The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Resistance (Paperback)

~ Vin Suprynowicz (Author) "Madison walked alone..." (more)
Key Phrases: mole people, black arrow, Quart Low, Daniel Brackley, Andrew Fletcher (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As I read the early chapters of ‘The Black Arrow,’ I became increasingly restless, until the tears started to flow..." -- Sunni Maravillosa, director of operations, Free-Market.net; publisher, “Doing Freedom!” ’zine

"Suprynowicz has pulled off what Rand was merely attempting in ‘Atlas Shrugged,’ a ... tale of individualism reclaiming the earth." -- Thomas L. Knapp, The Rational Review, Feb. 15, 2005

"There’s a delicious ‘comic book’ feel to ‘The Black Arrow’ that frames beautifully, by contrast, the serious messages herein." -- Bill Branon, author of “Let Us Prey,” a New York Times Notable Book of the year.

Product Description

The Resistance Has Begun ...

The portals are everywhere, now. Scanning for weapons, for drugs. ... No getting out of line.

The people had forgotten how to fight back. There was no one to show them how. Or was there ... ?

What if the indignities Americans now endure in the nation’s airports — ID checks, invasive body searches -- expanded onto our city streets?

What if pedestrian and motorist alike could be searched at roadblocks without pretext, pulled from their cars ... machine-gunned if they stepped out of line?

The year is 2031, and the Ashcroft-Poindexter police state is at full bray. Will Americans continue to endure such indignities like sheep? Or will they begin to gather in basement and abandoned subway tunnel, seeking a leader who can show them how to use the ancient tools of bow and sword to win back their freedoms ... striking from the silence of the night?

Against this backdrop, "The Black Arrow" is a sweaty love story, as an elegant and voluptuous newspaper columnist and a fiery young warrior lass vie for the affections of wealthy record company executive Andrew Fletcher, who turns out to be the masked freedom fighter better known by night as ... The Black Arrow.

When she first saw him he was silhouetted against the moon, a black stallion rearing up to claim all he surveyed.

Her heart slowed in her chest, then. There was a strange keening in her ears that she knew was not of this time or place, but of the other world. It was a vision she was having, a waking dream that would haunt her, drive her in ways unexplained.

In the dark of the city’s night, wherever the weak or oppressed cry out in pain or fear, a quiet footfall can be heard on the roof, the owlshadow passeth before the moon. The twang of the bow, the quiet gasp of feathered death ... The Black Arrow lives.

From Vin Suprynowicz, a tale of sex and violence; freedom and fertility; rebellion and revenge. With lots of rock ’n roll.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 703 pages
• Publisher: Mountain Media (April 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976251604
• ISBN-13: 978-0976251606
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #609,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Contrary Opinion, July 4, 2006

By	Kostya_2000 - See all my reviews

For me, the only good thing about this novel was the consistent, "wake up and see what your government is doing" message. As a cautionary tale, it served its purpose, but as a novel, it left me stone cold.

My first problem with this nearly 700-page story was its hero, a man who:
........was physically perfect (massive shoulders and tree trunks for limbs)
........had a touch of metaphysical/magical ability (he had "The Sight")
........was brilliant
........had vast wealth
........turned down a career as an NFL quarterback to become a mega-rockstar
........was expert in all forms of weaponry, both modern and antique
........could get it up four times an hour and keep that up all night
In short, I'm convinced the hero was nothing less than a Marty Stu (for those unfamiliar with the term, a Marty Stu/Mary Sue is a fictional character who is portrayed in an idealized way and who is lacking any noteworthy flaws -- a character made in the image of how the author sees himself in his fantasies)

Some of my other issues with the story involved:
........A cast of supporting characters so one-dimensional and boring that I never cared a whit about any of them
........Pages and pages of weapons description
........An absurd and pointless paean to Eric Carmen as the most underrated "rocker" ever
........Many equally pointless insertions of bad song lyrics
........An obsession with babies -- This obsession was so great that not only did our hero refuse to have sex with women who didn't want children, but all the "good" female characters wanted children immediately, the more the better, and brought up the subject with great frequency (here again, I became convinced that I was seeing little more than a projection of the author's wishful thinking, bordering on desperation)

To top it all off, I was supposed to believe that assassinating a few low-level government flunkies was somehow going to wake people up, change their minds, and set them on the path to righteousness.

It was depressing, because even though the message of the novel was serious and the author had some valid points to make, they became tainted by the unbelievability of the characters and the story. Maybe it shouldn't be that way. Maybe the ideas stand on their own as incorruptible. But if I have trouble taking the messenger seriously, how much credence am I going to give to the message itself?

All in all, this book had so much less impact on me than it could have. I purchased it because I'm concerned about government abuse and because I believe in reason, individual responsibility, and self-determination. But I also like my books to be well written, with fully realized characters, interesting dialogue, and a story that goes beyond the feel of a clichéd action movie. I didn't find any of that here.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a libertarian hero, May 4, 2005

By	Jason Gonella "philosopher" (Lancaster, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Robin Hood has been coopted to be a hero of wealth redistribution, even though he robbed from the tax collectors and gave to the tax payers. William Tell is largely unremembered except as an excellent archer. Batman and The Green Hornet are in many ways servants to the state, only going after the private criminals. The only hero one can compare The Black Arrow to is Zorro.

The first thing an observant reader will notice is that all examples of government abuse in this book are taken from real life, such as the case of Don Scott of Malibu. They are only slightly enlarged, to make things bad enough to inspire resistance and revolt.

Fast paced and easy to read, it seems shorter than it's 700 pages, but it is not light or lacking in detail for the enjoyment of the reader.

The hero is a paragon, more than human. He is a young, handsome, wealthy, ex-Rock star at the peak of physical fitness.

There is a fault with this book, but it is a fault common to most libertarian literature, in that the common criminal is missing. Some might object that the government is too strict to enable them to operate, but that is not an objection a libertarian can sustain. Others might object that they are all in government employ where it is safer for them to violate the rights of others. As sustainable as that argument is, there are always independent operators for the Zorros of the world to fight as there is never a shortage of people who want to violate the rights of others.

Be that as it may, this is a great read.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Adventure Thriller with a message of Hope, May 25, 2005

By	ftully "FT" (UT) - See all my reviews

A tale of hope and resistance. Welcome to a world where homeland security has expanded their "protection" against terrorism--not only in our airports, but right off busy sidewalks at impromptu "portals." Passers by are treated to an inspection for weapons, illegal software, drugs, and proper ID. Of course, if they don't find any problems, inspectors often treat themselves to a good grope or other rewards from the defenseless citizens. Ah, but on the rooftops and in the shadows lurks the Black Arrow--a hero along the lines of Batman or Superman. While the book opens with an almost comic book feel, it quickly evolves into a serious, believable novel that stirs our souls the way the film "Spartacus" does.

The Black Arrow is a real treasure. When was the last time that "Passionate". . . "Sexy". . . "Stylish" . . . "Thought-provoking" . . . "Funny". . . "Exhilarating!". . . "Action-packed!" . . . and "Tear-jerker" were all used to describe the same book--let alone a book about FREEDOM???

The characters are real, likable, and unique. I found it extremely refreshing to read a novel with technically accurate gun battles. Without going overboard or getting too technical, the author provides the reader with a real sense of what it feels like, sounds like, and looks like to engage an armed enemy while equipped with bows and guns.

The masterful word pictures allow you to feel the cold rain, become aroused by the sex, and smell the dark, dank, vast Gotham underground. This is a thriller with soul. You will go from laughing out loud, to shaking with sheer hatred, and then down to a lump in your throat--from the tear-jerking romance.

If you're part of the "gun culture," you'll feel absolutely privileged to be surrounded by serious, well trained freedom fighters who not only practice good muzzle control, but also let you in on their thoughts before and AFTER they pull the trigger. You find yourself understanding their justification for their conflict and their willingness to "hold the line"--despite their terrible odds of survival.

Some of the scenes are so heinous that you may question the need to be so graphic; after all, no government could be THAT cruel. And then you recall that you've seen these stories before . . . you remember that these are real events. Vin has craftily taken the most horrific injustices to our liberties and magically made them appear as current news items in 2030. The Black Arrow is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about life and liberty.

Vin has delivered a stunning first novel that is sure to be a timeless classic among such greats as Atlas Shrugged, The Count of Monte Cristo, Animal Farm, 1984, and Unintended Consequences. It is guaranteed to stir even the faintest glowing cinder of patriotism into a raging fire of resistance.