Title: Potus: A Political Fantasy in Three Parts
Author: T.C. Owen
Publisher: Authors Press
ISBN: 978-1643146898
Pages: 598
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers
Hollywood Book Reviews
The world itself can be a tough place to live at times. There are many problems facing the world today, and each nation on this planet has their own detrimental issues they are facing while also having to deal with international problems as well. That is why we often turn to fiction to escape the harsh realities of our world and find new and exciting stories which can reflect those issues while finding impossible ways of dealing with them. As Dr. Seuss said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
In author T.C. Owen’s Potus: A Political Fantasy in Three Parts, the author captures the essence of fantasy through magical realism, political thriller, and action hero storytelling. The story revolves around President T.C., a butt-kicking President who faces waves of domestic and international terrorists on a daily basis while keeping the nation running as smoothly as possible. The novel explores his various adventures throughout this presidency and life, as he meets and falls in love with several powerful women, fights off the bad guys, and eventually finds himself stumbling backwards into wild and insane worlds. Through the pain of loss, the exhaustion of failures, and the determination of seeing through his mission, the protagonist embodies the tough as nail action heroes of Old Westerns and 80’s action flicks that jump off of the page.
The author has crafted a unique and thought-provoking action and mystery thriller with strong elements of fantasy. The story starts out strong, with the author taking readers into the adrenaline-fueled hours of terror attacks on the President amidst his State of the Union. The balance of political rhetoric and action made for compelling storytelling, and so when the more fantastic elements of the narrative eventually set in, it felt both shocking and yet equally compelling to read about. The character development was the strongest component of this almost mythical read. By the author’s own admission later on in the book, the protagonist embodies the rough and tumble misogyny that so many classic action stars and Old Hollywood actors personified over the years, and yet on a flip of the coin the reader is shown another side of the hero, as he falls in love and comes to admire a host of strong and independent women. The complexities of this character’s development reflect the complexities of our own society quite well.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy both action thrillers and fantasy stories, especially those that include mysteries, epics, and magical realism. The magical way the fantasy elements seemed to seep into the protagonist’s world and politics over the course of the narrative will keep the readers on the edge of their seats, as it made for some thoughtful and colorful storytelling.
Haunting, entertaining, and thought-provoking, author T.C. Owen’s “Potus: A Political Fantasy in Three Parts” is a must-read mystery and fantasy novel. The blend of politics, action, and suspense brings this thriller to new heights that most novels are not able to reach, and the cohesive way the character growth came together with the imagery and atmosphere the author was able to establish made for some engaging storytelling.