Dismantled centuries ago, the sword of Goliath is still rumored to thirst for its enemies’ blood. Cole “Tox” Russell only wants to begin his life with Haven Cortes, but he must first complete a final mission: retrieve that sword and destroy the deadly Arrow & Flame Order. The AFO, however, is determined to claim the sword. Wielding their father’s life over Tzivia and Ram Khalon, they threaten … they threaten to expose Ram’s long-held and dangerous secret while demanding Tzivia locate the sword. With the Wraith team slowly being torn apart, things only worsen when Mercy Maddox, a new operative, emerges with the stunning news that the sword is tied to both Ram’s secret and a string of unsolved serial murders.
Tox, Ram, and the others are forced to set aside fear and anger to focus only on the enemy. No matter the cost, Wraith must stop or take the enemy down with them.
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Do you like stories with lots of plot twists? Suspense? Heart pounding adventure? Military adventures? Historic, archeological mysteries? A touch of romance without getting smutty? Stories where every character has a secret and most of those secrets affect the outcome of the story? You need to check out The Tox Files! The third book in the trilogy just released and you don’t want to miss it!!!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review – that opinion is, I Love It!!! The only negative to this book is that it’s the last one in the series! LOL
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I am at a loss as to how to write this review. How to get across how incredibly wonderful this story, no, this entire series is ~ with no spoilers. The twists and turns will keep you reading as fast as you can while holding your breath and hoping for no interruptions. You also might find yourself telling everyone in your house ~yes, everyone ~ what is happening.
So, here is what I can say. I loved reconnecting with all the old characters. The camaraderie between the guys is great and I love the fierce loyalty they have to each other. I love the pops of humor throughout. There is also a wonderful new character ~ Mercy. I love her! She is funny, super smart, and the names she gives people are hilarious! And, of course, there’s TOX. Pretty much the best male character ever! I also have to say I totally cried – a lot. And I shamelessly bugged my reader friends to find someone who has read this story because I needed to talk about it! Thank you Ronie for the spoilers page!
Ronie is a master!! She beautifully weaves the ancient story with the current story. Agh! I wish I could spoiler because this book is just so awesome and beautifully ties everything together. I hate that this series is over. This entire series is in a class by itself as is Ronie Kendig!
Update: I cannot get this story or the characters off of my mind! Ronie Kendig is a master at storytelling! This series should be made into a movie! It’s just that good.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Thirst of Steel, by Ronie Kendig
Amazing, Awesome, Gripping! Ronie Kendig’s Rapid fire fiction doesn’t disappoint! This book has so much to offer, from action, mystery, drama, love, suspense…and it had me enthralled until the end. Wow! Twists, surprises and challenges had me working furiously so that I would have time to read. An incredible series and thought provoking writing. Thank you Ms. Kendig!
Cole (Tox) Russel is undercover, Haven waits at home, Tzivia faces challenges and wishes for a second chance at love, Ram watches Tox and prepares for trouble, when it all comes together fireworks fly and blades sing during a battle. It’s the challenge of the ages. Bring the sword forth or destroy it? In the end, how we live does matter and how we die matters as well, but who do we touch in the process?
Awesome!
Thirst of Steel
By: Ronie Kendig
ISBN# 978-0-7642-1767-8
The final installation in the Tox Files. The search for Goliath’s sword will take the Wraith team across continents and end with a reenactment of the famous David and Goliath battle. Friendships and loyalties are tested through this quest. This was an emotional book because I got to know the characters from the previous two books and Ram is my favorite, a Mossad agent, this is his story. Ronie creates very real characters that make you become emotionally involved, you will find yourself laughing with them, getting angry, and even crying with them. This book is full of action, suspense, humor, military issues, and a little romance and don’t forget the archeological aspect. Definitely one to be read again.
I have been following this series from the beginning and anxiously awaiting this last installment. It dragged me through so many emotions, ups and downs, tears and joy! Every expectation was met and exceeded in this roller coaster ride of a story. The characters have become friends by this time and I really didn’t want to see them go or have them go through so many trials. *cue whiny voice* How am I supposed to let go of Tox and Haven now?! The surprises and twists throw me every time – chases, bullets, arrows, espionage, secrets, lies, danger, death, disguises, surprises, and sprinkles of romance. The ending will wring every emotion from your heart and leave you with a major book hangover. She dives deep into detail, stays sharp on danger, kicks it with military precision dialogue – all beautifully woven into a bookshelf keeper. Another winner from this talented author!
Ronie Kendig delivers another gripping, heart-pounding, wrenching story in this final emotionally intense book of The Tox Files series. Brimming with suspense and intrigue and populated with amazing, engaging, and multi-layered characters, this book kept me on the edge of my seat and trying to figure out what the author was going to put those characters through next and how she was going to get them out of the most agonizing situations. In addition to racing back and forth across the globe with dizzying speed, they had to contend with evil adversaries intent on doing away with them.
I enjoyed the spots of humor and romance that both added to the storyline and gave some needed emotional relief from the tension and suspense of the story. Kendig is masterful at achieving a balance in her books.
The only minor problem I had with Thirst of Steel, and the rest of The Tox Files stories, is the use of so many acronyms. I would sometimes have to stop and try to remember what they stood for, and it would pull me momentarily out of the story. There were also many military words and expressions that I was not familiar with, and they added a little bit of confusion.
If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I suggest you do so before starting this one. Although it could technically be a standalone, you’ll need the background from the others to fully appreciate Thirst of Steel. I would recommend this book and series to those who enjoy mind-blowing action and suspense. I’m sad to see this series come to an end but excited to see what Kendig has in mind for her next book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book is a roller coaster ride from page one!! Thirst of Steel is the conclusion to the Tox Files series by Ronie Kendig. This time Tox and team are on the hunt for the sword of Goliath. Be prepared for lots of plot twists along the way!! There were definitely some things I never saw coming!!
As readers have come to expect in a Ronie Kendig novel, what begins is an adventure full of military action, Biblical history, mysterious artifacts, just the right amount of romance, and more. It is apparent that Ms. Kendig has done extensive research for this series.
Although you could read this as a standalone novel, I would recommend reading Conspiracy of Silence and Crown of Souls first if you haven’t already since this novel picks up where the last one left off.
I was given a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Thirst of Steel is the amazing, action-packed, and emotional conclusion to the Tox Files series. This is definitely a series that I recommend reading all of the books in order. You will fall in love with these strong, intense characters!
The author, once again, did an amazing job of combining fast paced military action and suspense with a beautiful love story. All through the book I swooned over Cole and Haven’s feelings for each other. It has been building throughout the previous stories and Thirst of Steel is the culmination of that romantic thread and it is so very well written. I could feel the pain of when they had to be apart.
The undercover work, along with the dangerous situations that so many of the characters are thrown into, kept me eagerly turning pages to see what happened next. The twists and turns in this novel had me holding my breath as events spiraled to a dramatic end. Thirst of Steel was a thrilling ride that looked deep inside the hearts of many of the characters that readers have been following throughout this fantastic series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
One of the most explosive series I’ve read to date, the final book in Ronie Kendig’s The Tox Files series, Thirst of Steel, is one of the best military thrillers currently on the market today. Released on July 31, 2018 Thirst of Steel continues Kendig’s fast paced, military thrillers that are sure to keep the reader entranced to the wee hours of the morning.
From the moment one of Ronie Kendig’s novels are up for preorder, I’ve ordered it; beginning a sometimes months-long handwringing desire to get the book in my hands. Once it arrives, however, I’m just a bit reluctant to begin reading for this means the story I have been waiting for will soon end when I finish reading it. Each book in this series has taken me twice as long to read as my average time for I read them slowly, taking my time to digest and contemplate, kind of like savoring fine wine.
As with the previous two installment in the series, the team continues to fight those who would destroy people and places to obtain their goal. In the Thirst of Steel, the Arrow & Flame Order, a militaristic terrorist group with members worldwide, will stop at nothing to obtain the sword of Goliath. It is an intense and deadly race between the team and members of the AFO to find all three pieces of the sword; the team to prevent a world wide slaughter and the AFO, to slaughter many in order to be released from the curse, a curse that makes them deathly and painfully ill. A life long disorder, similar to hemophilia, that leaves them requiring frequent injections that prevent a very painful death.
In a prior novel, the AFO has found an artifact that allows them to create arrows with phosphorous content, that upon hitting a human target, the person melts from the inside out, leaving them in a ugly puddle where they stand. Currently around the world, people are inexplicably dying with arrows found nearby. When members of the US government are found, dead, in a most horrific way, the intrigue of the nearby arrow alerts members of Wraith, a seriously skilled Black Ops team. Even though members of the team are deeply embedded in areas around the world, including Russia, they must work together carefully and stealthily to stop a world catastrophe. Despite the absence of team leader “Tox” Cole Russell, team Wraith races to find the pieces of Goliath’s sword before the AFO. Having retired after the last “ops”, Cole’s plan had been to marry and begin raising a family; except Cole is tapped for one last mission, deep under cover in Russia. No one knows where or what he is doing, not even his team.
However, one man, a member of the team is also deep undercover in Russia. Most think Ram is there to track down his sister Tzivia, who has gone missing in attempts to find their long-lost father. His other task is as Toxs’ handler; it is to Ram that information is delivered and transmitted back to the team. It is Ram who is responsible to extract Tox if things go down. Tox is so deep undercover as the top security detail for the head of AFO, he undergoes surgery to transform his face to look like a top Russian agent. When Ram learns his sister is searching for the missing pieces of the sword, with intent to deliver it to the AFO, the missions weave together, becoming much more dangerous, for everyone.
As Ram and Tox race to stop the AFO from obtaining the full Sword of Goliath, both become determined to extract Tzivia from her traitorous path. With a mole in the US government and Mossad involvement, Ram and Tox can trust no one. When the rest of the team is sent in, no one knows how many will die.
This book begins with a storyline no one expects, with twists and turns that will leave a reader with their jaw dropped, finally ending in a way that no one saw coming.
And thus begins this reader’s long wait to learn what author Ronie Kendig is next writing. It is agonizing.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, and am under no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions, therein are solely mine.
Have you ever finished a book that just kind of leaves you in shock? One that you don’t want to end but know it has to come to that? One that leaves you thinking you didn’t really read that correctly, right?
If you haven’t yet, the final book in Ronie Kendig’s Tox Files will definitely leave you with that experience.
First off, before we delve into the nitty-gritty of this book, let me just say that while this can be read as a stand alone book you will get so much more out of it if you’ve read the first two books in the series. There are a lot of players (many who are introduced in the previous books) and having that little bit of history tucked away will make Thirst of Steel that much more enjoyable.
Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way. All I can say is WOW! Kendig has outdone herself with this book. Twists and turns kept me guessing throughout the entire book. From not knowing who stood on what side to the introduction of a new character (I enjoyed Mercy with her penchant for the superheroes and her considerable skills), Kendig doesn’t allow the tension to ease until the final epic battle that left me screaming (in my head) No. That can’t happen.
One part of this book reminded me of the movie Face Off. But there is so much more depth there. Part archaeology, party Biblical history, and entirely captivating and entertaining, Thirst of Steel challenges Kendig’s characters as well as her readers to delve beneath the surface to discover the truth.
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Tox and the entire Wraith team, now is the time! Kendig’s ability to create characters who are relatable despite their extreme situations while mixing in touches of humor with just the right depth of spiritual truths is something not to be missed. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what she’s got in store for readers next.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Wow. What a great story! This book is full of action, suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters. The fast paced and unexpected plot make this book hard to put down! After a few late nights staying up to read, I’ve already decided this is one book I will read again.
Sharp, Precise, Target, Danger, Espionage, Secrets, Enemies, Courage and Determination is a great description of this book by the brilliant and talented author. The characters are fierce and their job is to complete their mission at all cost.
It is a race that will takers readers around the world as the coveted artifact is the prize. Many are willing to die for it and others will destroy their enemy to possess it. The story is action packed and full of surprises. It is a nonstop thrill a minute as one common denominator prevails. Will the enemy tear a team apart? Who can be trusted as the story goes to a high octane level?
I love the feel of a special forces team at command in the story. The author delves a bit more into the characters we have grown to love. We see a glimpse of the symbolism of Christianity embedded into the story that leaves a message of hope and keeping your eyes fixed on God.
The story is a well oiled machine that brings intrigue, danger, and a closure to a series I have loved. The characters were well represented and I will miss them greatly. The ending is powerful and one of a surprise to me. Well done Ronie Kendig.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
– I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Ronie Kendig wraps up her Tox Files series with a smash bang finish!
I was left with my jaw hanging open & my mind both numb and whirling with how everything tied together. I wanted to immediately reread the entire series!
I’ve always admired Ronie Kendig’s superb grasp of military/black ops situations & vocabulary, while at the same time incorporating ancient events & characters that in some way impact the modern story. Her descriptions of combat scenes leave you breathless & her development of intriguing characters brings them to life in such a way that you love & grieve along with them.
Even as it feels sad to close the final book on Tox’s story, I find comfort knowing that we have not seen the last of Ronie Kendig’s books & hopefully not the last of Wraith!
I wholeheartedly recommend this series for anyone seeking adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat (or reading at all stoplights!) without using the profanity or bedroom scenes that so often ruin action/adventure.
Ronie Kendig has done it again. Be ready for an up all nighter as once you start you can’t stop. This is a page turner from the first line and it will take you for a rollercoaster ride as first your happy, then nervous, and then crying with some humor thrown in there to cover all your emotions. This is the perfect ending to a great trilogy even if it is extremely sad to see it come to an end. Great job Ronie!
I loved this book from the start! I think this is the best one of the series. The storyline kept me hooked and guessing. I’m sad that this is the last book in the series. I’m going to miss Tox and the rest of Wraith. I recommend this entire series. I am looking forward to reading more from Ronie Kendig!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.