REVIEW:
This book ought to come with a warning like the one on amusement park rides.
People with hypertension or heart problems should exercise extreme caution
when reading Flashpoint because it's an edge-of-your-seat, thrill-seeking,
action-packed ride. Strap in, keep your limbs inside the vehicle, and hold on
with white knuckles. Frank absolutely excels at action and he's chocked his
under-200-page volume to the very brim with it. Excitement is an
understatement.
While it appeals to all ages, Flashpoint will be highly appealing to anyone under
thirty, and especially to those of the male persuasion. The Matrix has nothing
on Flashpoint which Keanu Reeves couldn't easily surpass were he to play
Frank's hero, Calamity Kid.
This is the best book I have read in years. And that is really saying something
considering it's a dystopia. As a rule, I'm not fond of dystopian plotlines. I find
them depressing and they usually run counter to my main motivation for
reading, which is mental escape to a better world. But Frank gives us enough
positive goodies (mindware) to couteract the negative (societal conditions) so
that this story is eminently compelling and enjoyable.
In all fairness, and just so you don't think I'm gushing through rose-colored
glasses, I did feel that Flashpoint was slightly obsessed with descriptions of
weapons, and being female, and not hip to weapons even in the present day,
that wasn't my favorite aspect. I admit my eyes glazed over every now and
then when extensive descriptions of the various high-tech, futuristic arsenals
came up, which was kind of often. I suspect most guys would find this an asset
rather than a drawback.
This book ought to come with a warning like the one on amusement park rides.
People with hypertension or heart problems should exercise extreme caution
when reading Flashpoint because it's an edge-of-your-seat, thrill-seeking,
action-packed ride. Strap in, keep your limbs inside the vehicle, and hold on
with white knuckles. Frank absolutely excels at action and he's chocked his
under-200-page volume to the very brim with it. Excitement is an
understatement.
While it appeals to all ages, Flashpoint will be highly appealing to anyone under
thirty, and especially to those of the male persuasion. The Matrix has nothing
on Flashpoint which Keanu Reeves couldn't easily surpass were he to play
Frank's hero, Calamity Kid.
This is the best book I have read in years. And that is really saying something
considering it's a dystopia. As a rule, I'm not fond of dystopian plotlines. I find
them depressing and they usually run counter to my main motivation for
reading, which is mental escape to a better world. But Frank gives us enough
positive goodies (mindware) to couteract the negative (societal conditions) so
that this story is eminently compelling and enjoyable.
In all fairness, and just so you don't think I'm gushing through rose-colored
glasses, I did feel that Flashpoint was slightly obsessed with descriptions of
weapons, and being female, and not hip to weapons even in the present day,
that wasn't my favorite aspect. I admit my eyes glazed over every now and
then when extensive descriptions of the various high-tech, futuristic arsenals
came up, which was kind of often. I suspect most guys would find this an asset
rather than a drawback.
SUMMARY:
Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground is the story of an alternative future
where patriotism meets tyranny, the Patriot Act waxes Stalin-esque and the
violence of terrorism has united the world. Set in 2036 Chicago against the
backdrop of a global government, the only threat to the One State's absolute
power is non-sanctioned religion—fundamentalist beliefs of any kind have been
pronounced illegal and treasonous. We meet main characters David and Jen
Williams as they flee peacekeepers busting their home-church. This sparks a
Flashpoint in the Body of Christ (BoC), living in the abandoned parts of the
Metroplex. Through the use of brain-wave technology, the saints living in the
underground are re-formed. David and Jen are uploaded with mindware, and
take code names: Calamity Kid and e-girl. With the aid of high tech gadgets
and non-lethal weapons, Calamity Kid and e-girl's terrorist cell in the BoC set
out to free imprisioned family, friends and neighbors before they are
brainwashed—or worse.
Flashpoint: Book One of the Underground is the story of an alternative future
where patriotism meets tyranny, the Patriot Act waxes Stalin-esque and the
violence of terrorism has united the world. Set in 2036 Chicago against the
backdrop of a global government, the only threat to the One State's absolute
power is non-sanctioned religion—fundamentalist beliefs of any kind have been
pronounced illegal and treasonous. We meet main characters David and Jen
Williams as they flee peacekeepers busting their home-church. This sparks a
Flashpoint in the Body of Christ (BoC), living in the abandoned parts of the
Metroplex. Through the use of brain-wave technology, the saints living in the
underground are re-formed. David and Jen are uploaded with mindware, and
take code names: Calamity Kid and e-girl. With the aid of high tech gadgets
and non-lethal weapons, Calamity Kid and e-girl's terrorist cell in the BoC set
out to free imprisioned family, friends and neighbors before they are
brainwashed—or worse.
| THE GUILD REVIEW RECOMMENDS: |
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