Review: Predatory Game

Reviewed by Jen
 

Predatory Game is book 6 in Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalker series. And here we continue with our trend of Ghostwalker SEALs with Jesse Calhoun. You may remember Jesse as Dahlia’s NCIS handler in Mind Game. He was beaten within an inch of his life trying to protect his team-mate and his legs were destroyed below the knee. Since we saw him last, it’s been mentioned that he is back to working with his old team, but is doing so from a wheelchair. 

Jesse is living in Wyoming. Though he still consults with the Ghostwalkers (physically and psychically enhanced soldiers), he is now also a songwriter and owns a radio station. Living in his home, is the mysterious Saber Wynter. Saber works as a DJ at Jesse’s radio station. And since she began renting a room in his home, they have become very close friends.  Actually, both have feelings beyond friendship, but they have never acted on those feelings. Each is trying to hide the fact that s/he is enhanced. Saber was also part of the Ghostwalker project; only she had been taken as a young child by mad-scientist Peter Whitney and trained as an assassin. She made her first kill at age 9. But she escaped last year and is now in hiding.

But now Saber is being stalked. The man works for Whitney but has gone off the deep-end. He’s obsessed with Saber and wants her for his own.  Jesse and Saber continue to grow closer and eventually reveal themselves to each other. They realize that Dr Whitney wants them to get together, to create a super-baby who has powers from both parents.  While their relationship develops and they fight the growing danger to Saber, they must also contend with Jesse’s disability and bionics he is trying to master, so that he can walk again.

I really enjoyed this one. (I have a soft spot for the SEAL guys, it seems.) It’s different in that our couple actually had a chance to get to know each other and develop believable feelings –as opposed to previous books where the couples were “in love” in a matter of days. Saber is undoubtably the most lethal Ghostwalker yet, but she is understandably vulnerable after all she has endured.  Meanwhile, Jesse is strong emotionally, while he struggles with the limitations his body is dealing with.  The love scenes are solid, though not quite as super-hot as in the last two books. 

A solid contribution to the series. 4 stars.

Predatory Game

by Christine Feehan

Release Date: Februrary 26, 2008

Publisher: Jove