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The Binding
Waking up together every morning might be a blessing for old married couples, but for John and Irene it’s definitely a curse. He’s a professional thief who works alone. She’s a law-abiding historian who can’t forgive him for past wrongs. But deep beneath Berlin in a forgotten crypt they’ve managed to awaken an ancient power that won’t let them get away from each other. No matter how hard they try, no matter how far they run, every time they fall asleep, they wake up together again.
To make matters worse, somebody from Europe’s criminal underworld is also looking for this artifact…and they will stop at nothing to get it. As John and Irene begin to work together to uncover the relic’s secrets, they find a sinister parallel to the fate of a 19th century Prussian emperor and his enigmatic wife. Perhaps there is something more to this “marriage curse” than just waking up together every morning; perhaps the very stability of Europe hangs in the balance. Exploring crypts, castles, and lofty cathedrals in their search for answers, can John and Irene unravel the secrets of the relic’s power before the darker side of history repeats itself?
Creatively combining both modern science and age-old truths, the Binding seamlessly blends adventure, romance, and a dash of the supernatural into an overarching illustration of mankind’s Divine design.
To make matters worse, somebody from Europe’s criminal underworld is also looking for this artifact…and they will stop at nothing to get it. As John and Irene begin to work together to uncover the relic’s secrets, they find a sinister parallel to the fate of a 19th century Prussian emperor and his enigmatic wife. Perhaps there is something more to this “marriage curse” than just waking up together every morning; perhaps the very stability of Europe hangs in the balance. Exploring crypts, castles, and lofty cathedrals in their search for answers, can John and Irene unravel the secrets of the relic’s power before the darker side of history repeats itself?
Creatively combining both modern science and age-old truths, the Binding seamlessly blends adventure, romance, and a dash of the supernatural into an overarching illustration of mankind’s Divine design.
- GenresChristian Fiction
466 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Gilbert
5 books20 followersR.J.A. Gilbert has won awards for bringing unique perspectives and abstract insight to his writing. Never one to “color within the lines”, his works reflect worlds where myth and history blend seamlessly—where heroes of legend battle antediluvian monsters, where dragons chase flying cars across the skies, and where unexpected twists can occur on any page.
When not plotting his next literary adventure, Gilbert lives a quiet life with his family in the Pacific Northwest.
When not plotting his next literary adventure, Gilbert lives a quiet life with his family in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 10, 2020
Had this book come out of Hollywood or been, say, part of the James Bond canon, the two protagonists, professional thief (or, as he would say, finder of missing objects) John Stone and historian Irene O’Connell, would have slept together in an intimate fashion after discovering a mysterious relic that causes them to wake up together every time they fall asleep. Thankfully, though, R.J. Gilbert gives us a story not of lust, but of love.
John and Irene’s relationship gets off to a rocky start in a crumbling crypt as both – for vastly different reasons - are in search of the Rose, an artifact with supernatural powers. And their relationship does not progress either smoothly or rapidly; it takes time for each to learn and value the qualities of the other, and to develop trust. All the while, their lives are under constant threat, as others with more sinister designs want to get their hands on the Rose.
Mixing romance, history, the supernatural, and plenty of action, Gilbert has concocted an interesting and absorbing scenario. At its center is the Rose, which I found to be quite a unique creation. And let us not forget the cryptic Dr. Specht with his insights into the past, the supernatural, and the nature of human existence. The setting is Germany, a country with a long, convoluted, and sometimes dark history, and so castles, cathedrals, and palaces play a role. Real events, personages, and locations add verisimilitude to the story. Gilbert is to be commended for his creative powers in combining all these elements.
There isn’t any one character that is definitely and overtly Christian, although Dr. Specht possibly comes closest. Gilbert’s language is clean throughout with no profanity, crudities, or objectionable actions. Which just goes to illustrate that such things aren’t necessary to tell a good story. This is a book that anyone from teenager to adult can read and enjoy.
I had a little trouble relating to the main characters who tended to be forgetful about important matters, and didn’t always seem as intelligent as one would expect given their backgrounds. For example, I had an idea of who might be involved with the antagonists long before they did. Irene, for an adult woman, tends to blush way too often over comments that really shouldn’t cause such distress, and comes across as a bit immature. John is on the growly, scowly side with a habit of scratching himself frequently. Otherwise, John and Irene make a good, contrasting couple.
At first, I had reservations about the ending, which brought to mind Raiders of the Lost Ark. But on reflection, what Gilbert might be telling us is that love – true love – will bind people together, but misdirected love, be it for money or power, brings only destruction in its wake. And that is an important message.
Something the author might consider is greater attention to style. In my opinion, The Binding, as interesting and creative as it is, could benefit from further polishing and editing. There’s a tendency to “tell” as well as “show”, that is, to explain characters’ emotions and reactions in addition to illustrating them, when simply showing would be stronger and more effective. This can also sometimes slow down the dialogue. Certain phrases and tags are repeated frequently, occasionally on the same page. Use of smirking, sneering, and gushing creates a touch of melodrama. A thoughtful pruning of adverbs would help.
The strengths of “The Binding”, however, outweigh these matters of style. I hope that John and Irene will return for further adventures where history, love, and the unknown intersect.
John and Irene’s relationship gets off to a rocky start in a crumbling crypt as both – for vastly different reasons - are in search of the Rose, an artifact with supernatural powers. And their relationship does not progress either smoothly or rapidly; it takes time for each to learn and value the qualities of the other, and to develop trust. All the while, their lives are under constant threat, as others with more sinister designs want to get their hands on the Rose.
Mixing romance, history, the supernatural, and plenty of action, Gilbert has concocted an interesting and absorbing scenario. At its center is the Rose, which I found to be quite a unique creation. And let us not forget the cryptic Dr. Specht with his insights into the past, the supernatural, and the nature of human existence. The setting is Germany, a country with a long, convoluted, and sometimes dark history, and so castles, cathedrals, and palaces play a role. Real events, personages, and locations add verisimilitude to the story. Gilbert is to be commended for his creative powers in combining all these elements.
There isn’t any one character that is definitely and overtly Christian, although Dr. Specht possibly comes closest. Gilbert’s language is clean throughout with no profanity, crudities, or objectionable actions. Which just goes to illustrate that such things aren’t necessary to tell a good story. This is a book that anyone from teenager to adult can read and enjoy.
I had a little trouble relating to the main characters who tended to be forgetful about important matters, and didn’t always seem as intelligent as one would expect given their backgrounds. For example, I had an idea of who might be involved with the antagonists long before they did. Irene, for an adult woman, tends to blush way too often over comments that really shouldn’t cause such distress, and comes across as a bit immature. John is on the growly, scowly side with a habit of scratching himself frequently. Otherwise, John and Irene make a good, contrasting couple.
At first, I had reservations about the ending, which brought to mind Raiders of the Lost Ark. But on reflection, what Gilbert might be telling us is that love – true love – will bind people together, but misdirected love, be it for money or power, brings only destruction in its wake. And that is an important message.
Something the author might consider is greater attention to style. In my opinion, The Binding, as interesting and creative as it is, could benefit from further polishing and editing. There’s a tendency to “tell” as well as “show”, that is, to explain characters’ emotions and reactions in addition to illustrating them, when simply showing would be stronger and more effective. This can also sometimes slow down the dialogue. Certain phrases and tags are repeated frequently, occasionally on the same page. Use of smirking, sneering, and gushing creates a touch of melodrama. A thoughtful pruning of adverbs would help.
The strengths of “The Binding”, however, outweigh these matters of style. I hope that John and Irene will return for further adventures where history, love, and the unknown intersect.
July 15, 2020
I enjoyed this very different Christian speculative fiction story, with its fascinating central plot device where the two main characters wake up together every morning, no matter how far separated they may have been the night before.
The interplay of science and history—especially art history—together with fantasy elements, produces interesting plot twists as Irene and John progress from their initial antagonism towards better understanding and a closeness that goes beyond their enforced togetherness. Both the romance and the history, with its tantalising flashbacks to centuries past, are delicately interwoven with the increasing pace of the thriller plot, and towards the end the stakes are suddenly raised as we realise that peace and democratic government in western Europe—and the world—are seriously under threat. The final climax is gripping!
All in all this was a refreshingly different read. Highly recommended!
The interplay of science and history—especially art history—together with fantasy elements, produces interesting plot twists as Irene and John progress from their initial antagonism towards better understanding and a closeness that goes beyond their enforced togetherness. Both the romance and the history, with its tantalising flashbacks to centuries past, are delicately interwoven with the increasing pace of the thriller plot, and towards the end the stakes are suddenly raised as we realise that peace and democratic government in western Europe—and the world—are seriously under threat. The final climax is gripping!
All in all this was a refreshingly different read. Highly recommended!
June 17, 2020
This was a fun and fast paced Christian Historical fiction read with a Romance twist. The author uses a great mix of history and action to tell a love story that is clean and entertaining. The characters start off interesting and get better as the story moves along. The mysterious power of the artifact, known as the Rose, is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing as to what all it can do. I greatly enjoyed this book from start to finish.
March 30, 2020
Hello Sir, This is Donald with a review of The Binding. First off, I want to say that this is just my humble opinion about a story you took precious time to complete, edit and publish. This book reminded me of the Da Vinch code. Don't take what I said seriously because I didn't read the book nor the watch the movie; just small bits and pieces. It just popped in my head.
Personally, the best parts of the book are when the couple meets Dr. Specht. I loved his words of wisdom about love, science and history. Great stuff, it kept me reading on.
However, getting to Dr. Specht was a bit of a challenge for me. At first it intrigued me. The power of the artifact kept me hooked, but things got a little dull in between for me. I think it was the pacing of the story. There were moments where the suspense was good but once it was over, the plot would grind to a halt and we explored the daily lives of the characters which made things a tad bit boring.
One other thing that kinda bugged me was the characters. One character is a professional thief, and the other is a historian. So both of them are way smarter than me, but they were oblivious to the causes of their predicament that I felt was too obvious to miss. I had their problems figured out before they did, if you know what I mean. Not something I would expect from a mystery.
To anyone reading this review, this book has a lot to offer. History, love and suspense, all with fresh points that you can take with you to help you live a better life. You just need the patience to read it.
I hope this review didn't discourage you and I hope you continue on with the writing journey. Keep on writng.
Personally, the best parts of the book are when the couple meets Dr. Specht. I loved his words of wisdom about love, science and history. Great stuff, it kept me reading on.
However, getting to Dr. Specht was a bit of a challenge for me. At first it intrigued me. The power of the artifact kept me hooked, but things got a little dull in between for me. I think it was the pacing of the story. There were moments where the suspense was good but once it was over, the plot would grind to a halt and we explored the daily lives of the characters which made things a tad bit boring.
One other thing that kinda bugged me was the characters. One character is a professional thief, and the other is a historian. So both of them are way smarter than me, but they were oblivious to the causes of their predicament that I felt was too obvious to miss. I had their problems figured out before they did, if you know what I mean. Not something I would expect from a mystery.
To anyone reading this review, this book has a lot to offer. History, love and suspense, all with fresh points that you can take with you to help you live a better life. You just need the patience to read it.
I hope this review didn't discourage you and I hope you continue on with the writing journey. Keep on writng.
March 28, 2020
The Binding by R.J. Gilbert is an intriguing read. It is a somewhat paranormal, something of a romance, adventure, thriller.
The paranormal aspect is referred to as "magic" and "metaphysic." But, an object is the source of an interesting paranormal event that has bound the two main characters. During the story, we find at least one other pair of characters who more than a century before had been bound in this way. However, other people in the stories past used the same object in different ways, but those were not really explored in this story.
Now, the romance is not sappy. It is awkward as it begins unexpectedly (for the two characters). Given that the paranormal is what connects them unawares, the beginnings of their relationship are antagonistic, both being confused by what is happening. And, the reader also doesn't know what is happening, or at least not how it is happening.
The adventure/thriller aspect involves a plot to conquer Europe, if not the world.
Add a cryptic old Doctor who speaks indirectly - he is accused of speaking in riddles, but they are not actually riddles - and the reader has to stay on his or her toes. And, towards the end, a secret society emerges.
Overall, a pretty interesting story. I have not read many books that I can compare this one to. So, it was pretty unique for me. I don't know whether the author plans more books to follow, but the world is interesting. More books could follow the two main characters or the secret society, or both. Still, this reads just fine as a stand alone.
If you like a touch of paranormal, spiritual, magical, metaphysical with your adventure-romance-thriller, give this one a try. Enjoy!
The paranormal aspect is referred to as "magic" and "metaphysic." But, an object is the source of an interesting paranormal event that has bound the two main characters. During the story, we find at least one other pair of characters who more than a century before had been bound in this way. However, other people in the stories past used the same object in different ways, but those were not really explored in this story.
Now, the romance is not sappy. It is awkward as it begins unexpectedly (for the two characters). Given that the paranormal is what connects them unawares, the beginnings of their relationship are antagonistic, both being confused by what is happening. And, the reader also doesn't know what is happening, or at least not how it is happening.
The adventure/thriller aspect involves a plot to conquer Europe, if not the world.
Add a cryptic old Doctor who speaks indirectly - he is accused of speaking in riddles, but they are not actually riddles - and the reader has to stay on his or her toes. And, towards the end, a secret society emerges.
Overall, a pretty interesting story. I have not read many books that I can compare this one to. So, it was pretty unique for me. I don't know whether the author plans more books to follow, but the world is interesting. More books could follow the two main characters or the secret society, or both. Still, this reads just fine as a stand alone.
If you like a touch of paranormal, spiritual, magical, metaphysical with your adventure-romance-thriller, give this one a try. Enjoy!
May 21, 2020
Fun and Thrilling!
This is a Christian historical novel with a bit of mystery woven throughout the story. If you’re familiar with the James Bond series, or even Indiana Jones, then you’ll likely enjoy the suspenseful and thrilling setup of The Binding.
As a fellow Christian myself, I love looking for good quality Christian fiction, so I was very pleased to get my hands on a book like this. Gilbert could have easily turned this into a steamy action-thriller with protagonists John and Irene and their undeniable attraction to each other. This could have been filled with foul language, brutal deaths, and pages of scenes I typically skip but instead we are presented with a clean, intriguing, and purely entertaining journey.
Read the full review here at The Rebel Christian!
*The Rebel Christian received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
This is a Christian historical novel with a bit of mystery woven throughout the story. If you’re familiar with the James Bond series, or even Indiana Jones, then you’ll likely enjoy the suspenseful and thrilling setup of The Binding.
As a fellow Christian myself, I love looking for good quality Christian fiction, so I was very pleased to get my hands on a book like this. Gilbert could have easily turned this into a steamy action-thriller with protagonists John and Irene and their undeniable attraction to each other. This could have been filled with foul language, brutal deaths, and pages of scenes I typically skip but instead we are presented with a clean, intriguing, and purely entertaining journey.
Read the full review here at The Rebel Christian!
*The Rebel Christian received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews