It’s 2025 and U.S.-Chinese tensions are at an all-time high as the battle for worldwide supremacy continues. Sound familiar? Are we sure this is 2025 and not 2018?

In The Last Sword Maker, the U.S. and China are not competing to build the biggest and baddest weapons, but rather the smallest and most complex. An epidemic that seems to wipe out thousands of Tibetans in the span of a few hours is no more than a weapons test for the Chinese. Technology has been developed to kill based on genetic traits.

In response, the U.S. pulls together a scientific dream team and throws recent graduate whiz kid, Eric Hill, into the center of the action. The Americans must beat the Chinese to the final process of this genetic technology – replication. This would allow a country (or a rogue individual) the ability to code cells to reproduce and develop in ways never seen before. The implication of this advancement could cure cancer, create bulletproof skin, or develop weapons beyond current comprehension.

The Last Sword Maker found a way to feel futuristic yet realistic given current geopolitical tensions along with the rapid acceleration of medical and technological advancements. While the topic may appear nerdy, this was also one of the most violent books I have read recently. I was engrossed in the science, the violence and the moral conscience of the major players.

Definitely pick up this techno-thriller this fall!

Verdict: 4/5 Stars
Length: 400 pages
When: For a not-so-futuristic geopolitical thriller
Quote: To them, these bizarre occurrences were explainable coincidences: a stress-induced stroke, a faulty video camera. Agents Brown and Brightwell couldn’t see what Eric saw.
Also Try: Not an exact match but great techno-thriller nonetheless: The Martian by Andy Weir

Buy The Last Sword Maker by Brian Nelson