*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Blurb~
"I love the name of honor, more than I fear death." Julius Caesar
Jim Hayes lives a quiet life in Wisconsin, training in martial arts and studying the warrior ethos. Unable to prevent the murder of his wife six years earlier, Jim is determined that the next time he is called upon to act, things will be different, and he can restore the sense of honor he believes he has lost.
His estranged brother Mark, an Army colonel commanding a firebase in the mountains of Afghanistan, sees his career winding down and wonders what lies in store when he comes home. After years of dedicated service to his country, he fears nothing else will measure up when he removes the uniform for the last time.
In lawless Somalia, al Qaeda chieftain Yusuf Shalita, tired of endless jihad, has decided to defect, in one last attempt at redemption. But Shalita has only met one American he has ever trusted, so he tells the CIA he will surrender himself to Jim Hayes, his old friend from their college days in Wisconsin. That demand will bring the Hayes brothers back together in a way they never imagined, as they fight to prevent a new and devastating terror attack on the very heart of America.
My Review~
The world is at war. A rather silent war that many people don't understand. A war that many people are against. But wars are always fought. Right now that war is happening in Afghanistan and the surrounding area, where Mark Hayes is helping to protect the US from a threat many don't even realize is there. Meanwhile, Jim Hayes wishes he could fight that war. He yearns for the chance to do the honorable thing.
But in like in a lot of things in life, you should be careful what you wish for. Jim has always believed in honor and has always tried to live his life that way. He treats people with respect and stands up for the little guys. And it is that act that brings Jim to the forefront of a war that he so longed to fight.
When he get's the call to do his duty and play his part Jim jumps at the chance to do the honorable thing and finally take a part in the war. Jim is a trained martial artist, skilled in many forms of martial arts, he is very good at what he does and uses his training to bring a sense of duty to his life. In Quest for Honor it will be that training that he will call upon in the darkness.
When I read Quest for Honor I often found myself thinking of those old Jean Claude Van Damme movies like "Nowhere to Run, "Hard Target," and "Bloodsport," where the underdog uses his mean martial art skills to kick some serious butt. Like Jean Claude Van Damme in many of his movies, Jim Hayes is a man like any other. He seeks to do the right and stands up for it whenever given the chance. There is especially one scene in Quest for Honor that brought me back to my days of watching marathons of martial art movies.
Quest for Honor is a book that gives us a very in depth look at a life at war. We see the life of the soldier as he fights for what they believe is right. Author David Tindell gives us a look at both the view of the good and bad. And he also gives us a look inside the mind of a man full of regret. Quest for Honor is a story that is full of detail and great action sequences. And though I did enjoy the story I feel that it took a little longer than I liked to get to the nitty girtty of the story. There were aspects of the story that I felt dragged on and I sometimes found myself wishing for a little less information. There were times where it felt like I was reading a history report. But they were spaced far enough between that I was able to enjoy what the story was all about.
Quest for Honor is definitely a story for those looking for a different take on the fight against war. It will put you in the mind of the enemy, the soldiers on the front line, and the family they leave behind and is a story for anyone who is seeking a thrill.
About the Author~
David Tindell was born in Germany and grew up in southern Wisconsin. Today he lives up in the northwestern corner of the state, in a log home on a lake with his wife Sue, their Yorkie and two cats. After a career in radio broadcasting, Tindell went to work for the US Government and resumed the writing career he'd started in college.
His first novel, "Revived", was published in 2000, but after that he put the pen aside for a time to train in the martial arts, earning a black belt in the Korean art of Taekwondo and instructor status in the Russian art of Systema. He currently trains in ryukudo kobujutsu, an art that combines karate with Okinawan weaponry. Like his protagonist in "The White Vixen", Tindell is a linguist, although not as accomplished as Jo Ann Geary; he's conversational in German and has also studied Italian and Russian.
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