As usual, I really enjoyed the book. I liked how the characters and relationships continue to grow. I generally don’t like books with this type of crime but the author avoided gory descriptions of the crime.
In the next book in this New York Times best-selling series, Evan Smoak takes on his most complex mission yet―one where he not only has to protect but also avenge, and find a way to balance vengeance with mercy.
Once a black ops assassin for the government known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak broke with the program and went deep underground, using his operational rules and skills to help the truly desperate with nowhere else to turn.
When Luke Devine, one of the most powerful men in the world, has a psychological crisis, Evan flies to the East Coast to help him. While there, he learns of a young woman who was kidnapped off the New York City subway, clearly in danger and in need of aid. With no name and few clues, Evan and his team track down the missing woman, who was assaulted and abandoned. Evan offers his help―and sets out finding the young men responsible. But the woman insists that Evan abandon his usual methods―no vengeance and, in particular, no killing. Which will prove no easy feat given the mounting incoming threats from all sides. In a mission that takes Evan from coast to coast, from the poorest corners of society to the richest, Orphan X must figure out a way to protect the innocent, avenge the victimized, and balance justice with a measure of mercy.
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Orphan X
Full series details →The series
In a world where shadows linger and justice comes at a steep price, the Orphan X series thrusts readers into a high-stakes narrative centered on Evan Smoak—a man with a past he can never escape. Trained as part of a covert government program that recruits children to become deadly operatives, Evan has long since broken free, but his past is never far behind. Now, operating under the alias "The Nowhere Man," he is determined to use his unique skill set to help those who have nowhere else to turn.
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But helping people comes with its own set of challenges. As Evan takes on increasingly dangerous missions, the line between right and wrong begins to blur. With a deadly skillset honed over years of intense training and survival, Evan must grapple with his own moral compass, all while evading the very organization that created him. The Orphan X series combines pulse-pounding action with a deeper exploration of identity, redemption, and the weight of one's choices.
What sets this series apart is not just its relentless action, but its portrayal of a man struggling with the ghosts of his past while trying to build a new future. Each book dives deep into Evan's psyche, revealing the emotional toll of his training, his relationships, and his ongoing fight to hold onto his humanity in a world that demands his darkness. The intricate world-building—spanning shadowy government operations, morally gray decisions, and a protagonist with unparalleled abilities—keeps readers hooked, turning pages well into the night.
As the series progresses, the stakes grow higher, the enemies more formidable, and the personal cost more apparent. Evan’s journey is not just about taking down dangerous criminals or navigating the complex world of clandestine operations. It’s about finding the strength to survive, to protect those he loves, and to make peace with a past that haunts him at every turn.
The Orphan X series stands as a masterful blend of intense action, moral quandaries, and emotional depth, all wrapped up in a fast-paced thriller that will leave you questioning what justice really means and what it takes to be a hero.
#1 · 2016Orphan X 
#1.5 · 2016Buy a Bullet 
#2 · 2017The Nowhere Man 
#3 · 2018Hellbent 
#3.5 · 2018The Intern 
#4 · 2019Out of the Dark 
#5 · 2020Into the Fire 
#5.5 · 2020The List 
#6 · 2021Prodigal Son 
#7 · 2022Dark Horse 
#8 · 2023The Last Orphan 
#8.5 · 2023The Recital 
#9 · 2024Lone Wolf 
#10 · 2025Nemesis 
#10.5 · 2025The Code 
#11 · 2026Antihero 
#11.5 · 2026The Damage Man 
#12 · 2027Last Man Standing 
#13 · 2028Orphan X Book 13 Risingshadow
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