The action and dread escalate to a pulse-pounding conclusion. Detective French and also Gibby discover what happened to Jason in Viet Nam. What they learn is highly disturbing and based on a real-life, historic military coverup. We learn what happened to Tyra and Sara and why, and the fate of Jason in prison. A closing scene takes place outside the prison where a crowd has gathered to cheer or protest the execution of the evil billionaire inmate on the day he is to die in the gas chamber. Judah a young woman, who is a foundling raised in the castle alongside the prince and future heir, as his foster-sister. She scorned by the courtiers and detested by the king, but much loved by the monarchy princes and the heir's betrothed.

Detective French took the call at a phone on his partner’s desk. “French,” he said, and listened. “That seems unlikely.” He listened some more, then thanked the caller and hung up. I will say that some of the acting in this film was mediocre at best, and there were a few scenes that were a little over the top, but for the most part, the actors gave solid, relatable performances, especially for David Lipper, whose character, also named David, stole the goddamn show. I felt so bad for him! He portrayed the symptoms of OCD in a disturbingly accurate manner. The last scene he’s in completely choked me up and ripped my heart right out of my chest. The other main point of view character is Nate, a healer and Worker (magician, sort of) who’s been planted in Highfall by his people, after generations of planning, with a mission of getting closer to Judah and helping her fulfill the destiny she was literally bred and born for. Like The Rizen’s choice of casting a strong woman as its lead, The Unwilling’s choice to cast a man who suffers from mental illness (who is not a homicidal manic) as its lead will serve as the pinnacle of my praise. But here's the deal, by the halfway mark, The Unwilling became, shall we say, a little silly and a lot implausible. I was willing to (mostly) overlook this, as the writing was skilled, and the plot kept my attention. Just be aware, the book does take a major left turn - it may not bother you as much as it bothered me, but it is something to consider.I think this would have been a better story had it focused solely on Gibby's coming-of-age. Instead, we get horror movie villains like X and Reece, which dominate the second half of the book. Now, you know me...I write horror. I obviously love the genre. But it didn't work here. At least not for me. Big thanks to the team over at MIRA Books (HarperCollins) for the advanced review copy of this book! It will be published on February 11, 2020.

But outside the walls, in the starving, desperate city, a magus, a healer with his own secret power unlike anything Highfall has seen in years, is newly arrived from the provinces. He, too, has plans for the empire, and at the heart of those plans lies Judah... The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon uncover more to her story than she ever imagined. I need to call my wife.” French dialed the phone and watched emotions play across his partner’s face. Sadness. Worry. Anger. “She’s not answering.” I did wish that Hart had explained the mother more. We know Robert was her favorite, but she was like a thread left hanging. French looked away from the fear in his wife’s eyes. Gibby was her world, and Jason was a destroyer of worlds. “I’ll go, too,” he said. “I’ll find him.” Then we have "The Children." Gavin is the heir to Highfall. His father Elban is the depraved ruler who takes great delight in torturing those around him both mentally and physically. I think sadist is a great descriptor for him. If you were to make a list of the most horrifying ways to harm a human, he's done every single thing and then schemed to come up with more. I can't tell you how long I was impatiently waiting for someone to take this evil waste of space out of existence. But I digress. The rest of the children are Theron, Elly, and Judah. Theron is the second born son, Elly is Gavin's chosen bride, and Judah is the foundling who was raised in the palace with them all. Admittedly, these four do seem to genuinely care for one another and they do try to make the best out of the cesspool they're trying to survive in. It's hard to retain values, morals, and honesty when you're constantly abused and put in life altering situations.Another embarrassment of riches from Hart’s seemingly unlimited basket of talents." — Book Reporter a psychopath ) on death row calling the shots in a prison. I realize it’s fiction but this just doesn’t work for me. The other villain was a psychopath too. An enforcer. Gory beyond all imagination He was one of the creepiest characters I have read in a long time. The ending-It wasn’t tied up completely and left some things hanging. Not to give the ending away, but again-totally implausible. We the unwilling, led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate, die for the ungrateful." -unknown soldier This is my second John Hart novel and this one broke my heart! He is an amazing writer and storyteller, and my heart was torn apart for this family.

She left the rest unspoken, but he understood the deeper fears, her worries about corruption, deception, dangerous ideas. The premise: So, so much could have been done with Gavin and Judah's bond, and I do love how they communicated through it (though I think more could have been done). Listen — The Unwilling isn't bad, but it's also not something to write home about. I was so enthralled by the premise and by the admittedly beautiful writing that at first, I was willing to put aside what I thought was simply a slow pace (as it stands, I have 52 tabs to recall some truly beautiful turns of phrase).One thing which The Unwilling did particularly well was create a sense of claustrophobia. The entire film takes place almost entirely within the house, although the house doesn’t exactly stay in the same place, so to speak. Firstly, it seems like it’s somehow transported to another plane of existence (where the stars don’t shine), before a concrete-like substance begins to form around the walls. And, as will happen in any situation when people who aren’t necessarily friends are placed in close proximity to one another for an extended period, they’re soon at each other’s throats. Literally, in one case. Every detail has been put into place for a reason. It adds to the haunting richly atmospheric elements. Kelly Braffet, brutal novel, will capture your attention with its character driven plot line. A dark thought provoking magical tale, that I found very alluring. A faced paced storyline with its dangerous courtly intrigues and drama will keep you on your toes with its unpredictable reviving twist. And, as John Shooter (speaking through Morton Rainey) once said, the ending is the only thing that matters. The acting was slightly cheesy in the beginning part of the film, but it improved as it went on. Most of the characters seemed like they fulfilled roles rather than being actually rounded themselves, but a few of them seemed very realistic (such as the junky kid) or endeared themselves to the viewers. And yes, to me, David seemed like a very real, very flawed, human being. Judah and Gavin were born on the same night and have a connection that cannot be explained but they live very different lives. Lord Elban, Gavin's father, is a deeply cruel and vicious man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and Judah is the perfect pawn. Outside the castle walls, there is someone searching for Judah and the power that she does not know she has, as she is the centre of everything and could bring about change like no other. I think Braffet was trying to write a novel about individual agency when those individuals have little power. And so all of her main characters are brutally tortured and treated as tools by the older, more powerful people around them, from Judah (the special foundling raised with the lord's son Gavin when it turns out she and he have a mysterious bond that makes each experience any physical state the other does), to Gavin himself (trying to be a decent human being, but how can a young man raised to be at the apex of a brutal patriarchal society?), to Gavin's betrothed Elly (a model of the "traditionally feminine but with a quiet will of steel" character type) to Nathaniel (sent by the same people who arranged for Judah to be where she is, to carry out the end of a multi-generational plan in which they are both tools). And -- in theory -- this is the novel about how these characters achieve some sort of agency for themselves by refusing (hence the title).

The multi-layered story takes place in the South during the turmoil of the Viet Nam War. It is a mystery, an intense thriller, a study of fractured family dynamics, a coming-of-age story, the horrors of war and its aftermath, and a disturbing look at prison life. John Hart is a masterful storyteller. It doesn't quite work out that way, though. Judah, the protagonist, has little personality besides "angst" -- understandable, given her history, but a little tedious, especially when everyone else constantly remarks on how remarkable she is. Some of the depictions of Judah's depression and listlessness are quite good, as are some of the presentations of Gavin's petulance and the relationship that develops between them when events outside of their control strip away both the terrors but also the stability of the world they have always known. These chapters are where Braffet's career as a writer of non-sff really shines. She's able to conjure real emotions, and real emotional pain, and show us messy, complicated personalities that are neither wholly sympathetic nor wholly able to be dismissed. Unfortunately, this comes about about three quarters of the way through a book that has up to that point mostly used graphic scenes of torture in the place of actually depicting and developing character. It also rather annoyed me that as the plot finally creaks toward its promised climax Nathaniel has his mind taken over and altered by his ruthless teacher and mastermind-- thus taking away, on a narrative level, "his" responsibility for the frankly quite awful things he does in the last few chapters. Coward move, Braffet. This is why you need a friend,” he said. “You’re one of the most powerful people in the House, and you don’t even realize it.” The remainder of my review for The Unwilling will be spent discussing my ascent to its peak and the various aspects of this climb that made it worth it…but not overly noteworthy. What didn’t really standout was the script these actors were given. There were plenty of moments that gave it life, but nothing that made it really stand up.Directed by Jonathan Heap, the film centers on the Harris family reuniting for the will reading of their late patriarch father (played by Lance Henrikesn). David (played by David Upper), who suffers from OCD, is hosting the event at his isolated house. Rounding out the family is his sister, Michelle (played by Dina Meyer), her ex-husband, Rich (played by Robert Rusler), and two other relatives, Kelly and Daren (played by Austin Highsmith and Jake Thomas). And for some reason, Rich thought it would be a good idea to bring along his girlfriend, Cheryl (played by Bree Williamson). People who read predominantly fantasy novels may not like this as much, but I, as a person who also loves to read literary fiction — those slow-burning, character-driven stories with abstract endings — didn’t mind all these things. It was new and interesting to read a literary, speculative book, but “this time with magic.”