The Operator (The Peri Reed Chronicles)

by Kim Harrison

I wouldn't miss a Kim Harrison book for anything' Charlaine Harris

'Fascinating and unique' Jim Butcher

On-the-run ex-agent Peri Reed returns bigger and bolder than ever in the second installment of New York Times bestselling Kim Harrison's new trilogy . . .

Peri Reed's job destroys her memories, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing.

Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and the agency who turned her into the very thing she fought against, Peri abandoned the wealth and privilege of Opti for anonymity riddled with memory gaps and self-doubt. But when a highly addictive drug promises to end her dependency on those who'd use her as a tool for their own success, she must choose to remain broken and vulnerable, or return to the above-the-law power and prestige she once left. Yet if she chooses strength, whoever holds her next fix will hold her loyalty . . .

• ISBN10: 1501149911
• ISBN13: 9781501149917
• Publish Date: 22 November 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Pocket Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I listened to the first book not long after it came out. It was not a story that blew my socks off. It was okay and a decent start to the series. I was hoping that book two would come out so that we could learn a little more about the world. I relistened to The Drafter before starting this book because, while I remember the main parts of the story, I didn’t remember many of the minute details. I can say that I didn’t like or dislike this book more than the first time through.

Upon starting this book, I was really hoping that this book would really set me to loving this series, but alas, it did not. I think for me, I didn’t really click with any of the characters. Silas is really the only one I liked. I don’t really like Peri all that much. She always seems to find herself in trouble and not able to get herself out of it. She seems to bring everyone around her down with her. She also seems to throw herself a pity party over the fact that she loses her memory. I’m sure that can be scary, but it is something that all drafters have to deal with.

I’m also not a huge fan of the love triangle thing that is going on between Peri, Silas and Jack. While Peri normally would push that she had no feelings for Jack any more, she still seems to rely on him too much after all that he’s done to her to trust him. I don’t think it would take much for her to go back to him.

I missed some of the characters we met in the first book, like; Howard and Taf. Some people return, like Bill, Allen and of course, I mentioned Jack and Silas. We have some new characters in this book, Cam (who I have no idea why he was such a large part to the storyline), LB and Fatman, Harmony, Michael and Helen. Of the new characters, I liked LB the most. He was a drug dealer who could draft, but didn’t realize it until Peri told him. He thought he was having blackouts.

The suspense in this story is pretty good. You never know what is going to happen next. There are several different groups, all with their own agenda all fighting for Peri. But the overall theme is that Peri is running for her life.

Narration
January LaVoy is a great narrator. She does a great job with the different characters. She really puts the correct inflection for each mood and scene. I love her men and women’s voices. If you haven’t given Ms. LaVoy a try, I highly recommend her.

[kimbacaffeinate]

PPoor Peri finds herself in hiding after leaving Opti fearing her handlers will erase her memories. Both Opti and the CIA want her on their team, but both have their own agendas making Peri very much a pawn. Peri may be the ultimate weapon, but she isn't going down without a fight.

While Harrison does an excellent job of refreshing readers, I recommend reading the titles by order of their release. The beginning started a little slow for me, but it was neat seeing what our girl Peri has been doing without Opti. The story began to take off at the thirty percent mark when Bill and his newest Drafter, Michael try to bring Peri back into Opti. Bill tries to lure her in with the promise of not being dependent on an Anchor. After a near escape, she reaches out to Silas, and the two soon find themselves unwillingly assisting the CIA. Peri wants out but both sides are determined to have her. Neither would be beneficial and both spell an end to her freedom. The tale that unfolds has twists, turns and hold your breath moments. Peri must use her wits against both opponents and time is running out.

I found the storylines to the Operator to be more intense than those of The Drafter. We have intrigue, treachery and action-packed scenes that will leave you breathless. Peri interacts with friends and co-workers from the past, and we meet new acquaintances as she tries to determine who is her ally and who has their own agenda. Allen, Bill, Helen and Michael are pretty obvious but then there is Jack. Jack the hallucination and Jack the man, her former Anchor, betrayer, and lover. Secondary characters are developed enough that readers will become emotionally involved. I found myself fearing, caring or utterly loathing them. Harrison provides some of their points of view which help validate Peri's concerns.

Peri is tested when Opti dangles a big carrot in front of her offering something she desires. We get a taste of Peri's strengths and her brilliant mind. The obstacles she faces only prove how truly badass she is. The last three-fourths of the book had me holding my breath as we faced trials, deceit, and danger. Harrison also fed my inner nerd with medical advancements, the Mantis, and drafts but she kept it simple enough that even non-science fiction fans will delight in the thrills of this suspenseful storyline.

Fans of the Hollows will be excited to learn there is a sneak peek at the back of the book of The Turn scheduled for 2017 release. The Operator wrapped up nicely but has me eager to return for more.

Copy provided by Publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
The Operator is a very twisty tale, where Peri continues to try her best to do what's right, but with no idea who is telling her the truth, and who wants the same things she wants.



If you haven't read Sideswiped, The Drafter and Waylaid yet, you should stop reading this review right now! There are things that happens in The Operator that might spoil the prior books for you, and believe me, you don't want that to happen! This story is quite tense, because Peri has managed to live on her own for almost a year, managing her own coffee shop, and staying low so that Bill won't find her. Which works pretty well, until Silas approaches her at a car show, only for Peri to feel like things are unravelling, and fast. Especially when she learns that Bill had freed Jack, her old anchor.

I found the intrigue in The Operator to be even better than that in The Drafter, possibly because I know much more about the world and what exactly Peri can do now. I enjoyed the characters from the past - some who were there to help Peri, and other who wanted to use her for their own gain. There were also some new characters I loved, both LB and Harmony. Especially how Harmony didn't like or trust Peri at all in the beginning, but as they got to know each other, they both slowly started to trust each other. Having two strong women trying to go for a better world together was amazing.

There is a lot of second-guessing and betrayals going on in The Operator, both because Bill seems to be doing several different cons, and because Michael will stop at nothing to get the drug Peri has gotten her hands on. To be able to remember their own drafts without the help of an anchor who might end up lying to them is a lure no drafter can resist. There are several complications, and poor Peri really doesn't know who she can count on for being on her side. At all. And she was already paranoid to start with, so things really aren't easy for her.

Written in third person point of view, past tense, and mostly from Peri's perspective, the action unfolds in episodes that almost overlap. There is a lot going on, and with a race to make the most reliable and safe drug for Peri and other drafters, the tensions are high as well.



"I'm not your girl, Bill," she whispered breathily. Her pace to the van was slow to hide the effects of the sedative. The six men bracketing her followed at a respectful distance. She was free to kill and maim, and they had to hold without damaging her. Such was the rarity of her skill. Such was the pearl of his Peri.

"You're welcome," Bill said as he buttoned his jacket closed, but what he meant was, I own you.

Peri's faint smile grew as the unusual feeling of kinship drifted through her. Stretching the stiff hours from her, Peri got out as well, carefully shutting the door so the sound wouldn't carry. The cold woke her up fast. Two inches of new snow crunched underfoot, but it would likely be gone by noon.

LB sighed. "All five days," he admitted, and Silas groaned. "Enough to take care of Bill. She'll be back." Silas lowered his head, his fingertips pressing into his forehead hard. "If she remembers me," he whispered. Breath held, she carefully turned and headed for the surface. She'd be back, she vowed. If I remember him.