Cold Zero

The Book in 1 Sentence

A fight for the "ultimate weapon in the war for artificial intelligence" leads to a fight above the arctic server from the world's superpowers.

Brief Review

This book falls perfectly in-line with other Brad Thor novels. From the pacing, to the action, and the introduction of technology and tactics is just one of the best. I think the story is within the realm of possibility and continues to enrich the world that Brad Thor has built. There is little fault you can find in this story, but I cannot separate this writing from other Brad Thor books, so I am unsure of the split between Thor and Ward Larsen.

Why I Read this book

Brad Thor is easily one of my favorite authors.

In-Depth Review (Favorite Quotes)

So with the man Harvath in this book as compared to Dead Fall, and with Ward Larsen being included in the writing, I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not suggesting that there was a possibility of a diminished quality in writing, but there is also a chance that someone else might provide more voice.

The story is very good. While I think the opening scene is more from The Fate of the Furious where a car just does whatever it wants. However, the rest of it feels ripped from portions of headlines. The attack on the plane from malware laced microchips is why some brands of routers are banned from the US now. It is a genuine concern that fits with this story correctly. While the outcome is a bit over the top, I think the downing of the plane works well from a plot perspective.

I also really like using one of the most dangerous flight paths as the scene for what happens. It creates a ton of logistics issues from a tactical and flight technicality and this adds to the drama of the story. I think the characters never really had all the answers and there was this back and forth that allowed each character to have a role. From the CIA rep to the SEALs, to the team back in the operations desks.

The action from start to finish feels very polished and grounded which allows you to sink into the story wanting to push through to learn what is happening next. Whether it is a crash, gun fight, or mother nature, you understand what is happening.

Rating

I really enjoyed the book. There was a part of me that wanted Harvath to be a player in this, but it makes sense that he isn't, but it could be a portion of the next Harvath book. I found it to be a gripping story that makes you think about the supply chain issues that I see every day at a grander scale. The only downfall of the book is the ending which makes zero sense for the characters involved and their work history. I can't say more without giving away plot points, but the biggest issue is age. I am giving this an 8 as it was incredibly entertaining.

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