I had read/listened to the first two Orphan X/Nowhere Man/Evan Smoak books and enjoyed them. I try to add the next installments of series I like to my Amazon wishlist to keep track of what's being released next. I forgot to do so, but when I saw the most recent installment was available as an ARC on NetGalley, I requested it.

I was able to follow the story well, even having not read the in-between books. I enjoyed meeting the secondary characters and finishing this book has motivated me to catch up on the rest of the series. I really want to know more about Candy, the Secret Service Agent, and how those relationships came about.

It was an exciting story, had a twist I wasn't expecting, and a satisfying ending. I hope there are more adventures to come.

Thank you, NetGalley, Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing the ARC.

Wow! Another great ride with Evan Smoak. I loved his interactions with Candy and Joey and Tommy. X is really having to grow into a human being and its amazing to watch.

When I was approved for an ARC from NetGalley for The Last Orphan, I dropped all my other reading.

I’ve read the previous 7 novels and 3 short stories. This one has as much great action as anything in the series.

I would have liked more story between X and Mia; I hope someday they can get together. This book hints that it may be X and V (Candy); I prefer not.

I’d like to see Naomi find Mia; she should be able to figure out why X was at the hospital.

4 out of 5 stars.

Another great story in this series! The action never stops! See how this character finds his way out of every tough spot and just keeps going! Plus all of his secondary characters make appearances throughout the story to help!

When the President extorts Orphan X to get him to eliminate an untouchable political opponent, Orphan X has a tough decision to make, and it will take the whole Orphan X extended family to achieve a successful resolution. The abyss reaches out yet again, but so does an opportunity to further advance the pursuit of his humanity. I am rooting for X.

The Last Orphan (Orphan X #8)
Gregg Hurwtz
This is the 8th book in the Orphan X series.
Evan Smoak was a child when he was chosen for the black box program. The mission of the program was to create the perfect assassin. The program was a success however, Evan no longer wanted to participate and managed to vanish. Now he is known as the Nowhere Man. Evan has a new mission to assist those in need; he will do anything to shield and rescue the desperate and worthy. Someone is hunting Evan, someone with similar talents and skills. So far, he has managed to stay ahead of his stalker. He makes a mistake; he breaks the deal keeping him our of jail.
The President has a job for Evan. She has an enemy, someone that can damage the Presidency and damage the United States. The President wants him eliminated. The man is wealthy, strong and treacherous which is why Evan accepts the job.
Like the previous 7 books in this series, “The Last Orphan”, is action packed. Fans of this series have watched Evan evolve into what he is today. While this is a stand alone tale, I highly recommend reading the books in order. The ending is a cliff hanger! Since book #8 will not be published until 2023 it will be a long wait until author Gregg Hurwtz presents readers #9.

Evan Fights Back - Does He Look Scared Now?

Sometimes the world is cruel, innocent people get caught up in things they should have avoided. Evan Smoak takes a short vacation, relishing the Reyka Vodka he is sipping from the icy shot glass while he unwinds. Trouble always seems to follow him, though, and soon the calm was shattered. I bet he left the old man shaking his head, though. Back home things are quiet until Mia awakens and Evan heads for the hospital. The Federal agents have been waiting for him for what seems like forever and close in quickly. Evan is restrained in a way that prevents him from moving, no possible way for him to escape. Is this the end of Orphan X? Not yet, but it’s a tough battle that has Evan questioning himself and his morals.

The Last Orphan is a complex book, self-preservation yes, but there are multiple events happening at once. He is trying to determine if the President has a valid problem with the man they want him to eliminate. Joey is looking toward her future. Mia is an increasingly important part of Evan’s life. The subject of his hunt is a complex genius who is in the process of trying to control every facet of the future. This is a fascinating chapter in Evan’s life, his emotions are waking up and he is trying to understand what ordinary people feel and at the same time he is dedicated to his mission: Help people who have nowhere else to turn. It’s a book you don’t want to put down and you wish would never end. A must read addition to the Orphan X library.

Thank you Net Galley, Gregg Hurwitz, and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of The Last Orphan.

Orphan X is a terrific character, kind of a superman assassin with a large number of flaws, and interesting character quirks. In The Last Orphan, two excellent subsidiary characters are present, Joey, a teenage hacker, and Candy, another member of the Orphan Program who adds a touch of sex to her other Orphan skills. The combat scenes are well-constructed and exciting, and the presence of a number of colorful characters, including Joey and Candy add a lot to the story. The story has some excellent touches of humor. I found one particularly colorful scenario where one of the villains is dispatched by making his entry into an unfriendly country somewhat uncomfortable.

The author tries to "age" his protagonist in this book. This is an admirable but challenging effort. Hurwitz emphasizes Orphan X's flaws and his attempts to find his place in a normal society by reconciling his past behavior and doubting himself a lot more. There is less of the old Orphan X in this book, and more philosophical questioning. I believe readers familiar with his prior work might enjoy this character evolution, but a reader less familiar with his work might find the self-doubt less entertaining than the excellent action scenes. This difficulty is compounded by a villain who raises a lot of philosophical questions as well. I enjoyed Hurwitz's earlier villains much more.

I also feel that while Hurwitz has developed a number of interesting characters around Orphan X, the capabilities of these characters makes Orphan X's work a little too easy. His hacker friend can do anything, his weapons procurer can get anything, and he has unlimited financial support on top of all this. I think Orphan X has learned to depend on these characters too much, and there is a lot less of what I enjoyed in some of Hurwitz's earlier Orphan X books.

I think existing fans of Orphan X might enjoy the character evolution in The Last Orphan. I have only read a few of his earlier books, and would suggest a reader new to this series start with the earlier Orphan X novels. Evan Smoak is a terrific character, but I think the new philosophical, questioning Evan Smoak is less entertaining.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an ARC.

I am a huge fan of this series and anxiously await each new book. This was no exception. I wonder when Hollywood will see it needs to be a movie. I love Evan Smoak and all the characters. I highly recommend this book and the whole series. One of my all time favorites.

The one thing you can absolutely count on with Gregg Hurwitz is that he will not disappoint. Evan and the cast of supporting characters in this series feel like old friends now. Friends I have come to care for deeply. Friends I cannot wait to see again. The Last Orphan strikes a bit of a different tone than the previous books. In some ways it's wittier and in other ways it's more somber but this just gives the series a lot more depth. As always, the book is gripping, thought-provoking, propulsive and wonderfully, incredibly written. I love the opening scene with Evan in Iceland. All long-time Orphan fans will absolutely love it. It was also really interesting to watch Evan navigate this latest "case" because in many ways, it's not at all like the others he's faced in the past which for me, only made it more intriguing. The Last Orphan provides all the things you've come to crave from this exceptional series: nail-biting, gasp-worthy thrills, moments that keep you racing through the pages, and a story that leaves you reeling and desperate for more. It also reveals a more vulnerable, deeper facet of Evan's personal makeup and gives you lots to think about. I just can't wait for more. Every time I finish an Orphan novel, I send up a little prayer to the publishing Gods for this series to never end.

What’s sure to be the perfect Valentine’s Day present for the thriller fan in your life, The Last Orphan is a magnificent novel that exceptionally blends full-throttle action with an epic battle of wits and a healthy dose of emotional awakenings. Gregg Hurwitz’s eighth Orphan X novel is absolutely special and possibly my favorite in the series to date.

The unthinkable happens when Evan Smoak, aka Orphan X, is unable to evade and escape an army of federal agents hellbent on capturing him and holding him accountable for his extrajudicial activities as The Nowhere Man. After rendition to a black site, he comes face to face via video chat with the President of the United States who offers Evan a deal to maintain his freedom. All he must do is kill a billionaire genius who might be the most powerful and dangerous man on the planet. Accept and execute the mission, and he’s a free man with the caveat that he must stop being The Nowhere Man. Decline the mission, and the full weight and power of the United States government will be brought down upon him. But Evan takes orders from no one, and he lives by a code that compels him to only use his skills against those harming others and getting away with egregious breaches of the law. Now Evan must decide if this person fits that profile and should be killed, or if not, stick to his personal ideology and face the wrath of the President.

Evan Smoak’s continued personal evolution is on full display in The Last Orphan, adding depth and development to an already amazing protagonist and giving this novel a ton of heart. Evan’s lethal skillset has not once been in question, but he’s also never been accused of having a high EQ. However, over the past few novels in the series, readers have gotten glimpses of Evan developing feelings and attachments to individuals like Joey, Mia and Peter. In The Last Orphan, those emotions grow at an exponential rate as we see Evan act in ways that don’t always line up with the Ten Commandments drilled into him by his handler/father figure Jack Johns. He shows increasing vulnerability, caring and empathy towards others, including people he just met on this latest mission. Will this emotional development hold him back or make him a better operator? Time will tell, but Jack would be proud as he always said the hard part wasn’t turning Evan into a killer but keeping his humanity in the process.

Beyond Evan’s growth as a human, The Last Orphan contains the hallmarks of a tremendous Orphan X thriller - amazing action sequences with shootouts, knife fights and martial arts beat downs, truly unlikeable bad guys deserving of an ass whooping, and the moral ambiguity of Evan’s actions. Throw in an intriguing and enigmatic filthy rich megalomaniac and this novel has it all.

Rarely do thrillers feature non-stop badassery while making you think and giving you the feels. The Last Orphan not only achieves this but does so in spectacular fashion. It’s an astoundingly brilliant thriller. A book that is tons of fun to read and stimulates your brain and heart. It’s not to be missed!

I have been a huge fan of the Orphan X series from the first, and "The Last Orphan" did not disappoint!

What I really loved about this book is that Evan doesn't know if his target fits his profile of people who are bad enough to be eliminated. Despite the fact that completing this operation would mean a pardon and the government ceasing to chase him, Evan sticks to his morals and takes the time to make sure.

I especially appreciate the continued evolution of Evan as an isolated operative who compartmentalizes his emotions, to allowing himself some wiggle room to let emotions in.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I’ve always been a very big fan of reading series because it means that for a certain amount of time I don’t have to worry about what my next read will be & there’s the added bonus of extreme amounts of character development; however, I read this not realizing that it was the 8th book of the series (the cover does depict it as An Orphan X novel & the book blurb clearly states that Evan Smoak returns, but I didn’t put any of that together). With that being said, at no point did I feel extremely lost about what his backstory was or what happened in the past which is one of the main reasons why I gave this book 5 stars. Granted I loved everything about the book but to start a series on book 8 and not be super confused is an awesome bonus.

The Last Orphan follows Evan Smoak aka Orphan X as the President tries to utilize his particular skill set to her benefit but he is without a doubt not someone that can be easily manipulated into doing anything. He is someone that does things on his term and according to his moral code and no one, not even the President can change that. I found myself absolutely rooting for him and applauding the fact that nothing could get him to break away from his moral code. Generally when you have someone like Evan/Orphan X who was trained to be an assassin, you don’t associate them with meaningful relationships, but that was not the case here and it was nice seeing how through everything he’d gone through in his life and everything he’s done/seen that he still had connections to people that felt genuine and not forced.

Lastly, as someone with a background in mental health, I felt that the author addressed Evan/Orphan X’s mental health issues in a great way. He was able to capture how someone with OCD might feel in various different situations and also slightly touched on PTSD and how thoughts of traumatic situations could bring themselves to the front of someone’s consciousness and the reaction to those thoughts. The mental health issues weren’t sensationalized or glorified but rather played out the way they would in reality which for me added to the quality of the book.

Overall, I thought this was a great book & especially loved that each chapter had it’s own title. I can’t wait to read books 1-7 now that I know they exist! #thelastorphan #orphanx #netgalley

*Thank you NetGalley, Author Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC for my honest review*

X is back! The latest installment of the “Orphan X” series is not to be missed! If you are a thriller fan, and you are not familiar with Greg Hurwitz, you are really missing out. Do yourself a favor and read The Nowhere Man!

Orpan X is a great series and this one just adds to the characters growth and lore. Hurwitz does an amazing job keeping each book a page turner.

The Last Orphan is number eight in the Orphan X series novels and should be read as part of the series along with the short stories starring Evan. There are not any bad Orphan X novels just some really bad guys. Once again, Evan Smoak is after the bad guys for hurting the innocent but this case didn’t come from Evan’s phone. Captured by the government, Evan is given the name of a great manipulator that the POTUS wants dealt with by Evan is no one puppet. A jailbreak later, the Nowhere Man is looking into the case but not for the reasons the government wants. A family has lost a brother and a son to murder and Evan will hunt down those responsible and make them pay. As always, the story is action packed and heavy on the vigilantism and Evan ranks high on the greatest literary characters of all time for a thrilling, heart pounding story in the series that readers will never grow tired of. Each book just keeps getting better and Evan deserves some silver screen stardom! My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz is the eighth full entry (there are a handful of novellas/short stories) in the Evan Smoak/Orphan X series and although it's not my favorite book in the series it still satisfies.

Recruited as a pre-teen orphan to become the ultimate assassin who doesn't exist, Evan Smoak is being hunted by the US government after violating the terms of his secret pardon by the US President. She'll reinstate his pardon if he takes one more mission for her--eliminate an amoral, unscrupulous power broker who's threatening to derail the piece of legislation her re-election is hinging on.

In most books and movies "will they, won't they" refers the main characters "getting together" or "hooking up". In Last Orphan, however, it means will Evan accept a mission that violates his personal code. I won't spoil things here. You'll have to decide if you agree with Evan's decision. I did.

Throughout the series, Hurwitz has done a great job defining Evan's character while providing him with opportunities to develop and evolve (albeit slowly) past his state of arrested development. No one has been more crucial to Evan's than Joey. I love how she makes Evan uncomfortable and forces him to be the best version of himself, not as an assassin, but as a human being.

I was provided an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book still feels a little rough in a couple of places. There were some emoji's in text messages that displayed up as broken characters in the ebook. I also noticed a few sections that seemed repetitive, as if the same text had been copied and pasted/inserted into different parts of the story. I'm assuming that this will be cleaned up before final publication.

4.25 – 4.5 STARS

Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series falls way outside my preferred reading genre, and yet, I have been completely and utterly swept away by each and every installment—“The Last Orphan” being the most recent. There is just something about Evan Smoak (aka, X; aka, The Nowhere Man) and his internal struggles and his ever-present challenges with building relationships that really pulls at my heartstrings. Contrast that with his astute prowess and deadly aptitude and this makes for a very compelling series.

In “The Last Orphan,” we see more of Evan’s personal introspection and pieces of his humanity shining through, evidenced by his actions during his latest mission and by his evolving relationship with Joey. Ever present, are the requisite action-filled scenes, and yet, there are some sluggish moments that hindered the story’s progression but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment. And with another cliffhanger ending that has me dangling on the precipice, you can be certain that I will be coming back for more!

The Last Orphan – Gregg Hurwitz

The Last Orphan is listed as the eighth book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz and continues the consistent streak of reliably good novels involving the Evan Smoak character.

To me, serial novels often face two problems as they progress, with the first being eventual stale stories where the character never faces real change or growth and the second being how tales seem to be crafted and told by rote and with cliché-filled tropes. Gregg Hurwitz has so far avoided both of these issues by allowing his characters to grow and to keep coming up with tales different than prior ones. Hurwitz continues that streak with The Last Orphan.

In The Last Orphan, Evan Smoak, also known as Orphan X or The Nowhere Man, has run afoul of the current US President for violating an immunity agreement in the previous Orphan X novel. The violation has resulted from him continuing to do good deeds as The Nowhere Man when prohibited to do so in accordance with the stipulations of the immunity agreement.

Because of that violation and an incident that won’t be revealed here, he is then coerced to remove a powerful man who threatens the future of the current president and if he does not, he will be dropped in the metaphorical deepest dark hole that can be found and never heard from again. Smoak soon finds out his apparent elimination mark is one of his most unusual and deadliest villains he has ever met and is a man that seems to somehow have uncanny access to all forms of information, including Smoak’s most hidden secrets.

Smoak’s troubles only increase, especially due to the above alluded to incident and a missed, simple fired gunshot, all of which forces Smoak to be struck to his core in a way that makes him start to severely doubt both his own mental and physical abilities, which includes a fear of diminishing skills.

The Last Orphan also includes previously introduced characters, including Smoak’s young apprentice Joey and the deadly and alluring Orphan V and is recommended to readers of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and other writers of lone wolf type characters.

The Last Orphan was provided by NetGalley for the return of a fair review.

Every year, one of my most anticipated novels is the newest installment in the Orphan X series, and each year, Hurwitz exceeds my expectations.

As we start off The Last Orphan, the United States government has located Evan Smoak (aka Orphan X), and they want him captured. Once they get their hands on him, what they ask is a little different than Smoak initially expected. They want him for a mission. This isn’t the standard call to 1-855-2-NOWHERE that Evan traditionally receives. The government wants him to eliminate Luke Devine, a billionaire mogul. Evan sets off on his mission, but as he uncovers secrets along the way, he must reevaluate his decisions.

The Last Orphan is another stellar thriller novel by one of the best in the business. Although I found myself yearning for the storyline between Mia and Evan, I found this novel to be everything that we’ve come to expect from Hurwitz. Hurwitz is a master of the writing craft, with the most brilliant prose, witty and intriguing dialogue, nonstop action that thriller fans will love, and possibly most importantly, a flawed character that is trying to find his place in the world. The Last Orphan is the perfect summation of everything you want in a thriller. Don’t miss out on one of the best series available.