Dan Ronco spent several decades working as a computer programmer and consultant before turning to writing fiction. Unholy Domain is his second novel. It is a sequel to his debut, Peacemaker, and the middle of a planned trilogy. The book is quite accessible on its own, however; I have never read Peacemaker but had no problem getting into Unholy Domain.
In 2012, the “Peacemaker” computer virus was let loose on the Internet, causing over one million deaths as the world’s infrastructure fell into chaos. Over the next decade, the devastation caused by Peacemaker and the tightening restrictions on technology imposed by frightened governments has brought about an economic depression that has left society on the brink of collapse. Millions have turned to a militant new religious movement, the Church of Natural Humans, which condemns advanced technology – and especially any blurring of the line between man and machine – as a temptation of the Devil that will destroy humanity. Its secret paramilitary wing, the Army of God, wages a bloody underground war against the propagation of new technology. In the background lurks a secretive and power-hungry group called the Domain, flooding the black market with illegal new technologies for their own mysterious ends.
The main character is David Brown, a college student and the son of the late Ray Brown, the man notorious for unleashing Peacemaker on the world. He receives a time-delayed message from his father, written ten years ago, in which his father tells him that some other unknown party is responsible for Peacemaker. Intrigued by the possibility that his father might be innocent, David sets out to learn as much about him as he can in the hope of finding something that will clear his father’s name.
It will be a hazardous journey. David is feared and hated by many for his heritage. The Army of God thinks that David can lead them to their hated enemies, the Domain. And those responsible for Peacemaker are moving again, hoping to finish what they started a decade ago.
Unholy Domain is an enjoyable book that straddles the border between science fiction and techno-thriller, and should appeal to fans of both. Its speculative elements appealed to me as a science fiction fan, but it is very near-future setting makes it more accessible than most science fiction.
The story is interesting and fast-paced, alternating between David’s search for knowledge and the machinations and struggles between the Domain and the Church of Natural Humans, until the different characters’ paths start colliding towards the end. I found all of the different strands of the story interesting; I did not, while reading a chapter focused on one plot thread, find myself wishing it would end soon so that I could go back to one that was more interesting. That is sometimes a problem with novels that jump between different subplots and perspectives, but Unholy Domain avoids it.
Ronco does action well, and the fights and shootouts that often come up in the story have a nicely balanced feel, giving enough description to make things vivid but still maintaining a very fast pace.
Plot wise, my only complaint is that the book ends somewhat abruptly, which is a common difficulty with the middle of trilogies. The climax is very quick, and the book concludes very shortly afterwards. I found this somewhat frustrating, though it speaks well of the skill with which the buildup is done.
I quite liked some of the characters, especially the antagonists. Adam Jordan, leader of the Church of Natural Humans, initially appears to be a somewhat generic evil religious fanatic, but is revealed to be a more interesting character as the story progresses. While thoroughly villainous, he has considerably more humanity than is usually seen in this sort of character. The leadership of the Domain is also done well, and given more depth through small touches- something as simple as showing a villain’s family can be surprisingly effective in making them seem more real.
I would recommend Unholy Domain to both science fiction readers and fans of contemporary thrillers. I liked it a lot, and look forward to seeing what Dan Ronco does next.
John Markley is a newspaper reporter and freelance writer from Illinois, and has been addicted to science fiction since elementary school. His other interests include history, science, video games, and martial arts. He maintains the blog Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic.
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