BKWAGORA.RVW   20120720

"Whill of Agora", Michael James Ploof, 2012, 978-1466249684, U$14.99
%A   Michael James Ploof http://whillofagora.com/
%C   7290 B. Investment Drive, Charleston, SC   29418
%D   2012
%G   978-1466249684 1466249684
%I   CreateSpace
%O   U$14.99 PR@CreateSpace.com
%O  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1466249684/robsladesinterne
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1466249684/robsladesinte-21
%O   http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1466249684/robsladesin03-20
%O   Audience n Tech 1 Writing 1 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
%P   630 p.
%T   "Whill of Agora"

You could be forgiven for thinking that "Whill of Agora" is a rather
pedestrian sword and sorcery book, following the "one d@#^ed thing
after another" school of plot development [1].  However, as I was
prompted to review this work by virtue of having been a member of the
Agora [2], one of the best series of information security meetings
extent [3], I was able to bring an additional perspective to bear on
the text.

Agora, of course, means an open meeting place.  I am quite sure that
the author had this in mind [4] when he made "Agora" refer to the
whole world.  (Well, maybe not quite the whole world.  A mini-
continent, slightly smaller than Australia, perhaps.)  The world
(island) of Agora has been visited by elves (from someplace else) and
is under attack by Draggard (from someplace else).

(The book has a map of Agora in it, which we, in the Agora, found very
useful for figuring out where we were.)

It was the mention of the Draggard that first put me onto the relation
between the Agora book and the Agora meetings.  The Draggard are
hybrid creatures, created from the union of elves (generally good) and
dragons (generally bad).  Well, if you have any background in malware
at all, you immediately realize that these have to refer to trojans. 
Also, the Draggard are dangerous primarily because they reproduce
quickly, by laying clutches of eggs.  This is an obvious reference to
viral programs, and worms.  (Are not the words "worm" and "dragon"
used interchangeably in fantasy literature?)

However, these relations might be considered coincidental stretches of
the imagination.  In reality, the central theme of the book does turn
on fundamental information security concepts.  Whill is not just a
ragged traveller, but is, in fact, the unknown but rightful king of
the largest empire in the land of Agora.  In the same way, infosec is
often seen as unnecessary and even restrictive to business operations,
but is, in fact, the unregarded key to successful business [5].  As
well, Whill is the only one who can wield magic sword and save the
land from destruction, and therefore must be protected from harm lest
the land's last hope be lost.  (This is a clear reference to the
danger of the "single point of failure" and the importance of defence
in depth.)

That this world has to be virtual is clear to anyone who reads the
book.  Mariners can travel an enormous distance and still see a
lighthouse.  Not only would this make the lighthouse incredibly
bright, but it also means the world has to be flat, otherwise the
light would be hidden by the curvature of the surface.  The map shows
an island which we are told is completely occupied by a trading city. 
Given other mentions of distance, we can calculate that the city would
be more than four times the size of modern Singapore, despite being
contained within a lake (slightly smaller than Lake Superior) and in a
world where oars and sails are the height of transport technology.

In the end, Whill is being dragged off to a dungeon of eternal torture
run by Dark Elf, and we have a flashback to the day when the Dwarf
kingdom was attacked and overrun by the Draggard, despite the dwarves
defensive structure which allows them to fall back through
increasingly dangerous positions and traps to use against the enemy
[6].  Therefore, this book is clearly a reference to the futile
position of those of us who toil in information security.  We know; we
always have known; that a sufficiently determined intruder will always
be able to break in.  No safeguard, not even a layered defence, will
be able to do more than delay the inevitable.

It's so depressing.  Budget the size of a coffee fund, and all we can
do is cut off access for the employees in operations ...

Hey, who are you going to believe, me, or the promo video created by
the author or publisher? [7]



[1] Yes, you would, in fact, be quite correct in doing so.

[2] Yes, the coincidence of names is the only reason it made it into
this series.

[3] Yes, if you know me well enough, you can get an invite.

[4] Yes, I'm kidding.

[5] Stop coughing in the back rows, you.

[6] Yes, I assume the author intended this to be the start of a
trilogy or series, but there is no mention of "See the further
adventures of ..." or "The Saga continues in ..." at the end of the
book.

[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CuvqhPK4cY

copyright, Robert M. Slade   2012     BKWAGORA.RVW   20120720