The Shadow Mission by Shamim Sarif is the second book in the captivating Athena Protocol Series.
Jessie Archer placed her life on the line so many times to prove her loyalty to Athena, the elite spying organization she works for. She’s happy to be back on the team and she returned just in time to head to Pakistan to apprehend the man whose radical actions were the main reason why the Athena Organization was created.
Unfortunately, he has deeper connections than anyone could have predicted and when a girls’ school in Mumbai is bombed—a far-right organization claims responsibility and states their nefarious intentions to continue attacks.
Jessie is under a lot of pressure because many innocent lives are being threatened and to make matters even worse, someone very close to the investigation betrays the Athena Organization.
Will Jessie be able to save the vulnerable school girls and everyone who is dear to her heart before time runs out? Will she have to risk everything just to prove herself?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Once again, Shamim Sarif delivers an action-packed and riveting thriller filled with all the spying and undercover operations that I have always wanted to binge read. I’m a huge sucker for books with feminism and female empowerment as the main themes and this book definitely ticks those boxes. I was living vicariously through Jessie, Hala and Caitlin as they travelled between London and Mumbai in order to track down and stop a terrorist group with deep political connections from killing school girls. Shamim Sarif has a bad habit of creating realistic, witty and lovable characters that will always have a special place in my heart. Even though this story is the sequel to The Athena Protocol, it can be read as a stand-alone because the author did a great job with filling in important bits of information from the previous book.
Cons And Heads Up
This story contains graphic descriptions of bioterrorism, murder, misogyny and female oppression.
The Conclusion
There’s only one word I’d use to describe this story—unputdownable. If you’re in the mood to devour a fast-paced and heart-tugging thriller that will keep you up way past your bedtime, then you definitely need to buy this book. Right now, I’m keeping my fingers crossed with the hope that there will be another installment to this awesome series.
Excerpt from The Shadow Mission by Shamim Sarif
Imran stares at me for a long moment, then he breaks into a smile.
“I will tell you,” he says.
I wait, getting my breathing under control. Caitlin flies smoothly now, and my earpiece is silent as everyone in London waits. Only the soft chop-chop-chop of the blades of the helicopter and the dull throb of white noise in the cabin fill the space. Grasping Imran’s neck, I glance at the watch on my wrist. Twelve minutes to go.
“Two years ago, imperialists—women imperialists—came here to my village, to interfere in my culture. Sending girls to a school. Girls who should marry, look after families. Women have a sacred place in the family….”
For crying out loud, will this guy just get to the point, already?
“That’s a great story,” I interrupt through gritted teeth. “Now, what’s the target?”
“Those imperialist women still educate girls,” he says, managing to smirk through the pain of his arm.
I hesitate. I’m assuming the “imperialist women” he’s talking about are Athena’s founders. As for education, all three of them run foundations involved with schools, universities, and career training for women, dotted all around the world, including some in India. They own some of them, fund others, or are on boards of governors.
“Let’s get specific, shall we?” I press my knee harder, lower, into Imran’s solar plexus, and it makes him gasp.
“I will tell you,” he says. “Because you are too late to stop it.”
I clench my jaw as I watch the countdown dip toward nine minutes.
“The most disgusting of these women is a whore,” he spits. “A singer, entertaining men on a stage.”
He means my mother.
“What’s her name?” I say, just to be sure.
“Kit Love,” he says. “She has two schools in Mumbai. In a few minutes, she will only have one.”
Even having to look at him makes my stomach turn.
“Did you get that?” I yell at my team, but my question is drowned in a sudden cacophony of voices and instructions in London. They got it, all right. The audio drops out suddenly, but there’s nothing wrong. It’s just that the London team won’t want us distracted with whatever they are doing.
I scramble up, grasping Hala’s handgun, and turn it onto Imran. I’d rather control him without having to be on top of him. For one thing, I can’t stand to be near him, and for another, it gives me a chance to check on Hala. She’s unconscious but breathing fine. With my free hand I slip her own kit bag under her head and arrange her limbs more comfortably. At the back of the chopper, Imran pulls himself to his feet.
“You can’t stop this,” Imran says. “This is bigger than one attack. It is bigger than me. It is a movement, and it will only end when family values are restored to the whole world.”
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Series
The Athena Protocol Series
The Athena Protocol
The Shadow Mission
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9780062849649
Publisher: HarperTeen
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