Fearless

Eye of the Beholder #2

by Sarah Tarkoff

In a near future society in which morality is manifested through beauty and ugliness, a young woman will imperil her future and her world to expose the global shadow network that uses its power to play God and control humanity.

A decade ago, Grace Luther’s life was changed by the the moment when Great Spirit “saved” humanity and transformed the world into a place where pious behavior is rewarded with beauty, and wrongdoing results in ugliness and even death. Now, at eighteen, Grace knows that everything she believed about the Revelations is a lie—a myth constructed by the government of the Prophets to force its citizens into model behavior . . . and one that led to her mother’s death. She is determined to expose the deception and bring down the Prophets, even if it means aligning herself with the resistance, a group she doesn’t entirely trust. After insinuating herself into Prophet Joshua’s inner circle, the double agent gets ever closer to fulfilling her mission to destroy his mind-influencing nanotechnology. But a shocking discovery has her questioning her path, and sends her hunting for answers about her past. Grace isn’t alone on this odyssey. Zack, the secretive government agent who is sometimes an enemy and sometimes a friend has been shadowing her every move. Is he protecting her—or hunting her? And Jude, her first love, has returned from hiding to aid her—a task complicated by their history. In a dangerous world filled with lies and betrayals, Grace can’t trust anyone. And the choices she makes will either save her friends, the resistance, and the hope of attaining free will—or secure the Prophets’ power and ultimate control.

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2019

About the author

Sarah Tarkoff has written for the CW series Arrow. Other TV writing credits include ABC’s Mistresses, Lifetime’s Witches of East End, and the animated series Vixen and The Ray.

She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in screenwriting (hence all the screenwriting), and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Sinless is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Dystopian
*Rating* 3-3.5

*Thoughts*

Fearless is the second installment in author Sarah Tarkoff's Eye of the Beholder series. This story picks up approximately 6 months after the ending of Sinless. 10 years ago, a world wide phenomena called the Revelation, united the entire world under one Universal Theology. So called Prophets rose to prominence. Almost everyone believes that those like Joshua are a direct mouthpiece of the Great Spirit. Thanks to a network of tiny nanobots in everone's brains, there have been no wars or large scale conflicts for 10 years.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow-- what a horrible world to live in. After the "Revelations" when the "Prophets" came to power and released upon masses of the global population nanotech, that they unknowingly inhaled, that imbedded itself in people's brains. These mini-computers then would "sense" guilt or other negative feelings by the chemicals those feeling give off in the body, and if detected, would start to deform the that person-- "revealing" them to the rest of the world as "unworthy"-- and everyone is brainwashed into believing that this is through the amazing power of the main "Prophet". Most people have become robots-- unwilling to think any of their own thoughts that differ from whatever is "prophet-correct"-- and basically no more free- will. Except for Grace Luther, who has been learning the truth, and has joined the "Resistance" to end this tyranny and expose this "Prophet" for what he really is-- which is anything but holy or pious. She has also just seen someone that looks like her mom, who she had been led to believe died years before as an "unworthy outcast". Between trying to find this mysterious woman and get some answers, and bring down the "Prophet", and having to watch every word she says and every step she takes-- since no one can be trusted-- not ever her father-- her hands are quite full, and that is a lot for a teenager to deal with. I enjoyed "Fearless"-- it kept me guessing as to what could happen next, and now I have to get #1 in the series, Sinless, to see what events happened in the world to make everyone so willing to embrace such a monster as a leader-- and what had actually happened to Grace's mother. I won this book in a #goodreadsgiveaway-- my thanks to the author and publisher!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Fearless felt very much like a 'meh' experience to me. The logic holes are glaring, our main character is quite bland, and the romance (almost a harem, to be honest) is driving the plot. It feels like there is an agenda here as well, stuffed innocuously behind the endless discussions of religion and philosophy. I didn't believe in any of the characters nor the world building and so it was hard not to roll my eyes a lot. Likely this series is appealing for Twilight fans since it is very undemanding and has no problems talking down to the reader.

Story: Grace has to remain deep undercover and do the Prophet Joshua's bidding while helping the resistance secretly. But Zack keeps following her and chatting her up - is he truly working for the Prophet as well? And can she continue to hunt the heretics, knowing that she is hurting the resistance at the same time?

So a lot of this felt like an excuse to have the perfect boy follow her around and show interest while creating drama so they don't fall into happily ever after too soon. So of course she thinks Zack is working for Joshua and he thinks she is working for Joshua - but then they both doubt that each is truly working for Joshua and have discussions about whether religion works. Which doesn't make sense considering anyone who speaks out like that is hunted down by 'agents of the prophet' like Grace. And if Zack was so into the prophet, would he really be questioning her religion and his religion, considering he thinks she is a super religious agent? There are just so many plot holes like this that are just there to either a) force the romance aspects or b) bring up some agenda or other from the writer. Cue in later the entrance of 'boy from the past with a history to deal with" Jude and there's another cute boy ready to save her from whatever she gets herself into this time.

At times, it felt like the author had taken a philosophy course on dogma and came up with some superficial observations that she jack hammered into the plot. I certainly don't mind a good discussion but the topic is frequently plunked down without preamble and in highly inappropriate situations that would honestly endanger the heroine. Fortunately, she seems to be saved (a LOT!) by one of her harem boys, so all is well.

Honestly, the book is so dreadfully earnestly told that is makes it really hard to want to follow. Perhaps some levity would have helped or at least a more complex plot with less agenda or theological musings. Certainly, the romance could have been toned down a bit so it didn't feel like the plot was just an excuse to create situations for one of the boys to save Grace or just show interest in her.

By about the half way, I was done with the book. There just wasn't enough nuance or complexity (or logic) to make it worth the read. Those looking for something simple and easy with tons of cute boys, however, will devour Fearless. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Teresa]

Just started the book. It is sure to be interesting and has me caught up in first few pages of the book. Sure to be a good read.

[Mary Nee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of novels you really need the first one Sinless. This book has a lot of twist and turns! It won't disappoint you!

[Debbie Schiedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not read Sinless but had no problem understanding what was happening in the story. Concept of plot was thought provoking. Characters were believable. Had some twists and turns interspersed.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! A page-turner with nuanced themes and compelling characters. The kind of book that stays with you after you've finished reading.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may have done it again. I read a sequel without reading the rest of the series. I am so sorry. I really need to be more careful!

I was given the opportunity to review this thanks to Edelweiss+, so a huge thanks to them and the publisher/author for providing me with it.

This begins with an intro note from the narrator, Grace, which immediately set the scene perfectly. It was actually really convincing, and definitely a strong start to the novel.

It was immediately clear that I was in the dark due to not reading the previous book. However, I think the most impoprtant things were recapped in enough detail that I was still able to follow and enjoy this book. There were still references I didn't get, though, which is a shame. I wish I had read the other book.

I'm not going to discuss the plot. What I will say is that it seemed incredibly plausible. I was taking some sociology exams while I read this, one of which contained questions on the topic of religion. This book tied into that perfectly. The future described was so realistic, and the details about secularisation and such were spot on. It was a bit too similar to my sociology books at some points, as in it almost felt like an assignment to read at times. That was only at times, though, when the political system of the rebel group was being outlined, for example.

The relationships in this book were a little inconsistent in my opinion. I thought Grace was really connecting with someone, and then suddenly she was almost falling for her ex again. I don't know, it just seemed a bit wishy-washy to me.

This was a really clever book, and I did thoroughly enjoy reading it. There were a few things I wasn't particularly keen on, but nothing that really put me off. 4.5 stars; I would suggest reading the first novel, Sinless, beforehand though.

[Susan Gottfried]

Quick read, I'll give it that. At least, the first half is; I'm DNFing it halfway through.

But... I mean... it reads like an episode of Arrow, but what works for serial TV doesn't work in a book. The CIA! A moral test to get in! My mom's alive! It's...

It's definitely not a worthy sequel to the first book, which had really fresh ideas.

Grace is living a traumatic life. Who can she trust? Why? Is she sure? Nothing is what it seems around her, and that's FINE. But Grace herself needs to be more interesting. She needs to feel the trauma she's going through, and she needs to react to it. And yet, at the same time, she needs to calm herself down, talk herself off a cliff, and make sure she's making wise decisions. But she does neither; she floats along, mostly emotionless. In fact, she's more focused on Jude and Zack and what each means to her, romantically, and... Is this the message we want to be sending our young women? Life can be going to shit around you but PICK YOUR BOYFRIEND. YOU NEED MEN.

No. That's not a message I was comfortable giving my own daughter, and it's not a message I'm comfortable advocating for anyone else's daughter. As women, we are so much more than extensions of men. We CAN and we DO function beautifully without them. (Especially when they are pale, boring, undeveloped men like these.)

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[RLR · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first novel in this series, Sinless, I waited impatiently for the second book. It's finally here, and it doesn't disappoint! This one has even more action scenes and surprising plot twists than the last. What I really appreciate, though, is the thought-provoking look at religion and good vs. evil. This book is a page-turner that also makes you think about deeper issues. A rare combination!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great author!!

[Graisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read with well fleshed out characters and lots of action. I look forward to the third book.

[Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a physical uncorrected proof of this book through a giveaway hosted on GoodReads.

Sarah Tarakoff’s Fearless is an excellent continuation of her Eye of the Beholder series. After the events of the first book, in which Grace Luther first learned of the all too secular explanation for the religious Punishments she had grown up under the threat of for most of her life and joined the resistance attempting to free the world from the Prophets’ influence, the second installation continues with the action and intrigue. This time, however, Grace’s missions take on a global scale, and become all the more dangerous in the process. Grace is also forced to question all that she has accepted up to this point, as well. Not only has Zack’s position as friend or foe become even less clear, but Grace is given reason to suspect that her long-dead mother may be alive, and a mysterious voice in her head forces her to question every action she takes for the resistance, and has up to this point.

I absolutely love every part of this series so far, and feel very fortunate that I won the second book, as it introduced me to a series I had been unaware of up to that point, and gave me reason to buy the first book online so that I might better understand the second before reviewing it. Usually, I steer away from book with religious themes, as most are either sickeningly devout (when written by religious authors) or extremely pessimistic (when written by skeptics). This series, however perfectly embodies the balance between being wary of religion’s ability to control its followers without demonizing belief as a whole, and acknowledging that religion has benefits on communities and individuals when used correctly. And, it is all wrapped up in a fascinating narrative in which questions are raised about our own world’s relationship with religion without sounding preachy or taking sides, or even creating an environment where one belief system, whether intentionally or not, is portrayed as “better” than the others, as all groups, from the followers to the world religion to the Originalist, moderates, and atheists in the Turkish resistance, are all portrayed as containing flawed individuals, with some who are optimistically striving to help others while those who are blinded by their faith or goals become too prejudiced to benefit anyone but their own.

Even outside the religious elements, the narrative bones of the book hold up well. Every character Grace encounters, herself included, feels genuine and believable, with their own personalities and motivations. Her friends and allies feel trustworthy while still possessing flaws and making mistakes and bad decisions, and her enemies are all individuals who simply have different opinions or hose motivations cause their values to lead them to “evil” actions, rather than being a cardboard cutout Villain simply to give the Good Guys someone or something to fight. Even the book’s love triangle, the part of most teen dystopias that most often feels like a stretch, is written in a way that feel like real life, where both boys do actions outside of trying to win Grace’s heart, and Grace is able to do what she must without being constantly distracted by her crushes. They even show signs of having love interests other than Grace, and she accepts that fact as meaning they are at least temporarily off the table, rather than having them both wait around for her indefinitely or having their change of interest treated like a challenge for Grace’s love to overcome. Grace exists in a fleshed out and realistic world that anyone could see themselves living in without feeling as if they’re stuck in a novel. Furthermore, the story itself has very little that stretches the reader’s suspension of disbelief, with every coincidence backed up be plenty of character interaction behind the scenes and every twist unexpected without feeling too set-up. The fact that Grace’s story is written as her recalling her adventures leading up to eventual imprisonment, and her readers are treated as if they are residents of her world, with prior knowledge or its history and social structure, rather than of a fictional account, completely checks out, and I could easily see this book as having been ripped from an alternate universe in which all of her adventures actually occurred. As such, I highly recommend this book to anyone who comes across it and is a fan of teen fantasy and dystopia, and had already begun recommending the series to others verbally while I was still reading Sinless prior to this. Obviously, this book probably wouldn’t sit well with people who are already “brainwashed” by the controlling power of full-life religion, but atheists and casual worshipers alike would most likely enjoy it, while possibly being a little worried about the slight likelihood of something similar happening for real. It’s definitely earned this witch’s seal of approval.

[N.K. Von · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first was hard to put down, the second book I was super excited to do a dive deeper in the world, as in the look into how the rebels are. I was pretty disappointed. I was disappointed that her love interest dropped his interest in her and moved one when she preformed a rather selfless act (that he could of stayed faithful to her like she did to him). I did like all the new character introductions and the religion aspect, but again, nothing was that much of a deep dive. Just a quick hello and then a move on. So to me, the world building was weak in this, the characters were really good in this. The beginning of the book is a bit slow, but I will say I did enjoy the ending. I might check out the third book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading the ARC version and yet again, another great book! I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the world of Grace Luther (although I’m rather glad it’s not our reality). I believe I read book 2 about as fast, if not faster than, book 1. It’s a story I love devouring—the characters have depth, the story is fascinating, and I love Sarah Tarkoff’s writing style. I can’t review this book with justice, but all I know is this: the joy and distraction (from real life) this series has given me is the best gift I could ever ask for and then some.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read that explores the idea of personal freedom set in a world where society thrives without all the isms we currently face. The downside? Punishment for crimes that is based on personal feelings of guilt.

[Mary Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept my interest to the very end.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm almost done this book. So far a decent book that's kept me entertained. Moves fast, a quick read for me.

[Mityl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Callous handling of what could have been an interesting premise.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dystopia, but in religious candy form.