Even though I’m giving this a lower rating, The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader was still a decent read. It definitely would have earned a higher score from me if I hadn’t made the mistake of starting with the sixth installment in the Bourne series 😅. While it can technically stand alone, I found it pretty tough to keep track of all the different characters and their intersecting storylines. There were just so many complex characters to juggle, and it felt like the reader was expected to ...

Jason Bourne wants to embrace his life as David Webb, yet he accepts a mission where being Webb would be a massive liability. The Ministry of Defense is eyeing the CIA for their own agenda, leaving the new DCI with quite the fight on her hands. The main strategy seems to be capturing Bourne—a move designed to prove the NSA can succeed where every other intelligence agency has failed. With the threat of another terrorist attack on American soil looming, it’s up to Jason Bourne to save the day, al...

I recently read the previous Eric Van Lustbader Bourne book, The Bourne Betrayal, and it was a poorly written, badly plotted piece of utter nonsense. Truly awful. I decided then and there to never buy another book by this author again. But, in my own stupidity, I had already purchased the next installment, The Bourne Sanction. I figured I’d give it fifty pages, and if it was just as bad as the last one, I’d drop it immediately. As it turns out, this one is a bit shorter—clocking in at around 470...

THE REVIEW CAN ALSO BE FOUND HERE!Reading a series out of order is always an interesting experience, particularly with the Jason Bourne novels. I can dip in and out whenever I want and usually follow the plot just fine. That was the case once more with The Bourne Sanction, the second Jason Bourne novel I’ve read that wasn’t written by series creator Robert Ludlum. Instead, it’s penned by Eric Van Lustbader, who has taken the reins and written every Bourne title since 2003’s The Bourne Legacy—the...

Back in the day—specifically 2008—my first introduction to Jason Bourne was a bit of a whirlwind. I picked up The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader at an airport after catching the movies, and I was immediately confused. The book seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with the films, aside from the main character's name and the fact that he’d lost his memory. I didn't realize back then that the movies pretty much only kept those two elements and the titles. No wonder I was thrown! Having si...

We are now so far removed from the original Bourne series that I can hardly recognize the main character, his associates, or even the connection that Bourne/Webb maintains with the man who launched Robert Ludlum’s series years ago. Even setting the Bourne name aside, this story fell far short of what I expected or wanted to read, and it pains me to see such drivel associated with the legacy Ludlum built over time. Where is the sharp, calculating strategist? Where is the passion for justice and t...

As the sixth installment in the series starring Jason Bourne (the Eric Van Lustbader era), The Bourne Sanction shifts its focus toward the expanding roster of supporting characters who have aided him over time—Deron the forger, Tyrone the street enforcer, Soraya Moore from CI, and Moira, the potential love interest—all while navigating the growing circle of Beltway politicians desperate to take Bourne down for good. There is no shortage of political intrigue here, particularly as the new DCI, V...

Honestly, it’s complicated—unnecessarily so. But, as an airport impulse buy (and my first time diving into a Bourne novel), it made for a solid read on a long flight. Maybe because I jumped into the series at #6 rather than starting from the beginning, I felt a bit more lost than I should have been, but I caught up quickly and truly enjoyed the ride. If you're looking for a gripping spy thriller, The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader is a decent choice for your next trip.

I'm a big fan of Eric Van Lustbader and I love the Bourne series, so what could possibly go wrong? The Bourne Sanction is a solid, entertaining read that’s definitely worth picking up for a few hours of pure, high-stakes fun. If you're looking for a gripping new thriller to add to your reading list, this is a great choice.

If The Bourne Sanction had been the first book in the series, I would have quit halfway through and never picked up another. What a total letdown! I honestly can’t believe I read the whole thing, but I kept hoping for improvement, thinking something pivotal might happen that I’d need to know for the next installment. After finishing this thriller, I’m pretty sure I’m done with the series. There are so many incredible books out there, and I’m not sure I want to invest any more of my time into Eri...