Kingdom of Spies is one of the most darkly realistic espionage narratives I’ve read. Its unflinching portrayal of asset-handling and cloak-and-dagger operations chills you to your bones as you can’t help but vividly imagine the horrors of real-life spy work without the glamorization rampant in most fictional literature.
Australian Intelligence Officer Jordan Carter is ambushed during a joint Indonesian-Australian operation of subversion against the tide of Islamic extremism. The ambush signifies a united front by the divided terrorist groups now joining forces to push back against the counter-terrorism effort. To gain the upper hand in the fight, Carter goes off the reservation, teaming up eventually with a journalist, Ana Kovacevic, to investigate the brewing threat. With no room for adequate support, Carter must use his wits to recruit Ana in his unsanctioned mission for the right moral reasons.
Bevan G Roberts’s experience in the shadowy world of espionage greatly augments the quality of spycraft and ultimately the storytelling experience as delivered in Kingdom of Spies. It’s smart, solidly researched, and refreshing in its goal to present the war on terror with new faces. I can’t remember the last time I read an Indonesian-Australian perspective of counter terrorism operations in thrillers, if ever. With an emphasis on espionage tools like duplicity and double crosses, the action is more akin to games of chess between Carter and the terrorists as they both try to one-up each other through unsavory means. It’s a seemingly never-ending war with both sides playing dirty to achieve their goals, promising the ideology of ends justifying the means. It’s a thoughtful take on the subject matter with unbridled horror and fear inspired from real world situations and characters.
Light on action and heavy on tradecraft, Kingdom of Spies contains the words of authority from a writer who has been subjected to the true nitty gritty world of battling evil forces in unprecedented times with unconventional weapons.
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