2 out of 4 stars
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When the country collapses into societal unrest, martial law is declared, and the Constitution of the United States temporarily suspended. Catherine Hill, a patriotic, ruthless, manipulative businesswoman, makes it her goal to reestablish the authority of the Constitution and wrest government control from the warrior hero turned benevolent dictator, General David Gabriel. Meanwhile, across the ocean in England, Victoria Steel is determined to gain an economic foothold on US soil while the country is in utter chaos. Unbeknownst to all, a secret organization is plotting a takeover. They have developed the ultimate weapon and are anxiously awaiting the chance to unleash it to establish a new worldwide dynasty.
If there ever were a book in desperate need of an editor, this would be the one. The run-on sentences, random commas, irregular capitalization, and misused vocabulary made Martial Law by J. Eric Paul extremely difficult reading.
Then there were the geographics. Although the book mostly took place in the collapsing United States, it was obvious that the author was completely unfamiliar with the major cities, minor towns and national landmarks included. I mean really, the Oval Office is not in the White Tower, unless the newest POTUS has made some changes I haven’t heard about yet.
Grammar and geographic issues aside, the book read like a Mexican telenovela (soap opera). There were dramatic scenes where no drama existed, good versus evil battle after battle, hot babes and hunky dudes galore. True love and democracy prevail. Or do they? I did like the idea of a benevolent, morally straight dictator, though. It was very creative!
Although there was quite a bit of discussion about the “best” type of government, I’m not sure that the relative attributes of each type were clearly understood by the author. Communism, Republic, Imperialism, Papal supremacy, Socialism, Capitalism, Feudalism, Aristocracy, Nazism, and Monarchy are all mentioned as types of government, yet most of these classifications are socio-economic ideologies that governments base their decisions and governing style on rather than actual types of governments. The tirades on which sort of government is superior were confusing because of this.
Then there was the phrase “Novus ordo saeculorum” (New Order of the Ages) which was incorrectly written. “Novus Ordo Seclorum” isn’t the motto of an ancient kingdom under the rule of the Egyptian sun god Aten, but instead the saying included on the Great Seal of the United States as proposed by Charles Thomson used to signify the beginning of the new American era after its independence from Britain. If the author was trying to uncover a conspiracy, his efforts fell flat here.
Provided the book were properly edited, I think die-hard Preppers and political conspiracy theory buffs would enjoy Martial Law by J. Eric Paul. If you are looking for a realistic end-of-the-world storyline, then this isn’t the book for you.
Unfortunately, I must rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. The horrendous grammar and confusing storyline prohibit a higher rating.
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Martial Law
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