Customer Reviews

The Dark River (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

This is the second book in the fourth realm trilogy. I stated of the first book, The Traveler, that it was "the best fiction book I had read in a decade!" This book is a very close second. John Twelve Hawks weaves an unforgettable tale of suspense and drama that will draw you in and captivate you in a way that few other authors achieve. Hawks helps us to look at our world in a whole new light, and gives an entirely new meaning to the term 'Big Brother is Watching'.

This book continues a year after The Traveler finished, and once the action starts, it does not end. The action races at breakneck speed and reads like 'a post 9/11 conspiracy theory meets 1984'. Hawks shows a world where people are collectively selling their freedoms for a perceived peace or security. With a story as unique as the Matrix, and the captivating writing unlike anybody else, Hawks serves up a masterpiece.

There are four main categories of people in these books: Civilians, who go about their daily lives, Travelers who can send their life force from their body to alternate realms, The Harlequins who are trained warriors dedicated to protecting the Travelers, and finally The Brethren, as they call themselves, who wish to create a system of control over the whole world, a virtual Panopticon. This group is called, 'The Tabula', by their enemies.

The Tabula are trying to achieve their Panopticon through computer surveillance - RFID chips in what we buy and in our ID and credit cards. Their only goal is to make the human race homogeneous and dominated by the belief that they must behave a certain way because they are always being watched. For the first time in history, a Traveler, Michael Corrigan, is working with the Brethren and trying to conquer the only other surviving travelers -his brother Gabriel, and his father Matthew, who has been missing for 15 years since the Tabula attacked the family home.

Both of the brothers are searching for their long-lost father, both are trying to figure out how to use their ability as travelers, and both believe they are on the right side. Only by reading will you find out what will happen in this battle of wills and battle between light and darkness.

This is a book masterfully written that will draw in readers from all walks of life and of all ages. Read it and see if you cannot hardly wait for your friends to read it, so that you can discuss it and debate it. It will also have you looking very differently at all the cameras that capture our images hundreds of times a day.

Hawks has written another bestseller that will surprise you, stun you and amaze you, both with the story and the way it is told.

(First published in Imprint 2007-07-17 in the book review column.)

Please note that the copy of this novel reviewed is an "Advanced Reading Copy" that I received at Book Expo America June 1st. The book cover also states that the book will
officially be on sale July 10, 2007.

I enjoyed The Traveler, John Twelve Hawks first novel, because it possessed many elements that I enjoyed; these are not new ideas, but combining them together is somewhat unique. I had very high expectations for The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks (or someone like him since apparently no one knows who he really is) as it had many of these same pieces:

* The concept is very "V for Vendetta" and 1984ish, pitting individuals vs. the "Vast Machine", control vs. individualism, a culture of fear vs. a culture of liberty;
* it depicts a age old conflict between two opposite belief systems;
* it features a group of cold calculating martial arts-trained individuals called Harlequins (also the name of a Dallas Rugby club!);
* it includes the idea of "realms", of parallel universes that certain individuals (Travellers and others) can get to (there are Six Realms; our reality is the Fourth Realm, and it appears that Hell or something like it is the First Realm);
* I liked the different off the grid groups, like New Harmony in the first novel and the Free Runners in this 2nd novel (no spoilers, read the book to see what I mean);
* it is well-paced, something that as an author I know is difficult to do.

This second of a described "Trilogy" (see my list of peeves below) picks up where the first
novel "The Traveler" left of. Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, brothers, have chosen two
opposing sides in the conflict; Michael has chosen the side of the Brethren, who want to
place controls and monitoring on the world, and who heretofor have been dedicated to wiping out Travellers; Gabriel is being hunted by the Brethren and is protected by Maya, one of the Harlequins. They both learn that their long lost father is alive and is also a
Traveler. The majority of the novel is their search for their father, Michael's desire and
efforts to be accepted and ultimately control the Brethren, and the budding romance between Maya (who is a Harlequin but not sure if she wants to be one) and Gabriel.

I read The Traveler, and considered it a good summer read. The surprise at the end that it was the first of a series of books planned (the cover page of this second one denotes it as a trilogy) was a....well...a surprise. I wasn't thrilled with the way a quantum computer was depicted in the first book, but that's okay, it's scifi, right?

The second book (or any sequel) is always difficult to write: you've already enthralled the reader with new concepts and great characters in the first book, so the second book has to not only progress the story towards it's natural conclusion, but it has to be able to stand on its own.

And this is my main issue with The Dark River. If it were tacked onto the end of The Traveler (or onto the beginning of the next book) it would be a great intro or ending. But it has too many events that were not big picture (unless they relate to the next book), too many events that were hard to believe, and doesn't move along some of the main key elements in the book (readers beware: some slight spoilers):

* Not enough of the plot is in or about the Six Realms; isn't this what makes Travelers different, the ability to move through the Realms?
* Michael is kidnapped by the Brethren, and proceeds to worm his way into their leadership; the Brethren have for hundreds of years been dead set on finding and killing all Travelers. I wasn't convinced that Michael did anything special to make them change this philosophy, but they do;
* The second book leaves a large cliff hanger, so it sets up the next book, but it's a predictable cliff hanger;
* There is so much story left (IMHO) that third book is going to need to be 2,000 pages long;
* There are some accuracy issues (p. 171, Statue of Liberty is not on Ellis Island) but I assume this will get cleaned up before the release date (mine was an ARC).

I continue to enjoy the individuals vs. the Vast Machine concept in this 2nd book, and I do enjoy the writing style. This is a good continuation of a great first story, but did not live up to the high bar that was set with The Traveler.

Awaiting the third book for the Fourth Realm (kinda goes along with waiting for the third movie of the Fantastic Four?) and also wondering if Twelve Hawks is American Indian (or Native American depending on which side of the PC line you're on) and what tribe (Choctaw for me!).

This is the second book in the fourth realm trilogy. I stated of the first book, The Traveler, that it was "the best fiction book I had read in a decade!" This book is a very close second. John Twelve Hawks weaves an unforgettable tale of suspense and drama that will draw you in and captivate you in a way that few other authors achieve. Hawks helps us to look at our world in a whole new light, and gives an entirely new meaning to the term 'Big Brother is Watching'.

This book continues a year after The Traveler finished, and once the action starts, it does not end. The action races at breakneck speed and reads like 'a post 9/11 conspiracy theory meets 1984'. Hawks shows a world where people are collectively selling their freedoms for a perceived peace or security. With a story as unique as the Matrix, and the captivating writing unlike anybody else, Hawks serves up a masterpiece.

There are four main categories of people in these books: Civilians, who go about their daily lives, Travelers who can send their life force from their body to alternate realms, The Harlequins who are trained warriors dedicated to protecting the Travelers, and finally The Brethren, as they call themselves, who wish to create a system of control over the whole world, a virtual Panopticon. This group is called, 'The Tabula', by their enemies.

The Tabula are trying to achieve their Panopticon through computer surveillance - RFID chips in what we buy and in our ID and credit cards. Their only goal is to make the human race homogeneous and dominated by the belief that they must behave a certain way because they are always being watched. For the first time in history, a Traveler, Michael Corrigan, is working with the Brethren and trying to conquer the only other surviving travelers -his brother Gabriel, and his father Matthew, who has been missing for 15 years since the Tabula attacked the family home.

Both of the brothers are searching for their long-lost father, both are trying to figure out how to use their ability as travelers, and both believe they are on the right side. Only by reading will you find out what will happen in this battle of wills and battle between light and darkness.

This is a book masterfully written that will draw in readers from all walks of life and of all ages. Read it and see if you cannot hardly wait for your friends to read it, so that you can discuss it and debate it. It will also have you looking very differently at all the cameras that capture our images hundreds of times a day.

Hawks has written another bestseller that will surprise you, stun you and amaze you, both with the story and the way it is told.

(First published in Imprint 2007-07-17 in the book review column.)

After reading The Traveller, I anxiously awaited the next book in the Fourth Realm trilogy. When I finally read Dark River, I had mixed feelings about the book. I suppose the best way to capsulize it is to say, it's the middle book. Dark River did not live up to my expectations. A whole story line was dropped from this sequel, and the atmosphere was not as captivating as Book One. Many loose ends were left at the end of this book, and as I await the final volume, I hope that when the trilogy is finished, I am a satisfied as I was at the end of Book One.

As a follow up to the first book in the trilogy "The Traveller" John Twelve Hawks continues his story of mass manipulation and control of the general population. Kind of timely with the viral videos of the North American Union and implanting chips into people.

This book moves the story along but falls victim to the standard "2nd volume" dilemma... It expands upon the first, sets up the third and acts more as a bridge than as a story in itself. You know where it came from, you can see where it's going...

Don't get me wrong, I like the story but I was hoping for a little more character and background development. This volume could have made the players and story more alive br providing some additional depth. But it simply continues along in the frame of a novel written by a comic book author. One who hasn't had to rely on fleshing out his characters.

Still, a good story and I'm looking forward to the 3rd installment.

I am sorry to have to give this only 2 stars, but the main positives about this book is that there was a Great First novel to start the series and the concepts are intriguing ( although fans of the Matrix/Blade Runner/Minority Report/Brazil/ACLU may find the concepts of "BIG governemnt controlling ALL" i.e. the "Vast Machine" just repackaged ideas.)
The characterization is shallow and rather formulaic for this type of "we will all lose our selves to the evil all seeing Government" thriller.
Very much the Middle Novel with an author who seems to be waiting for some good ideas while still making money.
Actually save the money and read the News...The present administration with Karl Rove, Cheney are all much scarier...if you ask me.
The sad part is that I have been waiting with this book on Preorder for a long time with high hopes. I hope the third installment lives up to the promise of the first.

When reading the Fourth Realm Trilogy, it's important to keep a few things in mind:

1) If you are the head of a Big Brother type organization, you must frequently and loudly mention that you own a quantum computer.

2) If you are a Big Brother type organization, your menacing leader should be someone who makes Sgt. Schultz look terrifying.

3) If you are an evil, wealthy organization, every time you create a critical base of operations, you should leave it accessible by some poorly guarded tunnel.

With these things in mind, you can better enjoy this series.

The Fourth Realm Trilogy has some good ideas, the main one being that we should be careful of how much liberty we give away in the name of security. I wish the author would also discuss how much liberty we give away in the name of convenience - heck, Amazon shoppers do it all the time.

The idea of people traveling to another realm is also fascinating. But in the books so far, the travel serves no real purpose except to provide new settings for action to take place. Supposedly Travelers travel to become enlightened. How? There are supposedly several realms that can be traveled to. Why? What's the point of each of the realms?

The author has created some interesting characters, especially Maya, Gabriel, and Boone. But in the end, the book is a generic potboiler with some interesting ideas mixed in.

As someone who really enjoyed The Traveler, the first book of John Twelve Hawks' trilogy (despite its formulaic and less-than-satisfying ending), I was excited to learn of The Dark River and bought it as soon as I did so. Sadly, it was a waste of money. Whereas The Traveler was rich with abundant insights to the parallels between The Brethren and their Vast Machine and all that is occurring today to limit our own freedoms, The Dark River is little more than a by-the-numbers adventure tale that unfortunately is neither adventurous or satisfying. In fact, hardly anything happens beyond characters being introduced, thrown into conflicts, and disposed of. Based on its wholly flat and absurd conclusion, I certainly won't be awaiting the trilogy's conclusion.

The Traveler was a bone chilling scary novel. It increased my paranoia of the computer driven world we live in. It was also thought provoking and I have been watching for this second novel, The Dark River, and anticipating its release. I am not disappointed and got so absorbed in the novel I was glued to my recliner until I finished the book. I simply could not put it down. The Brethern were as "Big Brother" as before but not nearly as threatening. They are not invincible. They are ruthless and guiltless, yes, but their defenses can be breached. Way to go Hollis. There are many different levels in this novel and the flow of the events is rhythmical until the story is set in Rome. Once we move from Rome and the underground clues the story moves on once again. Gabriel is saved by Maya but now who will save Maya? Gabriel or Hollis? Can a Traveler save a Harlequin or is her reason for living diminished by her circumstances? Once again I am waiting for the next novel in the series but I am already mourning the end of the story. I sincerely hope it doesn't end the way the Harry Potter series ended.
5 stars for the artwork on the cover of the novel and on the book itself. I was awestruck when I took the cover off and was caught up in the artist's concept of traveling with the lights. I will treasure this book because of that as well.
I don't know who John Twelve Hawks is but I admire his ability to live off the grid and be his own person. He is a visionary, an individual and I hope his literary efforts continue to educate us as well as entertain.