Libertyland
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January 6 meets Ayn Rand when former Navy Seal Carson McCready finds himself the prime suspect of the worst domestic terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. His investigation to clear his name leads to a secret society of Libertarian billionaires who will stop at nothing in order to create a brutal society of pure capitalism. Suzanne Dreyfus and Garrick Cripps had a passionate romance during their undergraduate years at MIT. On a lark, Suzanne writes The Liberation Manifesto, a wicked satire of right-wing libertarian philosophy. However, Garrick’s enormous ego fools him into thinking that Suzanne’s parody should be taken seriously. He believes it could serve as a blueprint for how, many years later, to overthrow American democracy in favor of the 1%. But for the revolution to begin, Garrick and his cronies know that an inciting event, like a Stateside terrorist attack, is needed to convince the public that drastic change in leadership is necessary. The plot to bring terror to US soil involves many individuals, some who will be collateral damage and some who will avenge the fallen. Suzanne, along with Carson McCready, a former Navy SEAL, and Laura Cavendish, a cyber weapons expert, are all that stand between Cripps and leadership of the country. Culminating in a violent denouement, LIBERTYLAND shows what could happen if the ideas of a madman go unchecked. LIBERTYLAND is a departure from most thrillers of its ilk. The main protagonist, formerly a highly decorated SEAL platoon leader, breaks the predictable stereotype of the flag-waving uber-patriot. A student of the human condition, Carson McCready thinks deeply about freedom and individualism, and in the end, he has no choice but to uphold his oath of honor and battle a violent conspiracy that is fueled by the blood of innocents. The themes are timeless. But LIBERTYLAND is also timely--a work of fiction that is unique to the here and now.
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Ayn Rand, shadow conspiracies involving corrupt billionaires, and maligned heroes trying to clear their name? I was sold from the blurb on Libertyland, and author Peter Sacks didn't fail in the premise's execution. A one-man army standing up to injustice could be painted as a libertarian's dream. But in this, it might just be their nightmare.
The main protagonist that keeps this thriller together is hard not to like, largely because of the focus and pacing of the first part. A father trying to reconnect with his son. A soldier trying to come home from the battlefield only to find an arguably worse enemy on his doorstep. Those aren't shoes that many readers have been in before, but the emotions behind those situations bleed off the page and are hard not to relate to. I also appreciated that the larger cast of characters, especially the women, had both a purpose in the plot and felt fleshed out. Something almost atypical for this genre, but I wish there was more of.
What kept me from giving Libertyland the highest rating largely boiled down to two things: follow up and editing. The excerpt (please go read it!) exudes passion and defiance, resulting in an act that is almost incendiary. And not just literally. However, I feel that opener may have peaked too high or hit too different a note from the rest of the work. What comes after, while a highly enjoyable read, doesn't quite match it. Not in quality, but at least in tone and impact from a single scene. On the editing end, there were a decent number of mistakes, mostly missing punctuation.
I recommend Libertyland to readers who enjoy strong characterization, well-described action, and politically driven egoists that seem a little too real. Prior knowledge of Ayn Rand's works isn't necessary, but having consumed those novels too, the allusions did add a flavor to the overall work. If you liked Reacher, in any of its portrayals, you'll like this one.
