Reviews
Reviews for Bomb Cyclone
Reviewed by Matthew Novak
Bomb Cyclone by J.A. Adams features a stunningly imagined tale of international intrigue that follows two elaborately developed characters as they navigate dangerous waters in an unprecedented romance. Mykola has always been intrigued by his father’s tales of how a cyclone bomb destroyed his ship that was carrying nuclear weapons and how one of the bombs got missing. Now, working as an assistant professor at an Ohio university, this son of an immigrant is still obsessed with the missing bomb and determined to find it. Meanwhile, Oksana Kovalska’s language skills attract the attention of a Russian agent who offers her a scholarship with the promise of finding a position in the Russian diplomatic corps. But she is disappointed to know that her new job involves gathering intelligence. She eventually meets Mykola, by design. Tasked to extract information about the bomb coordinates from him, Oksana’s mission becomes complicated when she falls in love with him. Failure to complete her mission will lead to serious consequences, including death, but can she betray the man she is getting to love passionately every single day?
It is interesting to notice how J.A. Adams melds history and romance in this spellbinding tale, intelligently offering a vivid portrait of the conquest of Crimea while exploring the political atmosphere underpinning the rise of the current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The author’s gift for characterization shines through the narrative, and Adams succeeds in imagining and creating characters with rich and solid backgrounds, deftly writing motivation into them. The romance creates a twist that readers won’t see coming and it is one of the most powerful plot points that creates the fertile ground for a solidly written conflict. Bomb Cyclone is a resonant tale that contemporary readers will definitely enjoy, a story that deftly and intelligently portrays the Russian role in international politics. This fun, immersive tale hits the spot and the confident writing is a bonus that delivers a delightful reading experience.
Reviewed by Kate Robinson
Bomb Cyclone by J.A. Adams features a stunningly imagined tale of international intrigue that follows two elaborately developed characters as they navigate dangerous waters in an unprecedented romance. Mykola has always been intrigued by his father’s tales of how a cyclone bomb destroyed his ship that was carrying nuclear weapons and how one of the bombs got missing. Now, working as an assistant professor at an Ohio university, this son of an immigrant is still obsessed with the missing bomb and determined to find it. Meanwhile, Oksana Kovalska’s language skills attract the attention of a Russian agent who offers her a scholarship with the promise of finding a position in the Russian diplomatic corps. But she is disappointed to know that her new job involves gathering intelligence. She eventually meets Mykola, by design. Tasked to extract information about the bomb coordinates from him, Oksana’s mission becomes complicated when she falls in love with him. Failure to complete her mission will lead to serious consequences, including death, but can she betray the man she is getting to love passionately every single day?
It is interesting to notice how J.A. Adams melds history and romance in this spellbinding tale, intelligently offering a vivid portrait of the conquest of Crimea while exploring the political atmosphere underpinning the rise of the current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The author’s gift for characterization shines through the narrative, and Adams succeeds in imagining and creating characters with rich and solid backgrounds, deftly writing motivation into them. The romance creates a twist that readers won’t see coming and it is one of the most powerful plot points that creates the fertile ground for a solidly written conflict. Bomb Cyclone is a resonant tale that contemporary readers will definitely enjoy, a story that deftly and intelligently portrays the Russian role in international politics. This fun, immersive tale hits the spot and the confident writing is a bonus that delivers a delightful reading experience.
Adams’s absorbing historical tale sees a young couple struggling to stay alive in the shadow of war and resistance. When Mykola Kravchenkos, an assistant professor at Ohio university, arrives in Crimea to locate a missing nuclear bomb, he meets lovely Oksana Kovalsk and falls in love. But Oksana is a Ukrainian spy recruited by Russia’s SVR and is on a mission to obtain the coordinates of the lost bomb. Set against the backdrop of the Russian conquest of Crimea, the storyline remains intense and so does Adams’s explorations into her protagonists’ inner turmoil. Woven with intricate threads of incredible conflicts, Mykola and Oksana’s individual struggles make for a complex tapestry. From the opening page, readers will find themselves entangled in the pair’s ongoing story as they long to experience the unpredictable chaos of a normal life, but there are obstacles the pair is forced to navigate before they can find happiness. The characters’ interpersonal dynamic is a critical part of this novel, giving depth and a much-needed sense of surprise to the story. The prose is straightforward, and at times lacking in detail, but the healthy doses of tension, historical intrigue, individual angst, and emotional epiphany keep the pages flying. Absorbing and full of intrigue, the novel makes for a page-turner.
A work of historical fiction centered on a romantic relationship and the threat of nuclear war.
Mykola Kravchenkos and Oksana Aleksandrovna Kovalska could not be more different. Mykola, a Ukrainian refugee living in Pennsylvania, hears a story from his father of a time after the fall of the Soviet Union when he was crossing the ocean on a boat full of nuclear weaponry. A cyclone hit the vessel, scattering bombs into the sea; all were safely recovered, he
says, except for one. Thus, Mykola’s obsession with finding the errant bomb begins. On the other side of the world, in Odesa, Ukraine, young Oksana practices her figure skating. Her graceful movements catch the eye of a secret agent in Moscow, who offers her a scholarship to a mysterious organization—and soon, she’s gathering intelligence for the Russian government. The two characters’ stories collide as Mykola’s search for the bomb leads him to Oksana, who’s on a similar, government-sponsored mission. The two fall for each other, and their illicit relationship is soon challenged by circumstances and authorities. Over the course of the novel, Adams’ narrative voice is stylish and quick-witted: “How could anyone lose a nuke? Difficult as it may sound, Ukraine, with a little help from Mother Nature, accomplished just that.” However, the plot feels a bit too familiar and predictable. From the moment Oksana and Mykola meet, the story beats are easy to foresee. This doesn’t mean that they’re not worth reading, as the journey is marked with fine prose, plenty of tension, a balanced mix of action and romance, and well-rounded characters. Mykola’s lifetime search for the weapon and Oksana’s true passion for figure skating are constants that are shown to affect the characters’ emotional attachments to their respective missions.
An often engaging tale of a young couple finding love in the face of death.