The Living Legend

By: Dan E. Hendrickson
Publication Date: January 2022
ISBN: 978-1734518795
Reviewed by: Kimberly Trix Lee
Review Date: March 23, 2022

On one side of the world, Tommy, a man seeking vengeance for his father’s murder; on the other side, Makena, a woman seeking to stop the slavery of her people. We’ll find out how their worlds collide in The Living Legend by Dan Hendrickson.

It was 1975 and African-American United States Ambassador to Japan and retired naval academy commander and JAG lawyer, Rodney Williams, was shot dead at a downtown cafe in Tokyo while toasting his son’s graduation. Navy junior commissioned officer Tommy Williams graduated 2nd in the naval academy and was set to attend an Ivy League school to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a JAG lawyer but, having had witnessed his father’s murder by a skilled sniper, he decided to join the special forces branch SEAL. As a SEAL, Tommy hoped to get the training he needed to hunt after his father’s killer. After several grueling years going through the SEAL training program, Tommy embarked on his very first assignment. Little did he know that this assignment would lead him straight to his father’s killer, the Chameleon.

In 1891, Tumaini Aalee traversed the Red Sea and went into Saudi Arabia to liberate his people from slave traders. From then on, he was known as “The Legend” by the people of Kenya. Many decades later, his great granddaughter Makena Aalee, together with Kenyan Undersecretary Bosher Arachar, would fight to continue his legacy. Corruption made it such that Makena was never able to address the Parliament about her advocacy against slave trading, but Undersecretary Bosher was finally able to help her get the audience. After Makena’s speech and presentation to the Parliament, with several big news outlets picking up on the story, the corrupted members of the government involved in the modern day slave trading set out to silence Makena and Bosher.

The Living Legend by Dan Hendrickson is a military action fiction prequel to his bestselling book, A Last Enemy. This is about two people living in different parts of the world coming together to fight for their loved ones - one seeking vengeance and the other seeking freedom - as their worlds converge in one dramatic action-packed story. This is a well-written book with a charming main character, consistent characterization, well thought-out plot, and balanced pace. It tackled corruption, modern-day slavery, and politics in a way that is realistic and grounded. I enjoyed following the main character, Tommy, who was highly intelligent, persistent, and a man of principle. I also liked seeing his strategic mind in the War Games during his SEAL Qualification Training. The part nearing the end of the story where Tommy was finally able to come face-to-face with the man he’s been dreaming to kill provided an especially good long look into who Tommy is as a person. Tommy is a main character I’d definitely rally behind.

Quill says: The Living Legend is a military action novel about a man seeking vengeance and a woman seeking freedom as they come together to fight for the principles they live for.

To learn more about The Living Legend, please visit the author's website at: danehendrickson.com/

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