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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
An Uncalculated Risk by Seth W. James catapults readers into a near-future geopolitical thriller where economic sabotage collides with high-stakes engineering. When a mercenary force captures Bolivia’s Alto Madidi tin mine, it threatens the global supply of a critical metal used in constructing ‘connies’: exoskeletons vital to building seawalls that can stave off climate-induced famine. Francesca Pieralisi, project lead on one such seawall, and Cain, a skilled operative, are dispatched by EU INTCEN to uncover the attackers’ motives. Their investigation reveals a trillionaire’s conspiracy involving planetary-scale extortion, forcing Cain into a perilous web of lies, betrayal, and corporate warfare. As the stakes climb, Cain must rescue Francesca and unravel a plot that could upend Earth’s fragile political and ecological balance.
Author Seth W. James has a brilliant sense of detail versus pacing, and he knows exactly when to slow down and explain the more high-concept elements and when to ramp up the action for a gripping, intelligent sci-fi thriller that delivers adrenaline and ideas in equal measure. Another feature that stood out was the detailed worldbuilding that James works into every moment, offering scenes where eerily plausible attitudes are ingrained into the characters, and every plot twist is brimming with timely political relevance. At the center of all this detail, the characters come into their own as we fully immerse ourselves in their journey. Cain is an especially complex, morally grey protagonist navigating a future that feels alarmingly real, yet suddenly surprising in ways that the near-future realism prepares us for, but never spoils. Overall, this entry in The Cain Series is a brilliant blend of cyberpunk, geopolitics, and environmental urgency. I highly recommend An Uncalculated Risk to thriller fans and enthusiasts of the series so far.
