The Traveler

The First Novel of "The Fourth Realm" Trilogy

By: John Twelve Hawks

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Maya is hiding in plain sight in London. The 26-year-old has abandoned the dangerous obligations pressed upon her by her father and chosen instead to live a normal life. But Maya comes from a long line of people who call themselves Harlequins, a fierce group of warriors willing to sacrifice their lives to protect a select few known as Travelers.

Gabriel and Michael Corrigan are brothers living in Los Angeles. Since childhood, the young men have been shaped by stories that their late father was a Traveler, one of a small band of prophets who have vastly influenced the course of history. Travelers are able to attain pure enlightenment, and have for centuries ushered change into the world. Gabriel and Michael, who may have inherited their father's gifts, have always protected themselves by living "off the Grid", that is, invisible to the real-life surveillance networks that monitor people in our modern society.

Summoned by her ailing father, Maya is told of the existence of the brothers. The Corrigans are in severe danger, stalked by powerful men known as the Tabula, ruthless mercenaries who have hunted Travelers for generations. This group is determined to inflict order on the world by controlling it, and they view Travelers as an intolerable threat. As Maya races to California to protect the brothers, she is reluctantly pulled back into the cold and solitary Harlequin existence. A colossal battle looms, one that will reveal not only the identities of Gabriel and Michael Corrigan but also a secret history of our time.

Moving from the back alleys of Prague to the heart of Los Angeles, from the high deserts of Arizona to a guarded research facility in New York, The Traveler explores a parallel world that exists alongside our own. John Twelve Hawks' stunningly suspenseful debut is an international publishing sensation that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

Listen to the second book in this series: The Dark River: The Fourth Realm, Book 2.

©2005 John Twelve Hawks (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“This novel’s a stunner.... You won’t want to put the book down.” (People)

“The stuff that first-rate high-tech paranoid-schizophrenic thrillers are made of.” (Time)

“A fearless, brilliant action heroine (think Uma Thurman in Kill Bill); a secret history of the world; a tale of brother against brother... and nonstop action as the forces of good and evil battle it out....Readers won’t regret taking this wild ride.” (The Times-Picayune)

Fun and Exciting

Moral dilemma; Great heroine with strong Integrity; Neat prologue by the author--I loved it!

Ruth

Though a little long winded when it comes to theory, the characters and story line are fascinating. I was so engrossed in the book that I almost missed my bus stop! A must read.

I wished I'd read This on Release

Would you listen to The Traveler again? Why?

I love the story. Scott Brick is a pro and he reads it well. The production could use some work...Hawks ends a chapter brilliantly and sometimes the editor chops off the end and slams on the next chapter and it's frustrating. I need a beat. But I love the story, so I would put up with that again to go back into it.

What did you like best about this story?

Imagination meets real science

A must listen

I loved this story and I can't wait for the rest of the books. I didn't want the story to finish and I loved the reader also. This book totally makes you think!

Great new Author! We loved it!

We were a bit wary of taking something new with us on vaccation but this story was so riviting that we found ourselves going for the headset whenever we could find an hour. The story was riviting and the narrator had a great cadence that kept us coming back for more. We will be looking for more from John Twelve Hawks as well as other audio by Scott Brick. We travel and drive so much we are THRILLED that we have found Audible.com!

Well Researched!

This book is a must listen! Not only is the technology well researched and a foretell of our possible future, but the story line is great!

Action Packed and Thought Provoking

I couldn't stop listening, some parts were a little slow but necessary to the overall story so it was bearable and in the end wrapped things up nicely. For scifi snobs take it as fun summer read, those less particular will find it more than satisfying.

A great

This was a refreshing story. Action scenes were good but did not detract from the story line. Characters were developed satisfactorily but will probably be further explored in the next two novels.
Could have gone into more depth on many different levels but I thoroughly enjoyed the subject(s) of this novel. The author adds to the "mystique" of the book with a disguised voice in the interview at the end.
I can't wait for the 2nd and 3rd in this trilogy.

Great car listening

This exciting story very well narrated made a 12 hour drive go by so fast that we didn't want to stop.

Very good Read

I liked the characters in the book. Very good read. I look forward to the follow-up.