• The Game

  • Victor the Assassin Series, #3
  • By: Tom Wood
  • Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
  • Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,256 ratings)

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The Game  By  cover art

The Game

By: Tom Wood
Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
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Publisher's summary

Victor the assassin is living a solitary, peaceful life in Iceland when he's drawn into a job for an unidentified Swiss broker. Having passed the test, he's introduced to a group of mercenaries and killers who are tasked to perform the ultimate assassination.In this group, Victor meets someone from his past, someone who recruited him to the life he now knows-someone he thought was dead. And when he wants out, it's too late-his former mentor has other plans for him...

©2013 Tom Hinshelwood (P)2013 Tantor

What listeners say about The Game

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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1 Review for 3 books in series

The overall was rating was a 4 because the 1st two were o.k. - But this book (The third) was definitely the best. Rob Shapiro has a great voice... Very easy to listen to - Probably why the first book was a better listen then it was to read. By the time I was 3/4ths through the 1st book - I was pretty sure I was getting the second. I like Tom Woods writing style very much. Unfortunately I compare all assassins to Mitch Rapp (Who I considered the best ever) You will be missed Vince Flynn!.... That said - This Assassin has a lot of potetial. As I said - The 1st book was o.k. - The second was definitely better & The 3rd had the best story of the three. Very glad I picked up this series & I hope the Tom Wood continues on the same path.

J

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best Victor book yet

What does Rob Shapiro bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Rob Shapiro's voice is PERFECT for this character. He can be very serious or very sarcastic and cutting with just the right inflections in his voice. I have looked for other books he has narrated but unfortunately in this genre there are few. I hope there are more to come in the future.

Any additional comments?

Yes, Victor is a Superman and an assassin all rolled up into one. In comparison to others around him who are dropping like flies he remains relatively unscathed, but if he were mortally wounded it would be THE END! What is interesting in this series is finding out who will be standing at the end of the story (excluding Victor). He doesn't discriminate between men or women. The author doesn't have any problems making women the bad guy or (in previous books) having women in good guy roles getting killed. I do like that sometimes the ones your rooting for actually make it to the end alive. That's the enjoyment in these books, not who done it but who's gonna make it.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved It!

Once again, heart pumping action strung together with weight bearing plot and Clancy-like tech. Victor the Assassin's gotta' be today's 007. Great escapist stuff. No literary redeeming features... but an EXPLOSION of testosterone leaves powder burns all over my imagination. There's nothing I can tell you about the plot without bringing it spoiling down around your expectations.

And Rob Shapiro? Cannot say enough so I won't try. This is my VERY favorite action team right now and I'm off to find the next in the series. You like this kind of stuff? Then start this epic from the first book "The Killer" and work your way toward "The Game".

Oh... and virtually no politics hidden badly in the narrative. Not to worry that Wood's trying to see you some sort of ideological snake oil, just... did I say escapist stuff? Yeah Dude (or Dudette) I did!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Heart and Head of Stone

Protagonist is so amoral and insensible and as he very rarely is moved by anything other than murder and the tactics related thereto, he becomes more than a little boring. Conditioned to believe that no matter how inescapable his current dilemma, the reader knows he will indeed escape, the books are missing a major element or contingency that make continuing palatable.
He needs a (near) fatal flaw.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Can't wait for more, excellent series!!!

Victor is everything an assassin should be. Unparalleled skills combined with just enough paranoia to make him the perfect weapon. This book and the rest of the series are must haves. You haven't wasted your credits if this is your genre.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The BEST Victor book yet!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The seemingly simple plot gets very complicated and when you think it is all over, there are still some loose ends that have to be tied up. Victor is a genius and thinks of everything, that's why he is still alive. He is brutal, gee he is an assassin after all, but he still has a few morals left.

What other book might you compare The Game to and why?

The Gray Man series because of the subterfuge and that neither "hero" can manage to escape his life either because someone escaped or someone else reneged on a promise.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final scene was great ( there were many) because Victor is so calm knowing he will die, and he is so knowledgeable about so many things, that no one can compete with him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

You can't marry Victor, heck, you shouldn't even be his friend, but he is attractive in his way.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I couldn't finish this one

Victor is one of the least likable characters I've ever met, just zero personality, and the perfect at everything hit man, extra proficient with weapons, martial arts, and an incredible ability to instantly, and without knowing all the facts, make the absolute correct decision during times of extreme uncertainty.

No situation he can't perfectly handle, no mistakes, no faulty logic. Ever. No wisecracks, flirting, or fun and interesting relationships with other characters. Yawn. Maybe people like that exist, but you wouldn't want to hang out with them, or spend 12 hours reading about them.

Probably OK if you're looking for pure escapism, but if you're looking for an interesting read with compelling characters you might ultimately care about, this isn't it.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

More suspense than usual but still a fun read.

Before I start the review I'd like to ask the aether why no one has mentioned the description's blaring error. What mentor? Who on the team was Victor's mentor that he thought was dead? I haven't read anything about this in any of the reviews and it surprised me no one noticed. Oh well... (I suppose no one cared but it should still be fixed)
Back to the book. Obviously, if you like Victor and the previous 2 books you'll really like this book. I normally hate it when information is withheld for too long but the way the author handled the story I think he did an awesome job building the suspense without going overboard. I especially liked the last several chapters. Most books are at their best approaching the end but Victor was in perfect form once everything is finally revealed. Sure, it gets a little Sherlock Holmsy (apologies to Sir Doyle the boorish use of his character) the way Victor always deduces everything spot on but that is part of the fun in the Victor the Assassin Series.Tom Wood is at the top of his game in this book. I think this is my favorite out of the 3 books so far. I can not wait to start book #4 to see if the author can maintain this level of enjoyment.
I had no reservations or compunction at all giving this book a lot of stars. They are well deserved in my opinion.
Lastly, the narrator, Robert Shapiro, is excellent. He is becoming one of my favorite narrators. He does an awesome job and I found no reason at all to complain about his narration. To be honest, for me he did what I wanted him to; he made me forget someone was just reading me a story. I bad narrator can never do that and it can make finishing a book a real chore. I hope that makes sense (it does in my head. :) )

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

3 out of 3 wonderful Thriller

Read my review of Book 1 of 3. This writer is outstanding! Get all 3 and you will be happy. I can't wait for the next book. Same satisfaction as "Mitch Rapp" who works to protect our nation, but this character works for money as an assassin but has a conscious and "monster skills"(weapons, strategy, technology, intelligence). Fun and exciting.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another excellent installment

I'm totally hooked on the Victor series. I'm enjoying the way Victor's character is becoming more complex with each installment, and yet also staying true to who he is -- a cold-blooded assassin, but not without soul, and certainly possessing a keen intellect. The way he puzzles things out is very interesting. The second book, as much as I enjoyed it, sometimes read as if passages were being recited from a gun catalog, but The Game focuses more on the characters and plot, without sacrificing details. I'm definitely up for the next book, and worried the series will be over for me soon--I hope Mr. Wood is continuing to write more Victor books.

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