The Keepers, the first instalment of an ambitious sci-fi trilogy, plays out global warfare in the not-too-distant future. This initial volume in Friar's complex and thus far engaging trilogy is epic not only in its breadth, but in the scope of its inventiveness. The author tackles a mix of current environmental, social, and economic trends, playing out how they might converge in the future. Friar's vision, however, isn't for the faint of heart. It's 2039, and the wildly ambitious German ruler Geiseric and his henchmen have, in Hitlerian fashion, taken over central Europe and threaten world domination. Friar uses the first two World Wars as the template for his fictional third, and in spite of its eerie familiarity, the plot remains rich with suspense. The Keepers examines the efforts of a new group of Allied powers that attempt to drive Geiseric back and stymie his ruthless imperialism.