Title: Electromagnetic Assault
Author: Bruce Landay
Publisher / Publication date: Sisyphus Triumphant Publishing (April 7, 2026)
Language: English
Trade paperback and e-book: 349 pages
Genre: Near Future Military Political Techno-thriller
ISBN 979-8-9939992-0-3 (Softcover)
ISBN 979-8-9939992-1-0 (eBook)
Reviewed by: Jennifer Rupp
A Near Future as Hopeful as it is Unsettling
Bruce Landay’s technothriller, Electromagnetic Assault, portrays a near future as politically volatile as our own. The detente between superpowers, China and the US, is about to crumble as enemy factions vie for military technology, a weapon that can disable whole armies with electromagnetic energy. But Landay’s future isn’t all doom and gloom. Unlike today, women hold significant positions of political and military power. Landay has done away with glass ceilings in favor of equity and parity. Refreshing!
The story begins with an investigation into a fatal helicopter crash eerily similar to the one that killed an entire Navy SEAL team and nearly took the pilot’s life, as well. Not long into her investigation, that same former Special Ops pilot, Jazmin Hassani, realizes that someone in the US government is trying to hide a devastating technology, one that could upset the balance of global power. When Jazmine won’t back down, she is betrayed by her own government. She is labeled a domestic terrorist because her views don’t align with the administration. Sound familiar? With no other way to complete her mission, she reluctantly joins forces with a top-secret, privately-funded Wisconsin militia. These soldiers are the elite of the elite. Think: Navy SEALs times ten.
Landay’s meticulous detail gives the story a gritty, realistic feel, as the weaponry and technology spring from what scientists are already creating for near-future use. What I particularly love is that, like today, a constant threat to all negotiations is the uncertainty deep fake AI presents on all levels of communication. How does one ascertain the truth? How does one present evidence when its veracity is always in doubt?
Electromagnetic Assault will appeal to readers who love a big helping of thriller flavored with military might and topped with tantalizing technology. Jazmin makes for a great hero! The tagline says it all: The tech is unstoppable. But so is she. Five stars for a debut novel and more to come!
Jennifer Rupp: Jennifer Trethewey is the pen name of Jennifer Rupp. She writes sexy, sweeping Highland romance combining on-site research, wonderfully flawed characters, and a liberal dose of humor. Her first four historical romances from the Highlanders of Balforss series, released by Entangled Publishing, have achieved critical success. She has placed in numerous regional writing contests and is a member of Chicago North Romance Writers of America, Wisconsin Writers Association, Red Oak Studios, Off Campus Writers Workshop, Regency Fiction Writers, and Chicago Writers Association. She is also Co-Founder and former Co-Artistic Director of Milwaukee’s Renaissance Theaterworks, the longest-running women’s theater company in the US.
