I will say up-front that I really liked the concepts in this metaphysical science-fiction thriller; it was the execution that got to me. The plot, in a nutshell, is this: certain people, called Travelers, have the ability to move across dimensions and bring back messages about how we can free ourselves from the various bonds that imprison us. These are the prophets and spiritual leaders and revolutionaries that have appeared throughout human history—the Jesuses and Buddhas, Gandhis and MLKs and Joans of Arc. But because they subvert the dominant paradigm, those who are in power or want to be in power systematically try to destroy them. These people are very well funded, organized and connected. Then there are the lone warriors who have vowed to protect the Travelers, the Harlequins. They are underfunded, constantly hunted and have been nearly wiped out, as have the Travelers. So the plot revolves around one of the last of the Harlequins protecting one of the last remaining Travelers from the people who this time want to capture him and harness his abilities for their own gain. Got it? I haven’t even mentioned the quantum computer yet, or the Great Machine.

The problem is that the author needs to hone his craft. The pace of the story is hampered by awkward writing, to the point where I was mentally editing as I went along. Also, I was disappointed to get to the end and find out I was reading Book 1 of a trilogy—I hate when that’s not confessed straight up, on the front cover. I rarely invest my reading time in series, and only then if they are incredibly well written. So it looks like I won’t be doing any more traveling with John Twelve Hawks.

Just finished reading the Traveler today and I do recommend it. I don’t normally read thrillers, but my book club is reading this. It is less formulaic than many thrillers. Also, the author weaves together a complex set of ideas from history, science, religion, politics and current events. Throw in some Alias-like action scenes with gun fights, martial arts and sword fights and you’ve got an entertaining read.

We live in a society where we willingly give up our privacy in exchange for a sense of connectedness, where we voluntarily restrict our own actions in exchange for a sense of safety, where we trade convenience and lifestyle for the health of the planet and where we sacrifice the lives of millions of people to assuage our fears. We assume that some other people will pay the consequences, that we will be safe so long as we do nothing “wrong”. John Twelve Hawks reminds us that wrongness is a slippery, transitory concept defined by the people in power. They need us to feel afraid. They need us to consider ourselves better than and separate from those we perceive as different. What do I gain from this system? And what am I willing to lose?

Can’t wait for the next book in the series.The Dark River will come out on July 10,2007.