The Dark River 2

At the start of the engrossing second entry in bestseller Twelve Hawks's Fourth Realm trilogy (after The Traveler), the Brethren continue to control civilization through a computerized information system, the Vast Machine, and a host of offshoot surveillance technologies. Opposed to the Brethren are the Travelers, an ancient clan with the mystical ability to slip in and out of several dimensions. The Travelers are guarded by Harlequins, a warrior caste with sharp swords and ferociously lethal skills. In the Cain and Abel story at the book's heart, the quest of two Travelers, brothers Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, to find their legendary father has split them irrevocably: Gabriel fights for the forces of good, Michael has turned to the dark side. A love story featuring Gabriel's beautiful, deadly but conflicted Harlequin bodyguard, Maya, adds human interest to an often superhuman tale, and Gabriel's out-of-body journey to a horrifyingly fascinating parallel world adds a particularly compelling component to a saga that's part A Wrinkle in Time, part The Matrix and part Kurosawa epic. Given the complicated plot and complex setting, readers are advised to read The Traveler first. (July)
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To say that John Twelve Hawks-the pseudonym of the popular and reclusive author of the Fourth Realm trilogy-struggles under the burden of his success with the 2005 best seller The Traveler ( Sept/Oct 2005) might be a bit of an exaggeration. Still, The Dark River tends to lack the punch and originality of the earlier novel. True to Twelve Hawks's vision, however, the second installment has enough gee-whiz moments and intense fight scenes to keep readers going-particularly those who enjoyed the first book. Some new revelations late in The Dark River will certainly fuel the finale. Here's hoping Twelve Hawks still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.