The Resisters #4: Operation Inferno Paperback – October 8, 2013

*Raging fanboy mode off*The Resisters series lacks the amazing awesomeness that I'd loved from Nylund's previous series, Mortal Coils. That being said, I'm WAY out of the target audience (book's audience is children; I'm a 22 year old adult), and yet I can still find something to enjoy in this book. It follows Nylund's tradition of completely raising the bar hundreds of times within the book itself, while oddly enough taking a massive cliff dive near the middle and still somehow managing to recover in such an incredible way that I HAVE to give it five stars.First thing's first. The Seed Bank's gone, but the now the Resistance has Titan Base. It's a large facility that was used during the previous war fifty years ago, yet it's fully functional and equipped for there use. Better yet, they can monitor Ch'zar movement through their satellite feeds, all while remaining invisible to the Ch'zar themselves. However, things aren't exactly looking good for the Resistance. Ethan and co have to deal with infighting and tensions rising high amongst their men, and the worst part is, there are those (if you're a reader you'll probably know who) who'd rather simply ignore the chain of command and go for democracy. (I vote martial law, for the record). Making matters worse is a squadron of bees that seems to be trailing Ethan's every move; they're better trained and better armed than half the Ch'zar's forces, which often has Ethan and co question what they're facing.Needless to say, the story is somewhat predictable (though I often have a keen eye on Nylund's works, so I may have pieced most of this together), up until page one-fifty±. There's a small plot twist which I'd correctly predicted, but then it follows along with easily one of the most counterproductive twists of all time, which in my opinion ruined the entire feel of the book. I can't honestly think Nylund looked at this twist and thought "this'll be great!" Although admittedly, I am not a part of the target audience, so maybe it worked for them.Speaking of which, despite this, I have to give the book some serious credit on its finale. It's somewhat similar to the final battle in  The Resisters #2: Sterling Squadron , yet you can feel the characters' emotions more strongly than before. Ethan himself has grown A LOT as a character, and you can see it in his thoughts and actions, not just during the event, but before and afterwards. I was genuinely surprised at how mature he was acting, and how he could pull off the entire operation despite having EVERYTHING against him. Had it been me, I probably would've snapped in two (or three).That being said, there are some signs that the book is starting to appeal to a somewhat older audience too. I'd rather not reveal too much, but there's a significant event that happens during the final battle that reminded me that these weren't just some kids flying bugs in the air; they were soldiers fighting a war, and they were also vulnerable to its fury. Honestly, I was pretty shocked to see the book go in that direction, and to be honest, I'm glad it took it. It means the series and its characters are maturing, in a very good way.To be fair, the book does have its low moments (like I said, that plot twist was just horrible), but it takes these twists and uses them in a way that benefits the overall storyline. I was honestly expecting it to actually be horrible after that particular event, but by the end, all traces of anger and fury in me were long gone, and I was so engrossed in the story, its execution, EVERYTHING, that I didn't even care anymore. It was that good.So, ultimately, if you're a fan of Nylund, sic fi, or just want a book for your kid, pick this up. I've been a longtime fan of Nylund's work, and he never ceases to deliver, even when I've had my doubts (such as now). I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book.PS: now we're showing some signs of progress between Madison and Ethan. I approve.PSS: no mention of the Blackwoods' parents. I hope the next book references this.*Raging fanboy mode on*HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I JUST FINISHED READING IT IT WAS AWESOME @_@

I loved this book, I've read the entire series and think it should be turned into a movie! The author ( Eric Nylund )did an incredibly well job making you imagine the book in your head! I'm still hungry for more and can't wait to see if they come out with another book!

It was amazing it was really intense and the author had great description I loved it and I know more peeps my age wil also love the book

My son, 11 yo in 5th grade, has dyslexia, dislikes reading and LOVES this series. He begs us to read it every night. We bought the entire series for our school library. Strong recommend.

Great addition to the series! Nylund has done it again. My 12 years old son loves this series. Keeps him reading into the evening without a word about TV or computers.

My son loved these so much he now calls Eric Nylund his favorite author. He's read the entire series and wants more. Recommend for pre-teens!

This is the best book and series ever! I think it is good book at good price. That's why I rated it 5 star !!!!!

my son and i both enjoyed the latest installment! there were lots of new twists and turns that kept us glued to the pages