Review: Profit Wars by Mac Whitesides

Sometimes the near future can be far more terrifying than some far-distant dystopian hellscape, and in Profit Wars, author Mac Whitesides hits close to home with a tale set only a stone’s throw ahead of humanity’s present day.

In the year 2020, war has finally shed its façade and revealed itself as a game of profit. Victory goes to the highest bidder, particularly when you have the Global Force Protection (GFP) fighting in your corner. This massive global corporation can basically shift the tides of world power, selling its elite mercenary services for almost any cause.

Even those who are sworn to loyalty can have their doubts, which is what happens to Jake Thompson, one of the top officials at the GFP. After tugging on a seemingly innocent thread, Thompson sets in motion a chain of events that he could have never predicted. Catapulted to the other side of the world, and into a part of his life for which he is still grieving, Jake makes a dynamic lead character that is both troubled and triumphant. With a richly developed personality and a thick streak of morality that makes him instantly likable, he carries this novel on his unassuming shoulders.

With novels of dystopian realism, many authors tend to include far too much exposition and procedural detail about military maneuvers, bureaucracy, and behind-the-scenes details. Building a believable world is essential, but should be done subtly, and Whitesides expertly paints a picture of this not-too-distant future. Slowly drawing readers into the reality of this novel, it feels more like an immersion rather than a plunge, making the reading experience a pleasure from start to finish.

Regardless of the location within the book, of which there are many, Whitesides manages to draw out both the beauty and brutality of life, and the complementary character descriptions are compelling throughout. From blasted fields in war-torn countries to elegant 5-star restaurants overlooking metropolitan lights, readers are transported through the language and unique narrative style, which often finds small, seemingly insignificant details and brings them to the fore of a scene.

On the technical side, the book could use a lot of editing work, particularly on grammatical issues, spelling, and basic proofreading, and these easily fixed errors do get distracting in certain moments. Some of the plot developments also seem a bit too convenient and unlikely, but within the larger story of conspiracies, secrets, and long-lost connections, some of these “easy way out” plot points can be forgiven.

What should be noted about this book is that Whitesides is able to touch on so many rich emotional subjects within the same story. From family dynamics and cultural identity to geopolitics and basic morality, this novel is overflowing with existential quandaries. There is action to satisfy those readers who want an escape, but there are also important questions being asked on both a personal and global level. As our modern world seems to be getting more unstable, Whitesides’ vision seems far from impossible, and this powerful book challenges readers to face their own potential futures, for a shocking and heart-wrenching read.