Relentless

Collin Boyd is walking down the street, on his way to work, when he glances across the street, and sees . . . himself. Not just someone who looks somewhat like him, but someone who looks just like him, wearing his clothes, and carrying his broken umbrella. He runs after him(self) and, along the way, catches a fleeting glimpse of his reflection in a window, and stops dead. The face in the reflection is not his. So begins the tale of Grant Borrows, for that is the name of the man Collin Boyd has become. Before the tale reaches the last page, we meet a girl who seems to be able to disappear, a thief, an evil guy on a motorcycle who wields an incredibly sharp sword, a woman with a photographic memory, dozens of other people who used to be someone else, a military plot to develop a secret weapon, a millenia-old secret society, a stone tablet that predates Mankind but has writing on it, a megalomaniacal scientist, and lots of rings that won't come off unless the wearer dies. Who survives this first book? Many supporting characters are introduced, but not all of them make it. There are a lot of explosions and ugly deaths, plus one huge cataclysm. This is an incredibly fast-paced action-adventure novel with supernatural and religious components. The characters are generally credible, despite the incredible abilities that some possess. However, they do a lot of crying, and trying not to cry. I'm not saying the situations don't warrant tears, but it seems to happen a lot. The writing of Robin Parrish not only flows fast, it flows smoothly. The mysteries keep unfolding, being partially solved, and then getting bigger yet. This is the first book of a trilogy, called the "Dominion Trilogy", that seems to be aimed at showing us a possible Armageddon. The next book is supposedly due in 2007, and the last one in 2008. If the quality and excitement are maintained, it will be worth reading all three.

So, is there is mystery behind all the 4 star reviews for this? Probably not, because this did indeed end on a cliff hanger, and I'm ready for a lot more of Robin Parrish! So, I've seen the 4 star reviews, and at least one of them is fair. Maybe one with less might come off a bit jealous, but hey! I loved it! And I really don't buy the talk about this being like Star Wars. X-Men I never really got into, (I actually HATED X-Men) so that means I actually got to read this with an OPEN MIND!! What the heck would YOU think if you wondered off the local bus, and saw yourself standing across the street? HUH? Well, Grant Borrows will answer that question for us. He's been given quite the unusual gift, and he uses it quite well. He knows how to fight too. Lots of fists and kicks and blood in this. But that's not exactly the main idea here. Go take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, "WHO AM I?" If you can grasp that concept, you just might get the idea. And while Grant certainly has his enemies, he also has his allies, some he might not have a clue about. Fans of Ted Dekker shouldn't be let down by this. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but I really enjoyed it! Robin Parrish has stepped into a most unusual octagon, and when the referee commands, "LET'S GET IT ON!!!" Oh believe me, it is on! If you listen closely, you might here the sounds of both birth and death. You listening? Oh yeah, this could get quite interesting! Robin Parrish is indeed RELENTLESS, charging on at a FEARLESS pace!!

Christian fiction has needed this. Badly. Relentless is new, fresh, exciting, and never preachy. It is obvious that author Robin Parrish is a lover of superheros and fantasy, and he weaves these concepts into his story in a fresh, respectable way. While there are one or two obvious nods to other stories (the Loci's meeting place feels too much like the X-men mansion), there are enough new ideas to let it pass. One thing that did bother me throughout the novel was the use of italics to try and stress a point. It was used much too often, and, quite frankly, was never needed. The speaking and writing were spot on without trying to stress certain words. This is a longer book than most break out novels, but it didn't feel that way. Except, perhaps, for the small font. Publisher Bethany House did an admiral job with the cover and the hardback feels good in the hands. It's nice to see that Bethany House did decide to make this series arrive in hardback, because it is certainly worthy of a good presentation. Simply, Relentless is a fascinating, fun read that builds a very solid foundation for a new and brilliant superhero saga. I can't wait for more.

When he gets off the Los Angeles Metro bus Collin Boyd sees his doppelganger; when Collin sees himself in a reflection, he does not recognize what stares back at him as he has changed into a different looking person wearing a gold ring with mystical inscription on it that he cannot remove from his finger. A mysterious woman informs Collin that he is a Shifter. He goes to their enclave only to learn the group believes he is the Bringer, as foretold in a prophecy. Unknown to him a secret society of the Secretum of Six is molding him into a creature with magical powers to change the world in their image. Many groups are interested in the former Collin Boyd, now known as Grant Burrows. Some want to help him; others want him dead. He bonds in a mystical way with the Loci, Shifters who live together in isolation from the rest of the world. The Keeper, a member of the Secretum's minion who wants to form Grant into the being he wants him to be. It will take all his goodness not to succumb to the enticing evil of The Keeper. This exciting thriller allows readers to become so immersed in the fast-paced storyline, fans will lose track of time and finish the novel in one sitting. Grant is a wonderful protagonist who keeps the tale focused even as he struggles with his transformation. There are many dangling threads and unanswered questions that will have readers RELENTLESSly anxious for the next installment of the Dominion trilogy. Harriet Klausner

Collin Boyd's life is unremarkable--his job, his apartment, even his clothes. But everything changes when he switches bodies with Grant Borrows. In one terrifying moment his entire identity vanishes, and he has no idea how or when it happened. All Collin knows is that when he stepped off the LA Metro bus, he became a new man. Now his name is Grant Borrows, a man with an entirely different physique, lifestyle, and bank account. And someone is trying to kill him and those he loves. Running for his life, Grant rescues his sister, Julie, but she doesn't recognize him. When he finally convinces her he really is her brother, together they begin a quest for answers. Just who is Grant Borrows? How is he able, when provoked, to manipulate objects with his mind? And why won't the strange gold ring he's wearing come off? It's only when Grant and Julie discover others who've experienced the same "Shift" that Grant experienced, that the puzzle pieces start dropping into place. Those Shifted have several things in common. They all wear rings like Grant's, and they all have unique abilities. From photographic memories, mathematical prowess, to the ability to convince others they're seeing things. But the real question for Grant is: why has this happened to any of them? And could Grant really be the one called the Bringer, prophesied about some 7,000 years ago? Robin Parrish has been compared to Ted Dekker, and I can see the similarities. They both know how to create vivid and imaginative plots. Both can hook readers on page one and never release them until the last paragraph. But frankly, I enjoyed Parrish's writing style even better than Dekker's. Where Dekker often seems to thrive on shock value and how far he can push the envelope of violence, Parrish shows a little more restraint, which I appreciated. There's just enough backstory woven in that we understand and care for the characters, but not so much that it bogs anything down. Grant Borrows is the type of guy you want to root for, and his villains you want to hate. But then again, looks can be deceiving as to who's a villain after all... Bending genres, Relentless' speculative, almost sci-fi plotline is reminiscent of The Fantastic Four movie, but it could also be classified a thriller. As many Infuze readers know, the story upon which this book is based originally appeared at Infuze as a serialized novel called Prodigy. The finished product does sometimes have a serialized feel as practically every other chapter ends with a twist, which makes for fun reading indeed. And although it might seem slightly muddy in the middle when Grant tries to grasp the reality of what's happening to him, perhaps this was an intentional way to mirror Grant's uncertainty. There's a reason why this novel is titled Relentless. With each page I found myself sucked deeper into the vortex of Relentless' F5 tornada pace, never knowing for sure what was around the bend. This is blockbuster movie material, folks. And lucky f