Title: The Secret Fire
Author: Martin Langfield
Publisher: Penguin Books 2009 (First)
ISBN: 978-0-141-02507-0
Pages: 358
This one was supposed to be a thriller, which I took for a change from the library. The cover line about a secret weapon launched by the Nazis in 1944 threatening London in 2007 suggested endless possibilities on science fiction. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most boring. Even the plot was lifeless and pushed on by the labourings of the author. The book extols psychic forces, magical chants, mind reading, witchcraft, alchemy and sheer miracles.
The plot of the story can be summarized in a very few sentences because it is too short and devoid of any genuine interest. The Nazis get hold of a paper describing ‘secret fire’, written by Newton during his alchemical experiments in the 17th century. This weapon unleashes psychic forces when attacked and will turn the subject population into raving mad lunatics who’d kill each other. Two British secret service agents operating in France against the German occupation couldn’t prevent the Nazis working under a psychic leader Isambard launching the weapon in a V1 rocket targeted at London. A witch, practising psychic things prevent the weapon from detonating by her prayer and assimilates the destruction on her own mind by becoming insane. When the witch died after 63 years in 2007, the weapon’s power she had withheld for so many years began to become apparent, unleashing destruction after six decades. The hero of the game who turned out to be witch’s successor rings a magic bell in a London church and stops the weapon for all time.
The author has totally failed to instil anything worthwhile or interesting in this hellish bore of a book. Since he relies on magical powers to force the plot forward, anything is possible. In one instance, when the son of Isambard touches a secret paper (without opening it), his father could see the contents of the paper by mind reading from a distance of 1000 kilometres. Such fantastic writing may go with a Harry Potter series, but not to a serious book read by the general public. How Penguin Books accepted this trash is beyond my comprehension. Except for some ghastly description of the German occupation of France and its enslavement of its people, this book lacks anything of value.
The work is not at all recommended as it will be a pure waste of time. When the final page is reached, we end up with doubts on the mental health of the author himself!
Rating: Unfit for rating
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