Review: The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel

The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel by Brittany Butler
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

When looking at the description for this book on Amazon, I am struck by the fact that though this book is being advertised as a futuristic book, "In the near future, Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. " it was set (according to the very first page) in 1938. Unless this is a significant typo, it sure put a different spin on this book for me. So which is it? A book set in the past with all sorts of modern tech, or a futuristic book with old-fashioned tech?

In the very first paragraph, I found a distracting mistake on the author's part. COPPER DOES NOT RUST, NOR DOES IT SMELL OF RUST. Yes, this may be nit-picking, but it still made me question how good this book would be. Mistakes such as this tend to pull me out of the story and question what I had been reading.

As I kept reading, I realized that this author has an interesting command of the language. For instance, Juliet's eyes can speak to her partner Mariam. Ohhkay. "Juliet took a SHARP swig of water" ??? "A silo of light poured into the compound."

This is most likely a very good book. I do so love futuristic novels, and having two kick-butt heroines would have been just perfect. However, too many things distract me from what could have been the perfect story.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

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SYNOPSIS:"“Sacrifices must be made; battles will be lost. It is always this way in a quest for change.” In the near future, Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations grapple to find an alternative energy source. Terrorists race for control over world resources. And the Syndicate―a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies―struggles to maintain peace. Syndicate operative Juliet Arroway and her best friend, Mariam, a progressive Saudi princess, are tasked with hunting down terrorists and putting an end to the global energy war, the same mission that cost Juliet’s father his life. But when multiple terrorist attacks result in devastating losses, including the death of Juliet’s longtime boyfriend, and the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow involved, Juliet must rise above her heartbreak to discover the truth. In her quest, Juliet is paired with Graham―a dashing yet arrogant FBI agent―and embarks on a dangerous journey toward love and survival as they race to obtain the formula that could solve the energy crisis. But when peace demands a stunning betrayal, Juliet must decide how much she is willing to pay for the success of her mission. Brilliantly weaving fact and fiction, Butler tells a story seldom told―how female heroics can change the course of war."