The Powers That Be

The first book in the rare launch of a new series from Gold Eagle Books, THE POWERS THAT BE isn't quite sure what it wants to be. From the promotional text, it sounds almost like it's meant to be the second coming of STONY MAN, but in execution it's something quite different. Clearly modeling itself on the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies, the book features all sorts of techno-gewgaws to put across the idea of an ultra cutting-edge espionage agency. The emphasis on gadgetry tends to be a little exaggerated, particularly when it comes to virtual reality and the ability of satellite imagery. It doesn't tear the story down, but it's clear that at times the emphasis on tech is a crutch for what is really a weak story. THE POWERS THAT BE is caught in a storytelling no-man's land: not violent enough to sate Bolanverse readers, but too unsophisticated for readers of mainstream espionage fiction. An eleventh-hour plot twist that attempts to elevate the tale above the mediocre is so laugh-out-loud ridiculous as to cripple the entire climax.