Fire War

by T T Michael

Overview

Late in the 21st century, the United Continental States of America (or UCSA), comprising the former USA, Canada and Mexico, is running smoothly: unemployment has been all but eradicated, terrorism is quashed in the country, and internal dissent diminishes by the day. Most people thank President Meyers for this. Many can no longer remember when there was last an election, but as long as he keeps the country safe from the terrorist group Hariq Jihad ('Fire War'), this seems a small price to pay. Gunnery Sergeant Anthony Jackson is the model Marine: highly trained, absolutely efficient, and unquestioningly dedicated to his country. The only thing he can conceive of putting before his nation is his family, his wife Courtney and two daughters Maya and MacKenzie. Conscripted into the personal security detail of President Meyers, he begins to get glimpses that not everyone is as content with the current situation as he is, but attributes this to terrorist agitation and fringe lunacy. When his older daughter Maya begins to question the creeping erosion of personal liberties and the revoking of democratic rights, however, he begins to fear for her safety, as well as his own and that of his family. In a climate in which entire families disappear due to minor offenses, one can't be too careful. The tensions between liberty and safety, between family and country, will force Jackson to rethink all his beliefs, and lead to a collision with the system he has dedicated his life to serving. Fire War is a suspenseful, gripping and unnerving examination of the paradoxes of power, the price of liberty, and the dictates of conscience. The world you live in will never look the same again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781517180744
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2015
Series:	Fire War Trilogy , #1
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.48(d)

Editorial Reviews

2015-10-30
In Michael's sci-fi debut, a sniper must deal with his feelings and his family as a North American superstate takes over. In 2051, in Chicago, a father and son are taking in a ballgame when a bomb destroys the whole ballpark. Then, in 2076, in Mexico City, Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Jackson takes time off from training snipers to protect the presidents of Mexico and the North American Union. The NAU is the new country that was formed by the United States and Canada in the wake of the 2051 terrorist bombings. Michael devotes several pages to Jackson's thinking about this history, including the revitalization of Detroit and its reduction in unemployment. Readers will notice that, although this takes place 60 years in the future, the concerns and references are contemporary, including the mid-2010s collapse of Greece's economy, the danger of Mexican cartels, the fight against Islamist fundamentalist terrorists, and others. Jackson also comes off at first like a larger-than-life figure: one of the best snipers in the world, with "muscles rippling under every surface of skin." However, he becomes more sympathetic as he worries over doing the right things by his men, his wife and daughters, and his country. Unfortunately for him, the NAU—and a new state formed by the inclusion of Mexico—no longer holds to the U.S. Constitution or to citizens' rights; dissidents disappear without trial; and newspaper editorials discuss the need to appoint rather than elect a president. What's interesting here is that Jackson isn't conspiracy-minded or even curious, and it's only a bit of heavy-handed eavesdropping at the end that clues him in to the government's obvious wrongdoing. In other words, despite his sniper skills and muscles, he's just a guy trying to do his job and take care of his family. Most of the suspense that the author generates in this book comes from Jackson's struggles to do everyday things rather than from larger political issues. Readers will find an engaging family drama underneath this futuristic political thriller.

Kirkus Reviews