THE SHIMMERING
The President of the United States shoots himself, which coincides with the arrest of the British prime minister and most of his cabinet. An ordinary guy walking his dog meets someone that changes his life forever.
Our burning of fossil fuels is causing a secret civilisation food source to decline and threaten their existence. After much deliberation, they have chosen me to help them to try and reverse the situation.
It’s a significant problem the whole of the USA is likely to erupt, causing another ice age, which no one will survive, closing down all polluting organisations unless they can be carbon neutral within six months.
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Money drives democracy, and money is the true power.” When the leading protagonist in the novel made this statement, I knew that Robin Witney’s novel, The Shimmering, is not merely about the drive to eradicate global warming but also the desire for money and power among some greedy people. The novel, which is authored in the first-person narrative, tells the story of Robin Witney, who is tasked to establish the all-powerful Earth Corporation with the goal to shut down major companies which run on carbon fuel, to save not just the world but also Utopia, the world beneath the Earth’s surface. A Utopian named Monk gives a magical bracelet to Robin, providing him access to an endless cash source and the ability to make people act according to his will. The novel narrates how he was able to rise from being a commoner into a powerful and influential leader of a company that owns major shares in the world’s biggest media source and his entanglement with people from the CIA and the global leaders. The ending is not as you think it will be. What I liked most about the novel is its focus on saving the environment, which is very timely. We are now living in a world where this is an issue, yet most people are pretending it is not. The mention of carbon fuel has got me thinking, “What will happen to the world and the economy if we exhaust all carbon fuel sources? Will we be able to find an alternative to it?” A gigantic responsibility falls upon Robin’s shoulders to take on a global problem considering he is not well-known. His company is just two weeks old, so naturally, the Heads of State will not believe him unless they see solid evidence of his plight. It is also amazing how he was able to gather the world’s most brilliant scientists to help decode the ancient scriptures of Utopia, which may be the key to the clean and unlimited energy sources for the world to use, thus, preventing the destruction of both worlds.
I believe that Robin only wanted to live in peace, so we can imagine his surprise when Monk gave him the biggest shock of his life. He made sure everything would go according to his plan. His attachment to the riches passing through Swiss banks has made him a coveted target for unscrupulous individuals who worship wealth and power. Another fact is that all of the events in the novel happened in a span of three weeks. I also liked that the language used in the book is conversational and light. My heart dropped on page 94 when the book revealed the author’s name as the main protagonist. What a brilliant way to be the hero of your own story! On the other hand, several flaws made the novel less enjoyable and slowed down my reading pace. First, there is a lack of description of some elements in the story, like the Utopian mode of transportation (verticular and horizicular) in the book. Second, seven (7) members of Star Alliance were described and mentioned in a total of nine (9) pages which have little bearing and appearance in the novel. Third, I believe the history of the Dark Seven has nothing to do with the events of the book. The novel is fascinating in general, and I enjoyed the storyline. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy science and fiction fantasy. Expect some vivid descriptions of eroticism as well; thus, it is unsuitable for children. Astonishingly, there are no profanities mentioned, so this novel may be a good read for anyone of legal age.