Reviews for TARNISHED HALO
D. J. Stephens scores again. Very few writers can grab you with the very first paragraph, pulling you in and keeping you there, until the explosive end!
You are side by side with Jeff Barkil and his team going through their many harrowing experiences.
They are sent on a mission to kill two known drug lords...or are they?
Everyday is hell, but with determination, they will let nothing stop them, not injuries, or death. Jeff and his team continue on. They are now functioning as part men and part machine. It seems things couldn’t be worse for Jeff and the team, they are near deaths door, but things continue to get worse...much worse. With no radio, low on ammunition and with no way to contact the outside world, it seems as if there is no way out.
It is then that reality sets in for Jeff and the team. Something is wrong…very wrong! Jeff has decisions to make, but Jeff says, "We came in as a team, and we
will decide what to do as a team”. Fighting unbelievable injuries, sickness and death, they vow to go on at any cost. They are determined to carry out their mission and get home.
Stephens keeps proving himself time and again. As usual, with a D. J. Stephens book, once you pick it up, you can’t put it down. I heartily recommend any book that has D.J. Stephens name on the cover.
Georgia Ziller- Editor/Reviewer
My husband, John, loves his horse. He feeds her every night at the same time...without fail. Until...one night when he picked up DJ Stephens' book, Tarnished Halo. He was just going to glance at the first page and read it later in the evening. That did not happen.
As John said later, "It sucked me in!"
He was very late feeding his horse that night, because he couldn't put Tarnished Halo down. He had this problem with all the other DJ Stephens' books, too.
Since my husband is not normally a book reader, I asked him what about this book held his interest. He said there was lots of action that was believable. The main character was true-to-form and so interesting he wanted to know what was going to happen next. You feel as though you are right in the midst of all the action.
"I'm waiting for the next one!" he stated.
So, DJ, get writing!
Recommended for anyone who likes action/adventure.
Sue Durkin - Publisher - Weaving Dreams Publishing
Jeff Barkil, Kelly, Louis Alverez, Donald Morgan, William Conley, John Bradley, and Jimmy Hairston are back in this sequel to Halo that takes place five years later.
Jeff and the team are sent in to terminate two drug lords that are scheduled to attend a meeting across the Burmese border in China.
After an early river crossing destroys their radio and cuts them off from the outside world, the team is forced to fight its way through the jungles of Laos and North Vietnam to complete the mission. Then they must rely solely on their small arms and combat expertise to fight their way home in a land where the line between friend and foe is continually blurred.
They can't be captured. They won't surrender. And there will be no rescue operation.
In this fast-paced military action story, the reader picks up with Kelly, Jeff Barkil, and the team they last met in Halo, where the men survived multiple harrowing missions in Southeast Asia.
Five years later, Barkil's service is just about up, and the others have all moved on to other roles in the United States Military. When Kelly approaches Jeff about this new mission, Barkil reaches out to reassemble the surviving members of his old team. After weeks of training, the men are ready for another dangerous and potentially fatal mission.
Stephens puts his former military service to good use in Tarnished Halo. He creates a realistic and suspenseful story filled with rich descriptions and military jargon. Anyone who reads this genre on a regular basis will easily be able to keep pace; but what I like most about how Stephens put this together is that he footnotes the terms he uses for the average reader so she won't get lost.
This reader became totally immersed in the story of these men and their determination to complete their mission and return home safely. And even when objectives change, the strong bond among these men will captivate you.
The author put several twists and turns in this one, which made the read that more enjoyable. I hope this isn't the last we hear from Jeff Barkil or D.J. Stephens.
Cheryl - The Book Connection
If you enjoyed “Halo” by D. J. Stephens you will love the sequel, “Tarnished Halo”.
A special team, selected by the heroic character, Jeffery Barkil, trains for a CIA sponsored covert operation into China. The alleged mission: to eliminate two drug lords operating in Mainland China. If caught, any association with the CIA or the US military will be denied. They carry no ID. Their survival is dependent on their own skills. Having reached the target area with stealth and cunning, they receive a signal to abort. Team discussion and evaluation lead them to suspect that the mission was a ploy by some general to start a war with China. Trying to get back to safe territory is when the real trouble begins. Pursuit confirms their belief that they have been setup for elimination. Their honed fighting skills come into play with cunning and tactics that go beyond training. Human endurance and instincts one would compare to trapped animals keep them going with the added stimulus of revenge. Sympathy for innocent victims is not a consideration. How much pain a human body can endure is unimaginable.
The author applies his knowledge of the region and years of military training to weave a story that leaves the reader in constant suspense. Will they survive? Can they avoid mercenaries and North Vietnamese troops hunting them? Are there any friendless to reach for safety? And finally, will there be a chance for revenge?
D. J. Stephens has proven himself as a great author and someone to follow. His knowledge of covert operations and Special OP forces are evident in his writing. Descriptive detail provides the reader with a vivid picture of the area and action. I give this book a five-star rating.
Abe F. March-Author "To Beirut and Back", (Germany)
