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Ebook440 pages6 hours
Firefly
By Henry Porter
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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Reviews for Firefly
Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars
4/5
25 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thanks to Mysterious Press and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy of this book. The views expressed are my own. Fired MI6 operative Paul Samson reluctantly agrees to help his former employers find a young Syrian refugee, Naji, who becomes known as Firefly. Naji has valuable intelligence about an ISIS warlord and is on the run from him and his henchmen, who want to kill him to prevent the spread of the information to the authorities.The story begins with Naji's arrival at Lesbos, a Greek island off the coast of Turkey. From there the story of Naji's journey northward is told in segments told from alternating points of view of Naji and Paul. Paul struggles to find Naji who needs to elude the IS warriors, while avoiding the authorities who would put him into custody as an unaccompanied minor. He needs to press on to Germany where he hopes to establish himself and set up a home for his family. It's an exciting and suspenseful story, with Naji having several dangerous adventures along the way. For example, at one point he and a companion are attacked by bears looking for food. It's an account of the struggles faced by refugees trying to reach the so-called Schengen area established by the European Union where they can re-settle. Nagi encounters many kind people along with the usual greedy ones who profit from the refugees' plight. The story also introduces Paul, a Lebanese refugee in his youth, who now that he has left MI6 works to find missing persons in the Mediterranean area. His main outside interest is betting on horse races in the UK; this activity is what led to his separation from MI6. It is a disappointment for me that this book doesn't really focus on Paul aside from his mission to locate Naji. However, it can serve as a platform for an interesting sequel.This is an intelligent thriller which provides background colour to the plight of refugees.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Feels so trueYou will like this book and you will learn from it. I have spent a lot of time recently working on refugee issues near the locations used in this story and this book feels so true. It reflects the experiences of my friends who have fled the destruction of their homes. For those of you who hear few real stories of refugees this book will be a revelation.It's a ripping good spy story too, with convincing characters, great scenery, and plausible action. I wish the author and publishers had used ISIL (closer to a correct translation) rather than ISIS and applaud their use of "Daesh", the regional name for ISIL, because not enough people know it.Terrible cover.I received a review copy of "Firefly" by Henry Porter (Grove Atlantic) through NetGalley.com.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In "Firefly," Henry Porter describes the coming of age of Naji Touma, a thirteen-year-old boy from northern Syria who bears a heavy burden for one so young. He flees his native land after witnessing indescribable horrors, and then sets out on what he hopes will be a path to freedom. He is determined to bring his mother and sisters from a migrant camp in Turkey to Germany, where they hope to start a new life. Naji, who is brilliant, mature, and audacious, has a stratospheric IQ and impressive technical ability. Not only is he a self-taught computer expert who speaks several languages, but he is also an excellent strategist who has a greater understanding of human nature than many adults twice his age. He will need luck, stamina, and sophisticated survival skills, since a vicious band of terrorists are on his trail. The thugs pursuing Naji are desperate to get their hands on incriminating evidence that the boy has cleverly encrypted on his cell phone.
During his trek to northern Europe, Naji meets various individuals, some of whom lend him a hand, while others try to exploit him. On the Greek island of Lesbos, a compassionate psychologist, Anastasia Christakos, gains Naji's trust. He reveals to her that he is running away from ruthless fiends who, if they succeed in apprehending him, will likely torture and execute him. The other central character is Luc Samson, a former member of Britain's MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service), who now works in the private sector. When one of his former colleagues asks for Samson's help, he reluctantly agrees to do what he can to locate Naji and protect him from harm.
This is an involving and suspenseful work of fiction, in which Porter demonstrates the perils that displaced persons fleeing violence encounter when they try to cross borders into countries where they are often unwelcome. The author vilifies self-serving government officials who wish to extract Naji's secrets and, once he has told them everything he knows, think nothing of throwing him to the wolves. As Naji makes his way through treacherous terrain in all kinds of weather, he buys (and steals) food, camps out at night, and builds temporary shelters to keep himself warm and dry. Porter is a strong descriptive writer who paints vivid scenes that are humorous, frightening, dispiriting, and heartwarming. Aside from its clich̩d finale, "Firefly" is a rousing and poignant tale of grit, tenacity, and endurance in the face of overwhelming odds. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A young boy, seeking asylum for his family, is on the run, hoping to outwit terrorists determined to kill him before he can pass on the detailed terrorist plans he possesses. Told in alternating points of view between young Naji and former spy Peter Samson, the narrative, is graphic, gritty, and chilling as it recounts the stories of immigrants in peril, of those who seek to help them, and of depraved terrorists with dark and deadly agendas. With well-drawn, interesting characters, a strong sense of place, and an of-the-moment plot, this is a story that speaks to both the depravity and the nobleness of mankind.The ever-building tension of this pulse-pounding cat-and-mouse plot pulls readers in from the beginning. The harrowing, heart-rending tale is likely to be impossible to set aside before turning the final page. Highly recommended.I received a free copy of this eBook from Grove Atlantic and NetGalley #Firefly #NetGalley