The Three Poisons


Fiction - Thriller - General
370 Pages
Reviewed on 01/08/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

The Three Poisons explores many of the same themes as the first two books in the series, The Fiduciary Delusion and A Step Beyond, but additionally examines the meaning of existence in both a holistic, humancentric sense, and from an artificial intelligence (AI) and human interface perspective. Will quantum computers eventually become sentient? And if so, will they need the human mind to teach them to model the universe? Or will they exist in a niche completely outside human awareness? Could advanced quantum computers feel and learn? And if so, could they eventually learn to fall in love? Would they even want to?

I've grown up reading the incredible thought-provoking authors of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein and John Christopher. The novel incorporates the styles of these great classic authors. Since many contemporary Science Fiction novels portray dystopian transhumanism themes, I wanted to consider a storyline that this "singularity" (of man and machine) could also be the pivot point toward real, positive change—an alchemical transformation rendering old models obsolete. The tools of destruction being shattered and rendered into tools of regeneration.

Action packed, with a touch of Clive Cussler and/or James Rollins, The Three Poisons takes the reader on a rollicking, muscular adventure into the very mental essence of existence.

The novel works very well as a standalone sequel, but the reader will likely want to read the first two books to get the full impact of the series.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.J. Simmill for Readers' Favorite

Despite failure and the death of Gerald after his abduction, the plans of the genetically enhanced super soldiers, a cabal known as The Horsemen, were far from over. They had sought the anti-aging system for their own in order to allow them to complete their colonisation projects, but this was not the end of their schemes. They had a vast reservoir of hidden technology that would allow their schemes to progress, and that was precisely their intention. Can they end life as it is known, or can unlikely forces unite to stop the threat? Join the adventure in John Molik's The Three Poisons.

The Three Poisons is a very involved and thought provoking read, and fans of science fiction will be thrilled with this brilliant combination of man, animal, and machine. It looks at the future through the eyes of all, something I've never seen before in a book. John Molik clearly has a passion for certain aspects of science and has done a lot of research. I can see existing theories transferred into practical applications and skilfully imagined at progressive levels to a fantastic and imaginative level. I wouldn't be surprised if a few hundred years in the future some don't look back at aspects and technologies of this book and see where creation inspiration could have come from. After all, you could compare many well known items to things now in existence; replicators could be viewed as 3D printers, we even have HUVr Boards (hover boards) in concept. So, taking the leap to some of the systems, intelligence, and applications included in The Three Poisons isn't that far of a stretch.

John Molik writes in a completely engaging style, and vivid descriptions, great plot progression, and realistic characters and settings are just a few of the many things you will find to love about this book. This is the third book in The Horsemen trilogy, but easily transitions to a stand alone book. Be warned, reading it will make you want to pick up the earlier books. This book is tense, atmospheric, and gripping from the first page to the last.

Arya Fomonyuy

The Three Poisons by John Molik is a powerful mix of thriller and sci-fi, a story set in a future world with its advanced technology and a powerful threat to humanity. The year is 2025 and humankind has scored great advancements in technology. But a dangerous clique is determined to change the world, colonizing it and gaining control over everyone through an advanced form of technology that has been kept secret from the population. Now, the destiny of humanity is threatened and life could quickly turn into a form of slavery no one has ever thought about. The only hope of survival is in an artificially intelligent computer, but can this computer learn to feel like a human being and does it have enough time to fight the evil about to be unleashed? It’s for the reader to find out.

I loved this story for a number of reasons. First, it is highly imaginative, but reads so realistically. The reader is given a powerful warning of the pitfalls of our technological developments. The story has many echoes of what we are already experiencing, the control by gadgets and our modern technologies, and the subtle erosion of human values. John Molik has a strong gift for setting and readers will appreciate his social commentaries and the vivid pictures he paints of the world few years into the future. I loved the beautiful prose, the well-crafted dialogues and the strong plot elements. The Three Poisons is one of those rare books that make the reader shudder as they turn from page to page, feeling strongly connected with both the story and the characters. It is balanced, masterly crafted, and hugely entertaining.

Romuald Dzemo

The Three Poisons by John Molik is a brilliantly accomplished story in which advanced technology meets the quest for control, neo-slavery, and conspiracy. A group of men known as The Horsemen are about to change the course of history, subjugating whole populations to a new and advanced form of slavery through the mastery of a new technology. What could save humanity is an artificially intelligent computer that needs to learn the ways of the human heart and respond to the threat as a human being would. But time is swiftly passing by. The future of the world as we know it could require a miracle and that miracle depends greatly on a piece of technology.

The setting of this novel is in 2025 and readers will enjoy the author’s imagination as it paints a complex world in which technology has grown in leaps and bounds, becoming the very pulse of human culture. It is against the backdrop of such a world that a powerful conspiracy takes place. The scenes are well-crafted and infused with strong emotions. I particularly enjoyed the sense of urgency that accompanies the story. The moment the reader is introduced to the story, they become eager to find out what will happen next and the author succeeds in creating a deep sense of loathing for the villains in the story, which isn’t always easy.

This is a story that can be read as a prophetic message underlining the dangers of technology, and the fact that our tools can quickly replace our sense of humanity. The writing is gorgeous and the vivid descriptions plunge the reader into the very soul of the story. John Molik’s The Three Poisons is told in a mesmerizing voice and features suspense that keeps the reader turning from one page to the next riveting page. A piece of great entertainment, indeed!

Matt T

I mainly read non fiction and I truly enjoyed the first two books of this trilogy and I don't ever give anything away when I write about a book and I won't with this review, but I highly recommend to any person that comes upon this to absolutely, most definitely, get this book and I recommend reading the first two as well. After reading the first two books of this trilogy, this one turned out to be my favorite. I was invested in the outcome of the characters in this trilogy and this book paid off. I love to know the ending of stories and this book tied up the loose ends of the trilogy beautifully. So much action. So much humor. So much emotion. The dialogue in this book between the characters is top notch. The entire book was fantastic but the last eleven pages absolutely gave me raised skin.Goosebumps! Absolutely stellar. No book, especially any works of fiction, have given me goosebumps in years and years. This book did that and it was absolutely excellent. The Epilogue was absolutely excellent as well. Honestly I am speechless but I still felt that I needed to write some kind of review. The message of this book is really a beautiful message. Action and suspense books just never ever make me feel what this book made me feel. This book reminds me of some of the greatest works of science fiction ever written. It truly does and it is truly that well written. All three books were great but this one, it blew me away. I felt so many emotions while reading this book. The Three Poisons touches on so many subjects in the here and now of modern society. Read it and you will find out. There truly is something in this trilogy and in this specific book for everyone. This book was crafted masterfully. I'm telling you, read these books. If you are a avid reader or just getting back into books again, don't miss out on this story and the message of this trilogy. Even more mind blowing was the fact that this is only the author's third book. When I finished reading The Three Poisons, all I could selfishly hope was that in the near future John Molik brings more of his characters and stories to the world.