I have to admit I had some expectations when I chose this book. It seems
intriguing, and I was not disappointed.
This book is gripping from start to end. I didn't know it was Book One, and
I still didn't know until the last few pages of the book. There were some
questions in my mind, especially regarding a character that only appears for a
few short chapters. He seems important, but his story remains exclusive while
other storylines have merged. Had I know about this being a first book, I would
be more relaxed, since I had put a lot of trust in the author by that moment,
after reading chapters and chapters of excellent writing.
Every story, every important character, and their intricate details are
nicely done. The author is patient and is very good at making every scene come
alive. The surroundings, the situation, the body language, the implications,
and the subtlety are masterfully done. Nothing is wasted, and nothing is too
much. Everything is necessary, and when the multiple storylines collide, I
already have a very good understanding of each character. They are not only men
in action, part of a mission, but they are well-built, well-understood.
The only clunkiness that sometimes takes me away from the reading experience
is the formatting. I'm reading this on the Kindle app, but the formatting is a
big mess most of the time. There are no paragraph breaks, and sometimes the
speaker remains the same even though the punctuation indicates a separation.
I'm not sure if this is technical errors or the original formatting. It makes
it hard to distinguish who is talking.
Minor note: Some terms can be confusing for readers who don't know them, for
example, CPF. Other, more general terms can be common knowledge, but this term
is exclusive to Singapore. There are some nice touches of using Singlish.
Kontrakan means a rented/rental property that can come in different forms:
units in high-rise buildings or landed homes; it can be simple or luxurious,
since kontrakan doesn't actually describe the condition, just the nature of a
property being a rental. 'Rusun,' means stacked house, would be a more suitable
term for the cluster described in the book (a very well-done description by the
way), and 'kumuh' would be the adjective suitable for the condition.
Overall, this is a really awesome, very well-written book. I can visualize
everything, every action, every feeling. The level of knowledge, research, and
subtlety in every scene makes this a very satisfactory read. I'm very impressed
with the quality, and I certainly recommend this book to readers who love good
worldbuilding, characters, and action.
5 out of 5 stars
