An ironic picture of relations between Russia and the US in view of the antagonism that has developed in the current era of the Ukraine era. That is particularly true in view of Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons. S story with many interesting twists with references to the war of 1812. The relationship between Cotton and Cassiopeia continues to develop. ( )

Still love this author. The last couple of books made me wonder if I would keep reading him but I'm glad I did. This one may seem far-fetched but he backs it up at the end of the book. I like books that make me feel I learned something and wasn't just entertained. ( )

In true 'save the US' fashion, Cotton Malone is once again the only man who can keep the US from total chaos and destruction in this installment. Malone starts off in Russia while at home things are moving ahead with a new president being installed soon. The adventure becomes more harrowing when Malone learns of ex-KGB ops that want to exploit loopholes in the Constitution and involves a Revolutionary War Era secret society (and when does Berry NOT include some secret US society?) called The Cincinnati Society for the male heirs of war veterans. A B-plot with Cassiopeia Vitt thrown into the mix acts as minor inconvenience to the action.

First, as I said, when does Berry NOT use some secret US society in his stories? It seems like lately that's all they're about. For being such a young country, there are a ludicrous amount of secret societies to be found in US history - did these men have nothing better to do than sit around rehashing "glory days" and planning what they 'would've done if'? What a ridiculous waste of mental resources.

Second, the B-plot with the love stories...I don't mind too much because it's been a roll-around plot device for too long and I'm tired of the "will they, won't they" aspect. Get your characters together and move on into action because we all know both Cassiopeia and Stephanie are badasses.

The story itself is pretty formulaic - Malone is sent off on some secret mission for the Magellan Billet and discovers a bad guy who wants to do bad things to bring down the US government because they're mad about something that happened in the past and want to bring back the "glorious era" of whatever country they're from - in this case Russia. Some of the motivations are believable in the story but you still have a few instances where you have to suspend belief. This is adventure fiction after all so I'd be surprised if these moments didn't exist.

Overall, 3 stars because it is entertaining as hell and you can read through it in an afternoon without feeling like you wasted your time.

As always: *All thoughts and opinions are my own.* ( )

At the behest of the Russians, who seem very worried, Stephanie Nelle and Danny Daniels send Cotton Malone to Siberia to find a Russian archivist, who is meeting an ex-KGB spetsnaz leader (Zorin), with retribution planned for Russia's decline as a world power. Cotton's plane is shot down and Stephanie enlists Cassiopeia Vitt's help in a rescue effort, who is fluent in Russian and loves him. There is politics galore: Daniels is a lame duck president, about to be replaced by a governor with no experience in international relations, who transition team fires Stephanie as well as a major schism in the Russian leadership. Action quickly shifts back to the U.S. and Canada as Zorin, does a high altitude jump, to meet an old comrade to move towards an old plot hatched by master spy, Andropov. Meanwhile, Luke Daniels follows a Russian colleague of Zorin, who seems intrigued by an obscure historical society's archives. Luke is bested by two woman, one of whom is a member of the Navy's elite Riverine squadron. Suitcase nukes and presidential succession are at the heart of the story, but the 14th colony plotline made no sense at all. ( )

The 14th Colony: A Novel is an extremely well researched book that not only has a lot of United States history but is also a great adventure that involved Cotton Malone. The story begins in Siberia and concludes in Washington DC. To say anything more than this would spoil the story. It is a five star adventure, historical novel and very well written from beginning to end. The 14th Colony is highly recommended. ( )