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Thunderbird Rising

The Maxx King Thrillers, Book 1

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Thunderbird Rising

By: John H. Thomas
Narrated by: Scott Fleming
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Maxx King is a former Army Ranger turned cybercrime investigator trying to get his life back on track when he has an unexpected confrontation with a ruthless Chinese spy. Struggling to understand the escalating violence, he discovers a clandestine US-China conflict centered around a device of unknown origins with the power to trigger massive natural disasters.

Caught between competing US government agencies, Chinese assassins, secret informants, and a rising number of deaths, Maxx must get to the truth before the next catastrophe strikes. Things get personal when it turns out his girlfriend, Gabby, has been working on the covert project and may be the source of damaging leaks that threaten national security.

The clock is ticking, and a break in the code reveals that something big will happen on September 11th, 2001. Thunderbird Rising is an action-packed alternate-history thriller full of uncertain loyalties, deceit, and international espionage set in Seattle and New York City.

©2024 John H. Thomas (P)2025 John H. Thomas Espionage Historical Science Fiction Spies & Politics Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense China Exciting Thriller
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Listener received this title free

This is a great alternate-history thriller. It's edge of your seat stuff. Lots of twists. I really enjoyed the story.

Great story

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Listener received this title free

This was a fast paced, intense sci-fi thriller that throws you in at the deep end (literally) from the opening chapter. There were a few plot threads unfolding as the story progressed: a murder case, a corporate espionage investigation, treasonous collaboration between China and the US as well as an alternate history timeline that involves alien tech, catastrophic consequences for misusing said tech and a race against time to September 11 where the events that we know of in our timeline may be caused by otherworldly outside forces.


Maxx King (former Army Ranger) in the main protagonist based in Seattle. He is a cybercrime investigator and gets pulled into the events above when he unwittingly gets confronted by a Chinese spy determined to ensure China succeeds in communicating with the alien device first by thwarting America’s efforts to do so.


The plot thickens when Maxx finds out his girlfriend Gabby is involved in the covert project on the American side and that she is suspected of leaking secrets to the Chinese threatening national security. Maxx’s Ranger skills help him navigate the dangers but as the deadline gets closer to September 11 and the constant threat from both American and Chinese government agencies and rogue elements, Maxx will find it harder to stay alive and keep those he loves out of harm’s way when all involved converge on New York City. Whether he can influence the events that are about to unfold for the better, only time will tell.


Overall, I enjoyed the story and found the various story threads compelling as they all came together. I would have liked a little more explanation as to how the device worked and how the consequences occurred as this was a little vague but otherwise, I liked the mix of spy thriller with the science fiction elements. The story had plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and the narration was perfect for setting the tone and level of threat. As this is the first book in a series, I look forward to book 2 to see where the story goes next.

A fast paced, intense sci-fi thriller that throws you in at the deep end (literally) from the opening chapter.

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Listener received this title free

I had a blast listening to Thunderbird Rising. The fast pace and wild twists had me hooked right away, and Maxx King is the kind of lead I always root for. The mix of espionage and cybercrime kept things fresh, and the narration gave the story real energy. Recommended listen!

Edge-of-Your-Seat

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Listener received this title free

Journey from a cybercrime investigator to a key player in a covert US-China conflict is gripping and intense. Interesting mix of international espionage, personal betrayals, and a race against time, keeps you on the edge... Enjoyed it! Thank you 👍

High-Stakes Espionage Thriller

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Listener received this title free

This was a fast-paced, full-on action listen. The narrator did a great job at building the tension and sense of urgency.

I really enjoyed Maxx's character, he quickly gets pulled into situations that are unexpected and soon he realises that people he loves are at risk of being hurt. He uses all his training and experience to try thwart the nefarious plans but who can he trust? His relationship with Gabby worked really well as they each find themselves embroiled in a situation much bigger than anyone expected.

It is well written and nicely thought out. The author cleverly uses the story as a retelling of history and I thought this worked well. It really sets the scene for book two. A really tense, suspenseful and enjoyable listen.

If you like a thriller with sci-fi/techno elements and whole load of conspiracy this is definitely worth putting on the tbr.

Fast-paced listen

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