There are at least two ways to approach When Courts Fail, philosophically speaking. The first approach is to accept the story as nothing more than pure fiction, a story written for the purpose of entertainment. The other approach involves the presentation and adjudication of a radical answer to atrocious criminality, a form of criminality that Halverson defines as “terrorism.” Whether or not vigilantism is ever justified makes for interesting debate. Readers will have to decide for themselves precisely at what point right and wrong converge, thus producing a kind of moral Schrodinger’s Cat dilemma.
Stylistically, Halverson is the literary offspring of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert Heinlein, with just a dash of Vince Flynn. A volatile combination that translates into full-spectrum, phase-locked, pulsating action from the word ‘go.’ Yet at the same time, a mystical spirituality pokes its head up every now and then, making Kane and his crew much more than mere thugs-for-hire. Kane is a sensitive human being, who attempts to navigate a moral passage through a modern world trapped in mediation, disillusion, and self-inflicted impotence.
All in all, When Courts Fail is another excellent book from Wade J. Halverson, who isn’t afraid of taking on delicate subject matter.
Article comments