Near Dark is an amazing follow-up to Backlash. A blend of fast-paced narrative, thrilling events, well-written action, and characters that feel real and relatable. The book explores Scot Harvath in an emotionally damaged state of mind after the events of Backlash while having to navigate through a hundred million bounty on his head as retribution for Harvath’s brutal acts of vengeance in Backlash. This dynamic amps up the stakes for Harvath on a very personal level.
The storyline is crafted with a sense of constant worry for Harvath and his remaining family due to the extravagant bounty on his head. This creates a strong desire for readers to keep on reading to find out what happens next. Near Dark, while being a story of emotional healing, is also an espionage narrative at heart. Clandestine meetings, undercover operations, unlikely alliances, and more are all part of the brilliant aspects of Near Dark. Harvath must get to the bottom of the bounty on his head and make sure he doesn’t get claimed by an adversary before he gets the chance to release his bottled-up rage.
Harvath is joined in this undertaking by an operative of Norwegian Intelligence Service, Sølvi Kolstad. Kolstad and Harvath make a great duo, being in sync when it comes to tactics and thoughts. Kolstad is a lethal and well-trained operative who proves to be just as hell-bent in this undertaking as Harvath, for her own reasons, and is established earlier on in the story with bona-fides that leave no doubt for readers that she is a worthy ally of Harvath. With a dynamic chemistry between the two operatives, the read becomes even more intriguing to see how the two operatives would get along.
The action is smooth and fast-paced, comprising of fast-paced shootouts and some brutal melee combat. Even though I had expected more action sequences, the brilliant espionage aspects and characters made up for less-than-expected action sequences. The technical accuracy in details pertaining to firearms and tactics also played an important role in retaining the gritty espionage and operations vibe Scot Harvath books are known for.
I was a bit taken back by what I felt was a slightly abrupt ending. The compartmentalized branches of the narrative that collectively formed the bigger picture felt too quickly tied up at the end, not feeling as satisfying as I thought they would to finally unravel.
All in all, Near Dark packs exciting moments, three dimensional characters, realistic and grounded elements of espionage, and the devastating impact of the loss of loved ones for those who live dangerously at the edge of the sword. A great and engrossing read that does not let up till the very end.
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