Empyre

Rating All Ages Genre action Publisher Del Rey External Links Official Josh Conviser Website

Five years after Ryan Laing and Sarah Peters destroyed the governmental system known as Echelon, a newer and more deadly system has appeared called Empyre. Rather than command by gentle manipulation, Empyre is attempting to rule the world through terrorism. However, there’s an even deadlier person behind the scenes who is willing to stop at nothing to rise to the top. He’s willing to release the most deadly bio-virus known to man, one that will disrupt the flow of life itself. Can Laing and Peters stop him before it’s too late?

If you’re a fan of cyber punk, then this is a great read. There’s plenty of action and conspiracy. The story itself is interesting and isn’t so far from where we are now and highlights a future that may happen in the not-so-distant future. It borrows from great works and creates an Orwellian future where the world is controlled through terror.

This is the second book in the series after Echelon, but this book caters to new readers. Although there’s no real background to the relationship between Peters and Laing, the author does a great job in showing the audience that there used to be, and still is, something between them. The gruff Frank fits the stereotypical role of the tough but patriotic guy with a one track mind. What’s great about this story is that from the beginning it starts out fast, with the assassination of the Dalai Lama, and it doesn’t stop until the end. The turn of events towards the end is also unexpected when you learn about the true meaning behind Empyre and Echelon.

I would say that some things seem a little too convenient, like the anti-proton gun that was shot through Sarah. It seems there was an interview with Conviser, the author, and he stated that most of the technology in the book exists today. I’m not sure, however, how easy it would be to get your hands on nanotechnology that automatically heals you. Or, you know, it can’t be that easy to get your hands on an anti-proton gun either. Besides these small details the rest of the story is fast-paced. Although the characters aren’t superbly developed and tend to the stereotypical side, it doesn’t matter as much in this story since the focal point is the action. We don’t really care so much about who exactly Ryan, Sarah, Frank, or even Kreuger are, we just want to know what happens to them. I also have to commend Conviser about the ending. It doesn’t seem like there will be another book coming out and all the loose ends were neatly tied together.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced and easy read, Empyre is definitely the way to go. It’s got excitement, energy, and most of all an intriguing story line. It’s a hard read to put down and you’ll be guessing at each turn of the story as to who the bad guy really is.