Tribal Honor

Vengeance, Retribution, Honor

Marvin Bingham is a waste of oxygen. Thatââ?¬â?¢s one of the nicest statements I can make after reading of his villainy. He is about as evil a protagonist as Iââ?¬â?¢ve ever found in a novel, and thereââ?¬â?¢s a lot of stiff competition there. But Marvin brazenly, boldly defines evil incarnate in ââ?¬Å"Tribal Honor,ââ?¬Â? an action/adventure thriller by T.G. Brown.

Warren Lawson is an officer with the Tribal Police in Jericho Nation, Oregon. Heââ?¬â?¢s a complicated mess of a man. When he was young his father taught him to never start a fight, but to always make sure he finished one. The young Warren may have taken that a little too much to heart. Working on the ââ?¬Å"goodââ?¬Â? side of the fence, War has also taken his body-building to the same type of extreme. He believes that a law officer should be prepared to risk it all at any moment and his body should be as capable as possible.

So, he�s turned himself into a deadly weapon with Crossfit, weight training, cardio, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, boxing, and assorted other forms of the deadly arts. He also trains regularly with his former special forces brother-in-law. You could probably think of War as a man similar to Steven Seagal or Jean Claude VanDamme in terms of total bodybuilding; ultimate. Extra.

But War is more than just a finely honed machine created to win when challenged. He is a champion of those who are unable to protect themselves. He�s got a deep mind and strong feelings about honor and justice, and he�ll go to any lengths to accomplish his vision of his duty. This desire to always be ready and always be the best helps inspire his physical resilience. He�s going to need everything he�s got as he goes after the reprehensible Marvin Bingham.

Mr. Brown has created an amazingly complex character with Warren Lawson. War knows there�s a thin red line between retribution and revenge. As you read, it�s easy to find yourself toeing up to that line on War�s side. He�s the kind of law enforcement officer who believes the ends justify the means- that it�s okay to color outside the lines if you�re doing it for the right reason. He even puts himself in harm�s way to keep from killing the bad guys- he wants them to pay, not die. But maybe not for the reasons you�re thinking. Inside, he�s tormented by the thought that everything he does may not be for the right reasons.

There�s a darkness lurking in me. Itching to get out. Clawing from the inside�Whispering, Let me out. But I won�t let that darkness win.
Mr. Brown provides a wonderful balance to this dark side. Warren Lawson�s got a biting, sarcastic inner voice that torments him constantly. It�s not only self-deprecating, it excels in absurdity:

Romance has never been my thing. This moment was so romantic, I should have puked like a teenage girl suffering an exorcism. Yet, that didn�t happen. That�s a good thing, right?
Speaking of romance, War isn�t the only amazing character within this storyline. His love interest, Ashley, and his best friend from childhood, Takoda, are both richly developed, likable, and fiercely loyal. His girlfriend has a seemingly innate ability to see beyond the walls, speedbumps, and BS he installs attempting to keep from talking about his feelings. There are also the members of a rather large and opinionated family on the rez. They�re fascinating, tough as nails, and honorable� in their own fashion. They play an integral part in the chaos.

This story reads like a Kung Fu action flick with deeper characters than the average martial arts movie offers. Mr. Brown proves his personal knowledge of numerous martial arts in the various fight scenes he�s written. These fight scenes are graphic and captivating. Each one puts the reader right in the action, feeling the punches thrown, kicks landed, and wrestling holds maneuvered into. This seasoned style and thoughtful writing creates a fast-paced read that won�t let you put it down.

As is common in this genre, action outweighs the need for plausibility at times. Fans of this genre have no problem with this concept if itââ?¬â?¢s well done and propels the storyline as it does in ââ?¬Å"Tribal Honor.ââ?¬Â? Fans of such movies as The Expendables or Die Hard donââ?¬â?¢t tend to sweat the small stuff. We want action, adventure, thrilling fight scenes, and a sense of justice hard-won in the end. T.G. Brown fulfills those concepts with a clean, crisp economy of words while providing a very satisfying ending.

I highly recommend this novel to fans of action/adventure, thrillers, crime novels, and even romantic suspense with strong characters. Themes of honor, loyalty, revenge, strength, and resilience run throughout this high-speed story. Once you set foot into the world of Warren Lawson�s Jericho Nation, You�ll find it tough to believe that this is a debut novel. I�m hoping for more from these fierce characters.