Review of The Antigen
Posted: 08 Jan 2025, 05:38
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Antigen" by A.I. Fabler.]
The Antigen: The Seed of Corruption Pt 2 is the concluding part of the novel written by A. I. Fabler. Faraday, a painter of wildlife, and an American investigative journalist, Caroline, had valuable information that could take the world by storm. They had insider information from Caroline’s adopted brother, Tuan, that viruses were being deliberately manipulated in a lab in Hanoi, Vietnam, and were spread deliberately to water resources to initiate a bird flu pandemic. Caroline was writing the big story for the East Asia News Agency, EANA, but her employers needed proof. The three of them escaped Vietnam, dodging their pursuers, and reached London, but their lives were threatened; the story needed signed affidavits from the witnesses, and Caroline was not ready to back out.
The plot of the novel is far from simple. The main theme is journalism—its ethics, limitations, and the legal aspects. It also includes several other serious themes—the trade of counterfeit paintings, designing various mutants of viruses, contaminating drinking water to spread bird flu among humans and cattle, vaccines to be launched without proper testing, the greed of the big pharma companies, the insensitivity of the WHO personnel, the involvement of governments across the world, the twisted role of various institutions, and corruption—all connected with the common thread of greed for money. And yet the book offers suspense—murders, chases, espionage, hacking, insider trading, the dark web of the internet, and confessions.
The characters are crafted in great detail and realistically. Faraday is an acclaimed wildlife painter who specializes in endangered species and is known for his signature poems included in his paintings. He is practical, sensitive, and values relationships. His relationship with his childhood friend David is remarkably well-illustrated. Caroline is an independent, determined, conscientious woman and a whistleblower. Other characters also carry depth and contribute well to the storyline. However, I noticed that Tuan, the key character who possesses the insider information of the research work in the lab in Hanoi, and the main threat to the guilty parties, has very little exposure in the story. The novel is written in a style that is both descriptive and reflective. The author has given an insight into the world of journalism and how the network of international journalism works. The long conversations between the characters are informative and prompt the reader to contemplate moral journalism, the role of NGOs, and the fact that money is the most powerful incentive in most people’s lives. I did not notice any negative aspects of the book and do not see any reason to deduct a star. My rating of the book is 5 out of 5 stars.
The novel is meaningful, entertaining, and informative. Readers will not miss the first book much because the author has included a summary of it at the beginning, and that is very helpful. It is not a book limited to light entertainment only. I would suggest it to people who like serious themes and elaborate plots.
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The Antigen
View: on Bookshelves
The Antigen: The Seed of Corruption Pt 2 is the concluding part of the novel written by A. I. Fabler. Faraday, a painter of wildlife, and an American investigative journalist, Caroline, had valuable information that could take the world by storm. They had insider information from Caroline’s adopted brother, Tuan, that viruses were being deliberately manipulated in a lab in Hanoi, Vietnam, and were spread deliberately to water resources to initiate a bird flu pandemic. Caroline was writing the big story for the East Asia News Agency, EANA, but her employers needed proof. The three of them escaped Vietnam, dodging their pursuers, and reached London, but their lives were threatened; the story needed signed affidavits from the witnesses, and Caroline was not ready to back out.
The plot of the novel is far from simple. The main theme is journalism—its ethics, limitations, and the legal aspects. It also includes several other serious themes—the trade of counterfeit paintings, designing various mutants of viruses, contaminating drinking water to spread bird flu among humans and cattle, vaccines to be launched without proper testing, the greed of the big pharma companies, the insensitivity of the WHO personnel, the involvement of governments across the world, the twisted role of various institutions, and corruption—all connected with the common thread of greed for money. And yet the book offers suspense—murders, chases, espionage, hacking, insider trading, the dark web of the internet, and confessions.
The characters are crafted in great detail and realistically. Faraday is an acclaimed wildlife painter who specializes in endangered species and is known for his signature poems included in his paintings. He is practical, sensitive, and values relationships. His relationship with his childhood friend David is remarkably well-illustrated. Caroline is an independent, determined, conscientious woman and a whistleblower. Other characters also carry depth and contribute well to the storyline. However, I noticed that Tuan, the key character who possesses the insider information of the research work in the lab in Hanoi, and the main threat to the guilty parties, has very little exposure in the story. The novel is written in a style that is both descriptive and reflective. The author has given an insight into the world of journalism and how the network of international journalism works. The long conversations between the characters are informative and prompt the reader to contemplate moral journalism, the role of NGOs, and the fact that money is the most powerful incentive in most people’s lives. I did not notice any negative aspects of the book and do not see any reason to deduct a star. My rating of the book is 5 out of 5 stars.
The novel is meaningful, entertaining, and informative. Readers will not miss the first book much because the author has included a summary of it at the beginning, and that is very helpful. It is not a book limited to light entertainment only. I would suggest it to people who like serious themes and elaborate plots.
******
The Antigen
View: on Bookshelves
