Having liked The City and the City by China Miéville, I was eager to read his newer books. And then seeing his latest was written with Keanu Reeves, I had to read it day one. Sometimes, I should read what the book is about before buying it.

What is it about?

Highlander in the Marines. That’s pretty much the starting point. The main character was born 80’000 years ago. He can’t die or rather always comes back. And he is good at killing and can enter a berserker mode.

And in the present, he is working with an ultra secret governmental organisation, helping them both study him and in their assassinations. But both him and the organisation have goals of their own and old ennemies are never far away.

So what

Given the success of the John Wick films, I shouldn’t have been surprised of the premise of the book. Except… I don’t like this kind of setup or background. That might hit a nerve with Keanu Reeves’ fans in the US but not with me.

The first one-third of the book felt like a drag, I couldn’t enter the world the authors were building because of this disconnect.

Once this background has been (very thoroughly) described and made consistant, the focus of the story switches. Less mindless testosterone and more story and more depth to the main character’s personality and motivations.

It was more pleasant.

Yet…

Final world

Not for me.