Orson Scott Card
Some video-game developers asked Card to write a scenario for "an entertainment
franchise . . . about a near-future American civil war." They came to
the right man and held off on releasing the game until he completed this relentless
thriller, which couldn't be timelier and is, for all its hyperactivity and
flip, Hollywoodish one-liners, heartfelt and sobering. Its heroes are two
special-ops army officers who keep their oaths to defend the U.S. against
all enemies when far too many of their ostensible colleagues have decided
to abandon theirs. A rocket hits the west wing of the White House, killing
the president, vice-president, and secretary of defense.
When the United States stands on the brink of civil war between
"blue states" and "red states," Maj. Reuben Malek and
Capt. Bartholomew Coleman use their special ops training to maintain the country's
unity. With the president and vice president assassinated within minutes of
each other, and New York City taken over, the two must figure out who has
planned this and how to prevent the growing tension between left and right.
Unfortunately, Card's conservative bias seeps into this tale with repeated
jabs at "liberal media" and even a guest appearance by Bill O'Reilly
helping out the good guys. These juvenile assaults distract from Card's keen
storytelling skills. As a co-narrator, Card sticks mostly to the superfluous
job of reading chapter introductions, saving his passion for his afterword,
where he lambastes both the left and the right for their extreme and exclusionary
acts. Rudnicki makes this audiobook worth attention. His deep sturdy voice
provides the rich and engaging narrative that pulls in any listener. He reads
the book smoothly, adding energy, characterization and authority to all aspects
of the story. Without Rudnicki, this empire crumbles.
