No Time For Kings

What happens when you mix a sense of superiority so extreme it has evolved to a complete disdain for the general population with a burning desire to protect the planet from humanity’s sins? A man like Drake, whose eco-terrorist group Earth Fights Back has progressed from generally harmless deeds to acts of outright murder, all in the name of the environment. And when newspaper reporter Rachel Sullivan gets wind of what could be her breakthrough story, she jumps on it, not knowing the danger she’s putting herself and her family in. But when Drake starts leaving Rachel clues regarding plans for his biggest attack ever, it’s a race against time to decipher them before time runs out.

Mark Petruska’s debut novel is of a quality not usually seen in self-published books. The story is interesting and thoughtful, reflecting how much time the author has invested in it. The main characters are complex and well-rounded, and each individual chapter is truly a pleasure to read; never once did a scene feel contrived, inserted purely to further the plot. Particularly admirable is Petruska’s formidable use of descriptive language and his ability to strike a balance between poetic passages and starkly, to-the-point sections. Sentences like “the stars blazed like miniature fires lighting a path to heaven” are a perfect example: beautifully provocative, but not overdone. The concept of eco-terrorism will strike a chord of activism gone too far with many readers, who will be both fascinated and sickened by the lack of humanity displayed in Drake, a character we’d all like to believe couldn’t really exist.

This novel is engaging and well-written; once you start reading it, you’ll find it difficult to put down. Petruska’s future as an author looks bright indeed.