Orphan X and The Nowhere Man - Two Brilliant New Books Worth Reading

Relearning my Love of Reading

Until my recent hiatus from Steemit I had been busy doing a lot of writing. It seems my Muse decided on a sabbatical around that time, leaving me to concentrate on the healing journey that lay ahead of me. I wanted to keep writing, but it just wasn't happening, and to a large degree still isn't. In time, I am sure.

In the meantime I found myself reading a lot more, and making a concerted effort to both read for the enjoyment factor, as well as utilising it as a learning experience. There are a lot of good stories out there. What makes them good? What makes them stand out from the others? I wanted to know. I decided to pay more attention to the characters, and their description. What about their back stories? Where did they come from, how did they develop? What drama do they find themselves in currently, and does it all resolve itself? And to what degree do we, the reader, care about them? I guess this is the writer's craft. And usually when I am engrossed in a good book this all just becomes part of the reading experience. On one level I either enjoy the book or I don't. But I decided to read as both a reader and a amateur author.

ORPHAN X and THE NOWHERE MAN

I picked a copy of Orphan X, by Gregg Hurwitz, a few months back and decided to give it a go. I had noticed the book in my local bookstore when it was released last year. The blurb piqued my interest immediately, and having just finished 'I Am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes, and being left thoroughly impressed by that book, I was eager for more. However, at the time I had several books on the go, so I decided to file it away in memory for another day.

Well like I said, that day arrived recently, so I made the trip to my local store and made the purchase. I started to read it once I got home, just to get started and get a sense of whether it was a good read or not. Normally I am a slow reader, and if I like a book I will generally get through it in a few weeks. This time however I was through Orphan X in under two days and heading back to the store for the sequel which had just been released – The Nowhere Man. Needless to say that was quickly completed. There is a third instalment on the way, but I will have to wait until January for that one.

These books are about a character called Evan Smoak, also known as both Orphan X and The Nowhere Man. We meet Evan after he has transitioned from his previous life as an assassin operating under the name Orphan X. Having had to go on the run from his former employers, he had decided to use his knowledge and skills to help people who are desperate and have no one else to turn to. The exploited and vulnerable. He is now known as The Nowhere Man, and he is hard to find. For good reason. His former employers who ran the 'Orphan Program' (former orphan children who were trained to become assassins) have started to eliminate these Orphans, in an attempt to wind the program up, and eliminate all knowledge of the crimes committed in the programs name.

In Orphan X, Evan finds himself both as a saviour to the downtrodden, whilst fighting for his own survival. A former killer seeking redemption through an attempt at turning the tables on the world he was once a part of.

These books were highly enjoyable to read, and left me marvelling at the depth written into Evan's character. There was clearly a lot of research done, as was evidenced by the long list of people the author acknowledges at the end of the book for teaching him how to develop such a character.

I highly recommend these books if you are looking for something new to read.

For more information on the author and these books, visit his website.

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