Customer Reviews

Fearless (Dominion Trilogy #2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's been two months since we last looked in on Grant Borrows and the rest of the ringwearers. In that time, the world as we know it has ended. There are emergencies and natural disasters everywhere. Los Angeles is only surviving thanks to the help of Grant under his guise as "Guardian." He's using his ability to move any object with his mind as a super power leading the rest of the ringwearers in a quest to help restore order to the city.

But their actions have caught the eye of the Federal Government who isn't pleased with these powerful beings. FBI agent Ethan Cooke has been assigned to find out who Guardian really is and bring him in if he can't make him stop.

Since the Secretum has been silent for the time, Grant begins to feel like he's put that evil group behind him. But then mysterious signs begin to come true. Is Grant still destined to be The Bringer? Can he avoid this destiny?

If you are lost by reading all this, it is perfectly understandable. This is the second book in a fantasy trilogy, and it knows it. In fact, it falls into the middle book trap. The first half is okay, but pretty episodic and slow going. Things really pick up in the second half with plenty of action, twists, and revelations. And I can't forget the cliffhanger that will make me read the third volume soon.

The characters don't fair too much better. There is little in the way of development that wasn't in the first book. Yes, there are two or three exceptions, but it wasn't anything spectacular. The most frustrating thing was there were references to details I couldn't remember from the first book that were never fully explained again here. You really need to read the novels back to back; the three months I waited was obviously too long.

I really did enjoy the book and stayed up way to late to finish it. I'm anxious to see where Grant's journey takes him in the final book.

There are some books that are a nice, gentle read. They quietly beckon from your bookshelf to spend some quality time with them.

Fearless is not that book.

It is the book that grabs you by your collar, sits you in the chair forcefully, and takes you on a white-knuckled ride from one close call to another. Suspense builds up, loops around, and delivers you to a breathless ending that leaves you wanting...nay-begging for more.

Or something like that.

Robin Parrish, master of Infuze Magazine, returns to his Dominion Trilogy with the sequel to Relentless. In the first book we meet the Loci, a group of Ringwearers who are Shifted into new bodies with amazing mental powers. They are supposedly the subjects of a prophecy guarded by the Secretum until the proper time, when The Bringer would come and usher in a new age.

Fearless continues this tale with the world in chaos. Strange natural disasters are occurring around the world, and fear grips the populace. In Los Angeles, the public has a mysterious benefactor with phenomenal powers they dub the Guardian. It is Grant Burrows, who leads a group of Loci to use their powers for good.

When an unusual event leads Grant and his friends to London, he is confronted with his destiny. Will he bring about what was spoken of long ago, or would he find the power within to be Fearless?

I read the first book in the trilogy last fall. I enjoyed it a lot, finding it to be an engaging read with a lot of excitement. Fearless increases this exponentially. Robin has really found a unique voice that keeps you glued to the page and your mind engaged. He has a habit of taking you to the edge of the precipice, only to move to another chapter (and often a different character and setting, keeping you hanging). If you like suspense, then this book will provide enough to satisfy for quite a while.

The characters are varied and have unique personalities that draw you in. A plot-driven book can take you along without letting you invest in the people of the story. The author keeps the action cooking all along while bringing us into their lives, fears, and dreams. Just don't get too attached, as he pulls no punches as the book hurtles toward the ending.

The book has many strong points, but no work is perfect. Some of the description comes across slightly awkward, but this may well be a matter of taste. Very minor complaint, as it is first and foremost a bold, thrilling story. This is a sweeping tale of the end of the world (perhaps?), and thus has some significant action. At times it gets a little bloody, so the squeamish may get a little uncomfortable. He has set in motion an elaborate mythology.

One more item - Fearless should be pretty easily understood by someone who hasn't read Relentless. Still, the whole story and mythology is lacking a little if you haven't read the first book, so just be sure to buy them both and enjoy the ride. I highly enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that I have to wait until next summer for the final installment. Boy, Robin Parrish can be merciless...

This amazing story reads like a blend of Dekker's Black, Red, White trilogy, the X-Men movies, a dash of Lord of the Rings tossed in for spice, all mixed and baked with historical information along the lines of the DaVinci Code, National Treasure and The Librarian.

If you loved any or all of the above, you should find much to like in Parrish's Fearless.

Fast moving storytelling whips this mixture into an edge of the seat read.

Two warnings. Parrish's characters have great vocabularies, if you often read with a dictionary you may get frustrated. And the final book in the Dominion Trilogy comes out in the summer of '08...if you have cliffhanger angst you may want to wait until spring to read Fearless.

I haven't read book one, Relentless, but didn't feel lost and while I wait for book three, I'll go back and pick it up.

I loved the first book, Relentless. I wan't sure what to expect as I finished the first sentence, but I was hooked. This book is even worse. I pounced upon it as soon as I found it and devoured it in only a few days. Then it struck me...I now had to wait an entire year to read the conclusion! Oh, it was murderous! This is an excellent read that will leave you begging for more. There are more twists and turns in this novel than in a West Virginia back road!

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrill ride for your mind; however, you may want to consult a doctor if you have heart problems, becuase I promise you that your heart will be pumping as you fly through the pages like a cheetah on the hunt.

Enjoy and God bless,

Joshua

Years ago, in order to be considered "Christian fiction" a work needed to present the Gospel, have Christian characters, or illustrate some aspect of Christian living like learning to forgive or conquering lust or greed. There were missionary stories and chaste prairie romances, and a story or two about persecuted believers behind the Iron Curtain. Usually, someone in the story came to salvation.

We're smarter than that now. More sophisticated. Yes, we in the 21st century church have learned that nothing ruins a good Christian novel like Jesus, prayer, or the Bible. So, for those who like their Christian fiction free of such passé baggage, we have "Fearless", the second book in Robin Parrish's "Dominion Trilogy".

Picking up where "Relentless" left off, it continues the comic-book-style adventures of Grant Borrows, aka Guardian, and his team of superheroes as they respond to riots in Los Angeles and a catastrophic earthquake in Jerusalem. Can Grant use his powers for good, or will he surrender to his prophesied destiny as the evil Bringer?

Thanks to the breakneck pace of the plot, "Fearless" is a quick and fairly entertaining read. Some of it feels a bit like filler, but the last third of the story ratchets up the tension and ends with a cliffhanger. It's an action-packed tale, although it requires a larger-than-normal suspension of disbelief.

The weakness of the trilogy is its characters, who seem to overreact to every situation like amateur thespians in a bad middle-school play. They're constantly sighing or rolling their eyes, and they rarely "say" anything; instead most of their dialogue is whimpered, shrieked, or snarled through clenched teeth.

The real problem, though, is the complete lack of any clear spiritual theme in the book. Grant and his team are fighting a satanic foe, but it never occurs to them to pray for the Lord's help or enlist the aid of the church. They don't even speculate about why God is allowing multiple natural disasters to devastate mankind. In fact, God is so completely missing from the world of "Fearless" that it's like a deist's dream. In the future, Mr. Parrish, please try to infuze some Christianity into your stories. "Fearless" may appeal to the shallow majority of today's church, but it really doesn't qualify as Christian fiction.

I agree with a couple other reviewers...when I read this book, I felt like I was reading a comic. But I don't mean this in a positive way.

There are several reasons that I do not care for this book:

1. I just plain don't like the prose or story, and, since I have this little obsession about finishing books I start, now I'm mad at the book and myself for making me continue to plow through it.

2. The book is clearly written as the second (or third) part of a series, but nowhere on the dust jacket does it mention this fact. Unfortunately, Parrish is unable to write the story coherently and clearly enough so that a reader can understand what is happening without having read the previous book(s). I picked this book up without knowing that it would be virtually mandatory for me to have read the first book.

3. There is absolutely no subtlety to the writing. It is, almost without exception, a linear narrative centered around a single character. There may be some subplots, but they don't seem to matter. The author never cross-cuts to a different scene or time.

4. Zero character development and/or background (in this part, at least.)

5. The hero(es) have amazing superpowers or gifts, but the description of what they do with these are pedestrian at best. There is no sense of awe or appreciation of them.

I have never written a book, so I have to give credit to Parrish for at least accomplishing that much, but my expository writing instructors would have sent this work back to me marked, "DULL".

Grant Borrows and his friends are back in Robin Parrish's superb sequel. As the next chapter of this saga unfolds, we find Grant and the Loci using their abilities to bring order and justice back to Los Angeles. All over the world strange events and natural disasters are wreaking havoc, and Grant takes it upon himself to protect the citizens of L.A. The world has noticed and his dubbed Grant "Guardian", quickly elevating him to superhero status.

While Grant and company are reluctant to take on the roles of superheroes, they have joined together to use their powers for the greater good. Meanwhile, the Secretum of Six is continuing its mysterious actions as they await the culmination of an ancient prophecy concerning The Bringer. Grant soon realizes he must face the secrets and mysteries of his past, and his quest leads him and the Loci on a global trek for truth. As they search for answers about The Bringer and the prophecy that surrounds him, they must also continue to use their gifts to save a world that is suddenly seeped in chaos and despair.

As much as I loved Relentless, I found Fearless to be far superior. Robin Parrish has created a classic saga full of heroes, villains, action, and intrigue that gets better with each installment. As the novel opens we see Grant Borrows fully embracing his power and it is nothing short of thrilling to witness Grant in action. Parrish plays on the nostalgia we have for our favorite superheroes, and allows those feelings of awe and inspiration to surface again as we see Grant and his team work together to fight evil. The beauty of this story is its depth. This is not just a superhero tale; rather Parrish effectively includes elements of suspense, mystery, global conspiracy, prophecy, and destiny that make for a fast-paced and riveting read.

Parrish takes us deeper into the mysteries surrounding Grant, and the answers are shocking and fascinating. As the plot twists and turns we are led to a dramatic, gut wrenching conclusion that leaves us desperate for more. Parrish knows how to satisfy just enough to guarantee we will be back. Merciless hits shelves next summer and I for one am hungry for more.

The plot thickens with Grant Burrows as he makes a distinct choise to use his powers--from a ring that originates with evil--to use it for good instead. Along with the rest of the Ringwearers they do everything in their powers to rescue the world from the multiple catastrophies that are taking place all over the world. While doing this the Secretum continue to try to manipulate Grant for their own purposes and Grant cannot help but be curious as to what those purposes are. The first book was great, but this one was considerably better, every page reveals a new mystery and makes you want to keep reading. Robin Parish does an extremely good job with the words he uses to paint a clear picture of each character that you cannot help but either love or hate. I love this book! I can't wait to start the next (which will be within the next few minutes).

The second in the Dominion Trilogy keeps you hooded on what is happening. You never know who's a good guy and who's a bad guy.

It's been two months since Grant Borrows foiled the Keeper's plans to turn him into some sort of harbinger of doom, the figure the Keeper's Secretum called the Bringer. In the wake of that epic battle, the world has been turned on end and L.A. is one giant disaster zone. Grant and his superhero team have been working tirelessly throughout L.A. to quell the fires and rioting, bringing a sliver of hope to the people.

But not all see Grant--who the people have dubbed Guardian--and his friends as the good guys. Those in power are always afraid of those with more power and Grant seems nearly invincible. His telekinetic powers have advanced rapidly since Relentless, allowing him almost total control of anything he can see or sense. Some have even postulated that since the global disasters occurred just as Grant's team went public they may be the cause of the destruction. It's something those within Grant's team have wondered about as well.

But soon, Destiny calls Grant from L.A. into even bigger things. He may have killed the Keeper, but the Secretum has not died. The ancient prophecies are continuing to come true. Grant, despite what he wants, might become the Bringer after all.

With Fearless, the middle installment in the Dominion Trilogy, Robin Parrish further fleshes out the mythos begun in Relentless, detailing Grant and the Loci's acceptance of their fate as superheroes. But nothing is ever just that simple. This sophomore release sees Parrish find his stride in plotting and pacing, or perhaps with the benefit of Relentless, the reader just knows more about what's going on.

Drawing upon the themes of the last book, Parrish touches on even more deep questions--most notably the issue of human free will. The biblical allusions and metaphors are numerous, yet subtle, tying into the story in a way that doesn't distract but rather reminds the reader of the underlying theme. Parrish has crafted a unique take on apocalyptic stories and combined it with a unique take on superhero stories. The result is a trilogy that's both entertaining and insightful. As everything points toward Merciless, I must say I can't wait for the chance to open its pages.