Vigilante [Paperback]

Robin Parrish (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2011

Nolan Gray is an elite soldier, skilled in all forms of combat. After years fighting on foreign battlefields, witnessing unspeakable evils and atrocities firsthand, a world-weary Nolan returns home to find it just as corrupt as the war zones. Everywhere he looks, there's pain and cruelty. Society is being destroyed by wicked men who don't care who they make suffer or destroy.

Nolan decides to do what no one else can, what no one has ever attempted. He will defend the helpless. He will tear down the wicked. He will wage a one-man war on the heart of man, and he won't stop until the world is the way it should be.

The wicked have had their day. Morality's time has come. In a culture starving for a hero, can one extraordinary man make things right?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robin Parrish has written for over a decade as a journalist on the cutting edge of Christian culture, from books and music to film. Robin, his wife, and their children live in High Point, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (July 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764206087
• ISBN-13: 978-0764206085
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Robin Parrish is a keen-eyed, passionate pop cultural savant, whose writing is as incisive and insightful as it is entertaining."
- Allan Heinberg, Executive Producer, Grey's Anatomy

Robin Parrish wants to take you on a ride.

A wild ride -- which is exactly what you're in for when you pick up one of his books. And he's adamant that it will never be the same kind of experience twice.

Robin's stories mix, mingle, and meld various genres together to create thoroughly original suspense/thrillers. His Dominion Trilogy, for example, mashed up superhero action, secret societies, ancient myths, and an apocalyptic setting to create an entirely new take on the classic "hero's journey." Offworld mixed science fiction and an end-of-the-world scenario with high-octane action. Nightmare, his 2010 novel, is a spine-tingling examination of the world of the paranormal, paired with can't-put-it-down mystery. He describes his 2011 novel, Vigilante, as a story about a man who sets out to do something that no one has ever done before.

Always pushing the envelope, ever on the edge of where modern storytelling is going, Robin Parrish will gladly and unapologetically tell you that he's an entertainer, a weaver of stories that ignite the mind and delight the heart. Defying labels and refusing pigeonholes, his imagination is fueled by the possibilities of asking "What if...?", and as anyone who's read his work knows, he has a very big imagination. Readers will be happy to know that he has an endless supply of wild stories with enormous scope, that are still yet to come.

As a journalist, Robin has worked for About.com, CMCentral.com (RIP), INFUZEmag.com (also RIP), PopCultureGeek.com, b5media, SplashPress Media, and many more. His writing has been printed in numerous magazines and newspapers.

His influences as a novelist range from television and film storytellers like Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, to masters of the modern myth like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Akin to Philip K. Dick's search for the meaning of identity, most of what Robin writes about boils down to his own ponderings and examinations of just what this thing we call "existence" really is.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nolan Gray is part Rambo, part Batman, June 24, 2011

By 

Joshua Olds (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vigilante (Paperback)

The world stands, but just barely. The United States is in the middle of revolution and unrest as a faltering economy struggles to recover from a long war. When the heroes are weary and their defenses are weakened that is when evil finds a place to strike. But one will rise up to confront the evil. One will stand to show a better way. There will be one Vigilante.



Nolan Gray is the world's most elite solider--part Rambo, part Batman, all attitude. War has changed him. Being a prisoner of war has scarred him. He's seen a lot of evil overcome a remnant of good. And now that he's home and the war is over, things aren't getting any better. Organized crime has taken over New York City and the government is helpless to defend against it. President Hastings, once a friend of Nolan's, has created a group called the Organized Crime Intelligence agency to combat the scourge, but it is all to no avail. People are left without hope and the world is a very bleak place indeed as crime lords fight amongst themselves for control of the city.



With the help of Branford, Nolan's former military commander; Arjay, an engineering genius; and Alice, a woman he saves from an abusive relationship, Nolan creates the persona known only as The Hand--a vigilante dedicated to cleaning up the city. Nolan's efforts soon turn into a personal war between him and the crime lord Yuri Vasko. The tension escalates and the stakes are heightened until Nolan realizes that sometimes evil can creep up on the inside.



In Vigilante, Robin Parrish pays homage to the superhero genre by giving his take on a masked vigilante intent on setting the world right. Known for his out-of-the-box stories, this one seems relatively in the box but contains some signature Parrish twists that keep the story exciting and entertaining. Arjay's futuristic technology is totally believable and absolutely awesome.



I was drawn into Nolan's story and back story as well the perceptions and misperceptions that arise with the crime lord Vasko. The moral dilemmas that the characters find themselves engaged in are palpable; the setting of a faltering America seems almost too real...and the final conclusion rushes to a crashing and unexpected crescendo. Vigilante is a story well told that touches on themes worth thinking about in this day and age. The story itself isn't new--but Parrish's take on the superhero genre is fresh and fun. Aren't we all vigilantes in our own right? Aren't we all out to replace evil with good through our own skills and in our own circumstances? Vigilante is a page-turning novel that will keep you hooked until the last page.



This novel ends Parrish's contract with publisher Bethany House, but new opportunities lay on the horizon. Parrish is known for his creativity and has shied away from doing anything traditional in his writing career. The future is no different for him. He already has plans for an YA ebook novel with Stonehouse Ink as well as a free, serialized online novel currently codenamed Project TRK. Whatever the outlet, Parrish has identified himself as a unique storyteller when too many follow the same old, same old. I look forward to see what the future brings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Vigilante Tries to Fly, But Does not Have the Wings, October 4, 2011

By 

Richard's Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vigilante (Paperback)

Crime is out of control. The government and police can do nothing to stop it. Who do you call on? Nolan Gray, war hero and personal friend of the President, fakes his own death to become something more . . . the Hand, a hero without powers comes equipped with a team of techies who gives him the upper hand (no pun intended) against the evildoers he will face.

I must first admit that I am a huge fan of the superhero genre. I will go see most any superhero movie, but I want to understand the character. What really made him or her become the person who eventually took on the world to make it a better place. Vigilante needed more back story. Instead, you are dropped into the world of Nolan Grey as he is being "killed" with little understanding of what is happening. We see the cause of his pain, but we don't get to experience it with him depriving the audience of the bond with the main character.

Additionally, the plot has holes in it which a transformer could drive through. Why does the Hand focus on petty crime at the beginning of the book? Is he practicing to prepare for the big job? What is going on with the President's nickname? And since when did superheroes become James Bond? The gadgets are really something else in this story.

Vigilante tries to be a Batman, but really comes out as awkward as Robin.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Vigilante left me with a heavy feeling, September 5, 2011

By 

Frances Clements "ChristianMama" (Fort Worth, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vigilante (Paperback)

The book Vigilante written by Robin Parrish reminded me of a Christian batman. I received this book from Bethany House for review. I picked it because I generally like action books, super heroes, and don't mind a little violence. So I thought I would love this book. Yet as I finished the book, I just felt heavy. Not sad, mind you. Just weighed down.

Maybe that is the point of the book. Maybe it is supposed to make you think about heavy topics like when is violence as a Christian appropriate. Maybe Robin Parrish wants the reader to consider the depths to which humanity can sink and ponder what to do about it. But I read fiction for enjoyment. I read for fun. I did not find this book fun to read.

Even though I didn't really end up liking this book, it will likely appeal to many. It was well written. The characters are solid. And certainly the premise is not boring. So I ended up giving it three stars.