The Athena Protocol by Shamim SarifThe Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif is the first book in The Athena Protocol Series. It’s an awesome new-adult story that has non-stop action and excitement and you’ll have a really hard time with putting it down.

Jessie Archer works as a spy extraordinaire for the Athena Protocol. It’s a unique organization that employs female spies who go all over the world to dish out vigilante justice to people who commit heinous crimes.

Athena Protocol operatives must have a high level of self-control when they’re on a mission. They are not supposed to shoot to kill anyone but Jessie took things too far and she killed a notorious person of interest. She was thrown out of the organization a few days before the Athena Protocol embarked on a crucial mission to take down an entire human trafficking ring in Belgrade.

Jessie needs to make things right and she wants to prove her loyalty to the Athena Protocol so that’s why she’s doing her own unauthorized investigation into the trafficking ring. Moving solo will give Jessie more freedom and flexibility but it’s extremely dangerous because she won’t have anyone to look out for her when things go terribly wrong. If that wasn’t bad enough, her former teammates were given orders to bring her down.

Will Jessie be able to complete her mission and bring an end to the trafficking before it is too late or will she lose her life in the process?

The Characters

Jessie Archer is an Athena Protocol operative and she is very passionate about her job. She is a genius when it comes to hacking into complicated systems or decoding stuff and she’s one of the best sharpshooters on her team. Jessie can be a bit of a show-off sometimes but she has a huge heart that she hides beneath a thick layer of anger, sarcasm and cynicism. I really wanted to reach through my kindle and give Jessie one of the mushiest hugs known to womankind because she has a rocky relationship with her mother, she feels as though no one really understands her and she isn’t close to anyone outside of the Athena Protocol. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve got a little crush on Jessie because I have a weakness for women who live on the edge.

Caitlin and Hala are Jessie’s teammates and they’re like family to her. Caitlin is the peacemaker and she always knows how to bring out the best sides in her teammates but she is struggling with a lot of personal demons. Hala is the best climber on the team and she keeps to herself most of the time. She is a woman of action and she’s the best person to have on your side whenever things go sideways on a mission. I have so much love for Hala and Caitlin because they’re flawed and lovable women who are willing to risk their lives so that they can save other women who are in danger.

The Writing Style

Shamim Sarif blew me away with her flawless and captivating writing! I have always been a huge fan of her books but she has certainly gone above and beyond when she brought this amazing story and these unforgettable characters to life for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace of the story and I felt as though I was seeing and experiencing everything that Jessie and her teammates were exposed to because this author gave me vivid descriptions of each country they ventured out to. Even though this story was told through Jessie’s point of view, I didn’t think the story was one-sided at all because I could easily relate to the other characters and the personal challenges they were facing. I’ve already placed this book on my list of favorite re-reads because I devoured this story so quickly and I want to experience all the heart-racing thrills again and again!

My Favourite Parts

I’m a huge sucker for thrillers and this story did not disappoint me in that category because I was literally at the edge of my comfy couch while I was deep into Jessie’s world. Nothing, absolutely nothing can beat hanging out with Jessie as she goes rouge on her elite spying organization and starts her own investigation while she manages to catch deep feelings for a woman she shouldn’t have grown close to. I’m all for living vicariously through Jessie and her teammates and I think I’ll stick to my mundane eight to four desk job because I know for a fact that I’m not a fighter and I totally suck at climbing. Shamim Sarif definitely deserves the coffee cup honor and the highest of fives for creating such a compelling novel!

Heads Up

This story deals with a lot of heartbreaking issues such as kidnapping, rape and human trafficking. There were also graphic descriptions of murder and physical assault.

The Conclusion

aprils favourite booksThis story will always have a special place in my heart because it is so much more than an enthralling thriller. This story tackles serious social issues like human trafficking, corrupt governments and terrorism. Shamim Sarif has done a fabulous job of highlighting the fact that many spies and undercover operatives pay a high mental, emotional and physical price for being loyal to their organizations. If you enjoy stories that have family drama, a lethal attraction and a team of badass women who will do everything in their power to protect innocent people from harm, then this is definitely the story for you!

Excerpt from The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif

“Let’s get set up again,” Caitlin orders kindly. Something about Caitlin’s American accent, which is a complete drawl, like something out of a cowboy movie, makes me feel even more British.

Hala and I obey, leaning into our riflescopes, eyes focused once more down on the militia camp below. We’re all in the same positions we took the first night we were here, when we were just watching, tweaking the plan. Christ, that was a rubbish night. When I finally got to sleep, I was thrilled to dream of something else.

We have these contact lenses that zoom in and out depending on how you blink, so even from up here we had a perfect view of the soldiers. I hadn’t expected them to be so young. You see videos about child soldiers in Africa, but these weren’t kids—and yet they weren’t men either. Probably recruited willingly by Ahmed and his terrorist militia. If you’re stuck in a village working the land all day to plant crops that may never actually grow, maybe Ahmed gives you something to believe in—and guns to play with. We watched them that night, laughing, teasing each other the way boys do, scrapping in little fights that rose up like boiling water and then evaporated as fast. The bloodied noses, shouts and shoves; I could handle that.

But what they did to the girls… These fifty girls they had captured from a distant village, in an attempt to blackmail the government into releasing prisoners… None of us could watch what they were doing, and none of us could look at each other. When I caught Caitlin’s eyes by mistake, they were welled up, which somehow made me even angrier, that she was suffering. I wanted to do something right then, go down there and end it all at gunpoint. I think I even scrambled up, because Caitlin put a hand on my arm to grab me and she held it there, calming me down for a minute. It had ended by itself, by two in the morning. The human urge for sleep overtaking all the other urges. And the camp fell quiet, just as it is now.

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Series

The Athena Protocol Series

The Athena Protocol

The Shadow Mission

Bits and Bobs

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