Guest Review from Glenn:

4 1/2 Stars

Evan Smoak is a killer with a heart. I LOVE the Orphan X series. Although this could technically be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading from the beginning. I felt nervous for Evan in this latest installment of the series (well, more than usual!) because really, the government could have come after him at any time. Instead they need his help again.

I really like his interactions with his usual group of Tommy, Candy and Joey. As well, Evan has OCD so his young neighbor might just drive him crazy. All this makes Evan sound very human and he is, but he did seem “off” in this novel. I love how the author has Evan grow as a character. Her might be a brilliant assassin but he still doesn’t know what to bring to a dinner party.

I can’t say enough about this series and this book. I alternated between the eBook and the audiobook and once again, Scott Brick does a masterful job at narrating. His narration literally makes the book. If this series was made into a movie, it would be a blockbuster. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Nowhere Man.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy and audiobook via NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read The Last Orphan in exchange for my review. I have loved all of the Orphan series so far and was so excited to get a copy of this. Evan Smoak as usual did not disappoint. He is starting to show his age a little but overall I loved it just as much. I can’t wait for the next book!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I LOVE the Orphan X series. I recommend reading from the beginning, in order, for the character and world developments. Evan has grown and become more personable throughout the series. He is a support for the people at Castle Heights, especially Mia and Peter, and a parental figure, at least a caretaker for Joey. I was very worried for him starting this book. He violated the terms of his informal presidential "pardon" so now the government could come after him Instead, they want him to be their contract assassin. The pardon was always a fallacy because they could take it back anytime, plus if he was in the normal view, there would be people trying to kill him. He needs to stay hidden.

The Last Orphan starts out at a run and continues at a brisk pace. Evan agrees to look at the guy they want him to assassinate to see if it meets his criteria he uses as the Nowhere Man. He has a frenemy situation with Naomi Templeton but she knows he keeps his word. He looks at the target and also his security team. He talks to the ex-girlfriend but doesn't get the needed reasons he should die. But he finds out about others possibly hurt. And that does alert the security team to Evan and they start coming after him. He does find some young people who have suffered and died but who caused it?

Evan spends a lot of time and energy to find out who the true villains are. He risks himself a bit much and in the end has to have the help from Candy, Joey and Tommy. He really does have his own little trustworthy band. He and Joey progress and perhaps he will add to his people. But he separates himself from others to protect them. Evan chooses to live life by his own principles.

I look forward to more adventures with anxiety and hope. Evan continues to learn and grow, and help the desperate. He's getting older though. He does have more people and connections than ever before. Whatever happens, I'll be there.

Narration:
Scott Brick is a narrator I really enjoy. I am completely settled into his voices for the characters and loved his performance. He does a nice differentiation with all the ages and locations. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

Listen to a clip: HERE

Book 8 in a series. Can be a standalone, but I feel like I was missing some background on main characters having not reading any of the other books. The plot was well developed and the mystery was believable and didn't rely on a lucky hunch or stumbling upon the answer which seems to be a pattern recently with thrillers and mysteries. I also appreciated how the ending didn't rely on unnecessary twists and turns.

Audiobook feedback: great narration, brought the characters and plot to life

This book was a good story. It was very detailed and made me feel like I was apart of the action. However, I got lost a few times listening to the audio. I’d be very eager to read a physical copy of this book.

HOLY SMOAK!

Our lovable assassin is backkk! Evan Smoak is most likely the only assassin who makes me feel warm and fuzzy. 🐻🥰

Taken from an orphanage at twelve, Evan entered a government's covert "Orphan" program trained to kill America's enemies. Evan's fortunate to have a handler who is like a father figure who trained him into a lethal killing machine but also taught him moral codes.

I feel that Orphan X must be one of the coolest assassins out there. (Someone, please make a TV series!!) X is doing his thing once again, helping those who need help through his 1-855-2-NOWHERE helpline. But not before he himself was in a hairy situation after being cornered to do yet another work for the POTUS. A complex situation. Would Evan break his ten commandments in exchange for freedom?

<i>The Last Orphan</i> is another well-crafted book. The story in Southampton was good but didn't stand out compared to some previous ones. I enjoy Evan's interaction with his inner circle more in this book. As a badass assassin, you can feel how nervous he is being around ordinary people like his 10-year-old neighbor, Peter. I love how Joey's attitude and personality drive him crazy and vice versa. Dog, the dog. It's nice to see old friends again, Tommy and Candy!

I'm telling you if you enjoy thrillers/action thrillers with superb and complex characters and haven't tried Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series, YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT.

Orphan X is fun to read or listen to. The audio is narrated by Scott Brick and is top-notch including an exclusive author's interview with Lisa Gardner giving fascinating insights into the making and background of the series.

As always, Gregg Hurwitz has provided a book that engages the mind and the imagination Evan is a hero that brings the action but he is also a character wrestling with real life emotions and self-doubt.

This is the first Orphan X book that I've listened to or read. The book itself I loved. However, the audiobook sounded like I was listening to a game show. That was not, necessarily, a bad thing it just took getting used to. The book was well written and I loved X. The dynamics between X and Joey are wonderful. I feel it gives X a human side and makes him more relatable. If you like books that have more action, this is the book to read. This book can be read as a stand alone, though I am adding the other books to my TBR list. I need to see how it all got started.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan audio, and Greg Hurwitz for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Another masterful story in the riveting epic fantasy saga continues this epic story where the previous book left off and takes readers on a high-stakes ride with tightly-plotted twists and horrors that are downright eldritch.

4.5 ⭐️’s Great Characters , enjoyed the storyline . Can’t wait for the next book. Going back to read the rest of the series . Narration was spot on .

Loving an action packed adventure. This is it! There are so many conflicts I’m amazed Orphan X can still function in this highly revolving story.

In this installment, Even starts to view himself as growing older and perhaps not the killing machine he once was. As a loner he seems to be coming out of his shell and interacting with Joey, Peter and Orphan V in a more social role. We also see him thrust into a father/mentor role with his growing attachment for Joey and hers for him. Finally, his moral compass is put to the test as he navigates this newest assignment. Full of twists and turns, it will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page, trying to anticipate where this story will go.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Ethans's adventure starts with a request for help from an unexpected person in a situation Orphan X fans have not yet seen him in. As Ethan considers the request, he begins to question and analyze his role as "The Nowhere Man" and how his age and knowledge of his own past will factor into his future.

I love the Orphan X series and THE LAST ORPHAN did not disappoint. Hurwitz is at the top of his game and the series is still going strong. While I have enjoyed each and every book, this is my favorite after HELLBENT (book 3.) The main character Evan Smoak, his ensemble cast (Joey, Tommy, Candy, etc), and the secondary characters are richly developed and fully formed. The moral decision that Evan faces in this installment elevates the series and I can't wait until the next book.

I listened to the audio at 1.1X. Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

(Also posted on Goodreads.)

Orphan X is back! There is some personal growth in this book for Evan, that is a bit unnerving for him. The plot is complex as the President has a job she wants him to do. He has his commandments taught by Jack, that make him unsure about taking on the project. As he scouts out the situation, he gets help from Joey and Orphan V, aka Candy. As always, the secondary characters add to the storyline with their variety of personalities. Peter and Mia are only slightly around in this story and while I like seeing the humanity side of Evan, it's a tough act to balance with him being an assassin. Scott Brick does a marvelous job narrating the story. I can't imagine listening to these thrilling stories with anyone else.

I dove straight into this series without reading it in order. While it can be read as a stand-alone I prefer to start at the beginning to appreciate and understand these characters. It was a bit hard for me to connect with them but I hope to rectify that soon.

Evan’s story is an assassin of sorts and seems to want to make his own path away from the government. Unfortunately, for him the government doesn’t seem ready to let him go.
This was a spellbinding thriller that had assassins, and thugs. It was great!
I had a great time listening to the narrator, Scott Brick. His voice is perfect and for me it seem to match Evan. He used a variety of tones and inflections that I was able to distinguish other characters. The female tones were great too!
If you’re looking for a bit of mystery, thriller, and suspense then look no further.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy and ALC.

This is the best of the series, no question! It turns out that as The Last Orphan, (AKA The Nowhere Man) Evan Smoak has been trying to really lay low and travel under the radar of the US Government and rather than
continuing to work as a very well paid Assassin,, his passion and goal is to help those who need his help most.- and by referral only, from those he has previously helped. Sounds like things are going well for him, right? Well, not so much.
It turns out that he is on the radar of the POTUS (the only person who can ‘hire’ him, because she owes him)
and she sends out the squad to bring him in for a chat…Now he has to choose what he will do knowing the wrong decision could be deadly,
This book is very well written and I really had to pay attention to catch every well thought out detail.
I enjoyed keeping track of “Orphan X’s Ten Commandments” while I listened and I copied them down!
I absolutely recommend this title to fans of The Orphan X universe, as well as new readers.
Even though a long running series, new readers will do just fine.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio presentation of The Last Orphan in exchange for a fair and honest review of this book.

The Last Orphan is book 8 in the Orphan X series from Gregg Hurwitz.

"Mia is in a coma after her surgery. Evan goes to visit her in the hospital and walks into a trap. Despite his best efforts he is captured by the FBI. The president makes a demand. Evan must take out a man the president views as a threat to national security or be locked away for the rest of his life.
Evan must decide...but he will do it on his terms."

Evan has changed. He is no longer a lone wolf. There are people in his life that help him and make him better - Joey, Mia, Candy and Peter (and even Vera III) It makes him vulnerable but makes his life richer. It's always nice to see an author allow a character to grow and change.
Evan must match wits with a billionaire who controls a lot of Washington, DC. Are there enough reasons to take him out? How does he protect the people that now matter to him?
I like that Hurwitz looks at the gray here - it's not black and white.

Scott Brick is the perfect narrator for this book. He captures the feeling of Orphan X. His performance makes the listener feel like they are inside the action and emotion of the story

This book is full of the action and Orphan X moments that we love from the series. Glad to see Candy in action again.
This can be read as a stand-alone but you'll want to read all of the Orphan X books. Another great Evan Smoak story.

The littlest pickiest thing I can say is that there are more moveable parts than normal and maybe too many or it took time to connect them.

Otherwise this is everything you want from an Orphan X book. Joey and Evan's relationship is everything I live for.

The hold my vodka chapter to the I was told there would be vodka chapter to his argument with spices because they aren't arranged correctly... all there.

The thrill? Suspense? Action... oh the action. All there.

Also! It is refreshing to see some chink's in X's armour.

Grand slam

HE”S BAAACCCKKK!!!!! Yep, Evan Smoak is back on the hunt! I was so excited to get this eARC for the newest installment of Orphan X. The gangs all back too, Joey, Dog, Tommy, Mia, Peter, Orphan V as well as Agent Templeton, who is STILL trying to capture Evan. This time she does capture her man, briefly😊

The book summary pretty much lays out the first part of the story, that picks up shortly after the last one. Mia is in Cedar Sinai and has just come out of her coma, and Agent Templeton had several military commando teams waiting for Evan at the hospital as he tries to go and visit Mia. In a moment rarely ever seen by X fans, Evan makes a mistake, a mistake that he is dumbfounded that he made, one that led him to be captured. However, in typical Evan manner, the containment, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, is brief, and Evan is rescued by none other than Orphan V, a woman that Evan once tried to kill, but now they’re allies (a whole other story).

During his brief containment, Templeton and the President pretty much order Evan to get rid of a problem of theirs. While Evan agreed to help them, he told them he would do it in his own way without their interference. Shortly, thereafter he escapes and proceeds to do what he promised he would do. The rest of the story revolves around Evan and his crew proceeding with the new assignment, in their typical covert, quasi black ops manner: Joey, hacking any site they need info from, Tommy, supplying anything and everything that requires any kind of weaponization for the job, and Aragón Urrea (a whole other story), taking care of all the air travel. None of this is a spoiler since it’s all revealed pretty early in the story.

However, there is a secondary storyline that comes up in the second half of the story that allows Evan to step back into his Nowhere Man role: Evan helping someone who needs his brand of help. This is something that Evan agreed to stop doing in the last book when the President gave him a conditional pardon (a whole other story). So, while Evan is working his assignment for the President, he is also working on a new Nowhere Man assignment. These two assignments provide all kinds of trouble for the “bad guys” and for them to come after Evan and for Evan to utilize his bad@$$ Orphan X training and skills to put them down. For anyone who hasn’t read the previous series installments, when Evan is in Orphan X/Nowhere Man mode, he’s like Dirty Harry/Die Hard/Superman dangerous. Eventually, the two storylines begin to merge, which puts Evan in a position that he wasn’t trained to do, something that he has only learned recently to do, and it troubles him. I loved the very end, made my eyes feel a little watery😊

One of the things that I love about this series is the way that Evan’s emotional growth has evolved over time. Evan is a VERY complicated and deeply flawed man. However, throughout the series, Evan has allowed people into his life and over time, he has allowed them to get to know him and it has irrevocably changed him and his life – and he’s ok with that (I think).

Personally, I don’t think any of the series books should be read as a standalone. In just this one review, there are so many things that a reader, who had not read the previous books, would not know, or understand about Evan, his crew or any of the previous events in his life to make him the character that he is. At this point in the series, it's not even about the action-packed, fast-paced missions anymore (at least for me). Don't get me wrong, I still love all the crazy $#!^ that Hurwitz puts Evan through in every mission/book - LOVE THAT STUFF!!! However, I also love all the personal and emotional stuff that Hurwitz has put Evan through. I look forward to hopefully more of that. Hurwitz is an incredible writer and an amazing storyteller, and while he does provide some additional background in every book, it simply isn’t enough to understand “who” Evan is and why he does what he does. JMHO😊

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @St Martin’sPress @MacmillanAudio @TheLastOrphan