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Shadow War
is the debut novel by Sean McFate. Unlike other thrillers
involving geo-politics this does not have a covert organization
sanctioned and working secretly with those in the US government.
This Tom Locke series involves an organization that hires
private contractors / mercenaries to complete missions. The
many characters do not do it for love of country, but are
“for-profit warriors.”
McFate hopes readers will learn more about contractors. “I
wanted to give them a real face. They are human beings who
are not stock villains and do have a warrior ethos. I wanted
to shed light on these new types of warriors. I think they
will be used more and more because they allow for plausible
deniability, are cheaper, and can provide manpower. Women
also play a role in these clandestine missions. I think women
should be portrayed accurately, not as damsels in distress,
window dressing, or babes. The women I came across were very
courageous; yet, still maintained their femininity. In this
book the character Alie was concerned about saving girls from
child slavery who was a real person as a foreign aid worker.
In my next book, Kylah, also based on a real person, is a
field doctor. She does not follow the Hippocratic Oath literally
and will not treat ISIS fighters. I want to show how women
are strong, powerful with different professions who play by
their own rules. They are tough and will not hesitate to engage
in a firefight. They are based on women I have come across
in these situations.”
The main character, Tom Locke, is based on McFate’s
own experiences. Both served in the 82nd Airborne division
of the United States Army as paratroopers, and later worked
as a private military contractors. This allows McFate to create
stories with realism and authenticity that encompass deceit,
corruption, and wars fought both by “soldiers”
on the battlefield and by men wearing suits behind closed
doors.
McFate drew all the characters from people he knew. He stated,
“Locke is a lot like me although more damaged and bad
assed. His best friend Miles was an actual person, modeled
after my platoon sergeant and was like an older brother to
me. Locke and I served in the 82nd Airborne division of the
United States Army as paratroopers from 1992 - 2000, and later
worked as private military contractors. Locke is still a contractor
while I am now a professor at Georgetown University, a senior
fellow at the Atlantic Council and associate professor at
National Defense. The differences are I did not have the actual
mission assigned to Locke in the Ukraine, but we both worked
on stopping genocides, arms deals, and went after African
warlords. Locke’s boss Brad Winters is a composite of
two to three people. As he is portrayed in the book, the bosses
are extremely smart, Machiavellian, shrewd, very ambitious,
who work for their own interests without any scruples.”
This captivating plot has terrifying power plays and treachery
that can tip the balance of power towards Russia’s Putin.
Apollo Outcomes, one of the world’s most successful
private contracting firms, assigns Locke a dangerous mission.
He has one week to rescue a Ukraine wealthy businessman’s
family, and lead an assault on Russian forces to place that
rich oligarch in a position of influence and leadership. With
a team of highly trained mercenaries and careful planning
it appears he will accomplish the mission. Getting in the
way of success is Alie Macfarlane, an old love who stumbles,
unluckily, back into his life at the very worst time imaginable
and his boss, Brad Winters, is engaged in a secretive, high-stakes
geopolitical chess game with influential power brokers in
capitals around the world.
The author sees Putin as a threat to the US and wrote this
as a preview of what could happen. “In future years
the rise of nationalism will allow Putin to move into Eastern
Europe through shadow wars. Remember he thought the worst
event of the 20th Century was the dismantlement of the Soviet
Union. He has a Czarist ambition for Eastern Europe. This
plot shows how he might do it. In this Internet age someone
like Putin will take over a country, not like the Soviets
did, but through disruption and installing a puppet to rule.
It is done with massive propaganda, Internet trolls, proxy
militia, mercenaries, and “Little Green Men,”
Russian soldiers without Russian insignia on their fatigues.
Putin understands America will probably not risk World War
III over Article 5 of NATO.”
Shadow War is a gripping believable story filled
with suspense and intrigue. Readers will learn about the shadowy
covert world of private contractors/mercenaries and how wars
might be fought in the future. The grittiness of the main
character, Tom Locke, adds to the plotline. Anyone looking
for a different type of thriller should put this book on their
radar. Readers will look forward to the future adventures
of Locke.
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