I JUST finished Red Agenda by Cameron Poe! I generously received Red Agenda from Smith Publicity in return for an honest review.
{Synopsis from Goodreads}
The most sought after commodity in the world is power, and when money is no object, power is up for grabs. Desiring autonomy, one small nation develops an unlikely plan to procure a nuclear-powered submarine. If all goes as intended, the Middle East will destabilize and the OPEC Alliance will crumble. Yet as money might buy power, there’s no guarantee that it buys loyalty. So when the submarine breaks the ocean surface it doesn’t travel to the Middle East, it sails for Russia, in an attempt to return the nation to its Soviet roots.
Alerted to the possibility of the theft of a Russian sub, the CIA must foil the plan for acquisition without alarming the rest of the world. A step behind and suffering from department infighting, the CIA watches in disbelief as the single most powerful weapon in the world rises from the ocean floor. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that the commander of the vessel has no intention of honoring his contract.
Scrambling to prevent a world-wide disaster, CIA operatives in coordination with the US Navy launch a daring and risky plan to quietly thwart a rogue submarine captain before he can obliterate Moscow and take control of the country. Those who volunteer for this mission risk their lives. Those who don’t risk the safety of the entire world.
*****
First Impression on Red Agenda
I started this not long after reading Red Sparrow, a different spy novel that I wasn’t particularly keen on so when I first started reading this it took some getting into. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it I’m not sure but I set it down multiple times because I couldn’t get into it. Firstly, you’re introduced to a lot of different characters and for the life of me I cannot remember a description of what anyone looks like so every time I came back to read it I was always lost on who was who. Secondly, I know the first part of the story was the setup towards the bigger plot points but I was honestly just kind of bored and it didn’t keep my attention. It seemed I was always lost on who was doing what and what their motivation was. However, that was just my first impression because the second half of the book got a whole lot more interesting.
Multiple View Points
I for one am a huge fan of multiple view points. I like reading different angles of the story and who’s involved. And while I said I couldn’t remember the characters physical descriptions (which I eventually just made up in my mind anyways) I still found myself latching onto a few various story lines. While the first part of the book is the characters interacting with one another and getting setup for the major plot I was way more invested in what happened to them in the second part of the book. The chapters are long with various changes of viewpoint. Some people may get confused by this but I didn’t mind it.
Top 4 characters I was invested in:
Dan Archer ~ Fighting to be head of the CIA.
Sharon Dailey ~ Dan’s secretary but has many secrets of her own.
Nicholas Shaw ~ US Navy and engineer and sub driver.
Marina Romanov ~ Russian spy.
Political Stance
I don’t mind political stories if they are something I’m interested in. The synopsis was something that drew me to this story. This is set in modern times. The issues presented in this story are also something that could potentially happen anytime, I suppose. I don’t keep up with Russian political news all that much but I think the possibility could be there, correct me if I’m wrong. Basically it’s a political drama between the U.S. and Russia with someone fighting for old beliefs. Might not be far off.
The action
There is a lot of conversations going on throughout the book. Wait for the action in the last 200 pages of the story where it all comes together. The story deals with some drama ~ in-house fighting within the CIA as well as some relationship issues. I liked that those kind of things were added to the story to create some other development and tense relationships between characters. I also think that if the last 200 pages weren’t written the way that they were, it might not have held my attention. So, I was satisfied with how it all went down.
Overall Rating:
***.5/5
Recommend?
If you like spy novels, this is good. If you like modern political dramas, this is for you. If you like romance, this probably isn’t for you. I would recommend to those that like an edgy, sarcastic, dramatic kind of spy novel. I would rate it 18A just as there are a few scenes that are quite sexually suggestive but I don’t believe there is any torture or gruesome scenes involved. A few colorful words thrown in as well but not heavily.
Red Agenda is out now so if you’re interested please check it out! If you’ve read it and want to discuss it with someone I’m always available! What did you think of it? Leave a comment below!
