Makaveli's Prince

The story is told in the third person, past tense and mainly from the perspective of the main character. This is how I like it and it worked well.

*Potential Spoilers*

I was aware this was a prequel so I felt safe assuming the main character would survive but felt there could have been more peril or something to have really put him through the meat grinder. I appreciated the whole revenge for his sweetheart business but wanted a little more of a master plan from him. The two could have been connected. I half expected him to have a plan to take out every cartel boss in Mexico / South America on the ultimate revenge rampage. Maybe he moves on to this in the next books, I’ll have to see.

I really liked the sweetheart relationship in the beginning but by the time El Rey came back and ‘finished’ it I didn’t care so much. That moment should have been the most heart wrenching moment of the book but it passed by with ease.

Some reviewers have commented on the minimal details regarding preparation towards each hit. In a way I preferred that. It kept it fast paced and I was guessing in the moment how each ‘victim’ was going to be dispatched.

I would agree with some reviewers that the end came swiftly and almost without warning. In principle, I don’t mind this but it should have hit me in the face so hard I’d be fondling my Kindle with fury to download the next book.

Overall, I found this book a comfortable read and enjoyed it because of this. While it was not overly descriptive, I did feel that I’d been authentically transported to South America.

I can see why Russell Blake has won recognition for his writing and would recommend him to readers of this genre. I’ve already downloaded his next two books in the series and will be reading them soon.