Book Review: ‘Hellbent’ Finds Orphan X Back And Kicking Ass

Book three of the Orphan X series finds Evan Smoak back and kicking ass. After a sophomore slump (in my opinion) the new book is as good as the first one in the series.

Things have slow in Evan’s life and he seems to like it. No one has called The Nowhere Man in a while and he’s able to lawlow. That’s until he gets a call from his the man who wants him dead Van Sciver. He has captured his mentor and the man he considers a father Jack Johns. He has him captive in a helicopter and is goating Evan. Jack manages to over power the men holding him and free falls out of the helicopter to his death (it’s assumed he’s dead having come back before). Evan is livid and out for revenge.

He finds the area where Jack fell and finds his vehicle. He finds a cryptic message on the windshield telling him to find the package. Evan is not sure what that means but he’s on the trail. It leads him to Oregon and an apartment with a sixteen year old girl named Joey, Jack’s last Orphan trainee. Not sure who she is and the bad guys right on his tail, they escape and hit the road. He slowly gets to know her and what’s she’s about. The bond and make plans to try and bring down Van Sciver once and fall all. They find out he’s been killing other Orphan’s on orders from someone right at the top.

Evan has no idea how to handle a sixteen year old, especially one with a chip on her shoulder. She’s very smart and is able to hack into one of Van Sciver’s peoples computer and finds out what he’s been doing. Evan even brings her to his apartment to work. Something he’s never let anyone do (and it drives him crazy). All this takes a toll on his friendship with neighbor Mia and her son. Evan feels something for her but knows it can never be.

When the Nowhere Man gets a call for help it’s bad timing but he takes the call and helps out the man needing help with his son. It also plays into the big final showdown where either Orphan X or Van Sciver will die.

This third story is just a heart-pounding, thrill ride a minute. With the addition of Joey in this story it shows another side of Evan and who he is. Plus Orphan X is just a bad-ass. There doesn’t seem to be anything he can’t handle or get out of. The ending sets up the next book in the Orphan series. And if that’s not good enough news, Warner Bros. has bought the rights to the Orphan X, so I am personally looking forward to seeing what they do with the series.

You can pick up Hellbent, from Gregg Hurwitz, in stores on Tuesday, January 30th from Minotaur Books.