Official Review: Black Tiger by James B Riverton
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Official Review: Black Tiger by James B Riverton
Black Tiger: The Adventures of John L. Steelhard - Book 1 by James B. Riverton is a gripping adventure novel with a thrilling dose of espionage, action, mystery, humor, and sex. There is also an underlying sci-fi element to it that is explored further towards the end of the book. Our protagonist, John L. Steelhard, is a man of many talents with a mysterious destiny to fulfill.
A decorated former Navy SEAL, Steelhard’s adventures take him from top-secret military operations with his band of fellow warriors in the unforgiving jungles of Laos during the Vietnam War, to air combat in the soaring skies over North Vietnam. As a prisoner of war, Steelhard is condemned to the dreaded Chinese Death Pit, where he must fight to the death in elimination combat. Through it all, Steelhard’s unwavering motto remains “Never, never, never, ever give up.”
Just as Steelhard starts to think that life could not possibly throw another wrench in his wheel, things take a perplexing turn into the weird and unknown. Bewildering revelations about his true nature and his destiny leave Steelhard reeling and unable to come to terms with what is expected of him. Will he embrace his destiny, or is this the one adventure that will finally break him?
Riverton’s compelling writing draws you in from the start, making it increasingly difficult to put down the book as the story progresses. As character-driven as the book often appeared to be, it certainly did not lack in action. Steelhard was a complex and fascinating individual. He was the ultimate survivor, and nothing kept him down for long. Unquestionably loyal to his friends, he was guided by a strong sense of moral responsibility. However, Steelhard also had the capacity to use evil against itself. He was an undeniably humble and remarkable character with the makings of a true hero.
The author’s many travels and experiences undoubtedly influenced his vision for the book. I liked his vivid descriptions of significant places and scenes in the story. The jungles of Laos came alive on the pages of the book. The dialogue, banter, and cultural norms were true to the time the story was set in - the 1970s. The humor was almost always spot on. When Riverton described Steelhard’s subtle physical transformation whenever he was angry, I could almost picture it in my mind’s eye. It was also enlightening learning about the politics surrounding the Vietnam war. Reading the book was quite an experience.
I found some of Steelhard’s actions, especially in his interaction with some of the female characters, to be a bit distasteful. I will not mention them here so as not to give away spoilers. I do understand that such actions were not necessarily out of place at the time, and I also appreciate that Steelhard was never meant to be unflawed, especially given his background and lifestyle. It is simply my opinion. Nevertheless, the book, as a whole, was quite enjoyable.
This enthralling thriller deserves the maximum rating, but I am compelled to deduct a star due to the noticeable grammatical errors. Riverton’s talent for fictional writing cannot be denied, and I happily rate Black Tiger 3 out of 4 stars. Due to the violence depicted, strong language, and the provocative nature of the sex scenes, this book is for mature readers only. If you are a non-squeamish fan of seriously action-packed thrillers, you are guaranteed an exhilarating ride.
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Black Tiger
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