Review: Trump Card “A Terrific Novel” – Occult and Political Humor

“The year is 2017. America is a tire fire. The resistance is led by Teen Vogue, Badlands National Park, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary.”

The above is one tweet which was retweeted, replicated, and paraphrased in a variety of ways and probably looks familiar to many. Both real and surreal, it summed up how many have felt about the political and social climate since Donald Trump was elected President. Many of us have found our solace in humor from places like SNL and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.  Others have been (understandably) burnt out and have chosen escapism in the form of kitten videos and Game of Thrones.

Regardless of how you’ve been handling the current hot mess that is the American government at present, the new book release Trump Card is for you.

Trump Card brilliantly weaves together the hero mythos from Joseph Campbell with themes from the Hunger Games and mystical and occult references. Its biting wit and satire is leveled mostly at the Trump administration but is not without words of wisdom towards those in the “resistance” either. There are a number of laugh out loud shots taken by this book. Some players may be recognized, some may not. Nonetheless the occult community, “hex activism”, “meme magic”, and various colorful characters who have attempted to seize their fifteen minutes of fame in this tense political climate all get their turn.

In short, no one is safe, and this book may be the meme to end all memes. From references to the LBRP to hilarious commentary on the spelling of magic(k), it’s obvious who the audience of this book is intended for. While ceremonial magical references may go over some reader’s heads, it won’t escape others that the main character’s name is none other than that of the goddess of wisdom.

Alas, I can’t promise that this book will be a magic spell against the forces that have placed Trump in a position of power. But I can promise you that it will piss off all of the right people. And while this may be both a good and a bad thing, fortune favors the bold. Both the heroine and the story itself will pull you right in with just enough elements of humor to reassure you that it’s not taking itself seriously.

Or is it? Maybe this book will be the magical device we need to combat authoritarian governments. Or perhaps instead we should regard the carefully placed text at the start of the book: “This entire book is a lie“.

Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

Trump Card is available in print:
https://www.createspace.com/7313032

Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Card-Scott-Michael-Stenwick-ebook/dp/B074F3FZQV/

E-book on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/739434