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5.0 out of 5 stars
Then Is The Power: a Blockbuster, March 15, 2004
Then Is The Power is a blockbuster.
Its premise: there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of... and yet we do dream of such things -- the power of mind over the physical universe -- and even, upon occasion, we experience them on a minor scale.
A small boy with a pitiful homemade toy sailboat enters a competition on a sweltering, airless summer day in Boston. His competitors do not take him seriously until, astoundingly -- with his mind -- he summons enough wind to blow his boat across the pond while the others remain becalmed. In the Soviet Union, a dedicated female scientist discovers an idiot savant who can shatter red marbles (=silicone) at any distance -- with his mind. The discovery is slowly shaped into a weapon aimed at conquering the United States. The weapon is 'ripe' in 2005, and the Russians demonstrate their power by demolishing all transistors (=silicone) in Las Vegas and the surrounding area within a 100-mile radius. Utter devastation ensues. The U.S. president is given twenty days to capitulate. Only the psychologist who witnessed the small boy's control of the wind can help. But where is that boy, now a grown man? How to find him?
The twenty-day countdown guarantees heart-stopping suspense.
The titanic struggle between world powers entails rapid scene changes between Russia and the U.S. and among various locations in the Western hemisphere.
The description of the destruction of Las Vegas and environs due to the failure of all transistors is the most gripping I've read. Planes crash like stones. Elevators drop. Life-support machines fail. Fires break out. All is seen from the horrified victims' perspective, but described with devastating scientific precision.
Add to this: breakneck action, sleuthing, chases, spying, military and paramilitary attacks, science (psychology both normal and paranormal, chemistry, physics, engineering), history both real and imagined, political intrigue both international and internal U.S. (including deadly hostility between branches of American government: executive, intelligence, military).
Add sex, love, and tenderness: an off-beat love story between a female powerhouse who flouts all rules and the 'freak' -- the man who can control the wind.
And add to this a numerous, complex cast of characters, deftly described, some loathsome, some sympathetic. Each one is essential; each plays a decisive role.
The novel is written in impeccable style, with a command of the English language and of narrative techniques that manipulates and controls the reader's emotions.
Gerald W. Mills' book had this reader sitting on the edge of the chair from start to finish. Perhaps the only thing keeping the book off the best-seller list is also its virtue: its complexity. This is not a book for dummies. But since you're no dummy, you will surely READ AND ENJOY IT!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Then Is the Power, August 27, 2006
This review is from: No Place for Gods (Paperback)
This is a very hard book to review without giving away much of the suspense. But just to get started, imagine what would happen if a weapon could shut down all of America's solid-state electronics. Think of something that doesn't run on transistors or computer chips. Now try to think of an even worse weapon. Gerry Mills has. Can you?
Writing at its finest, with nothing neglected. Gerry is a marvelous author, and this book compares favorably with anything I've seen in print or electronic format.
The characters are realistic and distinguishable, never an easy task with a broad sweeping novel on this scale. The plot is so gripping that I read this rather lengthy book in a single sitting. The author has a wonderfully understated sense of humor. The writing is excellent, and the description is so well done that I feel like I've been to these places. Healthy doses of international espionage and the supernatural thrown in to add to the fun.
Balance. Gerry prides himself on character-driven stories, and rightfully so. But he could just as easily mention perceptiveness, plot, description, beautiful writing... Whatever you're reading for, it's in this book.
Long before I reached the author's bio at the end, I knew that Gerry had seen the world. It shows in his writing. Some people have traveled the world and remember so much but find themselves unable to write convincingly about it, and in this respect Michael LaRocca comes to mind. But others, like Gerry, can capture the essence of a place so well on paper that some people -- and again Michael LaRocca comes to mind -- could possibly become sick with jealousy.
Okay, let me say it. Robert Ludlum and John LeCarre are mere pretenders to the throne. Gerry Mills is the genuine article. The reader can travel around the world with some truly interesting folks in a memorable adventure. Some folks we love and some we hate, and they tackle some problems that will leave you thinking long after you finish reading.
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