Futurist writer Richard Friar once again dazzles readers with big battles and saucy science in The Keepers: Part II: Tribulation. Like the first instalment of the trilogy, Friar skilfully blends history and human motivation with his larger-than-life science fiction fare. From invisible commandos whose suits are based on present light-redistribution (cloaking) research being conducted at UC Berkeley, to the new Animalian battle machines modelled after everything from insects to dinosaurs, the readers are shown that not only will this technology be available in the far distant future, but in fact within a few decades. All that would be needed is the catalyst of a man that is Geiseric, the leader of the Apex Empire, who manages to coalesce and utilise the human and natural resources necessary to spark an arms race and war the likes of which humanity has never seen. In Tribulation, it is 2040 and the Allies are still up and running at their refuge on Mars, with the readers coming to see how the Apex lost its territories on the Red Planet. The Battle of Olympus Mons takes place atop the largest mountain in the solar system, preceded by a continent-wide, Martian dust and electrical storm. In their fight, the Allies encounter an unforeseen and bizarre enemy, ending in a signature plot reversal that will leave readers stunned. Geiseric's formative days are explored, bringing greater depth and texture to a character that has already enraptured so many fans of the first book. The war technology is once again lavishly illustrated in a high sci-fi style that will appeal to the science fiction fan in everyone, combined with a dramatic writing prose better than one often finds in books of this kind.