The Company of the Dead – David Kowalski

In 2012 the world is occupied by German and Japanese forces. America is divided. Agent Kennedy of the Confederate has always felt that something in his world is amiss. His thoughts are confirmed when fellow CBI operative Hardas uncovers a journal from the Titanic’s safe. Amongst war and ruin, the operatives enlist John Lightholler, a descendant of the Titanic’s second officer Charles Lightholler, to help set things back the way they should be.

This novel is imaginative, monolithic, action-packed, and induces some head-scratching as is traditional with time-travel stories. At times there are too many characters and events, which requires patience. But the reader will not be disappointed. Twist after twist reveal themselves and the confusing aspects slot into place. By this time, you are so attached to Kennedy, Lightholler and comrades that you don’t want to leave them behind. Kowalski’s debut novel details a backwards nightmare world of a would-be future. The literary descriptions are surprising in an adventure novel. It is obviously intended for an international market, and carries a strong message that war in some form is inevitable, for freedom of the masses to prevail. It’s a shaky message but the author cleverly catches you in the narrative’s spirit. I look forward to what Kowalski might come up with next.

See the book’s website

See also the interview with David Kowalski.