Relentless by Robin Parrish: Fast Paced Adventure

We wake up every single day and see the same face in the mirror. Every day, same life, same job, same face. For some, this is a comforting reality - stability, consistency, an anchor securing one's place in the world. It's a reassurance to be able to wake up in the morning and know who we are, and what we're meant to be.

One day, as Colin Boyd is waiting to get on the bus to go to work, he has all of that ripped away as he looks across the street, and unbelievably sees himself, walking to work, ready to start a new day. When Colin frantically whirls to inspect himself in a store window and sees a stranger looking back at him, that sense of identity, of knowing who he was is stripped away, as everything he knows and loves is taken from him. He is now Grant Borrows, a man who is mysteriously wealthy, trained in all sorts of things a normal person knows nothing about, with no past, no present, and no purpose, no identity...and is marked for death.

His only clues to what has happened to him: a mysterious girl with a penchant for showing up and vanishing without a trace, giving him cryptic advice and going around barefoot; a scientist and his assistant involved in a secret government project; several people who apparently want him dead, and the ornate, ancient looking ring on his finger that will not come off, no matter what he does.

Eventually, Colin - now Grant - encounters an enclave of people just like him; people who have been Shifted, and have lost the lives they used to lead, just like him. As Grant digs deeper and deeper into the mystery of what has happened to him, it becomes clear that whatever happens next, it is only the tip of an iceberg of secrets and prophecies, as a foretold destiny hurtles towards Grant - wanted or not. His family was not what it seemed to be, he is frightend by the power that grows within him, and even those who share his fate are uncertain what role he will play in the days to come.

And then there is The Keeper, a mysterious, invisible hand moving around Grant and his fellow life-orphans like chess pieces on a cosmic chessboard. What draconian plan does he have for the world, and why did he create a virtual army of super beings? To defend the world against something horrible...

...or to take it over for himself?

Robin Parrish's first outing is a work of impressive complexity. He blends together multiple plotlines and narratives, laying clues and leads in all the right spots, revealing things in some places, orchestrating surprises around all the right corners, and deftly slipping other things just out of view. The story is rich in detail, and the pacing frenetic. Those who love action will enjoy this read, and it would translate well to the big screen. You can easily imagine Harrison Ford in the role of Grant, running frantically from scene to scene as he did in Frantic or The Fugitive; or even Dennis Quaid playing an unlikely hero who wants nothing more than to be left alone.

However, the pace could slow down a little in some parts and provide some room for more character development. Grant and his fellows have flashes, but while Parrish handles the action sequences and intricate plotting well, he comes up a little short in developing his key characters, in my opinion. Grant switches too easily between wanting to be left alone and raging over what's happened to him, and in some cases the nuances and emotional depth of the characters feels somewhat flat and underdeveloped.

All in all, Relentless is a good, solid read. You'll get caught up in the action and the frenzy, and pulled into trying to decipher what has happened to Grant and just what The Dominion is. This is a creative and imaginative tale; one that should have mainstream appeal. Relentless also marks a bold new direction for Christian fiction; in the tradition of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this is a complete work of fiction. However, it is edifying for the Christian reader to enjoy, and exciting enough for all to read. He grabs you by the neck at the end with a surprise twist that delivers much promise for its sequel, which will be out sometime summer 2007.

Relentless will hit the shelves of your local bookstores in July. Locally, it can be purchased at Arrowhead Christian Book Store, on Harry L. Drive in Johnson City, New York, as well as Barnes & Noble in Vestal, NY. Visit Robin Parrish's website at: www.robinparrish.com