If you've been following along on CFRB's main page you'll notice that I've really enjoyed this book. War of Attrition, by Frank Creed is most probably unlike anything you've ever read before, unless you read Flashpoint, the book that precedes this work. There are several reasons I like this book.First, the crisp action-style writing is something that I like. His ability to let you see and even feel a part of the story is powerful. This is something that all writers strive for, but Frank has a trick of his own. I guess it's the nicknames and the high tech stuff. Basically he gets the story right down there at street level. He's not trying to please someone with his vocabulary, which is also impressive. He's trying to create a story that you will believe.
Second, I like all the gadgets. From BrainWave technology, to "slagging Nasty Neros", to the most advanced security systems you'll find on the planet. It's there, described and believable. If not believable in a real world sense it's believable in a "Final Fantasy" kind of sense. So get used to it.
Third, Frank is blunt, most of the time. His characters have all the diplomacy of an African American leader of the KKK, but it works well for him, and luckily for us as well. Sometimes characters get so prissy you just want to throw up. Other times they just get predictable. (Like I was watching this movie last night and picked out the murderer before the show was halfway over...and I was right. I wanted to be proven wrong). Frank is blunt, real, earthy. A.P. Fuchs wrote of my work, "David Brollier is hardcore". Well, A.P., thanks for that, but I didn't come anywhere near as hardcore as Frank does. (By hardcore I mean hard hitting, believable, action driven writing, not the other kind of hardcore).
Fourth and most importantly, Frank isn't afraid to be real about his Christian testimony or that this is a work of Christian fiction. Unlike many other Christian writers he is willing to take on the hard issues. He takes theology and tosses it out of the window and asks, "What if they're wrong?" He may add some other views, but it's always in a sort of guarded sense. I mean they missed Jesus the first time He came. We don't want to make the same mistake the 2nd time around. In this sense he is completely unbiased. He is not saying his views are right or yours are wrong, at least not in the areas of prophecy. There are some basic truths that he stands firm on, more so than some "men of the cloth". He isn't bound to religion, but teaches unity in the Body of Christ through his work, and for that alone I will be forever thankful.
Now if I haven't convinced you to go out and buy his book, then I feel sorry for you. You'll be missing out on one of the greater writings I've ever come across, with very few exceptions. Then again Frank Creed is difficult to compare to other writers. He's different. He's fresh. He's bold, and he's about as good as anyone in his genre of cyberpunk will ever be.
Be sure to visit Frank Creed at his blog. He's a really interesting and complex guy. You can find him HERE.
Or visit THE UNDERGROUND (but I don't think it's been kept up as good as his blog)
On sale - online at these locations:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books a Million
Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.
Legal stuff
This is where I'm supposed to tell you that I'm doing this review in exchange for a free copy of his book. Well, if that were the case it wouldn't make his book any less compelling. The fact is I'm trying to do these reviews from an e-copy of his book because I haven't received his in the mail yet. I don't review garbage. If I have to I'll send the book back. In this case I'm doing the review with nothing but a e-file of the book. So you be the judge. Am I really doing this to get a free book? Or perhaps am I doing this because I want others to learn about the grace and love of Jesus Christ?
