This novel will pass as an ordinary spy thriller, following the adventures of a vengeful protagonist as he pursues targets throughout the world, unless the reader decodes the contents to understand the knavery and symbolism afoot within. Daniel Silva’s book is a masterful construction and an allegorical writing.

The story begins with the sudden disappearance of Grigori Bulganov, a chess-playing Russian defector living in England. The format of the book indicates Silva’s game play within. The 77 chapters are loosely divided within five segments, the first indicating “Opening Moves”—the opening gambit for Silva’s chess match.

This strategy suggests that the entire work will conclude within “The Reckoning” section: the moves toward the endgame of this match. The middlegame is pursued through “Anatoly,” “All Even,” and “Resurrection Gate,” which are the competition wherein pawns (numerous lackeys), knights (Vladimir Chernov), bishops (Anton Petrov) are surrendered and finally dispatched. Meanwhile, the protagonist Gabriel ventures through zugzwang—a forced move—of his wife’s kidnapping that compels him to rescue her, which he does only to be trapped in a zwischenzug—a counter move—forcing the endgame wherein the king (Ivan Kharkov) will be capitulated.

Silva’s symbolisms begin with Bulganov’s first name: Grigori . In Biblical lore the Grigori are the watchers or holy ones of the fallen angels (Kharkov’s henchmen). Silva’s opening ploy in the struggle of good and evil is embellished through the names of the characters involved in this global contest. Parsing their names enriches their allegorical functions within this story.

Ari (“Lion of God”) Shamron is introduced as the Memuneh (A deputy angel and dispenser of dreams, through whom the Universe operates) of the Israeli intelligence unit operating on King Saul Boulevard in Tel Aviv, familiarly termed “The Office.” Shamron’s White game pieces include:

Gabriel (God’s Archangel Messenger to humans) Allon (“Oak Tree” and perhaps a reference to the son of Jedaiah who expelled the Hamites from Gedor)—the protagonist operative and son of Shamron. Gabriel is said to stand on God’s left hand, which is the sinister position that is significant to the undercover, wet jobs that earthly Gabriel alone accomplishes.

Uzi (Israeli submachine gun innovated by Uziel Gal in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War) Navot (Shlomo Navot was an Israeli ace pilot during the same conflict)—Shamron’s other son who is the Office’s impulsive muscle.

Mikhael (Michael, Archangel in command of God’s Army) Abramov (“Son of Abraham”)—Gabriel’s chief aide in many Israeli-sanctioned, clandestine operations.

The Black opponents or the dark side is led by kingpin Ivan (Ivan the Terrible, Russia’s destructive tsar) Kharkov (Ukrainian city that was devastated through German-Soviet hostilities between 1941 and 1943) has enriched and empowered his castle by plundering the resources and wealth of the toppled Soviet Union. He employs malignant minions that include:

Vladimir (Vlad the Impaler) Chernov (Slovak meaning Black)—Kharkov’s hired gun and chief assassin who shamelessly rids Kharkov’s opposition.

Anton (Anthony as in Julius Caesar’s Mark Anthony) Petrov (Peter, also Petrov’s Defense is a duplicitous chess strategy)—the middleman handling Kharkov’s directives and Chernov’s money who becomes Kharkov’s turncoat.

One entity that seems to be missing is Raphael (Archangel of healing), although this might be inferred tangentially with Gabriel’s attempts at refurbishing Vatican paintings or perhaps it could allude to Gilah Shamron’s therapeutic ministrations to Gabriel’s wife. There are other lesser name associations at play in this novel. Gabriel’s first wife Leah (“Delicate,” “soft”) is mentally fragile and institutionalized after a Vienna bombing, and Gabriel’s current spouse Chiara (“Clear”) suffers PTSD while he paints her in chiaroscuro.

I love Silva’s clever, connotative naming of his characters and I admire his roguish construction of his chess-board plotting. There certainly is more gaming at play in this novel than plain writing.