Book Review: The Savagery of Man (Operation Homecoming

Reviewed by Erin Britton

An action-packed thriller that traverses the globe and plumbs the depths of political conspiracies and power struggles

Nikki Yanu Kanati’s The Savagery of Man: Operation Homecoming offers a gripping exploration of a world on the brink of catastrophe. As government factions, megalomaniacal individuals, and sinister secret societies compete to seize and retain power in the face of global devastation, the fate of the world hinges on the actions of one covert operative.

The tipping point comes with the assassination of US President Abraham Bancroft Calhoun. “Unfathomable, gruesome violence. Explosions. Dozens of thunderous explosions shatter the serene, beautiful spring morning of a quaint Virginia town as smoke, flame and deadly shrapnel poison the air.” This is closely followed by the sound of gunfire, and when the smoke clears, the body of the president is seen lying in the street.

The hero of the piece is Max Doss, a freelance operative with a history of taking whatever steps necessary to secure his country’s interests. “Unlike many in his profession, the man took no pleasure in administering pain,” although he is certainly willing to do so.

As Doss and his temporary (and unwanted) partner Tactical Agent Alejandra Bijeau traverse the country and then the world in search of the assassins and their paymasters, their mission is complicated by the machinations of two powerful individuals: Kurt Stromquist, an unusually charismatic UN administrator with a plan to forge a European empire, and Temüjin the Blessed, a direct descendent of Genghis Khan who is seeking to recreate his ancestor’s kingdom.

Complicating matters even further is the ongoing and highly confidential extraterrestrial arms race, which was triggered by the discovery of odd humanoid remains and alien tools in a cave system in Ethiopia. “For some time, we’ve known that Germany acquired an alien spacecraft, the first, right around 1954 and now we know how -.” Since then, the world’s major powers have all been searching for similar alien artifacts, with the USA, Russia, and China all seeming to have succeeded.

There are plenty of strands to The Savagery of Man: Operation Homecoming, allowing plenty of opportunities for action and keeping the story moving at a cracking pace. From the recognizable political intrigue to the malevolent secret societies and diabolical individuals to the extraterrestrial technology, there are certainly wheels within wheels when it comes to the plot.

While some of the leaps between incidents can be a bit sudden, especially when involving detailed backstory, all the different aspects ultimately hang together well. It helps that Max Doss has spent a lifetime in international security circles, which has afforded him insight into all the shady dealings that are afoot.

In fact, Doss is a true Renaissance Man when it comes to covert operations. He has all the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to thwart a number of international conspiracies. He’s an impressive hero—arguably verging into antihero territory—who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and always proves more than a match for the various villains he encounters. His partnership with Alejandra Bijeau also works well, even if their banter is sometimes a bit much.

While the story largely follows Doss and Bijeau in the course of their investigation, valuable background information and insightful analysis is provided by Hermann Adelman, both through his diary and via explanations he provides to his daughter Gretchen, who has been in a coma for two years following a car accident. “When you are strong enough to hear a story, I will tell you a story. I fear it is neither a short nor happy story. Much has changed in the world over the past two years. Our own country is at war with itself.”

Adelman’s role as an almost omniscient narrator is an interesting one, ensuring access to top secret information that helps drive the plot forward. However, as he remains a shadowy figure—his role within the US government and as Max’s boss are obscure—it is questionable just how reliable a narrator he is. This adds tension to the story, making it difficult to get a handle on who can be trusted and what is true, as does the input of the mysterious Mother.

There’s also a background mystery concerning Max’s real identity, his training, and his ultimate employer. “Our fearless leader once upon a time assigned code names to certain field agents. X was for the experimental program they were in. The number five meant that our Max was the fifth Max in the program to graduate. The boss later discontinued the project along with these designations for reasons unknown.” It adds an extra layer of depth and suggests there might be more in store for Max in the future.

Although the exact timeframe isn’t specified, it seems that The Savagery of Man: Operation Homecoming is set in the relatively near future. There are new technologies, political shifts, and conflicts, but the world is largely recognizable. In this regard, Kanati has clearly put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding and alternative history, blending reality with both current conspiracy theories and projections of possibilities for the future.

Such touches enhance the realism of the story, keeping it grounded in the present and likely future, even with the extraordinary elements of various threads, like the alien technology. The story is truly immersive, and as Kanati’s vision of the possible decline of the established global order is frighteningly plausible, there is a real sense of tension and peril.

The Savagery of Man: Operation Homecoming weaves together political chicanery with brutal violence and action to craft a disturbingly realistic thriller. It’s an ambitious novel carried on the shoulders of an archetypal action hero, and the various conspiracies and double-crosses mean that there’s never a dull moment.

Thank you for reading Erin Britton’s book review of The Savagery of Man: Operation Homecoming by Nikki Yanu Kanati and Mark McMillin! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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