Official Review: Raptor by B.A. Bostick

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Jackie Holycross
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Official Review: Raptor by B.A. Bostick

Post by Jackie Holycross »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Raptor" by B.A. Bostick.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Frank Bishop, a private investigator, has gotten himself into a ton of trouble. He was hired to find a missing little girl and followed the leads to a wealthy lawyer named Nikolai Tesslovich. In the opening scenes, we find him duct taped to a chair being tortured by one of Nikolai’s henchmen. Then a creature comes busting through the window. She is part human, part angel, and all avenger. She cuts off Nikolai’s head which spurts green blood. She then shoots the torturer, frees Frank, and flies off with him.

This exciting scene is only the beginning of the fast-paced, supernatural ride called Raptor by b. a. bostick. This first book of a trilogy does a great job of setting up a world where good and evil battle to keep a semi-equal balance. Frank soon learns that raptors are a type of warrior sent to kill demons in response to any aggression on their part. They protect mankind or at least keep evil at bay. True angels are kept in reserve for a major apocalypse. Ariel, the raptor, and Frank work together to find that his missing child case does indeed have ties to her assignment to assassinate Nikolai. It gets even more complicated when Nikolai shows up in court, very much alive. According to Ariel, “He’s not that kind of demon.” The story takes twists and turns as they uncover a plot using kidnapped children as part of an experiment to create an invincible demon army.

I felt the author did a great job with character development. Even minor characters are given enough back-story and personality to be real and create an emotional connection. I also appreciated the snippets of foreshadowing that keep the reader interested and create questions that will not be answered until later in the trilogy. For example, two raptors in the story have dreams that seem to point to a past of being completely human, yet they have no conscious memory of any such life. The book definitely points to a sequel, but the main storyline is completed enough to be a satisfying read on its own.

The author spends a longer than average amount of time on scene description. I felt this made the story lag occasionally, but that is a matter of personal preference. Other readers would probably really appreciate the details. Most will also appreciate the dry humor scattered through the story to break up the tension.

There is some minor profanity and one sex scene, so this book is not for young readers. It is well-edited with very few errors. It would be enjoyable for teens and adults alike who enjoy a good crime story with some supernatural characters and events. Overall, I rate it as 4 out of 4 stars. The writing flows well and the action and mystery keep the reader involved. I would gladly read the sequel.

******
Raptor
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

It's been a long time! (: I love that this book has great and relatable characters, and the premise seems really interesting. Thanks for the detailed review, and I'm placing this on my to-read list.
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Post by Flowers123 »

Sounds like a great read. I like a well developed character plot especially one that is laced with some supernatural characters and events. This will make for a good read I enjoyed your review. Thanks.
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Post by Bianka Walter »

I was so close to picking this book to review - and now I'm sad I didn't! Although, after your recommendation, I have definitely added it to my to-read list :)
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Post by SpencerVo »

Although I am not the biggest fan of urban fantasy noir genre, your review makes me curious about this book. It seems complicated in an interesting and refreshing way. The illustration on the front cover looks so uniquely fun, so I will consider checking the novel out.
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds very interesting. Fast-paced with great character development. Though it's not overly graphic, the few explicit scenes it contains would be a turn off to me. I think I'll pass but thanks!
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

gen_g wrote: 10 Dec 2018, 03:03 It's been a long time! (: I love that this book has great and relatable characters, and the premise seems really interesting. Thanks for the detailed review, and I'm placing this on my to-read list.
Thanks for stopping by. Life got in the way of my reading for a while, but I'm back in action now. :P
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Post by Dael Reader »

Sounds like a imaginative and intriguing story. Especially the whole angel-demon-human interplay going on. I agree with you that too much description can make a story lag. But you write a compelling review.
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Post by daydreaming reader »

Definitely my type of books. Thank you for your informative review!
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Jackie Holycross
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

Bianka Walter wrote: 10 Dec 2018, 05:47 I was so close to picking this book to review - and now I'm sad I didn't! Although, after your recommendation, I have definitely added it to my to-read list :)
That happens to me all the time. I pass a book over or wait too long and it's gone, then it ends up being great.
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Jackie Holycross
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

SpencerVo wrote: 10 Dec 2018, 08:26 Although I am not the biggest fan of urban fantasy noir genre, your review makes me curious about this book. It seems complicated in an interesting and refreshing way. The illustration on the front cover looks so uniquely fun, so I will consider checking the novel out.
Funny - I had never even heard of the genre before. I think I might look for more.
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Jackie Holycross
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

Dael Reader wrote: 10 Dec 2018, 17:43 Sounds like a imaginative and intriguing story. Especially the whole angel-demon-human interplay going on. I agree with you that too much description can make a story lag. But you write a compelling review.
It reminded me of Frank Peretti's work but without the religious themes.
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Post by Ice dragon »

Angel's are the new black in the horror/fantasy sector! There sounds like a lot of lore behind the story and I hope the book covers the more grey areas of morality, rather than just a good vs. evil, just out of personal preference.

thanks for the review I shall give the book a browse.
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

Definitely this is a nice, supernatural fantasy. Nice review and thank you for sharing 👍👍
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Post by Connie Otwani »

I am intrigued - though Nicolai is decapitated, he still turns up very much alive in court! The book sounds fast-paced and action-packed. Thanks for the compelling review.
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