Deep Black - Reception

Reception

Critical reception for the series has been mostly positive, with the Irish Independent calling Dead Centre "biff-bang action fiction at its most uncomplicated". The Free Lance-Star positively reviewed the audiobook for Crisis Four, stating that although the narrator's American accent was "unconvincing", his portrayal of the book's characters "sparkle with life". Kirkus Reviews' opinion of the series was predominantly positive, with the site calling Firewall "a sweet one" but stating that reducing Last Light's meticulous details "might have benefited narrative flow".

Of Deep Black, the Harrow Observer described the novel as an "unforgettable story" from its "violent and shocking opening" that includes "vivid, lightning-paced action". A Sunday Times reviewer said that "it’s not one of his strongest efforts" and that "too much of the novel consists of aimless linking material or unconvincing attempts at atmosphere". Robert Hanks of The Independent stated that "the plot strains credibility, and the terse, slangy prose is sometimes repetitive".

Publishers Weekly panned both Last Light and Liberation Day, saying of Liberation Day that "Instead of biting their nails, readers will be staring at them absently, bored by the colorless plot". Reviewers for the company also reviewed Firewall and Crisis Four, praising both entries in the series.