Distrustful of this uneasy alliance and with no outside support to call on, Drake gathers his small group of trusted team mates and embarks on his most difficult and dangerous mission yet. However, his plans soon unravel, forcing him into a deadly game of cat and mouse against a vengeful British intelligence officer with an unknown agenda. I certainly see Redemption as the first step in a complex overarching story that will develop over the course of five books. There are an awful lot of unanswered questions at the end, both for Drake and Maras, and the next four books will see both of them searching for answers – sometimes together, sometimes apart and sometimes against each other. With many major publications singing Jordan’s praises, most are drawn towards his sense of suspense. That and his ability to create action set-pieces which are highly visceral and entertaining for his readers to experience, is what many readers have come to appreciate, as he gains fans both far and wide. The career of Will Jordan is growing from strength-to-strength due to this, something that doesn’t appear to stopping anytime soon.

Northbank Talent Management | Will Jordan Northbank Talent Management | Will Jordan

Pursued by his former comrades and thrown together with a dangerous woman he doesn’t trust, his journey for answers takes him from Russia to America, Saudi Arabia and finally Iraq.

Publication Order of Ryan Drake Books

But it's when the mission is successfully completed that the real danger for Drake begins. Faced with a terrible threat, he is forced to go on the run with Maras - a veteran agent scarred by years of brutal imprisonment. I also love playing with the notion of who the ‘bad guy’ really is. No character should be 100% good or bad in my opinion, and I think that holds particularly true for the antagonists. In Redemption, characters may do bad things but in their own minds (and perhaps even in the real world) they’re serving a greater good. I think that makes them far more interesting because it gives the reader a different perspective. Russia, 1959. Nine members of a Soviet mountaineering team on an ambitious expedition into the Ural Mountains are found dead, victims of massive and bizarre injuries. The Dyatlov Pass incident, as this grisly event came to be known, remains unexplained to this day.

Ryan Drake Series by Will Jordan - Goodreads Ryan Drake Series by Will Jordan - Goodreads

As the title suggests, this books is about the pursuit of redemption. Both Drake and Maras have done bad things in their pasts, and are each searching for a way to make that right. However by the end they each realise that redemption can’t be given by someone else – it has to be earned. The story is skillfully told and it's a captivating read, yes, but at the same time the events unfold in a way that's seldom surprising. Many of the plot twists are quite easy to see coming from afar, and there's not much that's genuinely new, original or surprising in the storyline. Sometimes the characters are made to do uncharacteristically stupid mistakes for the sake of drama, such as a badly wounded character forsaking their gun and being taunted into a fistfight with a much stronger opponent, even though the same character is supposed to show their enemies (and this one in particular) no mercy. Born in 1983, Will Jordan hails from Fife in Scotland where he still lives to this very day, growing up in the region and taking in a lot from his surrounding environment during his upbringing, right up until he became a writer. He always had a strong interest in computers and information technology, a passion which is clearly reflected throughout the ongoing themes displayed in his books and narratives, featuring heavily, as they are used by his colorful cast of characters. Later on he was to develop his interest in military technology and hardware, which led him towards getting the inspiration for writing his novels. The Scottish thriller author Will Jordan has been writing for some time now, creating his unique brand of high-octane suspense filled narratives that manage to constantly keep the reader glued to the edges of their seats, right up until the very end. Chiefly known for his character Ryan Drake who he’s kept running for over five books so far and counting, he’s already turning heads within the industry due to his ability in combining both suspense and intrigue. Living in Fife he has a strong interest in military history and modern warfare techniques, something which is clearly reflected through the accuracy displayed in his stories. Ryan Drake, once a decorated field operative, is now wanted for treason. On the run from the CIA’s corrupt Deputy Director Marcus Cain, he has spent the past six months in a remote French safe house. Drake’s former life seems to be behind him, but the uneasy peace is shattered when Cain moves against him with startling force.For me the story is all about the changing relationship between Drake and Maras. To begin with he’s deeply distrustful of her, which soon gives way to anger and resentment as things begin to unravel for him. Gradually however he begins to see the humanity in her, and the two of them form a bond of sorts through their shared experiences. It’s not exactly a cosy friendship, as the end of the novel proves, but it’s definitely intense. It sounds like a simple mission. But nothing is what it seems, and within hours of arriving in the war-torn country, Drake and his team find themselves caught in a deadly conflict between a brutal terrorist warlord and the ruthless leader of a private military company. And lurking in the shadows is a woman from Drake’s past determined to take revenge for two decades of betrayal. Maras on the other hand represents the past. Her character has its roots in the dark days of the Cold War when East and West faced off across a divided Europe. She’s older and more experienced than Drake, having spent the better part of two decades doing dirty jobs for the CIA. Her experiences have left her jaded and embittered, but also extremely dangerous. One review I read mentioned that the language was often repetitive and uninspired. I would say that is probably a valid criticism. It's clear Mr. Jordan is no wordsmith. However this is more than balanced by excellent characterisation, plot and pacing. Personally, I would also have welcomed some of the author's natural wit to have come across in the novel. This book does not let up. It hits the gas and it doesn't let up on the pedal.' -- ***** Reader review

Redemption by Will Jordan | Waterstones

What broke my suspension of disbelief was the character of Maras, the woman Ryan and his team are sent to rescue in the beginning of the story. I'm all for strong and interesting female characters, but Maras seems like a superhero in an otherwise grounded story. She's way too strong and fast, unbelievably perceptive, skillful in everything she does, and established as pretty much the toughest fighter there is. There, he finds himself presented with an unexpected offer – travel to Libya, kidnap a high-ranking officer in Gaddafi’s much feared intelligence service, and return him to the UK. In exchange, Drake will be given everything his needs to destroy the career of the CIA’s corrupt leader, Marcus Cain. Came to this book as a fan of the author's YouTube persona, The Critical Drinker. I'll frame this by saying that I don't consider myself to be a fan of this particular genre, but props to Jordan for entering a field already well-populated (saturated, even) with big names and heavy-hitters.This is an interesting contrast to the author's own recent critiques on how female action heroes are often depicted in modern movies (Drinker Fixes Maras, anyone?). And of course, in addition to being able to punch her way through any man, she's very beautiful and sensual (with so much emphasis on descriptions of her body that it almost feels uncomfortable at times), in a great physical condition, and doesn't shy away from sexuality at all - all this regardless of just having been released from a prison where for years she had been abused in all ways possible.