Storm Rising (The Book of Wars #1) by Ronie Kendig

Genre: Military Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: July 2019

Claimed to contain invaluable secrets, the Book of Wars vanished to history, but intel indicates it has reemerged and some will stop at nothing to recover the ancient text. With a past that nearly cost him his career, not to mention his life, former Navy SEAL, Leif Metcalfe, finally leads his own team. Their first mission — retrieve the coveted book before it falls into the wrong hands. Determined to prove he isn’t a washed-out asset, Leif embraces the task only to have it fail when a Bulgarian operative, “Viorica,” steals the book before his very eyes.

Iskra “Viorica” Todorova pursues one goal — freedom — and the Book of Wars just might be the way to achieve it. When storms break out across the globe, threatening thousands of lives, Iskra discovers that the centuries-old book sits at the center of a greater plot. An unexpected twist of events forces Iskra to form a tentative alliance with Leif, but old habits die hard and trust has never come easy.

The first installment in Ronie Kendig’s new series lands with a resounding boom. Jason Bourne meets Splinter Cell meets my second favorite NCIS episode (Corporal Punishment) in Storm Rising, making it an instant hit in my book.

Delivering some of her strongest writing yet, Kendig crafted settings that rose as vividly as the storm-induced waves. The crackling electricity, the rain-soaked earth, and the jagged cliffs toyed so deeply with my senses that I could have stood in the middle of them and the effect would have been the same.

The author infuses the characters with the perfect balance of brokenness and strength, ensuring that readers root for them even as they make wrong choices and at times appear the villain. Iskra’s past is not for the faint of heart.

Without hesitation, I strongly recommend Storm Rising to military suspense fans. The Book of Wars is well on its way to surpassing The Tox Files for me. (Though Ram will forever hold my heart!) While book one comes to a satisfying close, readers should be aware that this series contains an overarching thread and questions that will be answered in future installments.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thanks!

Thirst of Steel (The Tox Files #3) by Ronie Kendig

Genre: Military Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: July 2018

Cole and Haven have witnessed and endured the unimaginable since the fight against a centuries-old disease reunited them. Now they want nothing more than to start their life together, but the Arrow & Flame Order continues to advance more determined than ever.

On the hunt for the dismantled sword of Goliath believed to thirst for the blood of its enemies, the AFO will stop at nothing to accomplish its mission, including kidnapping Tzivia and Ram’s father. It is up to the Cole and the Wraith team to stop them, but shifting alliances and deadly secrets threaten to unravel the team and shatter Cole and Haven’s future before it begins.

WOW! Indiana Jones meets a Tom Clancy story with a touch of the supernatural in the conclusion to The Tox Files. High stakes and twists galore make Thirst of Steel an impossible to put down novel that leaves the reader reeling long after finishing. Ronie Kendig rakes her audience through the coals. I spent a good portion of the second half bawling. First, because I feared what might come, and then because my fears took place in the most shocking way imaginable. My heart hated the ending, but my head couldn’t argue its power. Days later, I still struggle to process everything that happened and choke up even as I write this.

A masterful storyteller, the author proves her metal creating nail-biting suspense and mind-bending events that leave one breathlessly suspended at the edge of his/her seat. Yet even beyond that, Kendig shines by expertly penning characters the reader becomes invested in, rooting and mourning for them as though of flesh and blood.

Kendig fans won’t want to miss this third and final installment in the series, and for anyone new to The Tox Files, I strongly suggest starting at the beginning. Could Thirst of Steel stand alone? Possibly, but a lot of depth would be missed.

Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!

Crown of Souls (The Tox Files #2) by Ronie Kendig

Genre: Military Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: September 2017

Peaceful and tranquil lives elude Cole “Tox” Russell and his team. Six months after stopping a deadly plague, their much-deserved rest abruptly comes to an end when a sniper shot strikes Cole. The enemy turns out to be none other than a rogue Special Forces operator and possibly the only other person as skilled as Cole.

Alec King seeks to execute judgment on the people he deems responsible for the death of his men. To accomplish his mission, he gives Cole an ultimatum — join his ranks or pay the price. As Cole hunts his old friend, he must fight his own demons and the fear that he might be more like Alec than Cole cares to admit.

Ronie Kendig returns with another action-packed read as secrets are revealed and loyalties tested. In Crown of Souls, the team once again jets around the globe as it searches for ancient relics and a madman bent on inflicting pain and destruction. Indiana Jones with a military twist, the story delivers Kendig’s trademark high-octane suspense with a hint of romance and a supernatural element. Intriguing characters and vivid writing capture the reader’s attention.

The author seamlessly combines fact and fiction, making it hard to detect the line between them. Considering the havoc the Knights Templars wrecked in history, they were portrayed too kindly, making it a bit jarring when their historical footprints and purposes were compared with Cole’s modern-day role. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story and following the elite team across borders (including Israel!) as they strove to thwart evil.

Kendig leaks more hints into Ram’s past that have me salivating to learn what mysteries the Israeli American conceals. It goes without saying that I’m counting down the days for the release of Thirst of Steel, the conclusion in The Tox Files series. I recommend Crown of Souls to military suspense fans who enjoy tracking down ancient artifacts.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Thanks!

Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files #1) by Ronie Kendig

Genre: Military Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: December 2016

Former Special Forces Operative Cole “Tox” Russell has spent the past four years under the radar, dead to the world. A fact he relishes. After all, he prefers to be left alone with himself and the haunting memories of the tragic mission that destroyed his career and team. But some ghosts refuse to stay in the past, and Tox is forced to resurface when an ancient plague erupts.

FBI agent Kasey Cortes has loved Cole since she was a young girl. A piece of her died the day, they buried him — only now he’s back, flesh and blood and as volatile as ever. Together, they must jet around the globe in search of answers and a way to stop the disease. When the mission pits them against a secret society with powerful connections and an unknown agenda, the fight will hit close to home.

As the plague expands, the answers they need may lie with the Crown of Jerusalem, an ancient codex. But with some doubting its validity and others going to extreme lengths to keep it hidden, Tox and the team are plunged into a race against time and history.

Ronie Kendig’s Conspiracy of Silence combined elements of romance, faith, suspense, history, and archeology in the intense, action-packed opening to The Tox Files series. While the entire novel pinned me to the edge of my seat, prepare for the ending. Wow! I literally held my breath as a sequence of events culminated with whiplashing speed.

The author intertwined fact and fiction so seamlessly that I couldn’t always tell the difference. I confess that at one point I Googled a certain secret society mentioned in the story and half expected to never be heard from again. Thankfully, I’m still here!

As usual, Kendig brought to life an intriguing and endearing cast. Cole’s tortured soul, Kasey’s loyal heart, Ram’s mysterious ways, and Chiji’s steadfast spirit quickly made them my favorites, but it’s impossible not to love the entire team. The author created some equally infuriating characters that made my blood boil, and one of the villains, couldn’t he just stay down already? I know, I know, we wouldn’t have a story if he did. (As a sidenote: I was fascinated by Kasey’s job description — deception expert — and enjoyed seeing it play out in the novel.)

The mission carried the team across various countries making for some incredible settings — two of which I hold particularly close to my heart (Israel and Spain).

I would have found a character list at the beginning helpful, especially when it comes to the Special Forces team. Each had a name, last name, and code name. I got a little turned around a few times and reverting to a character list would have been helpful.

Reading the prequel novella, A Warrior’s Seal, isn’t indispensable to understanding this book, but I would recommend starting there since it provides a deeper understanding of Cole’s backstory. And it’s free!

I recommend Conspiracy of Silence to military suspense fans looking for an intense, breathtaking read.

Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!

**Originally posted on Fiction Addict.

The Warrior’s Seal (A Tox Files Novella) by Ronie Kendig

Genre: Military Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 2016

A deadly plague ravages villages, an ancient artifact vanishes, and a power-thirsty group has kidnapped the president of the United States. As a special forces operative, Cole “Tox” Russell knows danger. He has come face-to-face with it on more than one occasion. For that reason, his team is sent to find and rescue the president. However, the mission quickly goes awry when they are sidelined due to the mysterious toxin and the people who might know how to stop it disappear or are taken hostage.

The Warrior’s Seal is the fast-paced prequel novella that introduces the elite team in Ronie Kendig’s new series The Tox Files. Combining history and modern day, archeology and military, it reminds me of Indiana Jones with a special forces twist. True to her style, Kendig delivers plenty of action, along with the chance to travel the globe without leaving your chair. Intense from beginning to end, the novella closes in a way that has me fervently begging for more.

Look at those soulful eyes!

Those of you who know or follow the author, guess who makes a special appearance? MWD (military working dog) Vvolt!! I’m pretty sure I squealed when I first saw his name.

Ready for the best part? The Warrior’s Seal is free! So make sure to download and read your copy before Conspiracy of Silence releases in December.

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