Relentless by Robin Parrish Published by: Bethany House Publishers (2006) 443 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Robin Parrish: Fearless Merciless Offworld

One of the main reasons I've been able to maintain this website is that I've always been blessed with the ability to read very rapidly. If a book holds my interest well, I read even faster. When a book bores me, I struggle through each page. This can also be a curse, in that when I come across a book that I absolutely love, I have to force myself to slow down or it'll be over far too soon.

Such was the case with Relentless, which describes not only the story inside this novel, but the pace at which I devoured it.

Robin Parrish (who founded & runs the Infuze webzine) has brought a fresh voice to Christian fiction, taking it in a direction I never expected to see and am delighted to have experienced.

From the moment protagonist Grant Borrows steps off the bus and sees himself across the street, Parrish had me. His whole life has changed in an instant, and in a way that seems inexplicable and frightening. Someone else is now in his body, living his (admittedly boring) life, and he is now in a different body, one that has more to discover than just the physical differences.

In almost no time, Grant finds himself in a deadly chess match, where he's not only uncertain of who the other players are, but how many there are and even who he himself is, anymore! Pursued by a mysterious assassin, Grant struggles to unlock the secrets both of his own past and his own mysterious new abilities. The clues lead him in a variety of directions, to other people like himself (and yet not), mysterious tech corporations, and a conspiracy that dates back thousands of years.

If you were unsatisfied with this summer's big superhero movies, you need to read this book. It has everything those stories should have had, and didn't. In fact, the serial nature of the story (which was originally done in installments online, actually) and some of the other elements owes a lot to various superhero comic books that I can identify. The exploration of the nature of power is especially fascinating.

Someone who is used to much of Christian fiction's typical fare might look up halfway through this novel and wonder, "Where's the Christian part?" In fact, the storyline is infuzed (groan) with Christian elements, but they're not blatant. At least... not until one crucial scene near the end... That also gives some promise of the direction things might take in the future of this storyline.

Even without that, the spiritual themes are shining throughout. In other words, this is another great story that just happens to be written by a Christian.

This is the first novel in a trilogy, which gives me great hope, despite the sadness I felt at finishing too quickly. Quite frankly, I can't wait to read more about Grant Borrows and his supporting cast. This could be the beginning of something truly exciting. Highly Recommended.