An age of technological revolution is
descending upon us. Machines are coming online and replacing humans.
Meanwhile, everything we are saying and doing, are being recorded on
the internet and visible to anyone with the correct tools and the access.
In today's world, taking over a whole country is a matter of punching
in a few commands on a computer terminal. In the mean time,
governments around the world are accelerating the pace to privatize,
outsourcing works to commercial corporations, including applications
that are paramount to national security, such as law enforcement,
intelligence, and the military. However, corporations exist for monetary gains. So at this rate, will Philip K. Dick's dystopian
vision come true, where megacorporations emerge in the near future,
possessing too much power and use it for self-serving purposes?
This pressing question sets the
theme for James Rollin's new thriller novel, War Hawk, the
second installment in a spin-off series of Sigma Force,
featuring retired US Army Ranger Tucker Wayne, and his trusty, canine
brother, Kane.
Synopsis:
What is democracy?
Former Army Ranger, Tucker, and his war
dog, Kane, are about to undertake a dark voyage and expose a
conspiracy that will alter the foundation of democracy in America.
Their journey began during a scenic tour to the Yellow Stone, when
Tucker was contacted by Jane Sabatello, a former army colleague in
need of his help. A ruthless assassin, said a distressed Jane, will
stop at nothing to kill her and her son.
Tucker is determined to help Jane.
Together with Kane, Tucker must uncover a hidden link, starting from
the murder of a young idealist and leading back to a powerful group
in association with the US government. Now, a former solider and his
loyal war dog are stepping into the shadowed ruins of a southern
plantation, to unveil a mystery from World War II, a mystery tracing
back to the father of computer, Alan Turing.
My thoughts on this book:
If you are seeking some good thriller
novels, I will point you to James Rollins and his Sigma Force
series. And I tell you, War Hawk is among the top books in
Sigma Force universe.
War Hawk is the second book in a
spin-off series of Sigma Force, and it features Tucker, and
his war dog, Kane. James Rollins first introduced Tucker and Kane in
Bloodline, and the duo was warmly received by readers and
fans. Rollins felt that he has more stories to tell about these two
characters, leading to this spin-off series, which began with The Kill Switch.
I have read every single book that
belongs to Sigma Force's franchise. I like all of them,
because every Sigma Force story is a cross between
history, science fiction, mystery and action. Rollins cleverly mixes
facts and fictions, and bringing into Sigma Force stories a
touch of Issac Assimov, a taste of Dan Brown, and moving with the
actions of Indiana Jones. War Hawk, however, differs slightly
from other Sigma Force books because it is more believable.
What do I mean? Most Sigma Force novels traversed into the
realm of science fiction, where the stories are often based on
conjectures of a scientific theory, or a technology yet to be
invented. In other words, while other Sigma Force novels can intrigue a reader with scientific possibilities, and thrill a reader
with mysteries, yet one cannot help but feel that, a gap exists
between the scenarios from those books and the reality.
War Hawk, on the other hand, is
a different book. Rollins based this story on the existing
technology, and creating a scenario that could take place in the
reality. I mean, let's examine a few elements in this book and see if
they already exist in our world: 1) Military UAV, checked. 2)
Corporate greed, checked, 3) Developing artificial intelligence,
checked. This book thrilled me, not only because it tells a story
full of suspense, but because of its realism. As I was reading this
book, it sent a shiver down my spine because I recognized, that the
scenario in War Hawk may not be far-fetched.
This book has an interesting
premise, but its most attractive quality is the characterization. Tucker, a battle scarred ex-soldier struggling with
PTSD, plays the role of the protagonist. Rollins penned Tucker's
character as a decent man, who genuinely tries to do the right
thing, while seeking refuge from his horrid memories of wars. Tucker
is accompanied by his loyal war dog, Kane, who (arguably) stole the
show in this book. Apparently, war dogs and their handlers can form very
deep bonds with each other. James Rollins captured, movingly, the
deep friendship between Tucker and Kane. Speaking of which, Kane
shares the centre stage of the story as a main protagonist next to
Tucker. But Kane is a dog, how does one characterize an animal who
cannot speak? Rollins, being a master storyteller, has an ingenious
solution where he told certain parts of the story from Kane's
perspective, and it worked brilliantly!
It suffices to say, Kane is easily my
favorite character in the book and I am very fond of him. And Rollins
never shied away from putting Kane in situations of real danger. When I
was reading this book, my heart raced whenever Kane charged into
perils and stared at death in the face. Reading War Hawk, was a nail
biting adventure. This novel's characterization, however, is not flawless. In my opinion, the weakness arrived when the book introduced
its antagonist. Yes, the book gave the bad guy a believable motive. Yet, I couldn't help but felt a lot of wasted potentials
in this character, because Rollins did not explore the antagonist
properly. Instead, the story lightly brushed over the bad guy's
background and history.
War Hawk blasts its way into the
archive of Sigma Force with a touch of realism and it is
doused in a healthy coat of action and suspense. This thrilling story,
thought provoking and nerve-wracking, has a nice undertone to it, and
it will make you think about some problems in our world, such as
corporate greed. When I returned this book to the library, I could
not help but wonder when Tucker and Kane will return for their next
adventure. Hopefully, the wait won't be too long. Meanwhile, I highly
recommend War Hawk to my fellow readers, especially to those
who are fond of reading thrillers.
Until the next time, happy reading!
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