Burning up the pages
The amnesiac spy’s back in action and going great guns.
where history is being made.
In typical Bourne fashion, he makes some friends along the way, some converts, others loyalist faithful. Even the daughter of one of Mexico’s biggest drug lords (he was killed in the last book by Bourne) is not immune to the sheer force that is Bourne. She becomes at first, a reluctant ally, then later a convert, fully baptised on the altar of Jason Bourne.
The Chinese political environment is interesting, as is usual for a Bourne novel. Deng Tsu, known in the upper echelons of power as the Patriarch, is a crafty strategist, playing the traditional Minister Cho against the modern Minister Ouyang.
I enjoyed the consistent pace of the book, and felt that even the odd lull in action between pivotal scenes contributed to the overall feel of the story. I was able to read this book straight through, without putting it down once.
The writing is classic Ludlum, with his trademark simplistic prose evident in many places. Lustbader channels Ludlum very well, while bringing to bear his own outstanding style of writing to fill in the spaces between.
As mentioned above, the Chinese element is where Bourne always seems to shine, as he brings his past experiences and his flair for Eastern languages out to play. Bourne is as capable an operative in Asia as he has ever been, building on both his David Webb persona and his previous life as the killer known only as Delta.
One of the only shortcomings I find in this as well as the last few Jason Bourne novels is that there is never any clear indication of what happens to his wife, Marie, and their two children. This is unfortunate as Jason’s relationship with Marie forms a large and important part of his persona. As such, I felt that there was still a large hole in the plot and that this makes it very difficult to bridge Jason Bourne to David Webb, always leaving me trying to put the pieces together.
Overall, though, I found the book entertaining. As a Jason Bourne fan, having read and re-read both the Ludlum as well as Lustbader series, I have some questions about the continuity of the character, and how Jason Bourne, as David Webb relates to Jason Bourne in this and the past three novels. However, I feel that most fans of the spy and thriller genres will enjoy this book without thinking too hard about the missing pieces. I am looking forward to the next Jason Bourne, due for release later this year.
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