Never

The Prologue uses light-hearted language to depict the underground facility (Munchkin Country), describing the officer in charge, General Whitfield, as follows: “In his late fifties, he was round faced and plump, with an amiable manner and a marked lack of military aggression” (5). Yet its ominous purpose lies, like the facility itself, just beneath the surface. It is, after all, a place where important members of the US government will seek refuge in the event of a catastrophic natural or “man-made” event. While the text lists a number of possible reasons, the reader’s focus is returned to the nuclear war reason with the discussion of “the Biscuit.” This case hold the codes needed for the president to authorize a nuclear strike against another country, which would signal the start of World War III, as it would be employing the Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD doctrine of military and national strategy. This means that the annihilation of both (or all) sides of a nuclear conflict will result. Not only are the names used here ironic, but the Prologue functions as foreshadowing for the rest of the novel, which returns in the end to the nuclear war only imagined here.

This epic novel takes place over four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America) and multiple countries and involves a large cast of characters. This section introduces many of the important settings and characters. This includes President Pauline Green and Gus Blake in Washington, Tamara and Tab in Chad, Abdul and Kiah also in Chad, and Kai in China. The novel romantically pairs many of these characters, although that is not a key aspect of the story. The exception might be the case of Abdul and Kiah, whose growing feelings for one another affect the actions they take.

While each of the above (Pauline/Gus, Tamara/Tab, Abdul/Kiah, and Kai) have separate sub-narratives, it becomes increasingly clear that they are intertwined. This reflects the interconnectedness of international relations and espionage, especially in the highly globalized 21st century, and speaks to The Ethics and Counterproductivity of Diplomacy and International Relations. Just as these characters are so closely linked, the countries discussed here are also closely linked, but those alliance networks do not seem to help the situation of a coming nuclear war. In fact, the novel suggests that this interconnectedness might be a form of convolution or entanglement, as the interconnectedness and tribalism prevents actual diplomacy from occurring. They interconnect only to pit themselves against the other interconnected side. The diplomacy shown here is itself an act of aggression and tribalism. The diplomacy is counterproductive in this sense, as it contributes to or outright causes the coming nuclear war.

It should be noted as well that much of the espionage work done is of a classical nature, such as going undercover and using informants, rather than the high-tech kind many would expect in the present day. Because of this, the novel reads like a classic espionage thriller rather than a cyberthriller, perhaps reflecting the author’s own writing background. The desert setting, specifically the Sahara Desert, is important to the development of the story as it functions as a dangerous and liminal space through which migrants must pass to reach Europe. It is also largely an extra-legal space in which illegal gold mines run by terrorists aided by North Koreans and enslaved migrants can hide in plain sight.

While there is a chronological progression in the narrative in which one event happens in response to a previous event, the plot often uses flashbacks to help the reader understand characters and their motivations. This is especially true of the character Abdul John Haddad, whose sister’s horrific death angers and motivates him.

The novel introduces some of its major themes in this early section, such as Globalization and the Threat of Nuclear War in the 21st Century and Stereotypes of Women and Power. The first appears from the Prologue and continues throughout the entire novel as the interconnectedness of countries, both powerful and relatively powerless, becomes clear and disturbingly dangerous. North Korean and Chinese guns found in the possession of terrorists in Al-Bustan connect to the White House, the UN, Beijing, and Lake Chad. Each time a thread of a sub-narrative is pulled, the entire story gets dragged closer to a nuclear incident. The latter theme is developed through the strong and central female characters that populate all of the sub-narratives (except perhaps the Chinese one, in which Kai’s wife play a less central role). Pauline is the president and has the final decision on the fate of humanity. Tamara proves herself to be an accomplished CIA operative, able to gather intel from local sources as well as shoot to kill when needed. She operates within a circle of other strong women, such as her friends Shirley and Colonel Susan. She is also capable of attracting the handsome, wealthy, and accomplished Tab. Kiah is another impressive female character. She is a young widow of 20 who has a good mind for business and is determined to reach Europe so her son can have a better life. On the journey, she proves herself to be brave and clever, and even saves Abdul’s life.

The novel does, however, repeatedly draw in romantic concerns to these women’s lives, portraying them in some senses as stereotypical female love interests. The novel does little to suggest that women in power can undertake their professional roles without the distractions of heterosexual romantic life and therefore engages in sexist stereotypes about women in power. The women often accomplish their tasks, but discussions of men are nearly always present while they work.