I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Power Game
by
Christine Feehan
action & adventure, military science fiction, romance in Hardcover edition that was published by Berkley on January 24, 2017 and has 464 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark Predator, Savage Nature, Spirit Bound, Darkest at Dawn, Samurai Game, Dark Storm, Leopard's Prey, Air Bound, Hot Blooded, Viper Game, Earth Bound, Spider Game, "Dark Crime", Covert Game, Judgment Road, Toxic Game, Vengeance Road, Fire Bound, Bound Together, Shadow Warrior, Leopard's Wrath, Wild Cat, Cat's Lair, Vendetta Road, Lethal Game, Desolation Road, Leopard's Rage, Reckless Road, Dark Whisper
Thirteenth in the GhostWalker romantic military science fiction series revolving around a top-secret, elite group of women and soldiers who have been re-engineered genetically and psychically. The couple focus is on Bellisia Adams and Ezekiel Fortunes.
My Take
With a theme of loyalty, love, and support even as betrayal surrounds them all, Power Game makes good use of third-person omniscient to let us in on everyone’s thoughts and fears, although Feehan didn’t convince me with Bella’s fears. Not to the extent that Bella went to anyway. Nor did it make any sense for her to wait to rescue Zeke. Surely she must have known there’d be more unfriendlies to tackle at the destination???
The overall conflict is the threat Whitney poses to the triplets and these GhostWalkers who escaped him. Lesser conflicts include the unknown threat of Cheng, the dangers to the newly escaped Bella, and Violet’s hatred.
There’s plenty of action as the boys protect their compound, rescue the hostages, and chase down the bad guys. The sex is fairly minimal, surprisingly, with more concentration on Bella’s need for hydration. I’m surprised he’s not building around a central courtyard so she can enjoy being naked in the rain.
How can you not adore Zeke? Sure he’s lethal as a soldier, a protector, but he’s so gentle and loving with the triplets as he sings to them, tells them stories, and teaches them about the bayou. A man, who as a boy, protected his younger brothers when they lived on the streets.
I think I missed it, why Zeke doesn’t want anyone to know why he’s so good as a shield? What can possibly be so awful about being protective?
A huge improvement over Viper Game, 11. I’ll have to go back and catch up with Spider Game. Fingers crossed.
The Story
An angry young GhostWalker, Bellisia was sent to insert herself into a Chinese company and learn if treason is afoot. Now she must determine if the targets are worth saving.
It’s Ezekiel who arouses her interest, feelings she’d never thought to experience. But her presence becomes questionable in itself when the team discovers she’s been spying on Captain Ezekiel Fortunes and his team as they train for the top-secret mission rescuing hostages taken by radical terrorists in Indonesia.
And how can Bella forgive Ezekiel’s betrayal…
The Characters
Bellisia “Bella Adams” was genetically cross-engineered with blue octopus and can hide, chameleon-like, anywhere. She also comes equipped with a deadly poison and setae that allow her to climb anything. Bella’s “sisters” include Zara, Scarlet, Blue, Cat, Amaryllis, and Peony “Shylah“.
Doctor Captain Ezekiel Fortunes, a medic whose abilities include hunting and tracking, and his PJ (Pararescue Jumpers, Air Force Special Forces) team, GhostWalker Team Four, live with Nonny in the bayou.
GhostWalker Team Four includes…
…Zeke’s brothers, Master Sergeant Mordichai and Malachai Fortunes; Doctor Lieutenant Draden “Sandman” Freeman, gorgeous and a former model who is also the best anesthesiologist; and, Master Sergeant Gino “Phantom” Mazza.
Doctor Colonel Joe Spagnola, a psychic healer and surgeon, is the squadron leader for the GhostWalker PJs, who’s been holding out on his men; Diego Rubin; and, Diego’s brother, Chief Master Sergeant Rubin Campo another psychic healer with a love of birds are more of the men who live at the compound. Trap Dawkins (he’s a billionaire with Asperger’s syndrome) married Cayenne (she carries spider genes) in Spider Game, 12.
Major General Tennessee Milton heads up the GhostWalkers. Dahlia LeBlanc, a former mental patient, and Nicolas Trevane from Mind Game, 2, get a mention.
The Fontenot compound is…
…based in the bayous of Louisiana and is ruled over by the eighty-two-year-old Grace “Nonny” Fontenot, a traiteur with second-sight and a loving matriarch who raised her grandsons. It’s so cool that her reputation as a healer with plants is so great that she consults with pharmacies and doctors. Dr. Wyatt Fontenot married Pepper (her abilities are as a psychic assassin with a biological need for sex) after rescuing her and their three venom-carrying babies: Ginger, Cannelle, and Thym (Viper Game, 11). Raoul “Gator” Fontenot, a GhostWalker Army Ranger, married Iris “Flame” Johnson in Night Game, 3.
Donny is retired military, wealthy with his own island that he protects with a fierce passion and his hidden heart of gold. Bernard (has a band) and Papite Vallier are friends of Nonny’s.
John Stennis Space Center is…
…a navy compound in Mississippi and home to Special Warfare Combat Craft (SWCC). Senior Chief Petty Officer Ben Wallace. Some of the SEALs who’ll go on the mission include Slick.
Kopaska Group 5 is…
…an elite Indonesian navy group that will team up with GhostWalker Team Four to rescue hostages and includes Amar Lesmana.
The Enemies
Dr. Peter Whitney is…
…a sociopathic mad genius scientist uncaring of the destruction of the souls he takes to experiment upon. Zenith is a lethal drug he injects into his creations when he sends them out on missions. I suspect he takes a perverse joy in creating “pairings” between the men and women he recreates so they bond and produce genetically enhanced offspring.
From Marine Recon units, Gerald Perkins and Adam Cox are the handlers (who washed out of the GhostWalker program) sent on missions with Bella.
Lily Whitney is the brilliant daughter who managed to escape him in Shadow Game, 1.
Bernard Lee Cheng is…
…an extremely wealthy paranoid sociopath with a sideline in selling secrets and has allies in the terrorist world. Bolan Zhu is one of Cheng’s top aides. David is one of his scientists. JinJing is one of his employees at the Cheng Company in China.
Senator Violet Smythe-Freeman…
…widow of her paired mate, Edward Freeman, is Maurice Stewart‘s vice-presidential running mate with her own plans for the future president. She’s also a GhostWalker who hates her own, even as she’s been paired with Whitney and others. Her skills include voice. Her guards include Nate and Darrin. Violet has been hobnobbing with Senators Crane, Delgato, and Jenson and General Ivan Newman, the Air Force’s military service chief on the Joints Chiefs of Staff. Stanley Jordan is out for the bounty.
RH-Null is a universal blood type with no antigens.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark with Zeke’s face, his eyes glowing gold, emerging from that darkness. The author’s name is at the top in an embossed red with the title at the bottom in the pale greens and grays of lizard skin. The series information is at the bottom
The title is what Senator Violet Smythe is up to, a Power Game.
