Phoenix’s Ascent (Hera Force Series #2)

Ex-SAS Operative, Mitch Edwards, has been framed for treason and is on the run. Nadia, a CIA operative and reinstated Hera Force linguist and assassin has little to no memory of Mitch after a mission that ended badly, giving her a traumatic brain injury. When Mitch decides to partner back up with Hera Force to try to locate those who are trying to kill him, Nadia is thrust back into his life. They attempt to rebuild their relationship while trying to stop those who are after Mitch. But there is a traitor in the ranks of Hera Force who is giving secrets to their enemies, and things begin to unravel quickly.

This super action-packed book is fast moving and engaging. The characters are likeable, but there are quite a few of them, which can make it difficult to follow at times. The relationship between Mitch and Nadia is very sweet, and it’s interesting to see them work out how to keep Nadia’s memory intact. Learning about Nadia’s past and what happened to her was very unexpected, and it seemed a bit far-fetched, but it is interesting nonetheless. “Phoenix’s Ascent” is a suspenseful ride, and it is not lacking in graphic violence. The action scenes are well written and easy to follow. However, there is a lot happening in this book aside from the action scenes, and it makes the story a bit difficult to navigate. A character index may be helpful to readers. Even so, the twist and turns and forward movement of the story is very good.

Jennifer Shepherd