When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams.
All these things shall love do unto you, that you may know the secrets of your heart.

this book was epic. it was stressful as hell, for sure, but i loved every single moment of it.

this whole series just got taken to a whole other level that i didn't realize the author was capable of doing but he did. he did so much more than i could've ever anticipated, and that's completely on me for not having any foresight because tal bauer has proven to be a jack of all trades with this being my sixth read of his and all, but damn.

what's really thrilling about my entire reading experience isn't just the fact that there's such high-stakes--i mean, it's a political thriller after all, of course there would be that much tension--and it isn't just this huge cast of characters who, thankfully, the author provides a whole entire list in the beginning to keep up with because there's a lot; it wasn't just that. it's how he had one of those ideas that almost felt like wishful thinking in wondering about a universe where an American president falls in love with a man who just so happened to be his Secret Service agent, and where some of our world leaders were actually fighting for something good. in the first book, it felt idealistic at best, but by the end, corruption and huge betrayal spreads fast and it's in this book that we realize the reality that the author is building here does promise to adhere to the hopes these characters have for something better, but he isn't afraid to show those who will actively fight against it.

this book was seriously intense, on the same grounds as intensity of the author's other work, the grave between us--i'm starting to wonder if bauer's strength is in his sequels because his first books always have a certain level of impact that doesn't fully hit you until you move onto his second, and then it's as if he was only prepping his readers for the worst that is soon to come. it's hard to wrap my head around how to fully encapsulate my thoughts from when i was reading this book, but first and foremost, tal bauer is an absolutely stellar thriller writer. this story was incredibly fast-paced and yet not once did it feel rushed as he took his time taking these characters all across the world on different missions, pulling them in different directions until they inevitably collide in an inferno. there's a lot of tension, not just in the White House as was mostly seen in the first book, but also in palaces across the seas, on Russian soil, in the sands of the Saharan Desert, and near the Saudi Arabian coast--so much more. there's mysteries unraveled and discoveries that completely would warp your idea of reality but this is tagged under military fiction, very corrupt and sinister plans hidden in these different factions and our antagonist from book one has only revealed what he's wanted the other characters to know when the time was right.

jack wanted to change america for the better and do something good for his people, and sergey, this series' Russian president, wanted to do the same for his mother country--two leaders who make huge waves in the friendship that only blossoms even further in this book. but this isn't just some idealized world to live in where such bonds can be made and such dreams to come true without experiencing incredible backlash. and there's other leaders, smaller ones, who as seen in our antagonists have their own dreams that doesn't include making the world a better place but much rather have it all burn down so that they could rebuild with what's left. and the lengths they go to, and the manipulations they make are completely fucked up.

this series isn't just about the romance between jack & ethan as you might be led to believe in the first book--they were our first look into this alternate universe in the beginning and their story is only halfway to end; for that, they will always have a soft spot in my heart. but they aren't the sole pair we see in this series as other characters get their own stake in the narrative, in this world that is facing an incredible threat--characters like adam & faisal, and sergey & sasha, who absolutely threw me for a loop because it's a wonder how the author has managed to introduce us to so many people and yet still make these connections feel so genuine as they hit hard. the relationships shown in here were everything, and the plot moved so fast and took so many turns that made me feel really impressed. the international relations and political drama, with all the media spectacle, just made things feel even worse because there was no way for me to predict what could happen next.

the author was just juggling so much here and it worked, for me at least, and i'm just really looking forward to the finale because i have no idea how the author could possible execute a proper ending but i'll be damned if i don't try to see it for myself.