An unbalanced dual narrative.
Author Haber (The Somali Pirate, 2009, etc.) presents a political thriller and war fantasy–cum–sci-fi dreamscape that follows the adventures of modern-day Somali pirate Noor Fayrus.
Navigating the waters near the Horn of Africa, Noor Fayrus leads the Dagger Dogs of Zayid in an operation to take back the capital city of Mogadishu, which is overrun by warlords, Islamic radicals and Western-backed militias. The goal is to establish a modern state based on piracy that will avenge the wrongs committed against the Somali people. How else can the Zayid (also known as “the Organization”) exact retribution against those who’ve overfished Somali waters, dumped nuclear and toxic waste on its shorelines, and meddled in their governmental affairs? But will the Zayid stop at Somalia’s borders or use its arsenal of nuclear warheads, high-tech weaponry and new piracy methods to extend its far-reaching tentacles? And what role will Noor play as the truth emerges about his supernatural condition? When Noor and his sister Amina learn they are suffering from radiation poisoning and have to take an experimental serum (“antibaayootig”), Noor reveals his stigmata and star-shaped chest tattoo, which become bioluminescent after he absorbs too much serum. Later, after surviving a brush with lightning during a helicopter crash, Noor’s electromagnetic energy field changes, and he discovers that the excess serum brings forth supernatural powers, including the ability to hurl lightning at his enemies. But will Noor use his supernatural powers for good purposes or seek to extend the White Star Empire? These complex plot points serve to hook the reader by the novel’s midpoint, and indeed, the first half of the tale functions well both as a stand-alone novel and final installment in the trilogy, offering insights about Somali culture, unconventional justifications for Somali piracy and just the right touch of fantasy. However, the second half falters when it transmogrifies into a grotesque sci-fi nightmare three centuries into the future, complete with robots, zombies and flying cars. Cryogenically frozen, characters awaken 324 years later as batlike zombies or modified robots, and Mogadishu is the most successful city in the world. Huh? More than 100 images are included to help tell the story, but by the end, little could help this story that has lost its way. Ultimately, the author tells two stories: the first, a meaty and realistic picture of war and piracy on the east African coast, the second, a strange mix of science fiction that lurches so abruptly from the early story it may cause whiplash.
An unbalanced dual narrative.Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615669489
Page Count: 634
Publisher: PhantaSea Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For a novel so filled with debauchery, it could use a few more real thrills.
After his father’s death, Simon Powell moves from sleepy Sibley, Ark., to Los Angeles, where he’s pulled into a seedy underworld.
When Simon Powell was 17, he left home to join the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. He had never considered himself religious, but he hoped the church would help him repress his homosexuality and hide the fact that he was gay from his conservative family. Ultimately, Simon can’t deny who he is and so abandons the church after 10 years. He returns to Arkansas, but when his father dies, he moves to L.A. to reunite with old friends. Once there, he drinks heavily, goes out every night and picks up a cocaine habit. Simon’s friends come and go, many after screwing him over in some way, and his lovers are all interchangeable hustlers. The portrayal of a party boy’s surfeit of sex, drugs and money may be an accurate representation of the ’80s, but it doesn’t make it any more interesting. All of Simon’s relationships are with people who just want drugs or money from him. It’s difficult to become invested in any of the characters; they have no attachment to him and his attraction to them, romantic or otherwise, is equally superficial. He repeatedly makes the same bad decisions in his personal life, readily trusting people who will obviously take advantage of him. When he hits rock bottom after going on a crack binge with yet another young hustler, it’s not surprising or upsetting. One of the most interesting aspects of Simon’s story, his membership in the Unification Church, is not explored enough. He summarizes his time there, but provides disappointingly few memories or specific details.
For a novel so filled with debauchery, it could use a few more real thrills.Pub Date: May 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615559575
Page Count: 348
Publisher: Simon Says
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An interesting yarn in need of a thorough edit and a better exploration of the main character’s motives and personae.
Nelson’s adventure thriller is the captivating story of a dedicated young ethnobotanist lured to work for a wealthy Texas research institute by her former mentor.
Diane, a promising professor who specializes in tropical miracle drugs, finds herself languishing at a Pennsylvania university. Her older husband, Vincent, appears to have a flourishing career, yet his grant funding has been cut. Unexpectedly, the two career academics receive an invitation to a Christmas yacht party in Galveston Bay. Nelson makes it easy to understand why Diane and Vincent leave cold, dreary Pittsburgh for a warm, fantastic world filled with escaped chimpanzees, spectacular sailboats and white-pillared mansions. But their carefree vacation doesn’t last long. Vincent suspects that the director of the institute has murdered one of his former researchers. Nelson writes fluidly, drawing in readers. The novel effortlessly combines romance, drama and science. Fewer scientific anecdotes, however, would improve readability; the narrative lags until Nelson returns to her protagonists. By the time Nelson does pull back to Vincent and Diane, the couple’s marriage has come apart. After Vincent’s boat is reported missing, Diane finally begins to believe that her new employers are corrupt. Implausibly, she stays on in Texas, planning a trip to the Colombian jungle. As Diane inches closer to Colombia, the clichéd descriptions and stock situations mount. These weary the reader and render the story less believable. Finally, Diane reaches her destination, where she reunites with her mentor, Olimpia. As the setting moves into a dream world of a mountainous cloud forest, the novel assumes a rambling quality before its abrupt ending; an ending that includes too many loose ends, possibly reserved for a sequel.
An interesting yarn in need of a thorough edit and a better exploration of the main character’s motives and personae.Pub Date: May 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1466467484
Page Count: 306
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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