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Khyber Run (2011)

by Amber Green(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Loose Id LLC

review 1: I liked this book very much. I'll confess that I didn't read the blurb before starting this book, so I totally overlooked a few facts about Zarak's mission that are stated there, but I was glad that I didn't because I was as confused and in the dark as Zarak, the narrator was.Zarak is not one of those narrators that take you under their wing and help you navigate the story with them. He is not confrontational, he's not mean, he is not a jerk, and he's not exactly secretive or reserved, but he is removed. It seems he is not in touch with anything, he's sort of stuck in a life that doesn't let him go on or back. He was born and raised in Afghanistan and he had to flee with his family to the United States. He had to be away from his brothers to give them the chance to be toge... morether and support them. He is waiting for a promotion that isn't granted. The ways of his people are set deeply in his soul, but he can't heed them. When we meet him he has just lost his brother and he is forced to enroll in a dangerous mission of which he doesn't know the details, but that brings him close to his family, in a land that marked him profoundly. Slowly, as he gets reacquainted with the language and the ways of his people, he finds himself. I don't mean that he has a revelation or a sudden enlightment, but that he becomes more present to himself, more solid a figure to the reader, as if the recollection of his past and his quest could re-build him brick after brick, even in that desolate land.The book causes you to immerse completely in Afghanistan. It's not just an excuse for a setting, it's sketched in all its colors, smells, sounds, in its climate, in the code of behavior of its people. When Zarak and Oscar have to run for cover in an open market, making chickens fly and goats jump around, we get an effective and sensational experience beautifully written.The romantic line of the story is a tenuous thread in the book. Zarak is attracted to Oscar, the sniper who accompanies him in his mission. Even if Oscar doesn't speak the language and doesn't always understand of approve of the society rules, he seems to blend in as if he had a sort of connection to the land. We don't really get to know what makes him tick and it seems to me that Zarak doesn't want to know it either, but they're more than attracted to each other. What constitutes more than this attraction is an interesting point in the story that you have to learn for yourself, if you are able to, because there's something somewhere, but I couldn't quite grasp it and the final pages were a bit unexpected, or too little too late, or too much too soon, I have to decide yet. If you expect wine, dine, flowers and all the like, you'd be disappointed. Harsh times, tough guys. You catch something more if you pay attention to the care they take of each other, to small details.I wanted to tell something about cultural identity and the way it affects Zarak's life, but I don't think I know the right words. It was fascinating and it made me think throughout the book and after I put it down. Zarak isn't exactly an ambassador for it, but it was interesting to see how rooted it was and the hows and whys of his behavior and beliefs. I also think I wanted to see more of him with his brothers, but the author was able to decline the effect of their heritage in their different attitudes.For setting and writing and overall experience, I strongly recommend this book. If you are a hardcore romantic, you might not find it to your tastes.
review 2: I read a lot of action/suspense stories. Khyber Run has two of the more "out of the box" heroes I've come across. Ms Green has captured a turbulent setting and time and transformed them into a world I was completely drawn into with characters I had to stay with until the last page. Her tongue in cheek style is remarkably captivating, and yet, believable. I was enthralled with this book. Well done. less

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