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The Dark River (The Fourth Realm Trilogy book 2) by John Twelve Hawks
01/11/2007 . Source: Sue Davies 
pub: Doubleday Broadway. 384 page hardback. Price: $24.95 (US). ISBN: 978-0-385-51429-3. Buy The Dark River in the USA - or Buy The Dark River in the UK  check out websites: www.doubleday.com
This is a sequel to the much-hyped 'The Traveller'. It continues the story of Gabriel and Michael Corrigan who are able to travel between dimensions. The Brethren are an organisation that monitor the avenues of escape and ensure the populations of the world are constantly monitored and suppressed. They want to restrain and even kill all travellers but Michael decides to join them and seek to gain power. Meanwhile, Gabriel travels to England when hears that his father might yet be alive.
Gabriel still has his harlequin by his side. Maya is from a family of harlequins who make it their life's work to protect travellers. She is a soldier and cannot live a normal life but this time human feelings are about to intervene and put both of them in mortal danger. When they meet another harlequin, she tells Maya directly that she has broken her sacred duty. Maya realises that she is unable to protect Gabriel because she has fallen in love.
Meanwhile, there are power struggles within the Brethren and Michael wants to take some of it for himself. He travels to Europe and also briefly within other dimensions to attempt to find his missing father. The difference is he wants to kill him.
This is a page-turner but I still find it has an empty space where its heart should be. I did not feel attached to the characters of Maya and Gabriel and found that other expendable characters were used carelessly. The local colour, particularly the free-runners in London, seems like an embarrassing add-on. The author is very keen to denounce the 'great machine' and his exploration of the overbearing state is appealing but his use of the dimension-moving brothers jars considerably. It feels shoehorned in with not enough exploration of these other dimensions. Travel is limited to thought not the physical body and these elite dimension-travellers are left vulnerable as they vacate their bodies for a scoot round alternative worlds. This just feels wrong. What use is inter-dimensional travel if it leaves your physical body at risk? I couldn't help thinking that the body could only wither and die if left for any period let alone being nibbled by the odd rodent.
There is a great hole at the centre. It uses an idea that has become popular as we become more aware of how corralled we have become but it offers a way of escape only for the privileged individual who has the power to move between realms. Speaking of realms, once again there's a lot promised but very little by way of travel except towards the end.
It is part two of three and feels like it as it continually throws in plot devices to maintain our interest. By the end of it, I felt I wanted the time back I spent reading it. The lure of the big secret in a novel makes this kind of book sell well and many authors would secretly like to write 'The Da Vinci Code' for the big bucks but unless the author has some mighty truth to reveal in the final instalment, I will be leaving it on the shelf.
Sue Davies
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