The Last Kingdom by Steve BerryMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Steve Berry returns to his signature character Cotton Malone after a brief hiatus (he took last year off) with a new story that takes a very unique spin on US history, but also world history this time around once again. It's pretty clear from the start of the book, a prologue set in the royal halls of Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, what other historical kingdom is going to be involved in the story this time - after all, his visiting king is a stout man, brown of skin, whose favorite hobby is playing the ukulele. It's a book that reminds us all that Hawaii was illegally annexed by the US in the late 19th century, while presenting a scenario that could shake the geopolitical table of the whole world once again, if allowed to be enacted. Unfortunately, Malone as a character falls by the wayside a bit in this one, overshadowed by the unique history and the lack of several of his usual traveling companions (no Cassiopeia Vitt, and no Stephanie Nelle because the asshat President Fox is hamstringing her, though at least Fox is presented as far less of a Trump-like idiot in this book compared to previous Berry novels.) I'm sure this one, though, will stick in my mind pretty well for quite some time afterwards.
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