon’s explanations of quantum computing and algorithms are some of the best I’ve ever come across as a computer science major; pulling in the readers gradually with technical terms and then overlaying with simple descriptions to help even the most non-technological reader understand what is what as he blends currently science-fiction elements with modern computer industry to create an overall grounded and stimulating narrative that will have you looking up quantum computing even before you’re doing reading.
Max McLean is a newcomer to the assassin sub genre but in no way a novice. The extremely fun first-person POV thoroughly explores McLean’s dark psyche as a weathered assassin who has to make calculated calls in the field while holding onto his humanity. With great sarcastic timing sense and continuous character development over the course of the narrative, he is one of the most distinguishable and root-able assassins.
Arkhangel is truly a must-read for all thriller fans, especially if you’re looking for something new to freshen things up. It checks all the boxes for an extraordinary thriller and then further explores new avenues that will leave you wanting more of this maverick assassin. Keep in mind, the ending isn’t a simple through-and-through, it will tinker with your mind, as great thrillers must.
Follow Kashif on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase All Fall Down (Arkhangel)
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
