Rachel Reviews: The Antigen by A.I. Fabler

Fabler's book, the continuance of The Seed of Corruption is a thoughtful book presented as a thriller. His fiction promotes query and discussion, and his well-written narrative reads like an expanded parable, a moral tale which highlights a view that could, if aligned with real world events, promote controversy, scepticism and insecurity. And it's difficult not to read this story and make comparisons to the Covid-19 pandemic and the way that that unfolded globally.

The story again centres around key characters featured in Fabler's first book who are in the position of trying to bring the truth of what they've uncovered to light. Anton Faraday is accompanying Caroline Brinkley, their having met and romanced in The Seed of Corruption as well as having been subjected to a situation that was life-threatening. However, they live to fight another day and undeterred by their harrowing experience, they are keen to bring their potential killers to justice. Nothing like near death to unite and fire up.

Running parallel to their story is that of the people whom they need to enlist to enable the story to launch: the news people. We have Sinclair Baines in Hanoi and Bryan Liddell in London, both proponents who want to see Brinkley's story released but aware of the world in which they live and how news is no longer an independent field but one which can be influenced by big business with unscrupulous motives.

And so, the scene is set and we follow these characters, as well as a solicitor, Kate Manning, into a dark world where the best interests of humans are not at the heart of the motivations of others.

This is a well-told story. Fabler's prose is easy to read and his characters' dialogue is realistically portrayed and apt to the portrayal of character which he is trying to convey. There is action enough: it's not frantic but the threat is omnipresent, like a looming cloud, and all pervasive.

And whilst it is fiction, as I said, it does prompt thought and may, in the more suspicious reader, cause interest to be piqued sufficiently to delve deeper into the truth behind vaccinations and viruses and their origins, artificial or natural.Health, after all, is big business and big business has a long reach.

An interesting, unsettling read but ultimately, hopeful as Fabler's characters battle to present the truth.

Rachel Rating: 4/5 stars

This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC: