M.W.Craven took me by surprise with a totally unexpectedly badass abundance of pure awesomeness in Fearless. Packed with action and heart, this thriller stands out in 2023’s list of must-reads.
Fearless introduces an exciting protagonist with an interesting caveat. Ben Koenig cannot feel fear. Having served as the head of US Marshal’s elite Special Operations Group, he hunted the worst of the worst. Then one day, he dropped off the face of the earth. Six years later, he becomes a person of interest when he sees his face plastered on the news. An old friend is reaching out to him to rescue his daughter who has gone missing. A man of honor, Koenig goes feral on his new mission. Koenig may not feel fear, but the adversaries he brushes up against certainly must fear him as he stops at nothing to exact justice.
Ben Koenig is simply badass. M.W.Craven permeates his protagonist with an aura that just isn’t found in many thriller heroes out there today. Dangerously-epic dialogues are just the tip of the iceberg. Koenig is a man of sheer focus and capable of unbridled violence that he inflicts upon those who cross his path. Whether it is brutal hand-to-hand combat against giants, or fast-paced gunplay, there is no shortage of bone-crunching aggression that deeply scratches that itch for cinematic action sequences with tactically and technically sound descriptions that really are the cherry on top. If watching John Wick Chapter 4 got you all hyped for an adventure where the protagonist has a bounty on his head put up by the Russian Mafia, then you’re going to want to read this book.
The narrative is smartly plotted and unveiled with the right foundations built on one another to deliver genuine emotional resonance for Koenig’s situation. Digging into his past and tying his predicaments into the present day storyline is pure genius and works effectively to connect the narrative in the most interesting fashion. Koenig feels like an exciting fusion of all-time favorites like Jack Reacher and Mitch Rapp but at the same time it does not take away from his own distinctive characterization which M.W.Craven nails to the T.
An amalgamation of espionage, private-sleuthing, and all-out-action subgenres, Fearless is masterfully written and opens up a plethora of fun and creative future storylines for Ben Koenig. A mesmerizing twisty thriller that you will not forget anytime soon.
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