The Machiavelli Interface

The Machiavelli Interface wraps up the Matador trilogy with an ending that will satisfy readers. Khadaji takes the war to the Confed and his matadors step up to play their part. But Marcus Jefferson Wall, the secret power behind the Confed, isn’t just going to sit and watch his empire fall apart. Only one side can win, and in the end, the body count adds up.

For me, the Matador trilogy is an interesting sci-fi story. Each book has a different character focus, and in The Machiavelli Interface, Marcus Jefferson Wall takes the spotlight. While his character doesn’t get as much attention as Khadaji and Dirisha received in the first two books, he still gets some serious development. The result is a sick and twisted character. Fair warning, some readers may be very uncomfortable with the direction Steve Perry takes this character. Glimpses of Wall’s childhood reveal the dark tragedies that led to the monster, but nothing can forgive the pedophile practices he adopts. It’s bad enough knowing he enjoys such a heinous thing, but it’s even worse when the story dives into his head, his desires, and his actions.

For fans of Khadaji and Dirisha, they each share equal page time with their various missions. Khadaji definitely shows why he’s a legend and I liked how his story arc played out. Dirisha, on the other hand, felt like she got a little short changed. Her arc wasn’t as glamorous and didn’t feel completely fulfilled. There are more books in the series, so it’s possible it was left intentionally open.

I think it’s worth noting that the style of these books is a little different from other stories. Steve Perry doesn’t spend a lot of time elaborating on key scenes. They’re fast stories. The action moves rapidly. For instance, in The Machiavelli Interface, a couple important characters die. However, rather than writing epic character moments for their deaths, he simply has them die in a line or two of prose while the action and story keeps running without pause. He doesn’t slow down to give them focus. It’s an odd choice. With so much characterization given to some of the characters, it’s weird that he would do their deaths with little fanfare. It certainly lessens the impact of the story. I’m not really sure what Steve Perry was aiming for with those choices.

The Man Who Never Missed, Matadora and The Machiavelli Interface are quick reads. It’s a different taste of sci-fi and an interesting look at the kinds of stories Steve Perry told outside of Star Wars. They are by no means must reads, however, they’re also not books you should totally skip. If you ever find yourself wanting to read more by Steve Perry, the Matador trilogy is a good way to broaden your horizons. He explores some neat concepts, and good and bad, there’s something to be learned from them. I give The Machiavelli Interface and the Matador trilogy as a whole a three out of five metal bikinis.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.