Review of Dark Agendas of Power

[Gabriel Elenbalulu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Dark Agendas of Power" by Kevin Glenn.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The story is about the secret war going on between the Freedom Fighters (R7) and the Global Economic Union (GEU), which is a regime that looks like a model of modern democracy. The story starts with the GEU's secret activities becoming known. One of these is making a private armed group to keep the world economy in check and quiet those who disagree. Serjeant Cory Bryson (Black Badger) and Lieutenant Amit Rubin (Yael) are two of the main players in the story.

Politics and war are a part of their personal and work lives, and the GEU is fighting the Novus Initium Research Arcology (NoVit) which leads to a very important defense move. The resistance's work is made even harder by problems inside the group like possible spies and the moral problems that come with being a boss. Dark Agendas of Power by Kevin Glenn properly explores how the GEU's attack is handled and what that means for the future of the resistance movement.

I’m in love with the book’s nuanced characterization of leadership and the burden of authority. A calculated decision that the entire character’s life trajectory is dependent on is what Colonel Brown and Sergeant Bryson have to make in the whole book. It examines the intricate process of making tough judgments during critical hours, which goes a long way toward emphasizing decisiveness and responsible behavior, as well as the necessity for transparency and control over both oneself and others.

Though the action scenes in this novel are most definitely exciting, they seem to sacrifice deeper character development and world-building at this non-stop pace. I dislike the fact there isn't much peaceful contemplation space for simply appreciating how complicated their surroundings truly are; hence, I felt a bit cut off from them. The book was exceptionally well-edited and error-free.

On a five-star scale, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. This is because of its high-level political machinations with immense stakes. The narrative is effective when it comes to capturing the tension and time pressure characteristic of undercover wars fought against an essentially much stronger manipulative authority, which serves as an enticing background for the events, but its pace was too fast for me to earn a one-star deduction. This book is something I would recommend to people who like military thrillers or political dramas.

******
Dark Agendas of Power
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon