978-1-60940-391-1
$16.95, 305 pgs
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
I am a Jay Brandon fan from
way back – I will not tell you from how far back. Brandon wrote some very
engaging legal thrillers set in Texas that I thoroughly enjoyed. Shadow Knight’s Mate is nothing like
those books except that it is engaging and I really enjoyed it. Shadow Knight’s Mate is some sort of
weird amalgam of a super hero comic, sci-fi adventure, James Bond spy thriller, and Tom Clancy techno suspense nightmare that contemplates a post-America world.
With a little Dean Koontz thrown in just to keep things interesting.
The Circle is a shadowy American
organization that basically runs the planet – possibly the known universe.
Possibly several unknown parallel universes. Imagine a super-secret
philanthropic conspiracy wielding unlimited power whose mission is to maintain
America’s influence in the world. Think Opus Dei, the Knights Templar, the
Tri-lateral Commission, and that annual meeting that Dick Cheney always goes to
that I can’t remember the name of. But with the best of intentions – like the
X-Men or the Justice League.
After a terrorist attack in the
United States, Circle member Jack Driscoll must save the world from an
ingenious and infernal plot hatched by a madman whose physical description
reminds me of the villain in Austin
Powers. In a mad dash around the planet from France to Malaysia to the
Czech Republic and Germany and Israel and back again, Jack must wrangle with forces
of evil determined to bring the United States to its knees. And several
doppelgangers who’ve been gallivanting around Europe, up to no good,
impersonating him. You see, Jack is the one person the mastermind behind the
plot fears could stop him.
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| Jay Brandon |
Shadow Knight’s Mate is not my usual thing; I’m not big on genre
fiction most of the time. The quality of this story is uneven and it suffers
from awkward action scenes that don’t flow well, although the latter improves
about two-thirds of the way through the text. There is no nuanced character
development, no lyrical use of language, spot-on metaphor or evocative
description. What this book has in spades is plot, expert pacing, and plenty of
humor. It was so much fun. It kept me
turning the pages because I truly wanted answers to so many questions.
Two things: 1) Never underestimate the grudges formed in childhood; and 2) a National Security Adviser with an inferiority complex AND delusions of grandeur should be avoided. Don’t think too hard about it – just give in and go where the story takes you. You’ll be glad you did.
Two things: 1) Never underestimate the grudges formed in childhood; and 2) a National Security Adviser with an inferiority complex AND delusions of grandeur should be avoided. Don’t think too hard about it – just give in and go where the story takes you. You’ll be glad you did.
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