The novel advertises itself as a tale of Russian invasion and domination of America. And there are, alas, other aspects of novel that seem Russian. There is little action, lots of background, and the actual climax is handled in a few pages, which leaves you feeling a bit cheated. A literary Red Dawn this isn't; that is for sure.
It's a well written novel, but one that is heavy on making a point rather than being a pleasure to read. In short it reads more like Dostoevsky than Clancy. I spent most of the time reading the novel desperately wishing it would kick it up a notch and get exciting. It never came. There is more brooding than a vampire novel and too much dialogue.
What is most disappointing is that there was a clear wish on my part that I wanted to like this novel. In the end it is impossible to recommend it unless you are one with the patience of a saint who is less into action and more into the "why." The characters instill little empathy in the reader and are not endearing.
I do not mean to be overly harsh because that would be unfair. This is not a poorly written book by any means and, at slightly under 300 pages, not even overly long. It just never goes anywhere and wallows far too much in the details.
Proceed with caution if you are interested in this title. Then again it's subtitled 2013: A Remembrance of Things Future, and you know what reminiscing can be like for others not involved in the original story.
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