The story of a sixty-five-year-old female assassin captured my imagination, so I opened The Old Woman With the Knife with a great deal of anticipation. We learn almost the entirety of Hornclaw's life: her childhood, her work as a "disease control specialist," some of her targets that she's killed, and her growing awareness that her skills are diminishing almost as quickly as she begins feeling compassion for others.
The story weaves between two major plotlines: her growing connection with the doctor and his family and her realization that she has an enemy who wants to kill her. How she manages to deal with both is compelling, but no matter how well-written the story is-- and it is-- the tone is so dispassionate that I had a very difficult time connecting with Hornclaw and, by the book's end, was left feeling disappointed. Your mileage may certainly vary, and I hope that it does.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
The story weaves between two major plotlines: her growing connection with the doctor and his family and her realization that she has an enemy who wants to kill her. How she manages to deal with both is compelling, but no matter how well-written the story is-- and it is-- the tone is so dispassionate that I had a very difficult time connecting with Hornclaw and, by the book's end, was left feeling disappointed. Your mileage may certainly vary, and I hope that it does.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Still Sharp
"...what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career..."
Liam Neeson's "Taken" character is not in this book. We do have Hornclaw, a 65 year old Korean assassin, a "disease control specialist," who is conceding to herself that her skills are fading. Her declining physical limitations are a given, but she senses her mental edge is slipping. She has always had the ability to treat her job as a job, never hesitating to question why targets have been singled out by her agency.
Just when it seems a quiet retirement is around the corner, a younger agent has made it clear that he is her enemy and Hornclaw has no idea why. He has not only targeted her, but also people she cares about. Things were so much simpler when she was less emotional and more methodical, with no emotional attachments to anyone. The inevitable showdown is coming... and we will not be expecting a Steven Seagal or Liam Neeson gladiator finale here.
With "The Old Woman With the Knife'', Gu Byeong-mo presents us with a rare gift: Â a savvy protagonist who is both female and a senior. Hornclaw is a well thought out character coming to grips with recharting the path she will pave for her life. A fun read... 4 out of 5 stars.
"...what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career..."
Liam Neeson's "Taken" character is not in this book. We do have Hornclaw, a 65 year old Korean assassin, a "disease control specialist," who is conceding to herself that her skills are fading. Her declining physical limitations are a given, but she senses her mental edge is slipping. She has always had the ability to treat her job as a job, never hesitating to question why targets have been singled out by her agency.
Just when it seems a quiet retirement is around the corner, a younger agent has made it clear that he is her enemy and Hornclaw has no idea why. He has not only targeted her, but also people she cares about. Things were so much simpler when she was less emotional and more methodical, with no emotional attachments to anyone. The inevitable showdown is coming... and we will not be expecting a Steven Seagal or Liam Neeson gladiator finale here.
With "The Old Woman With the Knife'', Gu Byeong-mo presents us with a rare gift: Â a savvy protagonist who is both female and a senior. Hornclaw is a well thought out character coming to grips with recharting the path she will pave for her life. A fun read... 4 out of 5 stars.
