This is the second book in the Red Sparrow trilogy, which pits the modern CIA against Vladimir Putin and the SVR. Like the first book, there are parts of this story that feel gritty and semi-realistic. However, unlike the first book, this second entry also has many parts that feel overly cartoony or even pornographic.
For example, there are parts of the book where Dominika interacts with Putin, who is intimidating, creepy, disturbing, and hard to read. Then there are parts where you get to meet Dominika’s boss, who is an irredeemably-evil bad guy who would fit in a James Bond film. There are parts with tense action, but there are also cringe-worthy sex scenes where you get detailed descriptions of orgasms. There are parts with clever discussions of how to sabotage a nuclear weapons program, but then there are also awkward discussions between agents about relationships (sadly, the clever banter between spies of the last book is nowhere to be found).
Perhaps most annoying of all is the weird obsession with boobs. Don’t get me wrong, I like boobs, and I have nothing against them being part of a book—when appropriate. But in this book, you hear about boobs nonstop. Almost every character comments on Dominika’s boobs; she compares her boobs to other women’s boobs; when Dominika is doing push-ups, we hear about how her boobs flatten against the ground; when she fights another female agent, we get to hear how that agent’s boobs spread out when she’s on her back. It got so ridiculous, I found myself laughing at scenes that were not intended to be comical.
Overall, this book is a bit of a let-down from the first one. I’m still just interested enough in the overarching story that I’ll most likely read the next book, and finish the trilogy, but at this point, I’m not expecting much.
