The Bottom Line: A wild ride that successfully blends alt history, spy fiction and sci-fi into an unforgettable, high-octane adventure. Perfect for fans of Douglas E. Richards.
The Savagery of Man opens in 1954 as Cambridge archaeology professor Dr. Harvey Winston, driven by desperation and the dwindling funds of his grant, ventures into the harsh, unforgiving landscapes of Ethiopia to find proof of an ancient civilization. Filled with a flicker of hope after months of futile searching, Winston braves the sweltering heat and choking dust storms, hiring a group of laborers with the last of his money. After a promising find, he notifies a young professor at the Technical University of Munich, Ludwig Papenfuss. Much to Winston’s surprise, Ludwig soon appears with a small army and begins, over the next several days, to take over the excavation. After leaving with what they came for, the cave – and all its inhabitants – perish in an explosive act of sabotage.
From there, author Nikki Yanu Kanati plunges us into modern-day American chaos. In Virginia, the President of the United States lays dead after an attack on his armored car. As we soon learn, the dead president was sworn in just two weeks ago before being butchered in the streets. Nearby, a U.S. senator is shackled to a table in a dingy interrogation room.
What does a West German raid on an Ethiopian archaeological site have to do with the death of an American president decades later? Fear not: your patience will be rewarded. Kanati has created a complex global tapestry that spans time, continents and even planets.
Enter Max Doss, an intelligence operative that begins by interrogating the Senator. A former soldier with significant combat experience, Doss is tasked with finding those responsible for assassinating the President. While Kanati features dozens of intriguing characters, Doss is the constant presence through which we learn about the past and present state of the world. Among other things, Russia is carved into several independent states, China is in economic ruins, and two very different leaders now stand a chance at running the evolving world.
Also, there are aliens. Living among us (but with below-average height), they call Earth “beautiful jewel” while humankind is known as the Tribes of Kagii. It should come as no surprise that many seek to harness alien technology, and in that respect, the stakes are indeed very high. If Doss doesn’t find it, America – or at least the version of it in the novel – may perish.
Thematically, The Savagery of Man delves deep into the nature of power and the dangers of unchecked ambition. Kanati questions whether technological progress can ever outrun human savagery and whether unity can be forged from the ashes of chaos. With echoes of Cold War paranoia and contemporary geopolitical anxiety running throughout, Kanati’s book is a gripping one.
