The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2) by John Twelve Hawks and Scott Brick

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The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2) from Science Fiction

The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)
Available from Amazon
Price: $23.36
Updated on 12-28-2008.

Features

Audio CD

Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (July 10, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0739316397

ISBN-13: 978-0739316399

Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces ()

From Publishers Weekly
At the start of the engrossing second entry in bestseller Twelve Hawks's Fourth Realm trilogy (after The Traveler), the Brethren continue to control civilization through a computerized information system, the Vast Machine, and a host of offshoot surveillance technologies. Opposed to the Brethren are the Travelers, an ancient clan with the mystical ability to slip in and out of several dimensions. The Travelers are guarded by Harlequins, a warrior caste with sharp swords and ferociously lethal skills. In the Cain and Abel story at the book's heart, the quest of two Travelers, brothers Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, to find their legendary father has split them irrevocably: Gabriel fights for the forces of good, Michael has turned to the dark side. A love story featuring Gabriel's beautiful, deadly but conflicted Harlequin bodyguard, Maya, adds human interest to an often superhuman tale, and Gabriel's out-of-body journey to a horrifyingly fascinating parallel world adds a particularly compelling component to a saga that's part A Wrinkle in Time, part The Matrix and part Kurosawa epic. Given the complicated plot and complex setting, readers are advised to read The Traveler first. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine
To say that John Twelve Hawks-the pseudonym of the popular and reclusive author of the Fourth Realm trilogy-struggles under the burden of his success with the 2005 best seller The Traveler (**** Sept/Oct 2005) might be a bit of an exaggeration. Still, The Dark River tends to lack the punch and originality of the earlier novel. True to Twelve Hawks's vision, however, the second installment has enough gee-whiz moments and intense fight scenes to keep readers going-particularly those who enjoyed the first book. Some new revelations late in The Dark River will certainly fuel the finale. Here's hoping Twelve Hawks still has a few tricks up his sleeve.Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2) (Hardcover) I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) and couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. Although I wasn't disappointed in the sequel, it did not meet my expectations. Since I don't write spoilers, all I will say is that I fear the author {insert your best guess here} has painted himself into a corner where the third book may fall totally into implausibility and silliness. The first novel was interesting because the spirituality aspects of the novel were a mechanism to contrast the possible spiritual (and physical) prison we may be constructing for ourselves in our technological society. In my opinion, the author {insert best guess here} goes too far into the fantasy realm using inconsistent logic which distracts the reader from the larger sociological/technological implications. Once you construct an internal logic into an alternative universe, you should stick with it. Internal consistency is very important in science fiction and fantasy. Twelve Hawks re-writes some of the fundamental tenets of his universe and I think jeopardizes the novel. That said, the novel is well-written and every bit the page-turner as the first book. The characters continue to be developed and the reader will develop real attachments to them. You won't feel like you've wasted your time reading it, even if you may roll your eyes in a few places. I hope the final novel in the series recaptures a little more of the balance between technology and fantasy which made the first book so intriguing.

The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)
List Price: $29.95
Available from Amazon
Price: $23.36
Updated on 12-28-2008.