Official Review: Black Tiger by James B Riverton

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Black Tiger" by James B Riverton.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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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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[RonnieA53]

Sounds like a exciting read that’s full of twist and turns with believable Main Character

[Samgum50]

This book seems very thrilling and exciting based on your review, and John L. Steelhard seems like a very heroic character. Nice review!

[Phelicia Gloria]

Sounds like character driven novel, I believe this will fit me, thanks for the great review.

[NetMassimo]

An interesting mix of elements for a thriller with science fiction bits. With another round of proofreading it could be a terrific novel. Thank you for your great review!

[Nwaogazie Goodness]

With this, I think this book will most definitely appeal to my soul.
And most importantly, you've got a great review!

[Beautyfairy]

Black Tiger is a book full of adventures, a twist of Citement, and a touch of science function.

[Tonika632]

Sounds like an intriguing book. Grammatical errors are not problem with such well-developed characters. Great review!

[Priyanka2304]

The story seems interesting. Review is also well-written. I would highly appreciate the writing style.

[kdstrack]

This story has so many interesting elements - including historical notes about the Vietnam war. I love the way you describe the author's ability to hold the reader's interest. Thanks for the amazing review!

[Roselinejay]

Is a great storyline..it really going to be intriguing to read ...and when acted is going to be wowCan’t wait to read a full story

[Echez_]

From just reading your review, I'm already lost in suspense. I believe Steelhard would be a very interesting character to look out for! I really like your review, especially how you added some rhetorical questions in between thereby causing your readers to be lost in wondering and imaginations. Thanks for sharing!