The Last Orphan: An Orphan X Novel, Book 8

I have enjoyed this series from book one and this entry was no different. Except that it was different. X struggling not with the norms of society and human relationships, but with himself and what might be diminishing skills. Plenty of excitement and action which all of these stories are known for. But there is also increased development of character and growth in X that is nice to see. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

The latest Gregg Hurwitz Orphan X novel reads a bit differently and a bit slower than previous efforts. Evan Smoak, known as Orphan X due to his background of being trained as a governmental assassin, is known on the streets as the "Nowhere Man", someone who is committed to righting wrongs...if he can be reached. Due to a tiny mistake, Evan is ensnared in a government trap and confronted by the President of the US who wants him to kill someone she deems "too dangerous to live". If he is successful, she will call off the governmental manhunt that he continually faces as the silent assassin, the Nowhere man.Early on, Evan is confronted with some hard unique dilemmas. Should he kill Luke Divine for the President and his personal freedom even though Divine doesn't fit the usual profile of the "bad guys" he seeks? Should he violate his personal code for his freedom? Should he risk his future by disappointing the president? Indeed, can he kill a person who might need it but has not crossed Smoak's personal code? The choices he makes as the action and thrills build to a climax leads to a series of suspenseful encounters with those he is sworn to protect, those he hunts, and those who hunt him. Evan is supported by many of his background characters including Joey and Candy but ultimately, it is he who must choose his future.

Does a good job with the new characters in this one. The recurring characters are always good. Three more words.

I got this book at 9:01pm 2/13 because it’s us release is at 12:01am 2/14 Eastern Time. I will be sleeping today instead of working because I could not put it down.So many people try their hand at the action thriller genre, and yet there are so few truly great examples. The very best ones in my opinion, of which this book is a shining example, are truly character based. You read the action scenes invested in the character, their well being, their motivation, and how it will affect them moving forward.2009’s The Gray Man, really raised the bar, and it had everything to do with showing the protagonists weaknesses, their desire to be different or better, while doing incredibly heroic things. Pike Logan joined the club, around 2011, and in 2016 Hurwitz raised the bar yet again with Orphan X. He created this world, and character where every book is an evolution story. You learn things about how he became the man he is today, how he struggles with some of those things, and how the lessons he learned as a child affect his evolution as an adult.As far as this book is concerned, the series started out as him trying to escape his past as Orphan X and atone as the Nowhere Man. But now the people who created Orphan X and are aware of his activities as the Nowhere Man, want to make sure he doesn’t come creeping out of the shadows, while also trying to use his skills for their personal advantage. The book starts off with a shot(literally), and just accelerates from there. Evan is asked to perform a job, in exchange for being left alone. Smoak has come very far, and is very protective of the few relationships he values in his life, and the progress he has made. All he wants is to be left alone, to live and let live, but the very top of the US government wants something entirely different. This book, like the last one in the series focuses on Evans journey, and it was fantastic.This book can be read as a stand alone, but the back catalog will shed more light on past events referenced in this book. If this is your first Orphan X book, be prepared for a lot of late nights in your near future.

*some minor spoilers inside this review*The Orphan X series has proven to be one of my favorite, and turned me into a Hurrwitz fan for life, and I was rabidly awaiting the release of this latest chapter in the X series. Unfortunately, it was a weak, lackluster, boring, and slowly-paced entry into the world of Evan Smoake. There were a few exciting chapters, but everything resolved quickly, neatly, and predictably. Most of the chapters were fluff and filler with nothing really to do with plot. One of the major bad guys gets away without intervention and a minor bad guy gets away through.... government capture? I'm so confused. Was this supposed to be the castration of Orphan X? Previously it seemed he was handing the reigns over to a new charge in Joey, or partnering with V, but they both played such tiny, inconsequential roles in this story that they could have practically been written out of the plot without even being noticed. I'm so disappointed and let down by this book that I struggled to even give it three stars, really it only got three because of the nostalgia of enjoying reading about Evan and his adventures again, such as they were in this all-too-short and neat little political story. There was no clear ending, no clear plot drive, I was just as confused as Evan was as he navigated this poorly executed mission. I hope this isn't the end of the Orphan series or of Greg Hurrwitz's writing career, maybe both just need a break.

Any book by Gregg Hurwitz will be an excellent read. Anyone, who has not read the Orphan X series, you should start. You WILL NOT be disappointed. Some parts are often so intense, I have to put the book down for a few minutes and then pick it up again. You cannot help but be drawn in. A master story teller.

His books suck you in from the first page. This one was no exception. A real page turner. Can’t wait for him to write the next one.

I like all orphan x books so am a wee bit biased. I really enjoyed this latest X book. Disfrutar...

I've never been a big reader until I discovered the first one, "Orphan X". Ever since then, once I get the new book and start reading, I can hardly stop.

Loved it, from start to finish. I wish I hadn't read all the books, so I could be starting out fresh with the first one again. These books are getting funnier, Evan is getting cooler. Joey is just amazing. Love the dog. There's no doubt in my mind that these incredible tales of heroics are getting better with each iteration. I'm loving it that a one time Orphan adversary is making regular appearances...or I should say, "regular, memorable appearances".A definite strength, with each book in the Orphan series, is in the dialogue - this can make or break a book, but Horowitz has a definite knack for expanding the development of a character through the way he/she speaks.We get the added bonus, with Smoak, of a line tapping straight into the mind of the main protagonist; even his stumbles and bumbles reveal so much, including his difficulty in traversing the puzzling domain of "the normals". Evan has learned and is still learning, tormented by his would-be side-kick, Joey, who loves nothing more than to flaunt her naked feet at him at any opportunity she can sieze.These books are gripping, amusing, action-packed, unputdownable treats for a hungry mind. Never stop writing this series. Smoak is a total legend. My only complaint is that writers never write fast enough. 10/10. Every. Single. Time.