Book Review: The Blackshade Machine by William Latoria
In the not-so-distant future, the global political landscape has changed dramatically. Canada and the United States have merged, and with the advent of high technology, especially in the areas of governance and social monitoring, each country is left to either let their citizenry prosper or harshly control them. There is peace, but the age-old doctrine of mutually assured destruction looms greater than ever.
When a mysterious alien race appears at the edge of the solar system, humanity’s harmonic balance is quickly thrown into chaos, magnified by rampant speculation on social media. When first contact occurs, many humans feel that their entire existence is threatened. While the new visitors appear to be friendly, at first, early revelations of their nature, and that of humanity as a whole, threaten to shake the whole world from their technology-driven symbiosis into anarchy. At the center of this, unwittingly, is Colonel Blackshade, a high-ranking officer in Canderica’s military force. It is he who must facilitate some kind of communication with the aliens, and finds himself holding the fate of the entire planet in his hands. Though these strange creatures may come in peace, many are leery of their potentially ominous long-term plans, as well as what other horrors the galaxy may hold.
Expansive and pensive, The Blackshade Machine may be the most well thought out tale of first contact ever to grace the page. The author’s world building and character development are central throughout the book, and don’t disappoint. No aspect of Canderica’s society or technology is overlooked, especially how these things are affected by the arrival of the aliens, and the narrative rewards the patient reader.
Ultimately, what keeps this book from rating a full five stars, in my humble opinion, is that these details sometimes slow the pace of the story, turning what should be an up-all-night adventure into something a bit more technical in nature. Still, as the promised first book in a series, these slow points shouldn’t deter the reader from finishing up quite ready for the next chapter… which I hope is coming soon!
