Review by Lady-of-Literature -- East Wind, 2nd edition

[Lady-of-Literature]

[Following is a volunteer review of "East Wind, 2nd edition" by Jack Winnick.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Foreign affairs are a common source of conflict to overcome inaction related storytelling. It would seem every year a documentary on global acts of terrorism is released, yet again. Still, somehow the plot continues to rouse populations. If there has been any change, it is the increase in standards. There is a demand for reality. There is a demand for character development. There is a demand for a story worth our time. Jack Winnick, author of East Wind, an empathetic story about the fight against terrorism, delivers on those demands.

The story begins with a character meant to die. In the blink of an eye, a part of Los Angelas burns in bright light and immeasurable heat. This is not the only bomb likely to go off.

The FBI has reason to believe that this is an act of terrorism, courtesy of the Hezbollah terrorist group. If they are to ensure the safety of American citizens, they must call in a skilled field agent and cryptanalysts for assistance. Enter our main characters and romantic leads, Uri and Lara. Together, the two will hunt down the next attack before any more lives are lost.

I'll admit, I was hesitant to read this story at first. I feared that the content would lean on Middle Eastern prejudices and questionable morals. It, however, turned out to be as empathic as it was adventurous. Particularly in its portrayal of the "antagonist".

The antagonist Walid, for example, is a young middle eastern man who finds himself wooed into the embrace of the Hezbollah. Right here the author could portray him as a villain and prove my fears to be true. Instead, we witness how vulnerable he is to the promise of purpose. His internal struggles are handled with the same amount of care as the main leads are, like Uri's marital distress. I found it to be quite noble. Most characters are granted whole chapters dedicated to their background. I found it provided an intimate one-on-one between reader and character. It also acted as quick groundwork for the romantic foundations between Uri and Lara. Both are portrayed as decent agents trying to do a good job, who also happens to have awkward crushes on each other. The combinations lead to a sweet romance, if not a little generic.

One the other hand, I can count at least two complaints I have. One is that the story has a very slow beginning. Since this is a story featuring politics on near every page, it feels appropriate to compare its early chapters to pawns moving into place. The story opens with a prologue, but the next several chapters might as well have been prologues too. As their excessive character exposition and time jumps can discombobulate the reader. This is only my opinion, but I believe that information like that is best spread out, not dumped at the beginning. In addition to its pace, there was also the issue with over-explanation. There were many times during dialogues or scientific breakdowns where I felt lost. So while I appreciated the extra information, it was overdone. It felt like I needed to take a course to understand what was going on so I can form my own opinion about real issues.

Aside from that, I found East Wind to be an engrossing read. It's written well with thoughtful intention. It's professionally edited as far as I could tell and contained no grammatical errors. However, I would not recommend this book to young audiences due to sensitive subjects. Death, mild sexual implications, and adult language all make an appearance. This a mature book, with mature themes written for a mature audience. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.

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East Wind, 2nd edition
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