Review: Pandemonium by Bill Harvey

In a world where psychic agents have entered the battlefields of covert intelligence and geopolitics, Pandemonium is an apt title for this head-spinning novel from Bill Harvey.

One of Theta Force’s most powerful trainers has disappeared, and Ed Templegard is tasked by the president himself to find him. Templegard’s persistent curiosity and ability to enter the minds and awareness of others in the halls of international power makes him a perfect spy, even if that leads him on a crash-course with the same megalomaniac murderer who had once captured and tortured him. Navigating the murky waters of mental manipulation, loyalty, fantasy, and dangerous desire, Templegard gradually unlocks more of his powers and discovers just how dark some corners of the mind can become.

The subsequent web of lies, fantasies, infiltrations, and revelations about the real Powers That Be hints at a dark outcome for a media-obsessed society – one that readers will immediately recognize. Despite the sci-fi premise, there are countless reflections of our contemporary world on clear display, including the reemergence of Nazi ideology, the rise of virtual reality, and existential conflicts with Russia, not to mention powerful leaders with hints of charlatanism and plenty of paranoia.

The entire paradigm of psychic powers is fleshed out remarkably well – from flow states, degraders, and enhancers to zen-like mastery, astral projections, and Master Mindfields. Creating a world where psychic abilities are not only possible, but have been experimented on and weaponized, sets a remarkably intriguing stage from the very first page of the novel. Templegard’s additional psychic ability to access all of his previous lives adds a fascinating layer of depth to the narrative, interjected as these recollections are throughout the action of the plot.

Unlike so many writers who bombard readers with early exposition to get them “up to speed,” Harvey’s world-building of this near future is done with patience and storytelling grace. Both a military procedural and a dystopian thriller, there is truly something for everyone in this dense, fast-moving, and deliciously tangled tale. The evolution of warfare is an appealing space for imagination, and Harvey does a good job of seamlessly blending real-world advancements and fantasy elements, with the story feeling engrossingly prophetic throughout.

The author does cut the occasional corner in his writing, primarily through italicized internal monologues. On the other end of the spectrum, some scenes and thought sequences are overly narrated, serving readers the meaning and significance of a scene on a wordy silver platter, which could be edited down to balance the ebb and flow of the prose for a more natural and consistent feel. On a more technical level, there are also some basic grammatical and formatting errors that are infrequent, but noticeable, including missed commas, occasional run-on sentences, and unclear dialogue formatting that makes it unclear who is speaking or thinking.

Aside from these small slips in execution, Pandemonium: Live to All Devices is a masterful piece of cautionary fiction that will likely ring with relevance for years to come.