The Last Orphan: An Orphan X Novel
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- Create Date：2022-06-19 11:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gregg Hurwitz
- ISBN：1250787904
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Summary
Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan， the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller--when everything changes and everything is at risk。
As a child， Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home， raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program。 When he broke with the program and went deep underground， he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out。
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man， dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble， Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar。 Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program， the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan。 But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers。
Until he makes one little mistake。。。
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich， powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and， in turn， she'll let Evan survive。 But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it。 Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life。
As a child， Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home， raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program。 When he broke with the program and went deep underground， he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out。
When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man， dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble， Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar。 Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program， the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan。 But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers。
Until he makes one little mistake。。。
Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal - eliminate a rich， powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and， in turn， she'll let Evan survive。 But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it。 Now he has to decide what's more important - his principles or his life。
Reviews
Adele Downs
，
I have read all of the Orphan X books and love them to varying degrees。 The Last Orphan claims its place among the top tier of my favorites。We see Evan Smoak at his most vulnerable and most human as the walls protecting his steely emotions fracture just a little。 Evan’s awakening to the strength and beauty of the nuclear family， the fact that he’s aging， and the awkwardly tender scene between he and computer hacker Josie peel back layers of these beloved characters。 We see inside them for a frac I have read all of the Orphan X books and love them to varying degrees。 The Last Orphan claims its place among the top tier of my favorites。We see Evan Smoak at his most vulnerable and most human as the walls protecting his steely emotions fracture just a little。 Evan’s awakening to the strength and beauty of the nuclear family， the fact that he’s aging， and the awkwardly tender scene between he and computer hacker Josie peel back layers of these beloved characters。 We see inside them for a fraction of an instant–enough time to remind us that characterization is what Gregg Hurwitz does best。 It’s fun to see how he shapes his villains， or how recurring supportive characters like Tommy the weapons designer or Orphan V–sometimes antagonist and sometimes ally–ensure Evan’s successful missions。Against type， Evan Smoak the assassin and retired operative has a soul and a dry sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud， even as bullets fly or bombs blast。 He also provides his share of introspection。 The Last Orphan was a pleasure to read and， like the series， is highly recommended。 Can hardly wait for the next book。Many thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC to read and review。 *NetGalley Top Reviewer*。 This review will appear on Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews。com on release day， and also on the Bayside Book Reviews Instagram page。 。。。more
S
，
I received this Galley Copy from @NetGalley for an unbiased review。 That review is below:The Last Orphan describes a world outside what most of us know exists but maybe we wonder about。 A young man has become a trained "problem-solver" along with other orphans in a government program。 He was plucked from a group home and highly trained。 He is the last in the experiment and is called Orphan X or just plain X but his real name is Evan Smoak; but few will know it。He has a strong idea of right and I received this Galley Copy from @NetGalley for an unbiased review。 That review is below:The Last Orphan describes a world outside what most of us know exists but maybe we wonder about。 A young man has become a trained "problem-solver" along with other orphans in a government program。 He was plucked from a group home and highly trained。 He is the last in the experiment and is called Orphan X or just plain X but his real name is Evan Smoak; but few will know it。He has a strong idea of right and wrong even when right sometimes fall outside the normalized legal system。 Because of this and because people （government and otherwise） pay well for this type of activity， he is quite wealthy。 This is especially true since he left governmental employment and is now working as a contractor helping to solve problems for those in trouble。His is a type of vigilante justice but as he has sworn to use his considerable skills against those who really deserve and to kill those who need killing; generally blackmail and underhanded business tricks don't rise to the level of needing to die according to his code。 Unfortunately， when he quit work for the government， he held lots of secrets and they now want him eliminated。 The President offers him an off-the-books pardon， if he will eliminate a rich and powerful man for her。 Following his code， the Nowhere Man must ascertain if the man needs to be eliminated， A choice between elimination and a pardon or following his ethical mind is what he may be facing！His work networks are highly specialized with a super techno-nerd as well as others including Orphan V and various other actors operating in the shade。 They all like the Nowhere Man and try to help him for money or just because it is hard to say no to him。A most enjoyable read and one I highly recommend。 The author， Mr。 Hurwitz， has， I believe， a hit on his hands！！。 。。。more
Kristine
，
4。25 Stars ✨I think it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite series。。。。period。 There is just something about Evan Smoak/Orphan X that pulls at you once you begin to understand what he has been through in his lifetime， and how that has shaped the person that he has become。 No matter how much the government tried to extinguish his humanity， Jack was there from an early age to make sure that he kept it。 Now， he is an adult and on his own but in some ways he is like an emotional child - exp 4。25 Stars ✨I think it is safe to say that this is one of my favorite series。。。。period。 There is just something about Evan Smoak/Orphan X that pulls at you once you begin to understand what he has been through in his lifetime， and how that has shaped the person that he has become。 No matter how much the government tried to extinguish his humanity， Jack was there from an early age to make sure that he kept it。 Now， he is an adult and on his own but in some ways he is like an emotional child - experiencing new feelings and disappointments and not really understanding how to process some of these thoughts。When we last left Evan， it was a heart breaking experience as we watched him try to be strong as Mia was going in to surgery for a very possible terminal brain tumor。 We saw him try to be strong for Peter， while at the same time understanding that Mia was trying not to show her real fear that Evan might not be capable of being there for Peter should something go wrong。 Ugh。。。it was hard。We also were left with the cliffhanger that the President （through certain Intelligence Agencies） was able to pinpoint Evan's location by that exact visit to the hospital。 She made it clear that she had decided that his Pardon was officially over。 This book starts from there。What I found interesting is that we had a unique entrance to this book in that we begin by following a young man and the unfortunate path that leads to his death in a Prologue。 It isn't until later that we even understand how that Prologue ties into the journey that Evan finds himself on。I have to admit， this book -while still good - was missing something for me。 Yes， there is action galore。 Evan is still the conflicted protagonist that we have come to love。 We do get to see appearances from Joey， Tommy and even Candy。。。。but。。。。I'm not even sure if I can put my finger on what I want to say， or what it was that fell a little flat to me。 The beginning of the book had my heart pounding。 The events at the hospital and the resulting actions towards Evan had me holding my breath。 But， in true Orphan X fashion， it was fascinating （and exhilarating） to follow along and see what actions Evan decides to take。 He is then put in a difficult position by the President and given an assignment。 If he chooses not to fall in line and complete this action， his freedom will cease to exist。 Most of the rest of the book is spent with him trying to get to the bottom of "why" this particular person needs to be eliminated and whether or not he feels it is warranted。 In Washington， things invariably fall into political lines and he isn't sure if the justification for this action is necessary for the common good， or if this is a political manipulation that is going to elevate the President in her re-election campaign。 And we know that Evan has decided that he will NOT be made to kill again for anyone and will only take action if he feels it is warranted。Then， at the beginning of his investigation he discovers 2 deaths that are possibly connected to his "target" （and this is where the events of the Prologue get tied in）。 This part of the book I really liked。 The family that he meets and the feelings it invokes in him。 The teamwork that develops with Candy and Joey's help - these are all classic Orphan X。 Where I began to feel like we began to lose the pathway a little was with the events surrounding this "target"。 He is an extremely wealthy man who surrounds himself with some not so great people in his protection detail。 Are these guys bad because they are directed into bad actions from the top or are they just awful themselves？ That is the dilemma for the crux of the book。 The main antagonist in this book is odd。 I don't think that I ever really "got" him。 Is he good or bad？ Honestly， I have no idea。 I just know that I really didn't like him。 Did Evan make the right choice？ Again， I don't know。It also just never felt settled for me。 Usually， once I start a new Orphan X book， it is over before I even realize it。 I am so lost in the book that I am shocked when I realize that the book is over。 It usually just flew by。 This one was a bit different。 Yes， it is a good book。 But， I had many moments where I was pulled out of the book。 I even had to make myself go back to the book when there were times I had to step away and that has NEVER happened to me before with this series。 We are also given an ending that is not really clear。 While not a cliffhanger like the last book， we are still left with a loose end on something that is fairly important。All in all， I WAS thrilled to have gotten to read this ARC。 I am still extremely in love with this series and I think that because the bar has been set so high by Mr。 Hurwitz in the past， it just might be me who was the problem this time。 I am still eager for the next book to come out。 I am excited to continue to follow Evan on this journey that he is on as he attempts to continue creating a life - one that he has never had， but has recently realized that he wants。Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC。 The opinions above are mine and mine alone。 。。。more
Sara
，
They just keep getting better！
Jacqui
，
Greg Hurwitz's The Last Orphan （Minotaur Books 2023）， Book 8 of the Orphan series， is an excellent read， a great story from Page 1 to the last line。 Evan Smoak， aka Orphan X， aka Nowhere Man， was raised from boyhood to be a highly-skilled government assassin。 By his 30's （I think）， he got tired of killing people because someone said they were bad and retired， choosing from then on to devote his prodigious talents to helping those in need。 Evan is clever， moral， brilliant， flawed， and deeply dama Greg Hurwitz's The Last Orphan （Minotaur Books 2023）， Book 8 of the Orphan series， is an excellent read， a great story from Page 1 to the last line。 Evan Smoak， aka Orphan X， aka Nowhere Man， was raised from boyhood to be a highly-skilled government assassin。 By his 30's （I think）， he got tired of killing people because someone said they were bad and retired， choosing from then on to devote his prodigious talents to helping those in need。 Evan is clever， moral， brilliant， flawed， and deeply damaged， but he’s a dog with a bone when he makes a decision。 Changing his future is one of those decisions， and helping the needy is another。 Once he commits， he never quits。 Don't waste your time trying to change his mind。 You won’t。In this story， Smoak breaks the deal he made with the government--the one that kept him out of jail for some of the stuff he did following his new directive。 To make amends for that， he agrees to do a job that no one but he can do。 If he fails， it will hurt the USA immensely。 Which isn’t why he takes the job， because he knows he won't fail。 The fun of any Orphan X book is seeing how Hurwitz weaves the plot together from impossible beginning to satisfying ending。If you like high action， intelligent problem solving and a calm （albeit frenetic） approach to saving the world， this may be the book for you， but I'm considering whether I'll read another。 Why？ I mean。 I did give it 5/5。 The reason is the same one I've given for several of my favorite thrillers （Daniel Silva comes to mind--I am so sad to say goodbye to that magnificent storyteller）。 Anyone who reads my reviews knows I push back against certain attitudes and behaviors。 It's not about left or right。 It's about core principles。 I don't want those incendiary discussions in my fiction。 This book thankfully avoided the emotional lecturing， but normalized it as part of the daily life of some characters。 Not all characters， but enough to make me notice， and get annoyed。 If you are on that side of things （I am being purposefully vague）， you will agree with my perfect rating and probably scratch your head over what annoyed me。 Me。 it scares me。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Gregg Hurwitz’s character， Orphan X， has this other worldly gravitas in the thriller novel space， much like he encompasses in his literary world。 He is a character that readers talk about: “if this character could be teamed with someone， I’d like to see ‘em with X”， and “did you read that book where X killed someone with a。。。？”。 Orphan X is by far one of my favorite thriller characters for not only his skills to kill， but the humanity of him。 Well， it’s more like him trying to find it and atone Gregg Hurwitz’s character， Orphan X， has this other worldly gravitas in the thriller novel space， much like he encompasses in his literary world。 He is a character that readers talk about: “if this character could be teamed with someone， I’d like to see ‘em with X”， and “did you read that book where X killed someone with a。。。？”。 Orphan X is by far one of my favorite thriller characters for not only his skills to kill， but the humanity of him。 Well， it’s more like him trying to find it and atone for everything that he use to be。 It pulls at my heart to see a character want to be normal so bad， but has to blunder his way through common everyday issues。 As he trudges through normal life， he brushes elbows with genuinely good people who help him uncover this lighter side of him。 In Hurwitz’s eighth Orphan X novel， The Last Orphan， Evan Smoak （Orphan X） has just put at jeopardy the President of the United States unofficial pardon。 He has started missions again， so the hunt is back on for Orphan X。 Evan knows the stakes for operating。。。for every push there is a pull。 Evan finally does one small mistake， and it may cost him everything。 The President gives him one more chance to reinstate the pardon; only he has to eliminate a rich and powerful man that poses a risk politically。 Evan must tread carefully as he weighs maintaining his freedom， or maintaining his morals。 What I enjoy so much about this series is how Hurwitz digs through what it means to be human。 It feels as though he has hit his stride in these most recent novels in this regard。 In The Last Orphan， Evan is shaken to his core by an earth shattering event。 It forces him to stop and evaluate everything that lead him to this moment。 The question is brought up what is left of us when we are torn down and broken？ Do we stop， wallow in what happened， or do we find a way to rebuild and become stronger？ The sign of a stellar novel is when the author can teach us something about humanity in the midst of a killer fight scene， and Hurwitz has mastered both！Every time I read an Orphan X novel， I am just blown away。 Hurwitz has a strong literary background， and it shows in his writing style。 I am floored at how he can write detailed fight scenes， and then the next a tender exchange between a teenage girl and an assassin。 The Last Orphan was perfect in every way possible。 It hit all the right notes， and I cant wait for everyone to read this！ 。。。more
Suzanne
，
In the middle of a heat wave， there’s probably nothing better then the opening scene of THE LAST ORPHAN， set in a pop up bar in one of Iceland’s frozen glaciers， our hero is drinking his favorite beverage。 For readers who have followed Orphan X through seven previous books， this newest is a treasure， filled with recurring characters and answers to previous story threads。 For new readers， the book offers enough detail to work as a stand alone。 It’s hard not to love this series and this protagonis In the middle of a heat wave， there’s probably nothing better then the opening scene of THE LAST ORPHAN， set in a pop up bar in one of Iceland’s frozen glaciers， our hero is drinking his favorite beverage。 For readers who have followed Orphan X through seven previous books， this newest is a treasure， filled with recurring characters and answers to previous story threads。 For new readers， the book offers enough detail to work as a stand alone。 It’s hard not to love this series and this protagonist， regardless of the weirdness of the plot， our hero remains steadfast and creative。 Author Gregg Hurwitz knows how to entertain and delight his readers。 Here’s hoping the series continues at this same pace; I’m a devoted fan。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Rob
，
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Last Orphan （Orphan X #8）。 I'm a huge fan of this series， and have read all the previous books in order。 All of the previous books were excellent， and this newest adventure was no exception。 The action sequences were outstanding， the tech was very interesting， and I thoroughly enjoyed repeat appearances by Joey， Tommy Stojack， and Orphan V。 Orphan X's uneasy truce with the President ends with her request fo I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Last Orphan （Orphan X #8）。 I'm a huge fan of this series， and have read all the previous books in order。 All of the previous books were excellent， and this newest adventure was no exception。 The action sequences were outstanding， the tech was very interesting， and I thoroughly enjoyed repeat appearances by Joey， Tommy Stojack， and Orphan V。 Orphan X's uneasy truce with the President ends with her request for the Nowhere Man to do a job for her， and sends him from coast-to-coast， encountering others that he needs to help along the way。 I can't recommend this series enough - it's tremendous！ 。。。more
Jill Elizabeth
，
This is one of my favorite series， and the Orphans are some of my favorite characters on fiction。 I can always count on Gregg Hurwitz to deliver action， drama， suspense， heart， snark， and a healthy dose of comeuppance。 I must admit though， this wasn't my favorite of X's exploits - it felt a little more forced and disbelief-suspending than usual， in a way that I found a bit frustrating。 I've also become used to Joey playing a more active role - and like that， and missed it here。 Iwas pleased to s This is one of my favorite series， and the Orphans are some of my favorite characters on fiction。 I can always count on Gregg Hurwitz to deliver action， drama， suspense， heart， snark， and a healthy dose of comeuppance。 I must admit though， this wasn't my favorite of X's exploits - it felt a little more forced and disbelief-suspending than usual， in a way that I found a bit frustrating。 I've also become used to Joey playing a more active role - and like that， and missed it here。 Iwas pleased to see that the way things ended definitely left room for that going forward， though。 I'm already looking forward to seeing the Mia story line move forward - that felt a bit stalled here also。 It was still a fun read - they always are - and left me wanting more！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy。 。。。more
Donita
，
I eagerly await a new Orphan X book， they never fail to captivate and entertain me。 While I haven’t read them all in order， I don’t believe that hasn’t taken anything away from the story。Evan Smoak was trained from a young age to be part of the Orphan group - a group of elite killers trained by the US government。 At one point， he leaves the group when he finds that it doesn’t quite align with his inner moral compass。 He struggles with what he does best and how he can do that and remain human。 Fi I eagerly await a new Orphan X book， they never fail to captivate and entertain me。 While I haven’t read them all in order， I don’t believe that hasn’t taken anything away from the story。Evan Smoak was trained from a young age to be part of the Orphan group - a group of elite killers trained by the US government。 At one point， he leaves the group when he finds that it doesn’t quite align with his inner moral compass。 He struggles with what he does best and how he can do that and remain human。 Finally， he goes undercover as Mr。 Nowhere。 In this book， we get to see how much Evan is changing。 He is building a group that he can depend on， and that he can reveal himself to - Joey， Tommy， Candy （I love her， kinda）。。 like other Orphan books， this isn’t for the faint-of-heart。 However， I do need to learn a lot more about vodka！Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this ebook to read， review and enjoy。 。。。more
Laurie
，
It's an Orphan X novel， need I say more？ When I was approved for an ARC from #netgalley for this， I was pretty excited。 I love books by Gregg Hurwitz - especially the Orphan X books。 You do not need to have read the previous books in this series in order to enjoy this - but you should。 I think you will like Evan even more， and root for him more if you have his backstory and all the history。 For those who have not read the series， Evan is Orphan X， a "retired" government assassin。。 Sort of a Jaso It's an Orphan X novel， need I say more？ When I was approved for an ARC from #netgalley for this， I was pretty excited。 I love books by Gregg Hurwitz - especially the Orphan X books。 You do not need to have read the previous books in this series in order to enjoy this - but you should。 I think you will like Evan even more， and root for him more if you have his backstory and all the history。 For those who have not read the series， Evan is Orphan X， a "retired" government assassin。。 Sort of a Jason Bourn， but Evan knows who he is。 This was the usual - full of action from start to finish。 I might have liked a little more story between Evan and MIa - but I have been rooting for them since the beginning。 She gives him a little more humanity。 Thank you to the author， the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review。 。。。more
Doug Yonce
，
Evan has matured so much as the series progresses。 Even though he doesn’t receive a distress call on his dedicated line， he still finds himself in a position of helping those who can’t help themselves。 His physical abilities get a stern test first as the President wants him to do her dirty work。 And later his convictions are tested as he must measure bad guys against his iron clad rules。 The Nowhere Man also finds himself a lot more reliant on others， making him almost human。 I received an advan Evan has matured so much as the series progresses。 Even though he doesn’t receive a distress call on his dedicated line， he still finds himself in a position of helping those who can’t help themselves。 His physical abilities get a stern test first as the President wants him to do her dirty work。 And later his convictions are tested as he must measure bad guys against his iron clad rules。 The Nowhere Man also finds himself a lot more reliant on others， making him almost human。 I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review。 。。。more
Diana
，
Holy Smoaks！！ Evan is back！This was another entertaining， action-packed， high octane installment in the Orphan X series！ I loved seeing how much Evan’s changed over time。 Not dealing with everything by himself， the support is there 。。。 Joey， Candy （a favorite）， and Tommy！ Yeah we come up on a cliff-hanger that leaves us tapping our foot but that is what keeps bring us back for another exciting Smoak ride！Now on the run full force for the US President， he is pushed to carry out an assassination t Holy Smoaks！！ Evan is back！This was another entertaining， action-packed， high octane installment in the Orphan X series！ I loved seeing how much Evan’s changed over time。 Not dealing with everything by himself， the support is there 。。。 Joey， Candy （a favorite）， and Tommy！ Yeah we come up on a cliff-hanger that leaves us tapping our foot but that is what keeps bring us back for another exciting Smoak ride！Now on the run full force for the US President， he is pushed to carry out an assassination that doesn't really align with how he believes 。。。 his moral compass。 Eliminate a powerful person that is extremely dangerous and in turn she will let Evan survive。 As he sets out on the mission he feels it to his very core。 For Evan， what is more important？ The best part about the Orphan books is the action of course 。。。 non stop yet never over the top。 Hold my vodka 。。。This book should be at the top of your wish/TBR list！ Special shout to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley 。。。 thank you for the advance digital copy！ 。。。more
Brian Miller
，
This series keeps getting better and Evan Smoak seems to be developing a conscience along the way。 A really well written book that kept the action going and brought in some old friends to push the story along。 It starts with Evan trying to visit his sort of girlfriend Mia at the hospital。 Things go wrong there and he is forced to use all his powers to come out on top。 A few stories within the story kept me on my toes。 I enjoyed the extra focus on his young niece/apprentice as it shows a more hum This series keeps getting better and Evan Smoak seems to be developing a conscience along the way。 A really well written book that kept the action going and brought in some old friends to push the story along。 It starts with Evan trying to visit his sort of girlfriend Mia at the hospital。 Things go wrong there and he is forced to use all his powers to come out on top。 A few stories within the story kept me on my toes。 I enjoyed the extra focus on his young niece/apprentice as it shows a more human side。 The story ends on a good note and I am ready for the next book。 。。。more
Sue
，
Evan Smoak - aka The Nowhere Man， aka Orphan X - is presented with a choice: do the bidding of the President of the United States and have his informal pardon reinstated or spend the rest of his life imprisoned in a black site as a high value target。 POTUS wants a highly influential man silenced。 Evan， however， has a set of rules he plays by and he won't do what she wants unless he has evidence the man has broken one of those rules。The man， Luke Devine， has influence， reach， and protection unlik Evan Smoak - aka The Nowhere Man， aka Orphan X - is presented with a choice: do the bidding of the President of the United States and have his informal pardon reinstated or spend the rest of his life imprisoned in a black site as a high value target。 POTUS wants a highly influential man silenced。 Evan， however， has a set of rules he plays by and he won't do what she wants unless he has evidence the man has broken one of those rules。The man， Luke Devine， has influence， reach， and protection unlike anybody Evan has dealt with before。 Plus Evan isn't sure the man has done anything worth Evan's type of intervention。 This leads to an investigation unlike anything seen in prior books in the series。 To add to the complexity， Evan is confronted with physical， psychological， and emotional changes that leave him walking a tightrope。 The growth of Evan's character is done very well here as he makes choices in who he wants to be。 The cast of supporting characters is strong and the chemistry between them， especially with Joey and Evan， is well done。 Joey is slowly pulling Evan into a world of emotion， and the changes - while slow - definitely adds to the depth of his character and the overall series。Not family friendly due to profanity and violence。One of the best books in this series。 If you are a fan of Orphan X， you're going to love this one。 If this is your first time reading Orphan X， enjoy！ Then go read all the others。Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book。 My opinion is my own。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
As always， Was exceptional from start to finish。I love this series each book gets better and better。。 I am truly a fan and will always be。The first time I read one of the Orphan X novels， I am always so excited I think along the way I miss small bits， words， here and there。 It’s why the second time is my favorite。 I already know what happened so I can concentrate on the good stuff。Is it just me or does it seem to anyone else （rhetorical of course cause really who am I talking to But myself 😉）The As always， Was exceptional from start to finish。I love this series each book gets better and better。。 I am truly a fan and will always be。The first time I read one of the Orphan X novels， I am always so excited I think along the way I miss small bits， words， here and there。 It’s why the second time is my favorite。 I already know what happened so I can concentrate on the good stuff。Is it just me or does it seem to anyone else （rhetorical of course cause really who am I talking to But myself 😉）There is a theme of Evan Smoak taking a few steps forward then a few steps back。。Is it better to walk in your footsteps a second time then you too will maybe see something or get to be something you missed the first time。 To save yourself。 He saved himself this go-round。Muscular and pithy。 Hold my vodka， indeedYou are wonderful The book is wonderful and I thank you forever。 It’s like a hot fudge sundae to my nerd self。 。。。more
Kimberley
，
4。5 starsThe President of the United States （and Naomi Templeton） might think they have the upper hand to force Evan to do their bidding， but you don’t Smoak if you think that’s going off as ordered。 Instead， Evan focuses on solving the mystery of what happened when two people wound up dead after attending a billionaire’s annual Labour Day party in the Hamptons。 This was another entertaining， action-packed installment in the Orphan X series！ I loved seeing how much Evan’s changed over time to ha 4。5 starsThe President of the United States （and Naomi Templeton） might think they have the upper hand to force Evan to do their bidding， but you don’t Smoak if you think that’s going off as ordered。 Instead， Evan focuses on solving the mystery of what happened when two people wound up dead after attending a billionaire’s annual Labour Day party in the Hamptons。 This was another entertaining， action-packed installment in the Orphan X series！ I loved seeing how much Evan’s changed over time to have a great support system。 Instead of having to deal with everything by himself， there’s a little bit of Joey， some Candy， and don’t forget Tommy！ Yet again， we find ourselves with a bit of a cliff-hanger ending that leaves us tapping our fingers on the counter waiting for book #9！*Thanks to the author， Minotaur books & NetGalley for the ARC for review。 。。。more
Joan
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Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyUntil the age of twelve， Evan Smoak endured foster home after foster home; then， through a fully deniable government program， he found himself covertly trained and turned into an expendable assassin， executing solo missions that would be deemed illegal under international law。 He'd become Orphan X。Finally， Evan escaped from the Program and， committing to use the skills he’d learned to help those as powerless as he had once been， stayed off the radar as he went Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyUntil the age of twelve， Evan Smoak endured foster home after foster home; then， through a fully deniable government program， he found himself covertly trained and turned into an expendable assassin， executing solo missions that would be deemed illegal under international law。 He'd become Orphan X。Finally， Evan escaped from the Program and， committing to use the skills he’d learned to help those as powerless as he had once been， stayed off the radar as he went to work as the Nowhere Man。 Now， between missions， he continues his struggle with the dynamics of social interaction while seeking to strengthen his relationship with sixteen-year-old hacker Joey Morales。 Mia remains hospitalized， in a coma following surgery。 Peter is living with his Aunt Janet and Uncle Wally， but Evan makes time to visit。 Considered a dangerous asset due to the Orphan X missions of his past， Evan’s informal presidential pardon remains contingent upon his ceasing all Nowhere Man missions。 It’s a requirement that Evan finds difficult to honor， but he’s safe as long as no one finds out he’s continued his Nowhere Man activities。 When Peter calls with the exciting news that Mia has finally woken up， Evan heads to the hospital to visit。 But it soon becomes clear that something is amiss and his aborted attempt to visit Mia ends with his capture by the government。 They may consider Orphan X a threat， but now the president wants a new deal involving the elimination of a rich， powerful man deemed too dangerous to live。Evan’s escape from the Program and his subsequent activities as the Nowhere Man all hinged on Evan using his skills against those who truly deserved it， to protect the powerless。 Now he has a choice。 Will he choose his life or his principles？=========Eighth in the Orphan X series， the compelling narrative follows “Dark Horse” and provides sufficient backstory to work as a standalone for readers new to the series。 Fans of the series are sure to find the latest Orphan X adventure electrifying。As Evan’s story continues to evolve， the precarious tightrope he walks becomes painfully clear。 Evan’s ongoing struggle to remain true to his own moral compass is， at times， heart-rending， and always filled with both angst and believability。 Scenes between Evan and Joey， filled with efforts to build understanding and provide support， define a relationship that is important to both characters。 Dog and Aloe Vera III make an appearance as the unfolding story moves between the evolving relationship between Evan and Joey and the desperation of a maybe-mission that requires Evan to understand himself as well as the man he’s tasked with targeting。Well-defined characters， a captivating plot， and several unexpected twists along the way keep the suspense palpable。 Non-stop action and intense danger pull keep readers pulled into the telling of the tale from the outset and keep those pages turning at breakneck speed。 With some unexpected revelations， there’s much for readers [and fans of the series] to appreciate in this complex， evocative， unputdownable tale。 “The Last Orphan" belongs at the top of every reader’s must-read list。Highly recommended。I received a free copy of this eBook from St。 Martin’s Press， Minotaur Books and NetGalley#TheLastOrphan #NetGalley 。。。more
Mainlinebooker
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4。5Ok， ok。。。Here is my disclaimer。 I absolutely love the pure escapism when I read the Orphan Series: a pure series of entertainment written by a man who sure knows his "stuff。" I don't have to think about Covid， the wars， the state of the country， the high cost of gas。。。I can just melt into my pillow and transport myself into a fantasy world where we just have the good guys， the bad guys， the innocent folks and some like Evan Smoak， the nowhere man， a little of both。 This can be read as a stand 4。5Ok， ok。。。Here is my disclaimer。 I absolutely love the pure escapism when I read the Orphan Series: a pure series of entertainment written by a man who sure knows his "stuff。" I don't have to think about Covid， the wars， the state of the country， the high cost of gas。。。I can just melt into my pillow and transport myself into a fantasy world where we just have the good guys， the bad guys， the innocent folks and some like Evan Smoak， the nowhere man， a little of both。 This can be read as a stand alone but I think reading the prequels gives so much more depth。 In particular ， Orphan X #7， would give a fuller experience of parts of Orphan #8。For those who don't know about the Nowhere man， he used to be an off the books hitman for the government who left and went down under and has been pursued by Washington ever since。（Interjection--RUN and read the series） Now he answers to no one but himself when deciding to take a case where someone really needs his abilities。 In this novel， the government has finally caught up with him， but when captured， tells him they will grant him immunity if he commits to a task ordered by the president。 Does this task rise to the level of the Commandments that he adheres to？He decides to investigate with no promises as it also involves the death of a young man and woman both of who did not deserve this fate。 As he narrows the circle along with his teenage protege Joey， he uncovers a man with high principles but also manipulative and masterful。 Of course， we have the expected shoot outs and murders and high stake escapes， but like his previous book he has to decide whether to save the man who is both bad and good but make him worthier。 My only caveat， a small one indeed， was a feeling of annoyance with Joey's commentary and interactions with Smoak。 I don't remember feeling so irritated by her before but that is small potatoes in the overall scheme。As usual， the last page was a cliffhanger that already has me panting for book #9。。It can't come soon enough。Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read and give an honest review。 。。。more
Stacy
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Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martins Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review。 5 starsExcellent continuation of the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz。 Evan Smoak is offered a deal by the President to leave him alone if he eliminates a well connected billionaire。 Evan is helped by his usual cast of characters （I always want more Joey time！） and some new ones。 While the X books always have tons of action， I found this book to have a lot of very touching moments。
Kimberley
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3。5 stars rounded up simply because I’m attached to Orphan X。 Started out promising， but then went astray。
Leah
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I have been a fan of Gregg Andrew Hurwitz since “The Kill Clause” （published 2003）。 But he has hit his stride with the “Orphan X” series。 One of the few long running （8 books thus far） that I have awarded 5 stars to each installment。 This series just keeps getting better and better。 Watching Evan Smoak continue to evolve while keeping the plot fresh， different and exciting， dare I say “thrilling”？Bravo Gregg！ Keep them coming。 Long live “The Nowhere Man”！Five enthusiastic stars
Holly B
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Evan is BACK！！Super excited for #8
Kristie
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