The Golden City

July 27, 2009
The final volume in Hawks's fantasy thriller series, the Fourth Realm trilogy, brings to an end the struggle between the forces of evil, the Brethren-run empire known as the Tabula, and those of good—the Travelers, Harlequins and other fighters of the Resistance. The first book, The Traveler
, promised, and delivered, much; the second, The Dark River
, was bleak and a bit of a disappointment. With the third, Hawks has returned, somewhat, to the excitement of the first, though those expecting a final, titanic battle to decide the fate of the world will come away frustrated. In the end, the action scenes are too few and too brief, and the explorations into the other Realms don't come to much of anything. Some fans might wish the author had spent less time on the easy-to-understand philosophical underpinnings (e.g., “freedom is the essence of our lives—not surveillance and control”) and more time on swinging swords. Newcomers should read the series in order.

Set on a not-too-distant future Earth, among several dystopian realms, this conclusion to the Fourth Realm Trilogy reunites Maya, Gabriel, and Hollis as they battle against Nathan and The Brethren, who slowly strip away American and European democratic freedom under the guise of a crime-free society. Scott Brick's measured pace and robotic-sounding vocals lend a mechanical tone to this science-fiction story. His sedate, and sometimes flat, cadence is steady throughout most of the performance. Occasional vocal adjustments denote dramatic content and different characters--American, African, and French. Although the story is worth listening to as a satisfying conclusion to the series, ultimately this unemotional reading lacks the energy necessary for an exciting presentation. A.L.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine