Vigilante

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Vigilante Bethany House (July 1, 2011) by Robin Parrish



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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. His 2011 novel, Vigilante, is an action-packed story about a soldier who sets out to change the world. Later this year, he's releasing his first ever Young Adult novel, titled Corridor.



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.



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" is.



Robin is a full time writer. He and his wife Karen and two children live in High Point, NC.



"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







ABOUT THE BOOK

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?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Vigilante, go HERE.

Vigilante by Robin Parrish is a thought-provoking look at just how far a man can be pushed. Nolan Gray earned a reputation as America's hero after his actions while a captured soldier helped bring his men home. It was Nolan's faith in God that carried him through the incredibly dark time, and in the end, he and friend Thornton Hastings made a vow to each other that when they got home they would try to fix what was broken in the world. In the years since they made that promise, Thornton has gone on to become president, but the American has continued to devolve into a violent, crime-ridden place. New York City is the epicenter of the violence, and it is there that Nolan has decided to take a stand. After faking his own death, Nolan has taken on the persona of a masked crime fighter, with the specialized tools of friend Arjay, he appears almost superhuman. The country becomes entranced by the Hand's fight against crime, but crime boss Yuri Vasko has marked the Hand as his nemesis when he believes that Nolan has murdered his wife and daughter. The stories of these two driven men: Nolan to bring justice to the world and Yuri to bring justice to the death of his family will bring the city of New York to its knees and maybe, just maybe, change it forever. Think Batman with his nifty gadgets and tortured personality against the Kingpin (yes, I know they are two different universes!) with his wealth, power over New York, and the fear he inspires. Nolan is a bit of an enigma with his brutal past and dark secrets, but Parrish has made him more than a cardboard cut-out tough guy. Nolan agonizes over whether his choices are right, and his relationship with Alice becomes an opportunity to peek at his soul. Parrish includes newspaper articles and transcripts of TV and radio conversations that bring up vital questions about how Christians are to respond to violence: with the OT view of an eye for an eye, or with the NT view of turn the other cheek. Parrish gives both arguments merit and allows readers to make their own decisions. Parrish's stories always begin with a "what if" premise that he carries out with a fresh and unique world view. His stories are never cliched or predictable. I do feel however, that this novel doesn't have the ending he originally wrote. The climactic scene is shocking in the questions it raises about whether the ends justify the means and how far can a good man go, but then he pulls back just a bit, and it feels awkward. I'm curious to see if a sequel is in the works, which would explain the strained resolution. I wouldn't mind a sequel to follow up on Coral, Nolan, Thornton and Arjay. I look forward to see whatever Parrish produces next; he's one of the freshest and brightest voices in Christian fiction today.