The Enigma Threat - Book Review

The Enigma Threat by Charles V, Breakfield & Roxanne E. Burkey starts off with their iconic supercomputer ICABOD being targeted for destruction by CESPOOL, a UN-sanctioned agency charged with the responsibility of finding all independently owned AI-enhanced supercomputers and destroying them.   Tragically the R-Group is unable to stop ICABOD’s demise and the arrest of Quip. Their old nemesis, the MAG, celebrate this turn of events. For readers of the Enigma series, the end of the iconic ICABOD is a sad development. When it comes to modern technology, there is no question about the increasingly important role it plays in our lives: If you are looking for handy evidence, look around you! People are more than ever immersed in their electronic devices, and machines and artificial intelligence is already a reality. Breakfield & Burkey continue their penchant for writing smart and intelligent techno-thriller stories. They introduce us to a new enemy, called MAG, that is trolling and attacking the digital world that is not that dissimilar to the one we live in today.  They offer up a crazy and eclectic mix of action, sci-fi, and military fiction coupled with an almost insane amount of technical (real or imagined) detail. To combat the R-Group’s new enemy, Quip has to somehow get freed from his prison cell so he can reassemble his team to fight back. How will he do it?  A lot of new material is woven into this sequel – from zombie satellites to online porno, a sprinkling of romance, and a lot of cunning maneuvering by both camps. Breakfield & Burkey’s novels are unique in the way they present the dynamics between technology and societal or ethical issues, which, despite the high technology and detailed science talk, make the R-group and its members visceral and relatable as they illuminate plights that make us think about the probability of similar situations playing out in our world of today. The Enigma Threat is a beautifully written, technology-focused tale that is suspenseful while raising questions about privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge. The R-Group crippled by the destruction of their AI-enhanced supercomputer are pitted against an all-seeing digital enemy that is presenting them with obstacles that are more tenacious than anything they could have ever imagined. - They will be forced to confront a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe. Who will win?  This sequel is a strong representation of the techno-thriller niche and any fan, casual or hardcore will definitely enjoy it.  Reviewed by: David H

About Rox Burkey

Breakfield - Works for a high-tech manufacturer as a solution architect, functioning in hybrid data/telecom environments. He considers himself a long-time technology geek, who also enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles' love of wine tastings, cooking, and Harley riding has found ways into the stories. As a child, he moved often because of his father's military career, which even helps him with the various character perspectives he helps bring to life in the series. He continues to try to teach Burkey humor. Burkey - Works as a business architect who builds solutions for customers on a good technology foundation. She has written many technology papers, white papers, but finds the freedom of writing fiction a lot more fun. As a child, she helped to lead the kids with exciting new adventures built on make-believe characters, was a Girl Scout until high school, and contributed to the community as a young member of a Head Start program. Rox enjoys family, learning, listening to people, travel, outdoor activities, sewing, cooking, and thinking about how to diversify the series. Breakfield and Burkey started writing non-fictional papers and books, but it wasn't nearly as fun as writing fictional stories. They found it interesting to use the aspects of technology that people are incorporating into their daily lives more and more as a perfect way to create a good guy/bad guy story with elements of travel to the various places they have visited either professionally and personally, humor, romance, intrigue, suspense, and a spirited way to remember people who have crossed paths with them. They love to talk about their stories with private and public book readings. Burkey also conducts regular interviews for Texas authors, which she finds very interesting. Her first interview was, wait for it, Breakfield. You can often find them at local book fairs or other family-oriented events. The primary series is based on a family organization called R-Group. Recently they have spawned a subgroup that contains some of the original characters as the Cyber Assassins Technology Services (CATS) team. The authors have ideas for continuing the series in both of these tracks. They track the more than 150 characters on a spreadsheet, with a hidden avenue for the future coined The Enigma Chronicles tagged in some portions of the stories. Fan reviews seem to frequently suggest that these would make good television or movie stories, so the possibilities appear endless, just like their ideas for new stories. They have book video trailers for each of the stories, which can be viewed on YouTube, Amazon's Authors page, or on their website, www.enigmabookseries.com. Their website is routinely updated with new interviews, answers to readers' questions, book trailers, and contests. You may also find it fascinating to check out the fun acronyms they create for the stories summarized on their website. Reach out to them at Authors@EnigmaSeries.com, Twitter @EnigmaSeries, or Facebook @TheEnigmaSeries. YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Vz4x5ctTnx3yUhZk1OJkw PLEASE PROVIDE A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW ON AMAZON and any other places you post reviews - We appreciate the feedback.

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