I'm a huge Orphan X fan and was thrilled to receive an ARC of Prodigal Son. Evan Smoak has evolved over the last few books, from Orphan X to the Nowhere Man to someone who's trying to find peace and a shot at a normal life. So I was curious to see what Gregg Hurwitz had in store for this sixth installment of the series. Would Evan Smoak continue his evolution? Would he be able to leave the Nowhere Man behind? Well, Prodigal Son answers answers these questions and more, in what I consider the best Orphan X book yet. Considering the previous five installments, this is no small feat.
Prodigal Son's plot revolves around Evan being asked to help Andrew Duran, a down on his luck impound lot guard who's trying to better himself in order to prove his worth to his daughter and ex-wife. Unfortunately for Andrew, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and subsequently has a psychotic/telepathic brother & sister assassination team hunting him. Evan is compelled to protect Andrew by someone claiming to be his long lost mother. As Evan grapples with his past, he gets pulled into a dangerous world of emerging killer AI technology developed by a supervillain I visualize as an evil Bill Gates. Not willing to give up for several reasons, Evan has to rely on every skill and resource at his disposal to save the day, but this time the fight might be too much for even Orphan X to survive.
There's a lot to love about Prodigal Son. The writing is superb and the action sequences are world-class. However, for me the book is elevated by the continued development of Evan Smoak as a character. Interspersed flashbacks to Evan's time in the Pride House Group Home orphanage give us insight into the trials he endured and how he outwitted and outlasted the others, including his long-time nemesis Charles Van Scriver, to be chosen for what Evan later learns is the Orphan X program. These glimpses of Evan's history are juxtaposed with current day events as he grapples with his current relationships, mainly with Joey and Mia, as well as his family history. Over the last couple of books in the series, we started to see Evan's conscious emerge and in this book it takes a quantum leap forward as he becomes more human and less Orphan X. But this book isn't all about Evan getting in touch with his feelings. The plot is intricate and action packed, we're introduced to several great characters on both sides of the good vs. bad equation and we learn about scary-as-hell cutting edge technology that you have to read to believe...and hope is pure fiction for the sake of humanity.
This book has it all - sarcasm, character development, twists and turns, strong action sequences, new technology, suspense and much more. Oh, one more thing...the ending will leave you breathless and dying to find out what happens next.
Pick up a copy of Prodigal Son, you will not be disappointed. And if you haven't ready any of the other books in the series, I highly recommend you start now because you're missing out on one of the premier series in the thriller genre. For fans of Mark Greaney, Brad Taylor and Simon Gervias, The Orphan X series is an absolute must read.
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