I thought the book was great.

It was a really good book that captured my attention from the very beginning.

The story was engaging, with well-developed characters and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The author's writing style was also very enjoyable, making it easy for me to get lost in the world of the book.

Each chapter left me wanting more, eager to find out what would happen next.

I found myself completely immersed in the story, and before I knew it, I had finished the book.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

It's one that I will definitely be reading again in the future.

This novel is by no means a masterpiece. It hasn't won any awards. Instead, it's a light-hearted way to pass the time, and it can fulfill that purpose.

The plot centers around a Chinese Triad leader who desires vengeance on the western world for decimating most of his family and organization. To achieve this, he devises a plan to initiate a war between the US and Iran, involving radioactive terrorist attacks. After all, it seems that a modern military thriller can't do without some connection to nukes.

Sam Fisher, the protagonist, traverses the globe (naturally) while uncovering the plot to spark a war between two nuclear-armed powers. The story is actually rather intricate, as the villain's scheme is concealed beneath multiple layers of organization.

However, the characters are underdeveloped and don't undergo significant growth throughout the narrative. Nevertheless, they start off reasonably well and do engage in some witty banter.

Truly, the most significant drawback of this book is its forgettability. Very little about it stands out, whether it's the villain, the hero, or the events of the story. It's just another 400 pages of decent action, a bit of intrigue, and an average plot.

With a few hours of free time and nothing better to occupy oneself, this book can offer temporary amusement. Just don't set your expectations too high.

Good read, but poorly edited.

This was a truly engaging read that I was able to complete in just a few days. The story had a certain charm and the plot was interesting enough to keep me hooked. However, the overall experience was somewhat marred by the numerous typos, duplicate words, and grammatical errors that were present throughout the book.

It was quite distracting to come across these mistakes, as they pulled me out of the story and made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the narrative. I found myself constantly having to correct the errors in my mind, which took away from the enjoyment of the reading process.

Despite the poor editing, I still managed to appreciate the good aspects of the book. The author had some great ideas and the characters were well-developed. With a bit more attention to detail and a thorough editing process, this could have been an even better book.

Unbelievable!

What an astonishing event that has occurred! It seems almost too good to be true.

The details are so remarkable that they leave one in a state of shock and awe.

One can hardly fathom how such a thing could have happened.

It's as if it belongs in the realm of fantasy rather than reality.

Everyone who hears about it is left with their mouths agape.

The implications of this event are far-reaching and could potentially change many things.

It's a story that will surely be talked about for a long time to come.

One can only wonder what will happen next in the wake of this unbelievable occurrence.

Will there be more surprises in store?

Only time will tell.

But for now, all we can do is stand in amazement and try to come to terms with this truly unbelievable event.

This prequel to the first Splinter Cell novel is, without a doubt, good. However, at the same time, it gives the impression that it lacks the same level of impact as its predecessors.

Nonetheless, what truly piqued my interest was the detailed environment description. It was this aspect that ultimately sold the book to me.

During a training exercise, a cargo freighter loaded with radioactive material is on a collision course with the US coast. As a result, Sam finds himself in a race against time to board the freighter and prevent any potential disaster from unfolding.

Simultaneously, in a town called Slipstone (NM), people begin to succumb to radiation poisoning in the town's drinking water facilities. Sam follows the trail across various countries, including Dubai, where he must extract information from an eccentric hacker.

The pace of the story is brisk and filled with non-stop action, and the description of the gadgets is truly top-notch. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Of the three Splinter Cell novels I’ve read, this particular one, “Checkmate” by Grant Blackwood, truly gives off the strongest vibe of a video game.

As I was reading, I could vividly picture each setting as distinct levels within a game. This is Blackwood’s maiden foray into the Splinter Cell universe, and he has shown remarkable skill in crafting a plot that is both highly intricate and yet easily understandable for the reader.

Now, the question arises: Is “Checkmate” as good as the first two novels in the series penned by Raymon Benson? The answer is no. But then again, there are very few espionage writers who can match the caliber of Benson. In Benson’s two Splinter Cell novels, there is a greater emphasis on Sam Fisher’s character and his relationships with various other characters. In contrast, Blackwood focuses predominantly on the plot and the pacing.

However, I do have one gripe about this book, and that is its length. It could have been easily condensed into 300 pages. Most James Bond novels typically range from 250 to 300 pages, and if that length works well for Bond, it should surely be sufficient for Mr. Fisher too. Another aspect that irked me is that Blackwood doesn’t continue with any connection to the first two novels. This, I assume, is done to make each novel more accessible to any reader.

Overall, though, I thoroughly relished this adventure featuring Sam Fisher. Sam Fisher is very much alive and kicking in this multi-authored series. Here’s to the long life of Sam Fisher!

The more gamy Sam Fisher book has its merits in certain aspects.

It does manage to bring in more elements that are closer to how Sam is portrayed in the games, such as an increased number of gadgets and a greater emphasis on non-lethal options and sneaking. Sam also engages in less killing compared to before. However, it sacrifices a significant aspect that made the first books special. The first-person narrative is no longer present, which is truly a shame.

These books have a unique quality of taking the reader to places that are both fascinating and terrifying. In this particular case, it's Chernobyl. As a kid, reading about this place for the first time was quite an eye-opener, learning about what had happened there. This book provides a rather accurate picture, and it's not a pleasant one.

I did enjoy this book to some extent. The narrative wasn't as personal as in the previous installments, and the villain didn't have the same Bond-like charm. I liked the believable gadgets, although their introduction seemed a bit too convenient. Unfortunately, the insight into Sam that was present in the earlier books is lost. Overall, I still prefer the previous two books, but this one was still an entertaining read that held my attention.

The game's content was decent enough for video game fare. However, the editing left a lot to be desired. There were numerous spelling errors, wrong words, and missing words, which were extremely distracting.

Another aspect that really bugged me was the behavior of the main character, Sam Fisher. He kills and spares enemies completely at random and without any apparent reason. That is to say, it is very often not clear why he decides to kill someone instead of simply knocking him out. This lack of clear motivation for his actions makes it difficult for the player to fully engage with the character and his decisions.

Overall, while the game had some redeeming qualities in terms of its gameplay and storyline, the poor editing and inconsistent behavior of the main character really detracted from the overall experience.

I would tend to concur with several of the reviews that I have perused.

If I had not read the initial two installments, perhaps this one would have seemed excellent.

However, it simply did not measure up to the standards set by the first two.

Sam Fisher's portrayal in this book was markedly different.

In the previous two books, a significant amount of time was dedicated to his daughter, yet there was no mention of her in this one.

The narrative of the book appeared disjointed and lacked a smooth flow.

I am cognizant that this is a new author, and it is distressingly evident.

Moreover, there were numerous typographical errors scattered throughout the entire book.

These flaws detracted from the overall reading experience and made it difficult to fully engage with the story.

It is my hope that future installments will address these issues and bring the series back to its former glory.

Another "all right" book.

The Splinter Cell series seems to be what you would get if you took all the Jack Ryan Jr mission parts and simply made a book out of them. Checkmate continues with that tradition.

Also, the Splinter Cell book series is basically like reading a series of video game levels. Granted, it is based on the video game by book 3, so there are no surprises there. This just makes me question the need for a book in the first place.

However, the book is all right for what it is. It may not offer anything truly groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it does provide a certain level of entertainment for fans of the Splinter Cell franchise or those who enjoy reading about espionage and covert operations.

Perhaps it serves as a nice supplement to the video games, allowing fans to further explore the world and characters in a different medium.

Overall, while it may not be a must-read, it can still be an enjoyable read for the right audience.

Nulla a che vedere con i 2 precedenti.

It has nothing to do with the previous two.

Niente più operazioni invisibili, la figura a supporto è sparita, solo tanta azione che sembra un film con poco budget o la brutta copia di uno sparatutto anni 90.

No more invisible operations, the supporting figure has disappeared, only so much action that seems like a low-budget film or a bad copy of a 90s shootout.

Davvero un peccato, hanno rovinato il personaggio di Fisher.

It's really a pity, they have ruined the character of Fisher.

Per me la saga termina qui!

For me, the saga ends here!

This new installment seems to have taken a wrong turn. The absence of the once-prominent supporting figure leaves a void that the excessive and rather lackluster action fails to fill. It's as if the filmmakers tried to compensate for the missing element with a flurry of chaotic scenes that lack the finesse and quality of the earlier installments. The ruination of Fisher's character is a particular disappointment, as it was one of the highlights of the previous movies. With this latest entry, it feels like the magic and charm of the saga have been lost, and for many fans, including myself, it marks the end of an era.

It was quite good.

It began really well, with a nice balance of story, action, character development, and scene.

However, about a third to halfway through, the action took center stage, and I started to have the feeling that perhaps the author was hurrying through.

Up to that point, the pace was slower, but the drama and story were present.

The last third of the book was overly rushed, had too many things happening, and felt more like an action narrative for a movie script rather than a novel.

I wonder if the editors imposed a page limit on this or if the author simply had too much he wanted to say but not enough time.

More character development is required, more of a novel-like narrative, and less of "and next this happened, and then this happened, and then this."

I desire to read a good story. If I wanted to see this as a movie, I would wait for it to come to the theater.

Yet, even with those issues, it was an enjoyable read, and the epilogue has a fun ending.

But a note to the author: take your time, simplify the plot to involve fewer things so that each one can be developed better, or find a publisher that will permit you to add a couple hundred more pages to make the entire book as excellent as the first part was.