The Shadow Commission

by David Mack

Overview

The wizards of the Cold War must uncover a secret cabal responsible for the Kennedy assassination in The Shadow Commission, New York Times bestselling author David Mack's globe-spanning historical fantasy sequel to The Iron Codex.

November 1963. Cade and Anja have lived in hiding for a decade, training new mages. Then the assassination of President Kennedy trigger a series of murders whose victims are all magicians--with Cade, Anja, and their allies as its prime targets. Their only hope of survival: learning how to fight back against the sinister cabal known as the Shadow Commission.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765383235
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/11/2020
Series:	Dark Arts , #3
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	671,243
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

DAVID MACK is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies. His writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), film, short fiction, magazines, and comic books. He currently resides in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

03/23/2020

A group of oligarchs sparks international war in the fast if convoluted third alternate history of Mack’s Dark Arts series (following The Iron Codex). In the fall of 1963, the Commission, a cabal of powerful men headed by a shadowy figure known only as the Old Man, orchestrates a multipronged international assault as part of its plot to remake the world for its gain. Among the attacks is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Spouses Anja Kernova and Cade Martin, both “karcists,” warriors who wield demonic and angelic magic, work with Briet Segfrunsdóttir, the head of the U.S. Occult Defense Program, to understand how the Commission’s bullets were able to breach the magical shields surrounding Kennedy, an unprecedented feat. The whirlwind of warfare that follows is action-packed, but the graphic violence and high body count overtake character development. Though Mack’s magic system is intricate and offers some clever substitutions for not-yet-developed 21st-century technology, readers are likely to lose the thread of the Commission’s magical machinations. This is strictly for series completists. (June)

Publishers Weekly

For The Shadow Commission

"This twisty novel puts a new spin on conspiracy theory."--Wall Street Journal

"The Dark Arts series is a thoroughly entertaining saga."--SFF World

For The Iron Codex:

"Bottom line, The Dark Arts is turning out to be a blast of a series and I can't wait to read the next installment, The Shadow Commission."--SFF World

For The Midnight Front:

"Action-packed... Emotionally and intellectually engaging, as well as viscerally satisfying." --RT Book Reviews

A rollicking, high-stakes adventure with action tailor-made for the movies." --Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades

"Smart and surprising--fun and fascinating speculation grounded in familiar history, a rich and textured variation on the magical arts, and complex characters struggling to fight the good fight. I loved it." --Kirsten Beyer, New York Times Bestselling author of Children of the Storm

"Propulsive...Equal parts brimstone and gunpowder." --Kirkus Reviews

"Mack is a skilled storyteller with a gift for vivid and visceral action." --Publishers Weekly

"The Dark Arts series hits the ground running. Exciting and smart, David Mack's secret history of World War II and the occult heroes and villains that fought it will keep you up well past midnight." --R. S. Belcher, author of The Six-Gun Tarot

"An epic thrill ride, taking us deep into a compelling, hypnotic vision of history as it might have been. Powerful, fast paced, and engaging." --Ilana C. Myer, author of Last Song Before Night

"An exciting, secret struggle of occult powers and military action. Can't wait for the next one!" --Richard Baker, author of Valiant Dust

From the Publisher