A judge who has lost faith in his government. An uneasy global political climate. A world on the brink of all-out war.

Jay Schiffman’s debut novel, Game of the Gods, has all the ingredients to be the action-packed, sci-fi political thriller for our times. Wrestling with huge, fascinating themes, the story pits religion against science, individual against country, and one man against a prediction that he will destroy the world.

In the Earth’s far future, Max Cone is the High Judge of the Federacy, one of the nations carved out of the post-apocalyptic wasteland that was once North America. A former war hero and current arbiter of Federacy citizenship, Max is renowned for, well, being a really good guy–honest, responsible, and strong of both body and morals. All of his best qualities are tested, however, when he is drawn into a global conflict in the most personal way possible: His family is kidnapped by foreign government, propelling him on a revenge tour that takes him through nations run by rogue military factions, independent cartels, and a mysterious pope-like figure who is not as holy as he seems. Continue reading →