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Accountability, Honor and Loyalty
The New Cold War finds Russia on the brink of a technological innovation that can bring about a new cold war and one agent is tasked with stopping them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Any time we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors without the correct philosophical understanding of how we got there, we go down a road that inevitably leads to problems. Quantum computers may offer some incredible breakthroughs, but we need to stop and consider the possible ramifications of the technology or the wrong intentions could create a world-wide disaster.
Chris Hodge is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Chris Hodge is guided by asking metaphysical questions in the truest fashion to learn what is really going on in this world. He holds the belief that we are all world citizens and as such have a civil duty to ask these questions. The abbreviated answer is accountability, honor and loyalty.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One of my personal tenets is always asking the question “why” and not simply following what is told to you. Right now we live in a world where a leading news outlook starts the conversation with “This is what you NEED to know”. How could they possibly discuss the issues for the average world citizen in 1 paragraph? I hope that this book encourages readers to ask questions and think more deeply about a variety of topics.
What can readers expect in book three of the The Relevant Series?
Readers can expect a continuation of Hodges development as he pursues his ideologies across the world in a stand-alone story with ties to the first 2 books in the series. Perhaps some old characters will make an appearance under new circumstances. The story will confront key developments in espionage related to cyber topics and the misguided understanding that the world has on the topic as a whole. Why is Russia attacking worldwide interests with hackers, and to what end? What are China’s real goals 20, 30 and 50 years from now?
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“Those who are looking for chinks in America’s armor think they have found it: our rapidly growing reliance on quantum computing. And now it is going to take some of our nation’s smartest geeks to keep us all safe and free. Peter Zaccagnino has penned a compelling thriller here. Read it now. Or wait and read the real-life version of the story in the newspapers in a few years.” – Don Keith, author of more than 35 books, including WARSHOT and ONLY THE BRAVE
“You’re asking me to solve a problem before it’s a problem. What’s our plan?”
When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, it appeared that a new world order had emerged, one where democracy prevailed and autocratic communism was rendered obsolete. Some claimed it was the end of history. Except the Russians had other plans. They weren’t ready to abandon their power on the world stage without a fight.
After over a decade of development, Russia is only months away from finalizing an advanced quantum computer that can break all known encryption in less than a microsecond. When the CIA unearths intel on Russia’s progress, they turn to agent Chris Hodge, the man judged by the Agency as best equipped to lead the team tasked with sabotaging Moscow’s advanced quantum computer.
If Chris Hodge and his team succeed, democracy will continue to prevail.
If Chris Hodge and his team fail, Russia’s victory on the technological front will lead to Moscow’s unbridled power.
Will Chris Hodge remain relevant after the most difficult mission of his career?
The New Cold War
![The New Cold War : Defending Democracy From Russia's Secret Tech Weapon (Relevant Book 2) by [Peter Zaccagnino]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51y8nCXgRSL.jpg)
A war is being fought on a battlefield that’s separated by thousands of miles. The New Cold War, the latest entry in author Peter Zaccagnino’s thrilling The Relevant Series, finds Russia developing a technological superweapon that can destabilize the balance of power between the U.S. and Russia and create a new world order. Can agent Chris Hodge and his crack team figure out the complicated puzzle behind Russia’s quantum computer and accomplish their mission?
Throughout this riveting story every character has a unique dynamic that makes them very engaging. They are either witty, intelligent, or brave and they all serve to educate the reader about various political and technical matters through their unique points of view and knowledge of world affairs. Agent Hodge is skilled, punctual, politically savvy and a chess pro to boot. He will capture readers’ attention with his personality. As the novel’s only female character, Miss Valerie Mosier, exudes an autocratic, modern, and assertive female vibe that makes her an excellent character in a contemporary thriller. Also, an important character in the plot is Sergei, a brilliant and frustrated scientist, which I think serves as an example of how people allocated with the responsibility of advancement of a nation must have freedom of choice.
In an otherwise business-oriented atmosphere, the witty exchange of views between the tech-savvy and experts of the cyber security agency really elevates the intrigue in this novel. The chess tournament and matches between Hodge and other players are also what I believe to be ‘the knight’ in the story, a crucial element to the book.
This is an engrossing techno-thriller replete with technical jargon that will immerse readers in the quantum computing world. While I was a bit confused, as I’m certainly not an expert in quantum computers, I think it did feel authentic and led me to want to research a bit about quantum computing to make sense of the terminology. Nonetheless, as the story progresses, the author has done a great job including the character of Bond, a person who is less acquainted with quantum computing, so that the experts could explain it in layman’s terms to Bond and the reader.
With discussions of diversified political views and capitalism vs communism, the author has come up with a riveting story exploring the New ‘Cyber’ Cold War between the U.S. and Russia, and educates the reader about quantum computing while doing so.
The New Cold War is an intellectually-invigorating political thriller that is high in social commentary. Readers who enjoy crime thrillers or suspenseful espionage action novels will have plenty to enjoy in Peter Zaccagnino’s well-crafted page-turner.
Pages: | ASIN: B09J6GN127
LITERARY TITAN 