Reviews:
Noble’s Quest
By Sally Fernandez
MAESTRO DEBRA CHEVERINO Internationally Recognized Conductor, Fulbright Scholar, Florence, Italy “A captivating second addition to the Simon Trilogy. Intense rhythmic development woven brilliantly—at times haunting and foreboding—at others a palpable sensation of an unerring power, leaving you to confront your own views of contemporary events. The modern political thriller has a strong advocate in Fernandez.”
GARRETT B. VONK President-Keiser Career College & Southeastern Institute Florida “Put it down, NO WAY! Simon at his tricks with a sparkling cast! There were new unexpected developments that truly enhanced the Brotherhood. So real, it’s easy to visualize in real life. Or was it. Making us wait for number three is crazy! Bring it on Sally. I thought it merited 6 stars.”
ALADAR GABRIEL Florence, Italy “Noble’s Quest is a scary work of art. Work of art, because it carries forward the brilliant writing of its predecessor, the interplay between the characters and the plot that makes this book even more of a page-turner than the other; scary because it brings us to face up to the consequences of what was only hinted at in the first book, that is, what could happen next after a Harvard gang of nerds (but a few of them aren’t just nerds, as is revealed in the tome) takes advantage of the attributes of our modern society, communications, finance and technology, to control the presidential election. We are transported from Harvard to the Utah desert, from Washington to Berlin, Paris and London as the plotting unfolds and we are shown the schemes to undermine world order that are lurking, literally under our feet. A complex psychological battle between the hero and the evildoer, who know each other, and therefore their respective faults, since college years, deepens the tension. Fernandez doesn’t write just fables. As we go through our political elections in their modern garb, it’s not difficult to see elements, which remind us of those in Noble’s Quest.”
DONNA POST Banking Consultant (Ret.), Florida “In a word-WOW!!! Sally Fernandez has done it again. Noble’s Quest is a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, and it was such fun to meet up with old characters again in this sequel. Sally has given us a great story telling experience, riveting in ways that walk the line between art and life. While Noble’s Quest is a great standalone story, it was wonderful to follow up on the lives of characters I had come to love (and hate) in Brotherhood. Even with the complexity of the story line and the volumes of research that went into the preparation, the result is an amazingly reader friendly story that grabs you from page one! I would highly recommend the book with just one warning – give yourself plenty of reading time because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down!!”
WILLIAM KELLEY Artist, Florence, Italy and Sarasota, Florida “I was anxiously awaiting the publication of Noble’s Quest as I had read the prequel, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard. I was not disappointed! Noble’s Quest is everything I was hoping for and more. Along with solid characters development (Noble Bishop really comes alive), Ms. Fernandez has a tight grip on the pulse of the high stakes world we live in today. Her ability to merge political intrigue, international terrorism, and state of the art technology into a swirl of tension-filled events brings to mind the writing of John La Carre. I can’t wait for the last installment of the Trilogy.”
RICHARD COBELLO Director, Information Technology, Schenectady Country Government New York “…As the sequel it met my expectations for another exciting work of intrigue and adventure. Sally does a fantastic job of keeping 3 balls in the air while moving each plot along in a well thought out methodical track. Characters are fully developed so you really know them, as this is critical for the story to move along. Max is just what Noble needs to compliment who he is as an investigator and person. Simon is more sinister than ever and his control is more evident as the reader follows his devious mind. I do not want to divulge the ending, but wait! It’s not over! Well written and paced…a great read for any season!”
ANN E. HOWELLS Wine Consultant, Florida “Noble’s Quest starts out with an explosion of fireworks and intrigue. The hope and good wishes that always begin with the New Year is quickly put into question. As the sparks settle and the dots are connected, Noble once again finds himself in the high stakes game of intellect and will. His one friend from a past life, now his nemesis, has come back to taunt him into the ultimate game of man vs. power. Simon has surfaced and Noble is ready to confront the friendly face of evil.”
BETH LITTMAN QUINN Vice President at Marketburst, Massachusetts “Loved the newest installment of Sally Fernandez’ trilogy. Noble’s Quest: Sequel to Brotherhood Beyond the Yard was a real page turner…I could not put it down. In the Brotherhood, Fernandez set up a scarry…and plausible…scenario. Noble’s Quest builds on that story and takes you down a path to worldwide terror. In addition to being totally engrossed in this story, I found Fernandez’ ability to weave the back-story of the first book into the 2nd book very well done…Also, Fernandez is a master with her research! which makes the story that much more convincing…”
ALFRED S. VEDRO Independent Media Producer (Ret.), Florida “I’ve never been a spy nor an intelligence agent nor a villain, but I would love to be one so I could inhabit the world of Noble’s Quest, Sally Fernandez’ sequel to Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, her excellent first novel that took readers through the intricacies of maneuvering a fraud into the office of the President of the United States.
Now the intrigue continues as Fernandez brings us into a world where nothing is as it seems at first — places, people, and events morph from one apparent reality to another. Assassination attempts reveal themselves to be misleading, disappearances are not quite what they seem to be, and characters have a chimera-like quality. And this fictional world exists against an almost eerie backdrop of realistic contemporaneity — readers will enjoy identifying several avatars of public figures in the world scene, and some locales are somewhat strangely familiar, yet different.
(How much do we really know about ‘Area 51′?)
Fernandez’ writing style is a delightful blend of fast-moving, crisp language presented in a paradoxically unhurried pace that allows the plot to develop slowly and deliberately. We are constantly challenged to think about where she might be going, almost sparring with her to see if we can guess correctly. And there are many surprises in store.
For those who delight in inventiveness, there is a wonderful mix of fanciful electronics, maps, other visuals, and thoroughly detailed forensics. For those who enjoy three-dimensional characters, there is a believable cast of heroes and villains. And for compelling dialogue, consider…
‘I was hoping you’d come after me. But then (your boss) came up with that lame sting operation in Florence and ruined all my fun,’ Simon allowed with the same annoying grin.
‘That’s not why.’ Suddenly, the appeal to motive struck Noble like a lightning bolt.
He never thought I would get this far. Now he’s trying to convince me that his purported cat and mouse game was intentional. He is trying to mislead me into believing that he was going to assassinate one or several heads of state, who were only decoys—but that’s not his plan—or is it?
Finally, the ending caught me by complete surprise. Fernandez won the sparring contest because when I went back to check, the clues were there — no obfuscations, just cleverly woven into a very entertaining and thoughtful narrative. My only complaint? That I have to wait some time for the next installment in the trilogy.”
