Bonus Web Review: The Firstborn Print
Written by Staff   
Wednesday, 01 April 2009 10:45 AM America/New_York
altThe Firstborn
Conlan Brown
Realms Fiction (Strang Book Group)
softcover, 304 pages, $13.99
978-1-599-79607-9

The Firstborn, a thriller by new author Brown, jumps immediately into overdrive and doesn't slow down. The opening sequence erupts with heart-pounding action, daring escapes and a victory that leaves the reader wanting more.

Brown introduces us to The Firstborn, made up of three groups: the Domani (those that see the future), Prima (those that see the past) and the Ora (those that see the present), all descendants of those resurrected during the resurrection of Christ. Mistrust fractures The Firstborn as each group can only see the purpose of their own gifting and misunderstand the significance of the other two groups, making allegorical asides about the spiritual gifts within the church.

When a member of one of the groups decides to murder an Islamic holy man, the rest must learn to put aside their differences to stop a terrorist attack threatening the lives of hundreds of innocent children. As the characters race against time to save lives, readers can almost hear the tense turning of the clock from the TV show 24

The Firstborn is an addictive adventure and written with such quality that it's hard to believe it's Brown's debut.
-Jeff Jones