“PeaceMaker is a fast-paced and exciting speculative thriller. Dan Ronco uses his inside knowledge of the software industry to craft a chillingly plausible cautionary tale about the possible consequences of the world's growing reliance on computer technology. A truly enjoyable read. ”
Victoria Strauss, author of The Burning Land and other novels
David Brown is a college kid who hates his life. Unlike stereotypical college kids who need to lay off the alcohol/dope, David really does have a reason to hate his life- Ten years earlier (2010 or whereabouts) his father unleashed a virus called Peacemaker, which completely unmade the economy and broke down the world as we know it. David has been moved from school to school, always keeping his eyes down and his shoulder to the wheel. Like his father, he has inherited a preternatural sense for building machines/software. Currently, the next Depression is taking its toll on the population and two factions struggle for power: the shady Domain (aka Technos) led by Dianne Morgan and the Church of Natural Humans, led by fanatic Adam Jordan.
Now, in the year 2022, ten years after Peacemaker, David receives a prerecorded message from his father, shattering the very foundation of all he knows: that his father was not responsible for the Peacemaker attack, but found a lethal virus and was going to attempt to expose those behind it. Now, David begins to put together the pieces to clear his family name. He is tracked by both the Technos and the Church: the Technos want to eliminate him before he exposes the truth while the Church wishes to follow his progress and hopefully uncover enough information to bring down the Technos. These opposing factions take David on a terrifying ride as he struggles to find the truth.
Unholy Domain is a fast paced thriller that never lets you rest. Ronco’s worldbuilding is excellent, which in a way is the scariest part–think about how the internet has pervaded our lives in the past ten years. Where will be in another ten? What will religion look like? The way things are going now, an Army of God whose symbol is a fireplace and bolt-action rifle isn’t that far off. The only downside was a slew of characters that I couldn’t always keep track of.
Overall, Unholy Domain is a great standalone, but I definitely would like to follow up on the other two in the trilogy: Peacemaker and Tomorrow’s Children.
Once you have read Unholy Domain you may want to check out this article about Reinventing Slavery…Dan Ronco is clearly on the right track
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (10/08)
It is evident that Dan Ronco knows of what he writes. With intricate knowledge he weaves this web between futuristic good and evil that had me sitting up all night reading. Sometimes, I would have to turn back a few pages to keep the details straight in my head but this was a book that is very enjoyable. With disaccord between ultra-modern science and religion many questions came up in regard to which was good and which was evil.
A sequel to a previous novel, “Peacemaker,” it may have been easier understood had I read the first. Nonetheless, I follow David as he strives to prove his father, Ray, did not create the virus that shut down the internet ten years earlier. Battles between the Church of Natural Humans and the Technos this is one fast paced – evil knock-down-drag-out war with lots of “hot-chick” thrown in.
Without giving away the story of “Unholy Domain,” I will leave that to the reader, I recommend this book to those who enjoy futuristic techo with a bit of “hoochie” while working their own brain. Dan Ronco is obviously a very intelligent man who can write a gripping story – I personally would have liked to see a little less “teen boy” chick talk.
A vicious computer virus tore across the internet and before anyone could stop it; more than a million people had died. Now a decade later, civilization is rebuilding its self. Everyone is rebuilding their lives and trying to survive with new life. The one thing the virus did was to split the civilization. There are now those who believe technology is the future and those who believe it is the work of the devil. The ones that believe it is the devil’s work are out to destroy the makers.
The one person who knows best what really went wrong so many years ago is dead. David Brown, son of the virus creator wants to set things right. He does not believe his father is guilty of killing so many people. David sets out on a mission to find the truth about what really happened.
Unholy Domain is a great high-tech, sci-fi, techno-thriller. I can’t believe I just said that. I usually stray away from these types of books, only because I have tried reading this genre before and usually find that these books don’t excite me much. With this book I did not have to worry about this happening to me. In fact my hands and eyes were glued to every word till the every last page. I have Mr. Ronco to thank for writing this savvy thriller. I can now once again get my feet wet and give this genre another try. What I liked so much about this novel is the fast pace and the question of what if…what if this really did happen, what would we do? Would we fear technology or accept it. That is the question. I recommend anyone who is looking for something new to read to pick up a copy of Unholy Domain today.
Check out Mr. Ronco’s website
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Posted by Cheryl at 12:00 AM
UNHOLY DOMAIN by Dan Ronco: Very interesting techno-thriller based on the premise that the conflict between fundamental religious extremists (the Church of Natural Humans) and those pressing for technological expansion, particularly in the areas of bio-medicine, artificial intelligence, robotics and nano-technology will eventually lead to open warfare between the two. The year is 2022 and the world is still feeling the effects of the Internet shutdown in 2012 allegedly caused by software expert Ray Brown. Brown’s son David has undertaken an investigation to clear his father’s name while Brown’s sister Claire has become a “showcase” member of the Church of Natural Humans. The creators of illegal technology, the Domain, have decided to take over the government. Who will prevail? This is the second book of a proposed trilogy; so don’t expect a “final” solution. 09/08 Jack Quick
Plants and Books, a book review blog, rates Unholy Domain 5 stars. Here is the complete review:
Review: Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco (5 stars)
It’s Fiction; But For How Long?
Throughout the history of the science fiction genre authors have have crafted a story that seems completely unbelievable and remain fiction for only so many years.
Dan Ronco has crafted an energetic and fast paced thriller about the, in my opinion, inevitable collision course of technology and what it means to be a “human.” UNHOLY DOMAIN ramps up the plot ten years after the cataclysmic events in PEACEMAKER, the first book in Ronco’s series. Enter a world in the middle of global depression and a divided culture (sound familiar already?).
The characters, while not overly deep, are compelling in their actions and their individual encounters. Ronco excelled in crafting a world where there are those fighting for science and technology, those fighting for religion, and those in between just fighting to get by.
I think the most important facets of this novel are the themes and the ideas that will only come more prevalent as we progress as a society, and reading this book makes it that much more obvious that the potential for the “fiction” may only be “fiction” for so long.
Unholy Domain
By Dan Ronco
ISBN-10: 1601640218
ISBN-13: 978-1601640215
Hardcover, 352 pages
April 1, 2008
Kunati
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams for Breeni Books
Unholy Domain, Dan Ronco’s sequel to the technological thriller Peacemaker, picks up the story ten years into the aftermath of the destructive computer virus. In 2012, the Peacemaker virus halted the infrastructure of the world long enough to send the economy into chaos, cause widespread panic, and drive the world into a catastrophic depression. In 2022, the world is still permeated with a sense of desperation, mob thugs are calling the shots, and security is practically nonexistent.
The world is divided into two fundamentalist sects: the Technos, who embrace all forms of technology and will not bat an eye at installing an implant into their own brains; and those who cling to the comfort of religion, namely members of a militaristic cult known as The Church of Natural Humans. A few people choose to remain in the center and allow the two factions to battle it out, hoping they will eventually cancel each other out.
In the midst of chaos, one man is struggling to understand the father he barely knew. David Brown, son of the man posthumously charged with unleashing Peacemaker upon the world, has managed to survive society’s wrath for his father’s transgression. Attending college and already mastering the field of robotics, David still has to periodically react to repressed anger from people who continue to suffer the consequences of Peacemaker.
An unexpected preprogrammed message from Raymond Brown arrives for David. Created by Raymond to be delivered to his son in the event of his death, the message indicates that the man labeled as a murderer was actually trying to prevent Peacemaker from attacking. Could Raymond Brown have actually been a savior, rather than a terrorist? David ditches his studies and heads out to find people who associated with Raymond while he was alive. He has to find the truth about his father’s identity, and he intends to do this by building a portrait of Raymond Brown based on the accounts of those who knew him. But digging into the past will only put David’s life in danger, because someone wants the truth about Peacemaker to stay buried with Raymond.
Unholy Domain builds on a common mistrust of technology to create a world ravaged by unchecked scientific advances. By the time David begins to explore the truth surrounding Peacemaker, governmental regulations do little to control those who would make technology their theology. Ronco shows the danger of extremes, and how fanaticism in any form could result in the eventual downfall of man.
Much of the book is based on events that transpired in Peacemaker, so Ronco spends a great deal of time explaining and incorporating the dynamics of his first novel. And he really has to, because there are so many characters and relations that without this bit of background, the reader would become overwhelmed. Some pretty intricate networks operate above the law in Ronco’s reality. All of these associations tend to get a bit tedious after a while, so thankfully the reader can find escape in a series of masochistic torture and murder scenes.
While the character associations are tangled and numerous, I was disappointed by the lack of techological intricacy. Having read about Ronco’s engineering and computer science expertise, I expected more thorough exploration of robotics and electronics. Granted, Ronco’s novel is set in the immediate future, and the technology is already just within our grasp now, so it definitely has the quality of realism. Very similar to Asimov’s Sonny in iRobot, Ronco’s humanoids are just beginning to recognize the possibility of consciousness., and they are largely unsure of themselves. Regarless, they play a secondary role in the novel, with the real threat lying in fanatical humans.
Ronco is a magnificent storyteller, and the chapters are concise and polished. He just has a tendency to let the narrative get mired in detail, which can easily lose a reader. The character of David could use some development, as I never really became sympathetic to his cause. It is also difficult to determine who exactly is meant to be the protagonist, for I cared much more about the motivations of the crazed martyr Moesha than I did for orphaned prodigy David.
Unholy Domain is a novel full of suspense, despite a few hurdles. The battle between science and religion will keep the reader glued to the pages, determined to find out which side prevails. It is really two novels in one, as the reader relives the horrors of Peacemaker to understand the self-discovery of David Brown. The end has a tidy little allusion to a third novel. For readers who enjoy watching mankind self-destruct, albeit begrudgingly, Unholy Domain will entertain.
Reviewed by James Goodman for Rants, Raves and Random Thoughts
I recently had the pleasure of reading the futuristic techno-thriller Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco. This story moves along at a break-neck pace as we follow the life and times of the son of the man who nearly destroyed the world (or at least that’s what The Domain would have you believe) on his journey to discover the truth about his past and come to grips with his role in humanity’s uncertain future. After the world is brought to its knees by a particularly nasty computer virus, Peacemaker, technology is held in contempt. Two distinct factions (the religious extremist, Church of the Natural Humans and the technos) rise from the aftermath and struggle to assert their dominance and beliefs on the country. Each claims to have humanity’s best interest at heart, but neither will make the world a better place.
Unholy Domain is hands-down the best techno-thriller I’ve read in recent years and I look forward to reading more of Mr. Ronco’s work. I highly recommend this book to one and all.
Synopsis
A deliberately staged IT catastrophe leaves the world sunk into depression and the US government ineffectual. The secretive and powerful Domain, using organized crime to spread its technology, seeks to take humankind to the next level of evolution through artificial intelligence. The fanatical Army of God battles to stop them. Dan Ronco’s fast-paced techno-thriller depicts a world of violent extremes, where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power.
In Dan Ronco’s futuristic techno-thriller Unholy Domain, high technology squares off against religion in a battle for the human race. In 2022, ten years after a crippling computer virus called “PeaceMaker” caused massive devastation, technology has been outlawed. On the black market, however, technology is in demand, and artificial intelligence has allowed the development of human-looking robots.
Those who trade in illegal technology, the “Domain”, include those who develop artificial intelligence, and those who distribute it on the black market. The Church of Natural Humans believes technology is evil, and that all who support artificial intelligence deserve death. As a way of furthering its agenda, the church supports a clandestine terrorist group called “The Army of God.” They are led by the First Minister, who treats women with contempt and enemies with brutality. The religion and technology factions are locked in deadly conflict, with humankind stuck in the middle.
David Brown is the son of Ray Brown, the man who was blamed for setting off the PeaceMaker virus, and he has grown up hating his father. When he receives a years-delayed e-mail from Ray, proclaiming his innocence, David begins a search for the truth. An interesting wrinkle is David’s ability to communicate with artificial intelligence, which helps fuel his search. Unfortunately, there are many who will kill to keep David from learning the truth.
Unholy Domain moves along at a lightning pace, and engages the reader with action and thrills aplenty. The premise of religion versus technology is thought-provoking, as are the quotes with which Ronco begins each chapter. The concept of holy war and the moral and ethical questions the book evokes remind the reader of issues in society today.
The negatives in my mind were that the book reads almost like a movie script. That is both good and bad. The good, of course, is that the pacing keeps you turning the pages. The bad is that story lines and characters lack depth. I would have enjoyed more character development, and a deeper exploration of the theological basis of the Church of Natural Humans, for example.
Overall, Unholy Domain is a solid addition to the thriller genre. It can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but readers might want to first read PeaceMaker, the first book in the series.
Unholy Domain was reviewed by Tracee for The Book Czar
A decade after a lethal computer virus called PeaceMaker roared across the internet leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead, a war is raging between science and religion, the world wallows in a global depression, and the United States government is paralyzed, unable to intervene. The secretive and powerful Domain is poised to take humankind to the next level of evolution through artificial intelligence, and the fanatical Church of Natural Humans has marshaled their forces to stop them. David Brown, the son of PeaceMaker’s creator, believes that his father was set up to take the fall for the catastrophe, and was murdered to keep him quiet. Determined to clear his father’s name and avenge his killers, David stumbles into the war between the rival factions. Hunted by both sides, he unravels his father’s secrets and discovers a genetic capability within himself that may change the path of human evolution. This fast-paced, techno thriller depicts a world of violent extremes, where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power.
“Unholy Domain” is the second book of a science fiction series that starts with “PeaceMaker.” I felt it was easy to follow even though I hadn’t read the first book - but I also believe that all series books should be read from start to finish.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. It is set in the near future after a computer virus was unleashed on the world. As you can imagine, because the world so heavily relies on technology, this causes complete and utter chaos. Over one million people die as a result, and 10 years later the United States has not come close to recovering - as a matter of fact they are in a depression. The government has had to enforce strict regulations on all technology to try and prevent another such tragedy.
There are two groups that are ready to go to war over this, and what a war it will be. The first group is The Church of Natural Humans. As you can see by their name they believe that technology has no place integrating with humans, and they are ready to fight to the death for that belief. Then there are The Technos. They believe that integration of humans and artificial intelligence would be completely beneficial to the world. They are also ready to fight for what they believe. There are many other complex characters and they are well developed and really keep you intrigued.
I thought the writing was fast paced and very interesting, even to a non-techy like myself. What I think I found most intriguing is the fact that a lot of this is very believable. I think under the right circumstances events in this book aren’t too far off.
I am going to make sure to read the first book in the series, and am really looking forward to the third one. Thanks Dan, for the opportunity!
Peacemaker, by Dan Ronco, is the first in his sci-fi thriller series. I read the second book, Unholy Domain, first and gave it 5 checks. His last, Tomorrow’s Children, will be out in the spring of 2009.
On Dan Ronco’s website, DanRonco.com he says he came up with the idea at work. At the time, he was a general manager at Microsoft. I thought “Wow, a book about Microsoft’s goal of being the only software in the world!” However, it is not. It’s better!
I’m not going to summarize the plot, there are many other reviews that already do that. But I will say the two competing operating systems are Atlas and Companion, similar to Windows and Apple/Mac. The software systems and an anti-trust lawsuit by the government are the only similarities to the Microsoft and Apple.
Peacemaker has a subtitle, A Thriller, and that is dead on! I read in one day, a Sunday, and it was an exciting and fast-pace story. The writing was not as smooth as the second book as there were spots that repeated itself; however, it did not take anything away from the up and down suspense of the plot! Even though I know what was going to happen from reading the second book, it drew me in and captivated me.
Piers Anthony wrote: “Exciting, violent, thoughtful, and unfortunately true to life…a powerhouse of computer adventure.”
I definitely will be in line for third book, Tomorrow’s Children.
