The Usurper

Fast-paced political thriller

This is the first Cliff Ball book I've read...and I'd have to say that if he writes another political thriller ... I'm in! "The Usurper" is a fast-paced fictional story that has non-fictional elements in it of events that really happened. Cliff makes you think 'could this really happen?' He makes it all seem possible...which is a scary thought! This book had lots of twists and turns that kept the reader on the edge of her seat throughout the book. I gave this book to my dad to read since he likes the same kind of books that I do. I'm sure he'll have a good review as well. Thank you Cliff for writing this book!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A good political thriller

I agree with the other reviewer's statement that it is Clancy like. The characters don't have as much depth as Clancy's, but Clancy has developed his over many books.

This book was very similar to current events, with a frightening back story created. This back story was, unfortunately, plausible - at least in the goal if not the execution. It builds off of the fears of the cold war and moves into the role and power of government in our lives, as well as the battle of capitalism vs. socialism.

This was filled with lots of symbolism and relations to actual current events.

In summary, a very good read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Surprising twists

Cliff weaves an interesting story with enough connections to real happenings in the world today that this book seems to be non-fiction.

Just when you think you know where the story line is going Cliff changes up on you. While some things are predictable others are not, which adds to the enjoyment of the book.

Some events catch you totally off guard. While it may seem to start slow stick with it, you will not be disappointed.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Eerily parallel to real world

I thought this novel was eerily parallel to what's going on currently in our country. We're not sure who is the enemy or who is friendly, we're not exactly sure who our President exactly is, and a lot of us are afraid of what the government would do if given unlimited power. It ties a lot of various terrorist attacks together and weaves it into the overall story. The story is fast paced, and action packed.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Really good thriller

I enjoyed reading this novel. It's definitely not a cookie cutter political thriller, which made it more interesting to me. Ball does a good job of keeping his reader turning pages to find out if the authors' plot follows what the reader thinks will happen. This is the mark of a good action adventure writer. This novel is very similar to current events, written a year or so ago, with a frightening back story created. This back story was, unfortunately, plausible. It builds off of the fears Americans had from the Cold War, moves into the role and power of government in our lives, as well as the battle of capitalism versus socialism. This was filled with lots of symbolism and eerily similar to actual current events. In summary, a very good read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Close to reality which makes it interesting

Ball does a good job of keeping his reader turning pages to find if the authors plot follows what the reader thinks will happen. this is the mark of a good action adventure writer. W. Addison Gast did this in his book INTERDICTION and made it the start of a great series. However, I would definately not compare Cliff Ball to Clancy. Clancy manufactures books by using a multi person staff. He is more in to video games and side items than to following his earlier style. Cliff Ball will be a name to remember and recognize in the book store

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fast-paced political thriller

This is the first Cliff Ball book I've read...and I'd have to say that if he writes another political thriller ... I'm in! "The Usurper" is a fast-paced fictional story that has non-fictional elements in it of events that really happened. Cliff makes you think 'could this really happen?' He makes it all seem possible...which is a scary thought! This book had lots of twists and turns that kept the reader on the edge of her seat throughout the book. I gave this book to my dad to read since he likes the same kind of books that I do. I'm sure he'll have a good review as well. Thank you Cliff for writing this book!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Nurture Your Books Review

"A cold-blooded, Clancy-esk political thriller; The Usurper is sure to entertain."

As decades of meticulous scheming and planning finally come together, the KGB, an under-appreciated threat, takes the final steps towards the ultimate coup. The terrorist faction exploits idealistic volunteers to do some of the dirty work and utilizes educated individuals, in positions of power, who are more than willing to die for their belief in ultimate control by the government. When a mixed group of terrorists and extremists spend years training for the eventual downfall of the western world, collateral damage and the loss of life isn't given consideration.

The Usurper starts off slowly, but quickly picks up momentum as the plot thickens and the story unfolds. There are multiple themes in this fictional novel, not the least of which is terrorism, persecution and indoctrinated loyalties; this story painstakingly illustrates a plan for world domination that requires countless willing and blackmailed participants. The main characters are written with the most depth, while supporting characters have very little in the way of a back story. More internal dialog would enhance the reader's ability to connect with the characters and pull them deeper into the story itself. Some structure and grammatical errors, while few and far between, need to be addressed to ensure a smoothly-flowing story that every reader will be able to enjoy.

Despite the minor issues mentioned, The Usurper is a very fast-paced, political thriller that will keep readers on their toes and offer some thought-provoking twists on historic and future possibilities in the political arena.

Nurture Your Books.com

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Just Don't. Seriously, listen to me, don't buy it. The other re

Just Don't. Seriously, listen to me, don't buy it.
The other reviews? Probably the author creating multiple accounts.
Is this the worst book ever? Quite possibly.
It is NOTHING like a Tom Clancy novel. Nothing.
Within the first 10 pages a girl (Mary) walks by the Soviet Embassy and is stopped by a KGB spy who says she can meet the Soviet Premier if she will "help us to bring down the United States from within" (pg 10). Her response: "I see. Can I work with the KGB?" He says "Not right away." Four Pages (5 minutes to her) later she's convinced about the value of Communism and says "I'm looking forward to advancing the cause by any means necessary." Thus, she gets on a plane off to the Soviet Union where the Premier himself tells her why he doesn't want to assassinate Kennedy (hint hint, apparently they knew all about it!). Then she's forcibly impregnated by another American because her future son needs to have both parents as American citizens so he can be president (when that law came into existence, I have no idea).
I forced myself to read 70 pages before I deleted it from my Nook in disgust, there have been more comprehensively written works by children.
I can't believe that I paid to read such trash. You shouldn't.

The Usurper

Interesting book with a plot we all may find familiar. If you like your political novels to relae to current events, this one is for you.

Realistic thriller

The usurper, Gary Jackson, is a hateful soul. His entire life was planned by the Soviet Union before he was even conceived by a volunteer KGB agent. Gary was raised to hate the USA and all of its citizens and ultimately be the man of the countries undoing.

In The Usurper, we follow Gary's mother for a short time but the star in the novel is undeniably Gary. He is trained and educated with the sole purpose of ending the USA during his middle aged years. The Usurper is filled to the brim with conspiracies and some elaborated history lessons. This is a terrific thriller but I would advise the reader to be open minded when reading due to Gary's and the Soviet's cold-heartedness. It would be relatively easy for a conspiracy theorist to become enthralled with this novel and the intricacies of Gary's life. I did notice there are some points in the novel when the storytelling is very brief and dry, which I am not a huge fan of. However, there are many more other parts of this novel that are gripping and make up for that dry style of writing. Overall, The Usurper is an attention-grabbing story and an eye opener on many levels. Although The Usurper is a work of fiction, many instances could be comparable to some going-ons in our world today. Ball indeed did a terrific job with his imagination.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved this novel

I enjoy political thrillers, so I figured I'd give The Usurper a try.

It follows the story of Gary being indoctrinated by the communists so that he can eventually help to take down the USA. If you follow any news at all it is kinda similar, Gary joins up with unions to intimidate his enemies, his friends and allies bribe and intimidate voters, etc. In this novel, unlike the incompetant dummy in the White House now, Gary gets everything he wants without any pushback from Congress, he creates and uses environmental disasters to get his way, and he executes people who disagree with him. The surviving opposition decide they need to take him down, so they begin to.

I even really enjoyed the ending.

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