Review of The Magdalena Gambit
Posted: 29 Jan 2025, 11:09
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Magdalena Gambit" by Oscar Ortiz.]
The Magdalena Gambit by Oscar Ortiz is a thriller set in a political intelligence framework similar to the James Bond series, but with an American touch.
The story began in the office of CI 5's chief director, Colonel Marlon, who was meeting with one of his top operatives in the Quadrille, Agent Delta. Three US nuclear submarines vanished. And with two of them located, the largest and most dangerous, commanded by Admiral Fullerton, remained hidden in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The Colonel assigned Delta and Karina, head of the Triple K Group, to handle this risky mission, known as Enigma 3 project. An American-Russian conflict involving different forces, mercenaries, assassins, old enemies, allies, and former partners. Secrets and wondering who is manipulating the equation. There is a lot to learn when you dive into the fifth part of Code Name Delta: The Magdalena Gambit.
Eleven chapters divided into three parts. Each section contained a set of events. The story was written in the first person, from Delta's perspective.
Events moved at a slow pace at the beginning. The plot didn't arouse my curiosity until the beginning of the second part, The Hidden Grotto. However, the pace quickened, and the events became more enjoyable after that. Delta's glimpses of humor or his attempts to annoy his boss or other characters were among my favorite aspects of the narrative.
The story contained a lot of information and details, such as how a certain weapon worked or the capabilities of the submarine, as well as names of operations and several abbreviations. Besides describing characters like Jackson Bull and the surroundings of the events, it is a precision that calls for praise.
As part of a series, the author attempted to bring together information that builds on knowledge of the previous books. However, sometimes I felt that reading them would have helped me become more involved with the events in this one. But overall, the story can be read separately.
The plot was generally strong with features that attract the readers. However, there were several points that reduced my enjoyment of reading. The writing style relied on narrative to an excessive extent. There was no attraction factor in the structure of the pages' contents, which made it uninteresting at some points. Here I discuss my paperback copy.
Unorganized overlap between events, flashbacks, or explanations of precise details. Sometimes we were in a conversation between the Colonel and Delta about the mission, then suddenly Delta recalled events about Jessica, his regular partner, and her recruitment, or about Yuri, his old nemesis, before returning to the topic.
What I mentioned previously was influential in my reading, and I consider it my point of view. In addition to the presence of some errors, some of them are subjective, but some aren't. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars since I believe with a few adjustments, the book could be a delightful read.
There was an explicit sexual scene and hints. There was a lot of profanity and swearing; thus, it is more suitable for mature readers. The events also include some denigrating and mentioning of a true political character, so it is necessary to note that.
I recommend it to all lovers of spies, eliminators, and informative, dangerous mission stories. It will also appeal to Bond enthusiasts.
******
The Magdalena Gambit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Magdalena Gambit by Oscar Ortiz is a thriller set in a political intelligence framework similar to the James Bond series, but with an American touch.
The story began in the office of CI 5's chief director, Colonel Marlon, who was meeting with one of his top operatives in the Quadrille, Agent Delta. Three US nuclear submarines vanished. And with two of them located, the largest and most dangerous, commanded by Admiral Fullerton, remained hidden in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The Colonel assigned Delta and Karina, head of the Triple K Group, to handle this risky mission, known as Enigma 3 project. An American-Russian conflict involving different forces, mercenaries, assassins, old enemies, allies, and former partners. Secrets and wondering who is manipulating the equation. There is a lot to learn when you dive into the fifth part of Code Name Delta: The Magdalena Gambit.
Eleven chapters divided into three parts. Each section contained a set of events. The story was written in the first person, from Delta's perspective.
Events moved at a slow pace at the beginning. The plot didn't arouse my curiosity until the beginning of the second part, The Hidden Grotto. However, the pace quickened, and the events became more enjoyable after that. Delta's glimpses of humor or his attempts to annoy his boss or other characters were among my favorite aspects of the narrative.
The story contained a lot of information and details, such as how a certain weapon worked or the capabilities of the submarine, as well as names of operations and several abbreviations. Besides describing characters like Jackson Bull and the surroundings of the events, it is a precision that calls for praise.
As part of a series, the author attempted to bring together information that builds on knowledge of the previous books. However, sometimes I felt that reading them would have helped me become more involved with the events in this one. But overall, the story can be read separately.
The plot was generally strong with features that attract the readers. However, there were several points that reduced my enjoyment of reading. The writing style relied on narrative to an excessive extent. There was no attraction factor in the structure of the pages' contents, which made it uninteresting at some points. Here I discuss my paperback copy.
Unorganized overlap between events, flashbacks, or explanations of precise details. Sometimes we were in a conversation between the Colonel and Delta about the mission, then suddenly Delta recalled events about Jessica, his regular partner, and her recruitment, or about Yuri, his old nemesis, before returning to the topic.
What I mentioned previously was influential in my reading, and I consider it my point of view. In addition to the presence of some errors, some of them are subjective, but some aren't. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars since I believe with a few adjustments, the book could be a delightful read.
There was an explicit sexual scene and hints. There was a lot of profanity and swearing; thus, it is more suitable for mature readers. The events also include some denigrating and mentioning of a true political character, so it is necessary to note that.
I recommend it to all lovers of spies, eliminators, and informative, dangerous mission stories. It will also appeal to Bond enthusiasts.
******
The Magdalena Gambit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Seetha
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