Skull's Shadows by David Van Dyke and Ryan King

Vengeance is mine sayeth the Skull.

American sniper Alan "Skull" Denham refuses the Eden Plague rather than give up the demons driving him. Instead, he selects his own mission to fight against the ever-growing evil of the fascist Unionist movement. Can Skull win through while keeping his soul, showing mercy only to children, dogs and the genuinely innocent?

David Van Dyke introduced Alan "Skull" Denham in The Eden Plague as a friend of a friend to Daniel Markis. His role in that book, as the silent, cold-blooded killer, worked well. This third installment of the Plague Wars saga, I enjoyed the least. I had difficulty sympathizing with him as the main character; with the exception of the short segment where Skull returns to his childhood home and reconnects with a woman from his past.

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​What I liked:

​The writing is engaging and descriptive, with fascinating insights into military strategy and protocols. I enjoyed the redemptive scene between the MC and his past.

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What I didn't like:

​Skull is not the type of man I'd want to associate with outside the needs of defending the innocent or delving out justice to the bad buys. As some say, the Lord uses the wicked to punish the wicked, and Alan Denham seems to fit the bill perfectly. 

I didn't like him as a character in general and hoped to see more redeeming qualities emerge throughout this installment, but I finished the book disappointed and reticent in continuing with the saga.

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​I gave Skull's Shadows three stars because of engaging writing, but couldn't give a fourth as the other volumes because of my disconnect from the main character and his story arc.