Rings of Allah, The

 Author's Summary

At Stalin's orders two teams of scientists and engineers competed to demonstrate the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb. Failure was not an option, and the loosing team was purged with no warning. Its records destroyed, and all of the key personnel eliminated, well, almost all. What happened to the team's work in progress? Forty years later The Group discovers the answer. The Rings of Allah is a grand saga in the genre of James Clavell's Shogun and Tia-Pan, with a little Clancy thrown in. Spanning over sixty years the story sweeps across Russia, central Asia, and into the United States. The cast of characters include Soviet scientists, radical Islamist, KGB officers, al-Qaeda terrorists, Usama bin Laden, and American businessmen, doctors, and government officials. Islam, Wahhabism, and the Soviet-Afghan war, provide the backdrop for the birth of al-Qaeda. The story proceeds into the future where a sleeper cell of al-Qaeda attempts to complete Usama bin Laden's master plan for the final strike against the Great Satan. This epic novel presents a realistic and frightening picture of how simple atomic weapons could be smuggled into and hidden in the U.S. The author has the background and knowledge to write a realistic, technically sound story that will leave no doubt as to the vulnerability of western civilization to terrorism and the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Yes, it can be done, and the Rings of Allah provides a thrilling and realistic story of one such plan. 

MWSA Review

MWSA 2007 Silver Medal for Fiction, Thriller

Thank Allah it's fiction, because it will scare the hell out of you! Author Lee Boyland puts his extensive special weapons background to use in spinning this completely believable tale of al-Qaeda's next step after 9-11.  Leftover Soviet technology from the beginning of the Cold War falls into al-Qaeda's hands, and they establish an intricate network in order to place five atomic devices in five US cities.  The US gets word of the attack, but will it be in time?

Boyland does a great job of mixing good character development with great technical background in order to create this story.  Technical readers will appreciate his attention to detail as he relates and educates the reader on the workings of gun-type atomic weapons.  Literature advocates will respect how he uses significant events to develop his main characters.  Many new writers fall into the trap of trying to tell too much of the story, but Boyland avoids this by jumping sometimes a year ahead in the story in order to keep things moving. 

A great action story that is just a bit too possible, this is definitely worth it for action and techno fans alike.

Reviewed by: Rob Ballister (2007)