Balance is a strong military espionage thriller that revolves around the character of American agent Darick Triplett, who has just infiltrated a North Korean operation in the Middle East, only to find that a massive electrical event has knocked out power not just in Dubai, but the entire region. Stranded without the high technology Triplett and his team rely on for sensitive communiqu s, they must garner all their skills to cultivate non-technological ways of reaching out in continued pursuit of not just their original mission, but the world-changing political and military ramifications caused by an outage which affects the world. Readers will find that the story actually begins not with these futuristic events, but with a prologue set in 1943 in which Nikola Tesla, an important but reclusive man of science, has just died, and his research on a "death beam" technology has gone missing. Several governments consider this research to be of vital national interest, as such a weapon could change the world; but Tesla's research notebooks are lost. Fast forward to the novel's setting in 2065, where terrorist attacks are a way of life in the Middle East. Dubai has proved a relatively calm oasis in the midst of chaos-until now. As Triplett and his team struggle to survive, handle dangerous information, make contact with their superiors, and keep their mission on track when their technological assets vanish, readers are treated to a combination of thriller, post-apocalyptic survival story, and military engagement piece that presents solid action, satisfying twists and turns, and alternating perspectives. The gripping blend of investigative piece, survival story, political intrigue, and military battles keep the pace swift and involving, while characters are nicely drawn and provide vivid insights into 2065's confrontations between Western and Middle Eastern special interests. Readers who look for espionage and military action reads that hold more than just descriptions of battle will find the multifaceted, absorbing survival elements of Balance to be captivating as the balance of not only political power but human life on Earth shifts in unpredictable ways.
