My version: Hardback
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam, Transworld, Penguin Randon House
First published: 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-06496-2
Pages: 663
Bought
From the cover:
If, like Kane, you’re a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again – by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide – and when to shoot.
But some places don’t play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane’s experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place – a place where violence is the only way to survive.
Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West – but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart.
The Year Of The Locust is a voyage to a far-off land to see something no one has ever seen before. A mission to prevent the future happening. An encounter with true evil. And, unltimately, a moment when Kane must make the decision to save his own life – or someone else’s.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Year Of The Locust, even after having to wait more than a year to get hold of the follow up to I Am Pilgrim.
Locust is a(nother) thrilling, a gripping and ambitious, high-stakes spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Hayes’ writing is both suspenseful and insightful, offering a glimpse into the shadowy world of international espionage and he weaves a complex plot, filled with unexpected twists and turns.
The novel starts with vivid descriptions and intense action sequences that immediately draw you in. So it really came as no real surprise, when I read the blurb about Hayes afterwards, to find he is also known for his screenwriting work on films like Mad Max 2. There is definitely a cinematic quality to his writing, which makes the scenes come alive with suspense and drama. The characters are well done and believable; character of Ridley Kane being well-developed, a good blend of intelligence, resilience, and vulnerability, which makes him a a particularly interesting figure and compelling protagonist.
The book does take an unexpected turn about three-quarters of the way through, shifting genres in a way that might leave some readers (and critics) bewildered. This twist has been a point of contention among critics, with some appreciating the bold move and others finding it jarring. I left my ego at the door and just went along for the ride.
Of course your po-facred book snob is gonna crawl out the woodwork and decry a best-selling novel, just for being a best-selling novel. Without even reading it, one sometimes suspects. And in a familiarity breeding contempt sort of way, the second novel can never have the same impact on a reader that the first did. As you kind of know what to expect, if not exactly how. So it does pretty much have to work harder than the first to impress and overcome the ‘it’s not as good as the first’ crowd. I’m not going to get into the which one is better thing, it doesn’t matter. This is good however you look at it. It’s billed as a thriller – it thrills.
So, if you’re a fan of high-energy, high-drama, high-stakes thrillers, with plenty to keep you on your toes all the way through, The Year of the Locust is an absolute must-read. If you have read I Am Pilgrim, you’ll likely find this novel equally captivating, despite its somewhat surprising plot twist..
You can buy The Year Of The Locust by Terry Hayes from Amazon
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