What the Critics are saying about the first book in the trilogy,"Part One: WWIII"

(Kirkus Discoveries, 2008)

First installment of an ambitious sci-fi trilogy plays out global warfare in the not-too-distant future. The wieldy initial volume in Friar's complex and, thus far, engaging trilogy is epic not only in its breadth - weighing in at nearly 700 pages - but in the scope of its inventiveness.

The author tackles a mix of current environmental, social and economic trends, playing out how they might converge in the future. Friar's clairvoyant vision, however, isn't for the faint of heart: A new empire arises, with powerful tyrannical urges that lead to an all-consuming and almost gruesomely prophetic third World War.

The year is 2039, and the wildly ambitious German ruler Geiseric and his henchmen, "the principles," have - in Hitlerian fashion -taken over Central Europe and threaten to parlay their successes into world domination. Friar uses the first two World Wars as the template for his fictional third and, in spite of its eerie familiarity, the plot remains rich with suspense. Book one of this series concerns itself with the efforts of a new group of Allied powers that attempt to drive Geiseric back and stymie his ruthless imperialism. WWIII is that rarest of sci-fi creations: a hugely innovative tale both smart and entertaining...

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