Action & Adventure
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The Last Orphan: An Orphan X Novel (Orphan X, 8)
Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller--when everything changes and everything is at risk.
As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.
Until he makes one little mistake...
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life.
As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.
Until he makes one little mistake...
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she'll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life.
Editorial Reviews
"Just when I thought the Orphan X novels couldn't get any better, Gregg Hurwitz takes the series to an even higher level. The Last Orphan is pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, and thought-provoking. I loved it." ―Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"The Last Orphan is a top-notch thriller and action packed joyride. Readers will not want to put it down."
―NYT and International Bestselling Author, Karin Slaughter
"...the writing is crisp, the action scenes are both clever and cinematic, the dialogue is pitch perfect, and the villains are deliciously detestable. First-class." ―Booklist
"A crackerjack thriller that briskly enhances the legend of Orphan X." ―Kirkus Reviews
"This is another great Orphan X novel, filled with dramatic moments, fights, shootouts, and witty writing that we have come to love in this series. Fans of X will be very happy." ―Red Carpet Crash
"Gregg Hurwitz has never taken his foot off the gas pedal. The Last Orphan continues his trend of complex thrills with an engaging protagonist." ―Bookreporter
"The Last Orphan has it all... a story that has more unexpected twists and turns than a Disney World rollercoaster." ―Midwest Book Review
"Reading an Evan Smoak tale is truly a guilty pleasure, like eating dessert before dinner... Hurwitz proves to be a master storyteller as he uncouples this riveting barnburner of a thriller. " ―Mystery & Suspense
"The Last Orphan is a top-notch thriller and action packed joyride. Readers will not want to put it down."
―NYT and International Bestselling Author, Karin Slaughter
"...the writing is crisp, the action scenes are both clever and cinematic, the dialogue is pitch perfect, and the villains are deliciously detestable. First-class." ―Booklist
"A crackerjack thriller that briskly enhances the legend of Orphan X." ―Kirkus Reviews
"This is another great Orphan X novel, filled with dramatic moments, fights, shootouts, and witty writing that we have come to love in this series. Fans of X will be very happy." ―Red Carpet Crash
"Gregg Hurwitz has never taken his foot off the gas pedal. The Last Orphan continues his trend of complex thrills with an engaging protagonist." ―Bookreporter
"The Last Orphan has it all... a story that has more unexpected twists and turns than a Disney World rollercoaster." ―Midwest Book Review
"Reading an Evan Smoak tale is truly a guilty pleasure, like eating dessert before dinner... Hurwitz proves to be a master storyteller as he uncouples this riveting barnburner of a thriller. " ―Mystery & Suspense
Readers Top Reviews
LagoonRegency Bel
Still on the US government’s naughty list, Orphan X, Evan Smoak, is offered a chance at redemption. Eliminate a bothersome billionaire and the powers that be will adopt a live and let live approach with Evan. Sounds too good to be true, and you know what they say about that? One of the aspects I like most about the Orphan X series is the juxtaposition of humour alongside the hand to hand fighting and breathless pursuits. The approach Evan takes to the olive branch offered him is a cautionary one. After all, it’s not as if the government have always played by the rules. Although there are moments of pathos, this is a high energy read with a storyline that lifts it above so many standard anti hero novels. There are some sassy comebacks and just the right balance of tech versus brute force. The sort of book that you can breeze through in one sitting without even realising it. Wonderful stuff.
Michael G Kurilla
Gregg Hurwitz's latest Orphan X installment, The Last Orphan finds Evan tracked down by the USG. He is offered a deal to take out a billionaire who is messing with the US President's re-election plans. He escapes from the Secret Service, but check out the offer. He finds a murder of innocents and investigates, gradually culling a band of psychopathic bodyguards responsible for the murders and surrounding the billionaire. In the end, he manages to frustrate everyone and winds up still in the sights of the USG and potentially meeting his biological father. Hurwitz has the classic Orphan X in fine form with critical assists from both Candy and Joey. Whether he's made a new friend or enemy remains for the next installment.
the ShrikeMichael
...my single favorite fictional character! Might be due to Robert Crais's last effort which featured Pike's acquaintance Jon Stone, more than it did Pike. (Can only hope Pike re-emerges in Crais's next novel to continue this contest for my favorite. ) Or maybe it's just Gregg Hurwitz latest effort, the Last Orphan! Outstanding story, character building & depth bordered on excellent, and the action scenes were superb. Especially enjoyed X's near escape from the entire Secret service sent to capture him, awakening to find himself trussed up worse than Hannibal Lector. Candy's reappearance was a great touch. All in all, if you're looking for a fast read as Winter dwindles and Spring rapidly approaches, you could do a lot worse than selecting The Last Orphan. Highly reccomended!
Amber Golebthe Sh
Awwww man. At first, I thought maybe this was it for Evan Smoak. Then, I realized it wasn't the end. I am relieved to know that I will get to continue on the Evan Smoak train for a little while longer. This book, like all the previous books in the series, is a whole different type of level of story. Yet again, X is on a mission to extinguish evil. The real question in this book is who exactly is that evil? X has some real digging to find the truth so he knows just who he is up against and who he needs to seek his vengeance on. Every book we get in this series brings a little more humanity to Evan and his struggle on how to handle the humanity coming through. His internal struggles of learning how to navigate real emotions continue to reek havok on his ability to accept he does infact have emotions. He continues to make personal connections with those arround him and new people. His net is getting wider and wider, which makes him more vulnerable. I really enjpyed this ride with X. And that ending. I am anticiapting where that is going to go in the next book. But whhhyyyyy do I have to wait so long. Another year of waiting. *sigh*
"jjjjj9"Amber Gol
I’ve read all the books in this series. In this installment, Hurwitz, a talented writer, seems to be aiming for somewhat more complexity, for a step toward “serious fiction” as opposed to a straightforward thriller. The results seem mixed. On the positive side, he does a very good job in portraying how Evan begins to grapple with aging and continues to grapple with establishing emotional connections with others. On the less positive side, Hurwitz seems to be trying to add a sheen of literary seriousness by adding more stream of consciousness passages and by evoking The Great Gatsby and especially Heart of Darkness, with long references to a powerful man who weaves a mysterious spell amid fog, labyrinthine hallways and megalomaniac speeches. All this slows down the narrative. The greatest drawback of this reach for complexity, though, is the portrayal of Evan’s prime antagonist (Luke) as neither clearly good or bad. The resulting interactions between Evan and Luke are more like psychological drama than thriller, and therefore the resolution can’t deliver the emotional kick of the best thrillers. Even one of Hurwitz’s weaker entries is still very good, but I hope his next entry maintains Evan’s growing complexity but sheds the less successful changes in plot and prose style.
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