Broker of Lies by Steven James - A Book Review

  

On several of the pages for bookish Facebook groups that I follow, I frequently see requests for recommendations for books of interest to male readers. Broker of Lies would definitely be at the top of my list, along with other books by Steven James, in response to these requests. That would be true whether it was related to general fiction or Christian fiction. Females will love this book as well.

Broker of Lies focuses on the main character's struggle in differentiating between justice, retribution, and vengeance. It puts the reader in a position to ponder the justifying of one's actions based on the concept of the greater good. Both of these weighty themes are explored against the backdrop of a storyline that brings the safety of nuclear energy into question. The author, who lives with his family in the Smokey Mountains, sets this novel in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the US Department of Energy's largest multi-disciplinary laboratory whose goal, according to their website, is to protect nuclear materials and to enable their secure, peaceful use for energy production, medical applications, and scientific discovery around the world. Tensions run high in this fast-paced, multi-faceted story. While the main storyline does come to a satisfying conclusion, readers will definitely be left anxious for the second book in James' Travis Brock Thriller series as there are many questions left to be answered.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Synapse by Steven James - A Book Review

     

Steven James tells a story of our future, a future that does not involve Jetson-like advancements. Rather than large infrastructure changes, James sees changes in the form of technology having the greatest impact on society. In Synapse, life-like machines, data walls, embedded chips and prosthesis reminiscent of the Six Million Dollar Man are some of what drive society forward, or not,depending on one's point of view. The Purists see technological advancement as a danger to mankind, and work to rein it in. In the meantime Artificials seek to become like Naturals, even seeking an afterlife and forgiveness, while most Naturals have worked to busy their minds in order to forget those very things.

Those of us who have lived to see the changes technology has brought in the past three decades can easily believe in the possibility of the future James describes along with the moral questions it brings. Synapse gives us the chance to consider those implications before finding ourselves in the middle of them. Sci-fi fan or not, I believe you will enjoy the way this book is written and the way it engages your mind in thoughtful consideration. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and I received no monetary compensation.