Chosen : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Gripping Thriller
Review: All of Benjamin Ridley's students listen intently to his lecture. But for Peter Hansen the professor's words ring so true that he experiences a clarity of thought bordering on epiphany. The grey areas that have pervaded his legal studies suddenly fade, and Peter recognizes the truth--an objective moral code exists. And with that revelation his eyes are opened to the fierce battle that surrounds him, which the unawakened mistake for random acts of crime, terror and other mayhem.

The conflict between good and evil has rarely been brought so close to home as it is in Chosen. Rather than demons or other boogeymen, D.M. Brown runs a chill up our spine by unveiling the evil that lurks around us everyday in places we least expect it. While the classic good vs. evil conflict is unmistakable, Chosen pushes the genre to a new level by weaving its theme together with a page-turning thriller and an intriguing story of personal journey. Stopping short of the supernatural and things that go bump in the night, the story convincingly makes evil our next door neighbor, the stranger sitting next to us on the bus, or even someone closer.

I particularly enjoyed the protagonist's early encounters with the strangers that now seek to do him harm. The description of those altercations is vivid and conveys the disorientation caused by suddenly being targeted by "Shadows" that Peter didn't know existed and who would have ignored him just a day earlier.

My only complaint about this book is that I wanted the story to keep going. But we can almost certainly expect another installment or even a series, which this concept would support nicely. Now that he is a Chosen, Peter Hansen's journey will undoubtedly require many novels (and possibly a film or two) to complete.

Rating:
Summary: The Ongoing Battle
Review: Dave Brown does a masterful job in portraying in an easy to read fictional form a story that depicts the ongoing battle between the inherent good and evil in the world. He is able to break down difficult concepts such as truth, justice, free agency, and morality in such a way that the most unlearned in these matters could understand. He is then able to deliver his message in such a way that you care for the characters, and are pained with their decisions. A great read if you want to sit and ponder what truth, guilt, and moral obligation really mean. I highly recommend all to read it, and hope you don't find yourself sympathizing with the shadows.