Title: Exile Endgame
Author: Preston Fleming
Publisher: PF Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-9994418-7-9
Pages: 328
Genre: Fiction / Dystopian Political Thriller
Reviewed by: Michaela Gordoni

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In this sequel to Exile Hunter, it is 2031, and America has succumbed to totalitarianism. Fugitive Warren Linder is on the run and facing danger at every turn and in every country he visits. He seeks to prevent the American Unionist regime from growing in power and even finds new love in the midst of it. When a group called the “League” emerges as a fresh opposition to the regime, Linder sets out to verify the League’s true goals, but the price to pay for his ambitions is high.

Exile Endgame’s writing is good. A favourite line is: “I probably shouldn’t say this, Annabel, but people like Doris Geiger stay alive only because it’s against the law to kill them.” One can tell by the way it is written that it is really more about the grand scheme than the characters. There is very little character development, but Preston Fleming has proven that emotional attachment to the protagonist is not needed. Linder seems to simply be a man in a unique situation fighting for a cause. He is not a particularly endearing protagonist, and the reader still does not know him well, even by the book’s end. However, this is a good thing because, as a result, the protagonist does not come across as self-important or a full-fledged hero; his time is not filled with clichéd interactions and sexual encounters, as is frequently the case in this genre. Readers will find that the writing is quite refreshing in that aspect. Preston Fleming has also taken great care to find a variety of perfectly selected quotes that add a bit of foreshadowing to precede each chapter.

Exile Endgame does have a somewhat complex plot that is sometimes confusing and hard to follow. There are a few main characters and a lot of side names and mentions that are important to keep track of. Although this work is supposed to be a realistic political thriller, with plans and regimes that could be the future for many Americans, some elements still scream fiction, such as a character who has the ability to see the future through images flashing in her mind.

A complex suspense novel that is sure to have readers on the edge of their seats, Exile Endgame is perfect for those that love political thrillers and American dystopia fiction.