#toxfiles

[echoesofbooks]

Thirst of Steel by Ronie Kendig

Dismantled centuries ago, the sword of Goliath is still rumored to thirst for its enemies' blood. Cole "Tox" Russell wants only to put the dangers of his past behind him and begin his new life with Haven Cortes. First, though, he's called to complete a final mission: retrieve the sword and destroy the deadly Arrow & Flame Order.

The AFO, however, is determined to reunite the sword. Threatening the life of Ram and Tzivia's father, they jeopardize Ram's long-held and dangerous secret while demanding Tzivia locate the blade. With the Wraith team slowly being torn apart, things worsen when Mercy Maddox, a new operative, emerges with the stunning news that the artifact is tied to both Ram's secret and a string of unsolved serial murders. Tox, Ram, and the others are forced to set aside fear and anger to target the true enemy. No matter the cost, Wraith must destroy the AFO...or join them in the flames. First: NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Why does this have to be the end of The Tox Files!!! I'm not going to lie: I spent a good portion of at least the last 50 pages in various stages of crying. Filled with twists, turns, action, mystery, faith and a heavy dose of mysticism, this SAARC mission certainly pulls out all the stops.

Seriously though, this book threw twists at you like there was no tomorrow. I did have my suspicions regarding at least the direction of a couple of them, but I was still pleasantly surprised. And there are a couple that I'd like more information on please...because those bombs can't just be dropped on us without telling us how things end up!! (I don't want to spoil anything, so if you've got questions about what I'm talking about, feel free to message me) And there was romance! *sigh* It was just so...well I mean, it wasn't exactly beautiful because of reasons, but it was! There was so much love and potentials that I was seriously cheering for. And not just romantic love either. There was familial love as well. And that was just as strong, if not stronger than the romantic love that wove through the book. I loved getting to see more Wraith. The relationship between all the team members is just awesome. I love their family dynamic and the fact that they can rib each other till there's no tomorrow, but they've got each other's backs and they trust each other (yes, that did make things a little difficult at a couple points but still). It's interesting watching Leif try to integrate with the team. I did feel a little bad; the rest of Wraith has had years to get to know each other and he's still a comparative unknown so they are a little standoffish, but I did like that while it doesn't seem like they trust him completely 100% of the time, they've still got his back and it feels like they're working on making him a full blown member of the team. I was a little frustrated with Tzivia. I get that she was trying to rescue her father and she didn't have all the information, but that doesn't really excuse some of her behavior. Ram shocked me. I mean, I'd had questions about where he'd stand on things. While it was clear that he was loyal to Wraith in the other books, at the same time it always felt like there was something...else there as well. Something that pulled him to just this side of, well not disloyalty but maybe priorities? Even though I was angry at the way he went about accomplishing certain things, in the end, he proved where his true loyalties lay. Mercy was an interesting character. I loved her spunk and the fact that she could seriously handle herself. And had a serious superhero obsession :D. I would definitely have loved to know more about Greece and her relationship with Ram though. Same really for how she came to work with Iliescu. And Tox and Haven!! So excited that things look like they're going to work out for them! Although I don't know that I can imagine Tox being able to do the whole "domesticated" thing for too long--he just feels like someone who needs to be out there doing something. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own

[echoesofbooks]

Crown of Souls

Six months after stopping a deadly plague, Cole "Tox" Russell and his team are enjoying a little rest. That peace is short-lived when a sniper shot hits Tox. The enemy is discovered to be one of their own, a rogue Special Forces team operator. 

Alec King is perhaps the only person as skilled as Tox, and he's out for justice. Furious with orders that got his men killed, he intends to make those responsible pay. And he insists Tox join him, believing they are the same breed of soldier.

Afraid his old friend is right, Tox battles a growing darkness within himself as he and his team engage in another deadly encounter with antiquity. It appears Alec is cheating--he's using a mysterious artifact, a crown that history has linked to some of the worst slaughters in humanity. Racing to stop Alec before his vengeance is unleashed, Tox must fight the monster without becoming one.

Ronie Kendig has done it again! Filled with all the action, suspense, romance, spirituality and a slightly heavier dose of mysticism that filled Conspiracy of Silence, this book had me hooked! I laughed, worried, panicked, was in awe and actually squealed a couple of times. And spent most of my time on the edge of my seat.

I love the relationship between Cole and all the members of Wraith. They can tease each other mercilessly, yet will always have each others backs. I did worry for a moment when the reasons behind Cole’s actions were revealed, but once the team realized why he’d done what he did, I’m glad that they were still able to have each others backs.

And I absolutely love Cole and Haven’s relationship. Those two are just so good for each other. I really love that Haven’s still going to fight for Cole, even when it means fighting Cole himself to get him to see that he’s not really the horrible monster he’s convinced himself he is. And I loved when his jealous side would come out, especially in relation to Haven and Levi’s relationship. It proved even more that he’s not the monster he thinks he is and was just overall enjoyable. I will admit to also being worried about the two of them after his reveal, and while there was a little more danger that went on, I’m glad they were able to move past it. And Cole’s got a plan for going forward! I was disappointed that he didn’t get to execute at the time, but maybe holding off will let this happen in a more spectacular way?

Ronie certainly does a great job of making character cameos. Vvolt was a sweet guest star. And the other cameo took me back, that’s for sure. I hope there’s going to be more of those cameos in the future!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

[echoesofbooks]

Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig

This book!

You really need to read it...

Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole "Tox" Russell has been disavowed by the United States. And that's fine--he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action. Tox and his former Special Forces team regroup to work with FBI deception expert, Kasey Cortes, and fiery archaeologist, Tzivia Khalon, to search the globe for answers--and a cure. As the mission leads from one continent to another, it becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague but battling an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden. With time running out and the threat of a global pandemic rising, Tox and his team realize their sole chance might be to reach back through centuries of silence to find the only answer that can save them all

Does this catch your attention? Because it certainly grabbed mine!! Filled with action, suspense, romantic tension, spirituality and just a hint of mysticism, this story takes you across continents, centuries and even a couple of religious texts.

I loved the way this story had Cole struggling with the fact that he made the choices he made to protect his men even though they may have compromised his morals. I wasn’t too hot on the fact that he seems to really hate himself and almost basically sees himself as the villain he’s been painted as. But that being said, I loved the way he and his team seemed to slide so seamlessly back into their roles (after they got over their shock of course).

And speaking of the way Cole views himself, I loved the setup for the relationship between he and Kasey. Even though she's been basically in love with him since she was 12, she also was willing (sort of) to fight for him even if she never got him. But I also liked how she challenged him as he kept trying to run away. And really, that's what he was doing even though he thought it was the right thing to do.

My big issue with this book is that it throws you into the thick of things with not much setup. All the setup/introductions to the characters was done in the novella The Warrior’s Seal so this didn’t really give you much background specifically. There was enough that you could extrapolate what happened, but I would have liked a little more...all that being said, I can’t wait to read Crown of Souls!!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

[echoesofbooks]

Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files Book #1) - Kindle edition by Ronie Kendig. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files Book #1).

You guys need to check out #RonieKendig’s new book! It’s such a thrill ride!! Filled with ancient plagues, disavowed warriors and an interesting connection to Biblical events!!