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The Fall of the CRINK Alliance #2
Operation Danger Close
A new presidential administration has taken over Washington D.C. Some worry it may be the last. The U.S. Military and Intelligence Community is reeling over the loss of some of its best and brightest, some voluntarily and some otherwise.
Southwest Asia turns from a geopolitical region into a pressure cooker, the home to a long dormant empire seeing strategic power plays unfold. The Islamic Republic of Iran begins a game of 4D Geopolitical Chess, believing victory to be guaranteed, with Israel occupied in the West Bank and the newly-elected American President's foreign policy being driven by grossly incompetent figureheads.
Against this unprecedented Iranian aggression, a courageous band of freedom fighters represents the only obstacle to the Iranian path to total domination. Eliza Rogers, formerly a Major in the United States Marine Corps and an officer of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, is now a member of the 1st Civ Div — the 1st Civilian Division. Free from the restrictions that come with collecting a paycheck from Uncle Sam, it's now on her to bring the fight to the Iranians with a different ragtag band of misfits, this one without an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.
As she wages this war beyond the reach of Washington’s crumbling institutions, she and her team are thrust into a brutal struggle against a relentless enemy, and now without the resources of a nation-state behind them. Their opponents, long having been advocates of asymmetric and hybrid warfare, have built a secret weapon while the West obsessed over their nuclear program. One Thousand and One Oracles, an advanced AI taking advantage of advances in distributed computing and machine learning, anticipates and counters the efforts of all who get in the way of the new Persian Empire, this one guided by a theocracy that sees its cause as the righteous and inevitable conclusion of human history.
This war, like every other one fought by United States Marines, seems like a losing battle to all sane people. As far as Eliza's concerned, she had to be insane to join the United States Marines and that she won't die, like a good little Devil Dog, she'll just go to hell and regroup. So she marches forward whistling to the tune of the Marine Hymn. “…In many a strife we’ve fought for life, and never lost our nerve…”
Will that be enough though?
—————
Author K.E. Bartlet — a professional hacker turned cyber warrior turned everyday whackadoo — delivers a gripping political techno-thriller that takes you across the globe from the comfort of ... wherever you’re reading.
The second installment in The Fall of the CRINK Alliance blends action, intrigue, and just enough romance, tragedy, and food to feel both eerily familiar and like the perfect escape. Written from a fresh perspective the genre has long needed, this book is a must-read for fans of Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, Andrew Watts, and similar giants of the genre.
Southwest Asia turns from a geopolitical region into a pressure cooker, the home to a long dormant empire seeing strategic power plays unfold. The Islamic Republic of Iran begins a game of 4D Geopolitical Chess, believing victory to be guaranteed, with Israel occupied in the West Bank and the newly-elected American President's foreign policy being driven by grossly incompetent figureheads.
Against this unprecedented Iranian aggression, a courageous band of freedom fighters represents the only obstacle to the Iranian path to total domination. Eliza Rogers, formerly a Major in the United States Marine Corps and an officer of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, is now a member of the 1st Civ Div — the 1st Civilian Division. Free from the restrictions that come with collecting a paycheck from Uncle Sam, it's now on her to bring the fight to the Iranians with a different ragtag band of misfits, this one without an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.
As she wages this war beyond the reach of Washington’s crumbling institutions, she and her team are thrust into a brutal struggle against a relentless enemy, and now without the resources of a nation-state behind them. Their opponents, long having been advocates of asymmetric and hybrid warfare, have built a secret weapon while the West obsessed over their nuclear program. One Thousand and One Oracles, an advanced AI taking advantage of advances in distributed computing and machine learning, anticipates and counters the efforts of all who get in the way of the new Persian Empire, this one guided by a theocracy that sees its cause as the righteous and inevitable conclusion of human history.
This war, like every other one fought by United States Marines, seems like a losing battle to all sane people. As far as Eliza's concerned, she had to be insane to join the United States Marines and that she won't die, like a good little Devil Dog, she'll just go to hell and regroup. So she marches forward whistling to the tune of the Marine Hymn. “…In many a strife we’ve fought for life, and never lost our nerve…”
Will that be enough though?
—————
Author K.E. Bartlet — a professional hacker turned cyber warrior turned everyday whackadoo — delivers a gripping political techno-thriller that takes you across the globe from the comfort of ... wherever you’re reading.
The second installment in The Fall of the CRINK Alliance blends action, intrigue, and just enough romance, tragedy, and food to feel both eerily familiar and like the perfect escape. Written from a fresh perspective the genre has long needed, this book is a must-read for fans of Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, Andrew Watts, and similar giants of the genre.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
K.E. Bartlet
6 books15 followersOnce upon a time, in the Silicon Valley, she spent the misadventure called life being an electron dominatrix, enriching corporate overlords like Tim Apple & F*ckerburg.
Along the way, she taught students how to do the same, became one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, taking the Big Green Weenie in order to open a can of whoop a** on the world's bad guys, & other bouts of career ADHD.
All while never being as cool as the peeps in the Tom Clancy novels she'd been reading since age 9.
Nevertheless, she persisted, writing Thrillers, SciFi, Romance, sassy articles, and dark & twisty comics.
For anyone who's read this far, she uses a pen name since she only slept during OPSEC training after running out of snacks.
More @Links.KEBartlet.com
Along the way, she taught students how to do the same, became one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, taking the Big Green Weenie in order to open a can of whoop a** on the world's bad guys, & other bouts of career ADHD.
All while never being as cool as the peeps in the Tom Clancy novels she'd been reading since age 9.
Nevertheless, she persisted, writing Thrillers, SciFi, Romance, sassy articles, and dark & twisty comics.
For anyone who's read this far, she uses a pen name since she only slept during OPSEC training after running out of snacks.
More @Links.KEBartlet.com
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 24, 2025
TLDR : Was a fun read. Had some depressing parts since it seems set in 2025, but had a nice relieving ending.
Plot 5/5
Realistic, albeit somewhat depressing, which makes sense considering LeGrande is pretty much Trump. Little bits of changes regarding foreign policy, but the same kind of megalomaniacal whackjob as we have in real life. Did enjoy seeing the protagonists from book 1 now out of government service.
Formatting 4/5
At least in the Kindle Unlimited version I read, there were some weird indents that kind of annoyed me, but it didn't detract from the plot.
Style 5/5
I love the fourth wall breaks.
Length & Pace 3/5
It gets really long here and there. Like Tom Clancy level long. And then other parts are super short, like one part of the plot being told by different people right after the other, like the part with the raid switching from the team leader to the sniper to one of the operators on the ground.
Plot 5/5
Realistic, albeit somewhat depressing, which makes sense considering LeGrande is pretty much Trump. Little bits of changes regarding foreign policy, but the same kind of megalomaniacal whackjob as we have in real life. Did enjoy seeing the protagonists from book 1 now out of government service.
Formatting 4/5
At least in the Kindle Unlimited version I read, there were some weird indents that kind of annoyed me, but it didn't detract from the plot.
Style 5/5
I love the fourth wall breaks.
Length & Pace 3/5
It gets really long here and there. Like Tom Clancy level long. And then other parts are super short, like one part of the plot being told by different people right after the other, like the part with the raid switching from the team leader to the sniper to one of the operators on the ground.
Displaying 1 of 1 review