Brought to you by OBS reviewer Marie-Reine

*Beware of possible Spoilers*

Called upon by the government of the United States to protect its cybernetic borders, Dr. Nick Reynolds faces what seems to be an impossible task. After a large scale attack leaving many thousands of Americans dead, it seems that a nuclear war between the U.S. and China will erupt unless Nick is able to find out the truth behind this cyber attack. Together with Dr. Kate Summers and her father, both researchers at Area 51, they must race to find a solution to avert a nuclear confrontation. But all is not as it seems, as former KGB agent Nikolai Chervanko spins his web of deception, bringing the two world powers closer and closer to the nuclear brink. He dreams of the glorious return of Soviet Russia, born from the ashes of his orchestrated war. Nick and Kate discover that, to stop this madman, they must look to an untested technology that crash-landed in New Mexico over five decades ago.

Cybersp@ce combines the genres of political thriller with science fiction, and so there is an expectation of plot twists, high stakes and strange encounters. This book unfortunately does not deliver. It is predictable, the dialogue is labored and awkward, and the author’s reliance on clichéd themes produces a dull read. The plot offers no real surprises; thus it produces nothing in the way of suspense. Chervanko’s plans are laid bare to the reader and so nothing is unknown or hidden. He attacks, but predictably, he escapes capture several times. In the end, his character can never be the threat intended because he is villainous without nuance.

Along with Chervanko, the other characters also lack complexity. The male protagonists— Nick, Kate’s father, General Caprella—are all cut from the same patriotic and stereotypically masculine cloth. As for women, there are hardly any in the narrative, and the few minor characters introduced are only there to flirt with the men they encounter. Kate’s character, the only female protagonist, does nothing to improve how the gender is portrayed. She is abrasive and unprofessional to the point of seeming unbalanced, but then turns to a love-struck and jealous lover when she and Nick become involved (quite inexplicably, since she has nothing but her pleasing physique to recommend her). Rather than making women real characters, they appear only as sexual or romantic set pieces.

Trite and unsurprising, stocked with bland characters, this book has little to recommend it. Even the science fiction elements are too familiar and recycled to be enjoyable. Reading this book can only lead to disappointment and boredom