Customer Reviews

The Heretic

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As computer records create reality, then those who control the records control reality. In this case, The Guild controls the power to create and destroy lives. Supposedly to protect its members, their identities are totally protected. Unfortunately, those who were charged with protection have grown to enjoy its power.

A former FBI agent, The Heretic deletes all references to himself, essentially deleting his existence, priding himself as untraceable and unstoppable. Without bank records, credit, ownership, or any other tangible evidence leading to his existence, The Heretic keeps himself safely alive; that is, until someone finds him through the Internet. The Heretic leaves behind his safe Montana ranch to find who is robbing and blackmailing major corporations across the country. Traveling to Atlanta, The Heretic finds his life on the line as hitmen persue him online and in real life.

THE HERETIC blends fast-paced action with the fantasy elements of virtual reality to create a novel of sophistication and startling insight. As an Atlanta resident, I can't help being impressed with the author's knowledge of this area, using the geography to colorfully depict this absorbing novel. Indeed, the writing style, the plot and the characterization earn highest marks, crossing genres and impossibilities to become Very highly recommended.

it's epic, bob. This book was unbelievable; I think the only reason it isn't much more popular is because it wasn't well advertised and the author isn't so well known. I'm hoping they will make a movie out of this, that way the book will become more popular and the author would get the fame he deserves.

i first heard about this book online (where it was first put up...and still is but i don't know if i can put the link, so i won't) i read it through to the end online...it was insane.....just iching for the next page to load...i have never read a book that got me so caught up in the story i forgot to eat.

it is a GREAT book for anyone interesting in computers, hacking, mystery, scifi, fantasy, you name it...this book has it

i can't even decribe the intense feeling i got from the first chapter.....it was like i had just discovered what reading really was....

get this book now...you won't regret it for a second...i've read it twice for free and now i'm paying for a hardcopy...THAT'S how good it is

All you 1337 h4x0r5 (or should i say script kiddies) out there really want to know what the world of hacking is about but dont want to be bored by the dry, put you to sleep, text that most hacking informational texts put out there. Pick up Jason's book. I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in computers in the least. It puts into perspective what a hacker really is. Do take the text with a grain of salt though, cause there is no such thing as a sprite (well not as he discribes them anyways). all in all buy the book read the book and then read it again...

Probably one of the GREAT new authors of 2001, Jason K. Chapman has written a real scorcher of a novel - one that kept me reading half the night to get to the end. It's not often that a new author can fall into the habit of good dialog at the first attempt, but Chapman's is absolutely amazing. It's a strength he can play up to again and again in the future, because dialog SHOWS not TELLS, producing story pictures in the mind, just like the spells that his main character was weaving in cyberspace.

And here's something else that was totally refreshing about this book - you don't even get to find out the protagonist's name! Hey, and there's a thoroughly intelligent ending too. It caught me by surprise because, as the remaining pages grew less and less, I was waiting for a monotonous roll of drums as my own imagined scenario came true. No such bad luck. Fortunately, Jason Chapman is a novelist of style and originality and the ending was as bright and artful as any I could have imagined.

Chapman's story is of a cyberworld controlled by The Guild who, seemingly, are the good guys, protecting computer systems from black hat hackers. The Heretic, Chapman's protagonist, finds that things are not quite as they seem on the surface - and certainly not as they should be. What's worse, he's being hunted both in cyberspace and IRL (in the real world!). In short, declarative sentences that would make Mike Hammer proud, Jason Chapman has The Heretic fall in love, fight the bad guys and find true happiness. All in 201 action-packed pages WITH NOT A CLICHE IN SIGHT!

There were some wonderfully subtle brushstrokes too - the falcon in particular. Epitomizing The Heretic's freedom, while at the same time providing a metaphor for the watched and the watcher. Bravo Mr. Chapman. If that was your starter, your next book is going to be a real cracker. I'll be waiting for it.

"Lacking where it counts" is the best review I can provide. The writing itself is respectable, though nothing remarkable. Where the book fails to captivate is in its vague, mystic story. Though its only possible audience is that of computer savvy individuals, Chapman moves quickly to alienate them in an unrealistic future world of computing, where everything takes place in virtual reality. If you have nothing better to do, then read it on-line where it is publicly available, but don't waste your money on this one.

This book is a great read. One of the best books I have read in several years. If you buy this book don't start reading it until you have some time on your hands, it is Very hard to put down. The book has it all. I hope there will be a sequel to The Heretic and I am looking forward to other books by Jason K. Chapman.

I can't wait until they make the movie. I have a really short attention span and usually skip ahead in pages, but I was completely glued to the pages just the way they were. This book really made me think...with everything going so digital where is the line? I will be looking for more from this new author.

A great tale of epoch proportions that left me thirsting for more, hopefuly this is only a starting point. The author captivated my mind from beginning to end with both plot and characters that were easily visualized. I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting.