The System

A Novel of the Deep State

By: Barry Eisler

Narrated by: Barry Eisler

A riveting exposé of the inner workings of American power—as gripping as House of Cards and as fraught with personal dynamics as The Diplomat.

Valeria Velez has just pulled off a stunning upset in California's 27th District, ousting ten-term corporatist incumbent Fillian Dunne from his seat in Congress. Young, beautiful, and idealistic, Valeria and her boyfriend/campaign manager Preston Jante are determined to use Valeria's new position to "stop stuffing the maw of the military machine" and return power to the people. But when fugitive hacker Lance Thaddeus uncovers a top-secret Pentagon program combining artificial intelligence with nuclear command-and-control, Valeria might have to choose between her ideals...and her life.

And even while trying to navigate the unfamiliar pathways and temptations of American power, Valeria will have to contend with a mother still frozen by bitterness about the past, a brother jealous of Valeria's future, and the ghost of the father who abandoned them all and then died before Valeria could even begin to understand his reasons.

But as Valeria will discover, in the world she has entered, personal and political can be meaningless distinctions. There are no solutions, only trade-offs, and as Valeria negotiates with the factions holding real power in America—Wall Street, the Pentagon, Silicon Valley—the lines between compromise and capitulation, savvy and sell-out, player and played, become increasingly hard to see, with ultimate stakes not just for Valeria, but for the very future of constitutional democracy in America.

©2025 Barry Eisler (P)2025 Barry Eisler

Incredible and Real

The author took a departure from his regular stories but it was worth it. Reading the book reminded me about current state of politics in the US and other part of the world. The book describes reality we live in and a lot of times gave a something to ponder about it. Great book and I am looking forward where Mr.Eisler will take his reader next.

Gripping good book

Barry Eisler has put out another great book. This was quite interesting from a political standpoint

Complex ideas dispersed in a simple not simplistic narrative. Love his work.

I’m not sure a dry non fiction account of the deep state and the realities facing idealistic politicians could have explained things any better. Is there a real Catch 22 or is it always the suborning of ideals? I think Eisler answers it. And side note: he’s equally as good at the narration as the writing. He should narrate more.

Another tremendous book from Barry Eisler

Amazing characters and a fun ride as a story. Keep ‘em coming Barry. You’re the best.

Excellent

I started out feeling curious but slightly ambivalent, as the story progressed, I started to feel unsettled, by the time I finished I felt deeply frightened, because, towards the end I listened to a podcast by Steven Bartlett interviewing Geoffrey Hinton, the Godfather of AI. This story by Barry Eisler puts into perspective the mountain, we as ordinary people are going to have to climb to hold our politicians to account. He has given us a taste of the kind of person that we will need to fight a huge, very frightening, clear & present danger.