CoVid19 was not an accident. Its successor, the highly lethal and contagious CoVid23, is not a mutation of CoVid19. China would like us to believe the passage of 19 from animal to human was random and 23 is a natural mutation of 19. The United States wants us to believe both 19 and 23 are weaponized versions of a harmless coronavirus released during a botched Chinese bioweapons experiment. It will be up to Dr. David Aaronson, the new surgeon in the desert town of Fallon, Nevada—home to ranchers and farmers, cowboys and Indians, casinos and legalized brothels, and the US Navy’s TOPGUN training program—to tell the world what really happened. In this final installment of the McBride trilogy, revealing the truth will pit Dr. Aaronson (formerly David McBride) against the commander of a US Army bioweapons laboratory, a narcissistic president obsessed with nationalism, and a supervirus poised to decimate the world’s population.
Assessment:
Plot: This alarmingly timely novel surrounds the emergence of Covid-23. The author crafts a high stakes thriller that raises new doubts and terrifying theories about coronavirus.
Prose: The prose is highly detailed and tense, at times leading to a claustrophobic reading experience. Biomedical terminology provides notable verisimilitude.
Originality: While, with its focus on bioweaponry, this novel offers a distinct twist on coronavirus-focused fiction, the territory is becoming a well tread one. Regardless of familiar events and themes, Van Anderson is an immensely capable and knowledgeable writer.
Character/Execution: The protagonist is a layered and engaging lead, while the broad cast of characters are also vivid and well characterized. With its convincing depiction of a global health crisis, readers looking for escapism will want to look elsewhere.
Date Submitted: August 31, 2020
