Spark

by John Twelve Hawks

After a catastrophic motorcycle accident, Jacob Underwood woke up believing he was already dead. This unusual condition has a name—Cotard’s syndrome—and a surprising Feeling dead makes Jacob frighteningly good at his job. A contract employee of the multinational corporation DBG, he can now carry out his assignments with ruthless precision, untroubled by guilt, fear, dishonor or any moral conflict—the perfect skills for a hired assassin. When a bright young DBG associate vanishes without a trace, likely taking vast sums of money and valuable company information with her, Jacob will pursue her into a labyrinthine network of dark dealings which extend around the globe, and far beyond his understanding.
 
In Spark, master storyteller John Twelve Hawks spins a riveting tale and delves into what it means to be human inside the modern surveillance state.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Dystopia, Audiobook, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

John Twelve Hawks aka J12H/JXIIH.

His real identity is unknown. He communicates using the internet and an untraceable phone and has never met his editor.

Several guesses have been made regarding his identity: that he was Thomas Pynchon, Dan Brown, or Steve Hawking among others...

Reviews

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A(n Almost) Perfect Killer


Forget about feelings, smells and flavors

Forget about Shakespeare, Voltaire and Moliére
Forget about The Importance of Being Ernest

Forget about laughs, tears and fears

Forget about happiness and sorrows

Forget about wrong, right and tomorrows

Forget...Forget...Forget...

Until nothing’s left but a tiny lil Spark
A spot of light in a Massive Dark...

Does it sound Beautiful?
Poetic?

Hmmmm!
I don’t think so!

What you just read is Jacob Underwood Profile:
The Profile of a Perfect Killer!

Well!... Not quite!...
Almost!
Since nothing is perfect, what can we possibly say about the mind of a murderer?! 😜


In a Nutshell:
Outside of a killer, a book is a great friend. Inside of a killer it's too dark to see (unless of course, against all odds, a spark will be there) 😜

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um Assassino (Quase) Perfeito


Esqueçam cheiros, sabores e sentimentos

Esqueçam Gogol, Camões e Voltaire
Esqueçam Cândido e Moliére...

Esqueçam lágrimas, risos e medos
Esqueçam amor e ódio
Esqueçam belos e feios

Esqueçam também o certo e o errado ...

Esqueçam...
Esqueçam...
Esqueçam... até que do Todo só reste uma Ínfima Chama 🔥... Trémula ... Tímida... Brilhante ...
Uma Centelha de Luz na Escuridão Infinita

Será Belo?
Poético?

Não creio!...

O que acabaram de ler é o Perfil de Jacob Underwood:
O Perfil dum Assassino Perfeito!
Bem!... Quase!...

Se nada é Perfeito, que dizer sobre a mente dum Homicida?!😜


Moral da História:
Fora da Mente dum Assassino, um livro é um grande amigo. Dentro da Mente dum Assassino está demasiado escuro para ler, a não ser que encontrem por lá uma centelha luzidia!😜

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a clever book, because it manages to be a fast paced action thriller, with dystopian themes, but right at the heart of it is a pure character piece.

Jacob Underwood is definitely one of the more fascinating characters you will find in fiction – emotionless and unfeeling it is hard to judge him for the things he does, which are lets face it, pretty horrific, because despite his actions he is eminently likeable. He doesnt make excuses or justify, he simply is…but as the book progresses there is a spark of life somewhere in there just waiting to emerge…

The flow of it is very intense…I dare you to put it down once you pick it up…but still, the characters are key all the way. Seen through Jacob’s eyes throughout, referred to by him as the “human units”, his outlook on life will often strike you as very sensible, sometimes funny but realistically speaking quite dangerous for those around him. As the story goes on and we find out how he got to be the way he is it is endlessly compelling and terribly addictive.

The “backdrop” if you like, about his latest task, to find and neutralise upon instruction one Emily Buchanan, a young lady who has in her possession some very dangerous information, is the perfect plot within which Jacob can function, evolve and draw you into his world…and he will certainly do that. There is plenty of action, some dark themes explored well, and a strange kind of life affirming humanity to the whole thing considering you are travelling the road alongside a character who believes he is dead..

The author has created a wonderful mythology here, using some standard dystopian themes, but then putting front and centre a character from which everything else flows…I absolutely loved it, certainly one of my reads of the year, and I can only hope that there will be more from Jacob. Whilst this particular adventure is satisfactorily complete it is obvious that as far as our main protagonist is concerned, the surface has barely been scratched…

Highly Recommended: Most especially for fans of character driven genre novels with heart.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Twelve Hawks, the mystery man of literature. I read his first trilogy and liked the first book. Sadly the next 2 books of that series (after a promising and interesting start) bogged down in Eastern Cosmology.

Here we are again starting out with an eye to the loss of privacy. The story is told through a protagonist who has an unusual delusion. He believes himself to be dead.

The story is interesting as we learn a little about unnamed protagonists. He shows certain symptoms of high-functioning autism...oh and he kills people.

The character as odd as he is, works. There is one thing that tends to bug me and that's the way the character fails to carry through in certain situations. He's this ultimate super assassin...but tends to get blind sided, more than once.

What's up with that?

Anyway...good read...interesting if it turns out to be the beginning of a new series.

Guess I'll wait and see how it goes. Recommended, so far.

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway, but that had no effect on my review.

Jacob Underwood works for the Special Services Section of a large NY investment bank. His job is to take care of problems unconventionally: he is a contract killer. Jacob was recruited by Ms. Holquist, following a near fatal motorcycle accident, in which he was transformed into an unfeeling, unemotional shell that thinks he’s dead (called Cotard's syndrome.) He lives in a society where "Big Brother" watches everyone to detect abnormal behavioral patterns. After a mundane job or two, he is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a banking analyst, who was given some secret information by a guy from India she met at a conference and told to release it if she does not hear from him. As Jacob investigates, he begins to question his instructions, and draws the attention of a rival when he does not follow orders, starting with his refusal to kill an innocent child. I liked Hawk's creativity and the development of Jacob's character. Not quite 4 stars, but I rounded up.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. From the very beginning this book grabs you with it's originality, it's perfectly paced action and most of all with the questions you need answers to.
Jacob is a contract killer for a seriously creepy group of people. He is particularly good at his job because he is dead. He is unable to feel fear, remorse, or much of anything really. He is a Spark inside a Shell. He wasn't always dead. He used to be a normal guy with a job and friends and a girlfriend. Now that he's dead, he doesn't like to eat, especially dead things. He doesn't like to be touched. Without his list of rules he would forget to shower. The one thing that Jacob likes...dogs.
Emily Buchanan works for the Brooks Danford Group, the same bank that has Jacob on contract. When she disappears, Jacob is hired to track her down and figure out why. When Jacob leans that she has information damaging to one of the bank's powerful clients, he is ordered to kill her.
The world that Jacob and Emily live in changed after an event called the Day of Rage, during which 9 bombs destroyed 9 schools all over the world, killing countless children. Since that event, people are monitored constantly, by cameras and by their Freedom Cards, an ID that lets those in charge know where everyone is all the time. Also, people are losing their jobs to nubots, human-looking and sounding robots. Only the people that are in positions of power or people who control technology have any sort of job security.
This book is so imaginative and well-written and I can't recommend it enough. I rarely read a book I find so completely enthralling and perfect.

[E.J. Fisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really torn between and 3 and 4 star rating for this - realistically, it was somewhere in between.

I thought the overall premise of this book was really interesting. Call me morbid, but I'm a sucker for cold-blooded assassin characters. The idea that there was an actual scientific explanation behind Jacob's condition was especially interesting, and I liked the descriptions of how he functioned in the world. Definitely different than anything I've read before. I've recently become a fan of the whole "what-is-it-that-makes-us-human" argument and enjoyed the decision vs. choice subplot regarding humans and machines - I hadn't expected to find that sort of thing in this book, and I thought it was well done.

There were, however, some cons that I just couldn't get around. Part of that is due to my personal tastes - I prefer spy thrillers with government conspiracies, CIA cover-ups, etc. rather than corrupt banks and money trails and blackmail. But I did feel like some of the plot points were kind of contrived, the dialogue was flat, and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. Jacob wasn't nearly as badass as I had hoped/expected he'd be. I mean yes, it would be difficult to write a character who thinks he's dead and is therefore incapable of feeling emotions, but even so, I felt like more could have been done with him. I didn't feel like the other characters really made valuable contributions to the story; obviously they were needed for the story, but they might as well have been made of cardboard.

Overall, the first half or so of the book deserved a solid 4-star rating, while the second half was probably 3-stars. I was curious enough about how it would end that I stuck it out.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the premises of this futuristic dystopian thriller seemed mildly promising. It is set several years after the "Day of Rage," a group of terror attacks in which bombs were set off at Eton, the Dalton School in Manhattan, and elite schools in several other countries. We're never told how many victims died, but it's a day with obvious overtones of 9/11, and it results in the creation of a total surveillance society. Congress passes a series of laws with Orwellian names such as The Need to Know Act, which states that "an ordinary citizen did not need to know much of anything." The Good News for Americans Act "placed restrictions on anonymous bloggers and web sites." Congress is debating the Faith of Our Fathers Act, which will place restrictions on any religion that doesn't use the Bible as a primary text. Crowd pleasers, all. In the United States, thousands have been jailed in Good Citizen Camps for various misdeeds against the surveillance state. Globally, there are sex riots in China due to the lack of women, and Russia has a czar. Many Americans have microchips under their skin which identify them wherever they go; if they don't have a subcutaneous chip, they are required to carry an ID card on their person which accomplishes the same thing. Many human workers have been replaced with very lifelike robots. Essentially, these are mostly things that are either virtually in place in our own lives, or we feel like are in danger of happening soon.

Unfortunately, aside from all the surveilling in the novel, and the robots, this dystopic backdrop is merely wallpaper for a not terribly compelling story. For example, we never see inside the citizen camps. We don't see the political system up close. We're introduced to a 30-something male protagonist who suffers from Cotard's syndrome, which the book jacket explains is real: people who have it think they're dead. Jacob came down with it after a motorcycle accident caused a severe brain injury. He now has autism-like symptoms. He hates being touched, has no understanding of social or human interactions, and has to refer to a guidebook to understand what people's facial expressions mean. He constantly refers to his "Spark," which is the thing that creates his thoughts. You can think of it as something brain-like, or soul-like, except that Jacob doesn't believe in souls. His Spark reverberates inside his Shell, or body. We are provided with lots of diagrams of Sparks, Shells, and other things. This fits in with his autism-esque need to explain things visually, but it also feels lazy, like a substitute for writing. In fact the writing here is nothing special. It's bland. The novel chugs along, but about two-thirds of the way through I lost interest, at the point where a group of do-gooder characters belonging to an underground political resistance movement were introduced. Aside from their admirable political and charitable qualities, we learn that these are good people because they smile, grin, enjoy each other's company, and make delicious hot chocolate. Jacob, employed as a contract assassin, the perfect job for him because he has no feelings, is tasked with killing one of these fine people, but the hot chocolate and other small details are giving him second thoughts.

[Rane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part psychological thriller, part dystopian fantasy, Spark: A Novel is an exciting, fast-paced book set in a future where the government controls every aspect of life and corporate greed has created an underground economy that operates on its own set of rules. Jacob Underwood is a man with a rare psychological condition that makes him the perfect "enforcer" in this new economy. Underwood is an emotionless and methodical assassin, until something goes wrong on one of his jobs and his world begins to unravel around him.

John Twelve Hawks creates a rich and believable universe for Underwood to play in. Hawks avoids flowery and bloated descriptions in favor of a writing style that is as precise and methodical as his lead character. Each word is perfectly chosen to create maximum impact. Every element of world-building and exposition serves to not only shape the environment, but also to provide subtle insight into Underwood's character. The result is a story that moves quickly and effortlessly from the first page to the last.

Underwood isn't really a good guy or a bad guy, he's neither hero nor antihero, he just exists. We can't exactly root for him, but we can't really root against him, either. The assassins misdeeds are many, yet Hawks manages to make him sympathetic.

At times the violence is a bit graphic, but it never reaches the level of senseless gore. There are a few disturbing images, including some animal cruelty, but it passes quickly and serves a purpose to the plot. Beyond these bits of violence, the book is surprisingly tame. There's no gratuitous sex or language--there's simply no room for it.

Spark: A Novel is an absolute must-read for anyone who enjoys thrillers or mysteries. Despite a bit of graphic violence, it should be appropriate for teenagers and above.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[Evan Hammerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought our world of The Fourth Realm Trilogy was paranoid with The Vast Machine, the world of Spark is paranoia on steroids. Surveillance is even more omnipresent and omnipotent than in the earlier books. The Vast Machine is even vaster.

The protagonist is a hit man who has Cotard's Syndrome, so he thinks he's dead. A good trait for a hired killer. His employer adds to the feeling of paranoia.

The book goes on with the present story, with flashbacks explaining how the "hero" got that way.

While reading this hi-tech look-over-your-shoulder thriller, just remember that a lot of what J 12 H predicted in The Traveler nine years ago hS come to pass. That should increase your paranoia even more.

Definitely a must-read.

[Shaina Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read Spark yet, then you should. It is calculated, and concise. Hawks has out done himself.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many interesting ideas. A good storyteller.

[Rissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it that gives us humans drive? Death. The knowledge that our time is finite and that we will all die drives humans to get things done whilst there is still time. Therefore, what would you do if you think you are already dead? I surmise, not much. What’s the point of getting out of bed if you are already dead? The concept of walking around and being able to understand you are dead, means that you can’t really be dead. This does not stop Jacob being good at what he does. He may think he is dead, but rather than sitting around all day, he gets up and does his day job as an assassin for a shadowy corporation.

Jacob has an illness called Cotard’s Syndrome that makes him think he is dead. For his own safety he should be kept in a hospital, but that is not what corporation DBG have in mind. They get Jacob released and use his lack of empathy to their advantage. A good killer goes about their business with no feelings and Jacob is unable to feel any. That is until he is send out on one job and the small Spark that remains in him starts to flicker once more.

‘Spark’ is a high concept thriller that never forgets to get down and dirty when it needs to. The premise is ‘Jason Bourne’ like as Jacob is almost an engineered killer, developed because he has the rare ability to have no empathy. As a main character this makes him a little odd as he perceives the world in a strange manner. Thankfully, John Twelve Hawks does a great job of slowly revealing what happened to Jacob and explaining why he is like he is. The sections where Jacob goes into details about his Spark are a little plodding, but don’t go on for too long.

A book like ‘Spark’ could have struggles by changing the character of Jacob too quickly. One minute a mindless killer, the next in love. This does not happen. Hawks slowly builds up Jacob’s character so that he has enough motivation to be a little human, but never truly becomes like the rest of us. It is great to see a damaged character, remain damaged. Hawks works around the edges of Jacob’s personality to make him sympathetic and does not alter him fundamentally.

As well as being an interesting character study, ‘Spark’ has some great action scenes. Jacob is a killer and death follows him. His inability to read other people means that he finds himself being betrayed often. No one in this book can be trusted as we see through the eyes of Jacob’s and these themselves cannot be trusted. ‘Spark’ is an intelligent thriller that does not forget to be fun, with only a few nagging pace issues, it is a fun book and one of Hawks’ best.

[Nicole | Sorry, I'm Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hawks' writing and this book was no different. I really, really liked this book.

Written in first person, Jacob's voice and point of view is like nothing I've read before. Jacob, along with the world he lives in, is clearly written with just the right amount of description. I felt like I was a ghost following Jacob around. Which is funny considering that Jacob believes himself to be dead. Or at least a being that does not entirely exist.

This book is a great metaphor for how we live now and where we might end up. Maybe.

While it wasn't gripping for me every page or even every chapter, that didn't take anything away from the whole of the novel or reading experience for me.

Longer review on the blog: https://sorryiambooked.wordpress.com/...

[Reading Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I do not read much science fiction and I did not have any expectations about this novel. But from the first page I was sucked in and I finished the book in two days. John Twelve Hawks presents such an interesting concept about freedom and choice. The main character is Jacob Underwood, a hired assassin who does not have any emotions because he suffers from Cotard's Syndrome: he believes he is dead. This was a fast-paced story with a weaving plot. The illustrations in the book are simple and well done. I enjoyed this book a great deal.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a Jacob Underwood who suffers from Cotard's Syndrome - an actual condition that makes you believe you are dead even though you aren't. He is a hired assassin who does his job very well since he has no feelings or concept of right or wrong. Things do change though, and when that happens, this good book becomes great! The good writing made me want to keep turning pages which led to a very good ending!
(Gerard's review)

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent (slightly dystopian and futuristic) thriller featuring an intriguing leading figure who believes he is already dead. Surprisingly touching in places for a novel with such a high deathcount.

[Sher Free · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Super interesting premise that doesn't always deliver. JTH does deliver on his anti-corporate, systemic numbing of the masses themes as usual, and the MC was fascinating.

[Graeme Shimmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logline
In a dystopian future, an assassin with no emotions is asked to locate a missing woman. When his emotions start returning, he has to decide whether to carry out his orders to kill the woman or break with his employers and protect her… and the secret she has uncovered.

Plot Summary
In the near future, androids known as nubots have replaced most human workers, causing mass unemployment. The anti-nubot underground, known as the neo-ludites, carried out a terrorist attack known as ‘The Day of Rage’, since when the world has become a police state where a surveillance system known as EYE monitors everyone.

Jacob Underwood is an assassin ‘solving problems decisively’ for a multinational bank. He has undergone what he calls Transformation, and has no attachment to the world, feeling only a few minor emotions such as boredom, curiosity and agitation. He describes the essence of a person as their ‘spark’ and their body as a ‘shell’. Most people’s spark is closely connected to their shell, but because of his Transformation his are not connected.

Underwood’s controller, Miss Holquist, assigns him to find a missing worker from the bank, Emily Buchanan. Underwood discovers Emily has information about illegal transactions by an Indian bank. He travels to India, where the bank president asks him to assassinate his son-in-law, who has stolen bank funds.

In a couple of flashbacks, the reader learns that Underwood was involved in a fatal motorbike accident but was revived, leaving him in a coma with terrible head injuries. When he recovered consciousness, he felt ‘transformed’, with no emotional response to his friends, mother or girlfriend (this is known as Cotard's Syndrome). At first he could not function, until a researcher taught him some rules that enabled him to survive in human society. He was then recruited and trained as an assassin by the bank.

In Paris, Underwood carries out the assassination, but against orders he spares the son-in-law’s wife and child. Back in New York, Holquist is suspicious but Underwood manages to convince her he made a mistake. She orders him to return to locating Emily, as information is still missing.

Underwood traces Emily through her contacts with the neo-ludite underground. When Underwood finds Emily, Holquist orders him to kill her…

(The full plot synopsis is omitted to avoid spoilers. It's on my website at Spark by John Twelve Hawks: Novel Review).

Analysis
Although a hybrid, Spark mostly has a ‘mystery’ plot. Emily Buchanan is missing and Underwood tries to find her and discover what is behind the disappearance. The twist comes though when he finds Emily, and learns the truth. At that point he has to make a decision about whose side to support: Emily’s or Holquist’s.

Underwood is a great character. He’s in the tradition of many emotionless assassins, but as his lack of emotion is a product of his Cotard’s Syndrome, not him being a sociopath, the reader has more sympathy for him, and as his emotional responses start to return the reader’s empathy engages.

John Twelve Hawks makes Underwood a relatively sympathetic character, by making him care for dogs, who he regards as at the top of the pyramid of life. The author is also careful to make sure Underwood isn’t shown performing any completely unsympathetic actions of the sort an emotionless assassin might be expected to commit. For example, relatively early in the novel, Underwood doesn’t kill the defenceless woman and child.

And, for a man with no emotions, Underwood often seems quite emotional, feeling ‘agitated’, ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘soothed’ for example.

Cogito Ergo Sum
One of the themes of Spark is what it means to be ‘alive’. The philosophical statement “I think therefore I am” is discussed several times in the novel. There are several discussions of robots, mechanical automata, artificial intelligence, and the role of instinct and routine in people’s lives.

The authorities monitor people and pick up when their behaviour deviates from ‘normal’, reducing everyone to predictable cogs in the machine. Only a few rebels in the neo-ludite underground resist.

The underground have various responses, including acting based on random numbers, hiding the IDs that the authorities use to track them, and producing artistic and artisan work that is incapable of being done by machines.

The theme is explored in depth and the reader is not left in much doubt about where the author’s sympathies lie.

My Verdict
The best thriller I’ve read this year.

Details
Click the link to read the full synopsis and notes on the reality of Cotard's Syndrome and the diagrams in the novel: http://graemeshimmin.com/spark-novel-...

[Literary Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so sorry guys but this review might be a little short and a little shite due to both physical and mental illness.

This book was incredibly easy to sink into. It was a fast paced, easy read and I did enjoy it. The only problem I had was that it had very similar themes to his previous novels and so was not a breath of fresh air.

“Religion, history, and philosophy are just fictions we’ve invented to explain our meaningless world.”

The novel followed the story of Jacob Underwood, a man who believes he is dead. Having Cotard's syndrome makes him the perfect assassin as he is such little feelings towards others and himself.

I had never heart of Cotard's syndrome until I read this book and I found it extremely interesting. I enjoyed how this novel went from the present to the past to explain Jacob's unusual personality. A problem with this, however, was that I would sometimes get confused of the time line.

Jacob was not a character that you could love. Not at all. He was cold-hearted and dead inside. I didn't, at any point, feel any sympathy or empathy for him. I liked that. I liked that there is a character that for once I was not emotionally invested in him. It made a nice change.

There was non-stop action throughout this book. Either with murders or conspiracy theories. This made it a fast read and had a real Bourne feeling to it.

the reason this book is only a three stars and not higher is because I felt that it was taking a lot of other book ideas and just incorporating it into one story (Bourne, James Bond, The Traveller, The Matirx etc.) And also the ending got a little too ridiculous for mne, I could not understand *SPOILERS AHEAD* why he would end up feeling something for this girl when normally he is completely deadpan. I don't understand why he didn't kill her, what made his entire character change so much? *END OF SPOILERS* That was my biggest problem with his novel.

In reality, the universe is neutral about our existence. Only dogs care.”

I would recommend this book to lovers of dystopia, action and conspiracy theories.

Three stars.

Happy reading!

Hannah xoxo

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacob Underwood works for the SSS, Special Services Section of a large NY Investment Bank. But he’s not a banker. He’s one of an elite group of contract killers, employed by the bank who go after and eliminate bank enemy’s who commit crimes that can’t be reported to the authorities. What makes him a good hit man is not his steady gun arm or his excellent eyesight. It’s that because of a near fatal motorcycle accident he was transformed into an unfeeling, unemotional shell that thinks he’s dead.
His boss Ms. Holquist has just given him another assignment that involves finding and “taking care” of a female bank employee who has disappeared without a trace. The bank power’s that be are afraid she poses enough of a threat for SSS to deal with her. But as Jacob globetrots, collects evidence and decides the proper actions to take, his spark is reacting very strangely to these new set of directions and he must now not only deal with his mission but this new personal conundrum too.

John Twelve Hawks’ newest novel is a spine tingling, nail-biting urban fantasy thriller with a societal moral twist that will grip you from the beginning and won’t let go. Set sometime in the near future in a dystopian, big-brother(esque) society that’s recognizable but still jaw-dropping strange and with decisively descriptive narrative that gives readers a real fly on the wall look at his unforgettable people, memorable places and extraordinary things. The brightest spot in Spark is his very noir-ish, un-hero, Jacob who suffers from a rare yet real malady, and as Twelve Hawks fills in the blanks of Jacob’s past, readers will understand him; his Spark and his way of looking at problems and solving them. If you loved John’s Four Realm Trilogy and his special living off the grid attitude you will feel right at home in his newest Must Read.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're concerned about electronic security, and surveillance, this is the book for you. If you'd like to toss "cogito, ergo sum," around the dorm room this will give you something to play with. If you're at all curious about "Cotard's Syndrome," and who wouldn't be, this will be right up your alley. And if you'd like a quick-read, thriller-diller with a totally whacked out assassin as a protagonist, bad guys who give great bad, and altruists who are as flaky as they are moist, i.e. impossible and lovable, dig right in.

Our hero suffers a motorcycle accident that leaves him with the neurological damage of "Cotard's Syndrome," that is, he believes he's dead - he's a highly refined Autistic - and is recruited by a private bank to take care of their wet work. He has no affect, feels no emotion, and puts dogs on a much higher scale than humans. Perfect. This is Jacob Underwood.

Jacob's society is a futurist's vision of America at its worst: business in collusion with government to promote a world of robots and disenfranchise most of us - especially any of us who "cogito," and all of us who after the cogito come up with "no, I won't."

John Twelve Hawks handles the whole thing well, and throws in a few laughs as a bonus. And though I don't think the end will surprise you, Jacob Underwood's journey is well worth the read.

[Jessica at Book Sake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book I have been most looking forward to over the year. I absolutely love John Twelve Hawk’s Fourth Realm Trilogy. The Traveler rates upon my top 10 favorite books and it’s in a genre I don’t read enough of because I don’t usually enjoy it so much.

Spark has a different feel than The Fourth Realm Trilogy. Yes, the paranoia with technology and being tracked by everything we do is still there and very present in the story. This lacks the heart and warmth that Hawk’s other books had, which is what helped to draw me into such a cold world and story. This story is just cold, with no feelings attached. The main character thinks of himself as dead and is unemotional about (almost) everything, so there aren’t any redeeming qualities that made me want to root for him. I just didn’t care what happened to anyone in the story at all.

I think the book is intelligently written and Hawks is great about building the world his characters live in, even if it isn’t too different than our own. I just wanted so much more from this book and felt let down as I finished it and that was that.

Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reviewer: Jessica for Book Sake

[R.A. Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know what it is about John Twelve Hawks, but every time he releases a book, I think, “Meh,” and decide to pass. Then a good review comes out, I get the book, I read it, and I wonder what the hell I was waiting for. Spark is just such a book. One of the best thrillers of the year, and it kept me riveted throughout the book. It’s about an assassin who already thinks he’s dead (I know… it sounds stupid but it works). He suddenly gets a conscience and it makes him question every assignment he goes on. And just when you think it can’t get better, he becomes the target, and you turn the pages at light speed to find out how it ends. Great stuff. Five Stars.

[Libby Dogherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book on philosophy, disguised as a novel. Don't let that deter you. The plot is inventive and will keep you interested, but to the discerning reader will serve as evidence in a developing hypothesis cleverly set forth by the author and slowly discovered by the main character. What is humanity? What makes us human? Are we more or less than computers, robots, even ancient buildings? Yes, it contains its fair share of social commentary on the surveillance state, but it is more about our role and our choices in our modern world. This book is multi-layered and will satisfy both the person looking for an adventure story, and one who enjoys pondering the meaning of life. Well done.

[msleighm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating character study. Since my total disability, I have found a partial emotional disconnect, though not enough to kill. Like Jake, animals are on the top of my pyramid (of course cats outrank dogs in mine). My mom didn't think I'd like this book and wasn't going to pass it on to me. I'm really glad I found it! 
 
 

[Jael · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I started reading out of curiosity, and then the story hooked me. I got to say even though I am not sure I liked the ending too much it was good and it wasn't a dissapointing book.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A lot like 'Person of Interest.' Computers are taking over jobs, but they aren't the real danger. That would be people.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 / 5.0

I really enjoyed this one. Interesting twist on futurist deep state plot. Main character is weirdly sympathetic. Predictable denouement is nevertheless unique and manages to foreshadow further extensions but remains solidly complete in its own right.