Ethan was the Caretaker that was never meant to be.
After the ship's assigned caretaker dies suddenly, the ship's computer assigns the only human who is not asleep the position. Ethan was the last passenger scheduled for stasis after seeing his pregnant wife safely to her slumber, and so the role of caretaker fell to him.
What he had thought would be just a quick nap until he and his wife reached the new planet, he was now facing 50 years of solitude, during which he would age and his wife and the other passengers would not.
As circumstance would have it, one other passenger would wake up early providing him with some companionship.
This book covers complicated themes of human loneliness and the bonds formed out of necessity and circumstance. In many ways this book reminded me a lot of Z for Zachariah, where relationships and emotions get confused when two people are isolated with each other for long periods of time.
The book further covers the events of trying to go back to original relationships after forming new bond and memories. Ethan has so many shared experiences with the other passenger who awoke early, how can he ever recover the intimacy and closeness he once shared with his wife?
The depth and detail that Josi Russell put into the ships and these other worlds immersed me a science fiction fantasy. There were times when things felt a little too contrived (Deus Ex Machina if I may) but for the most part the action and the pace of the book made sense and kept me turning pages.
You can check out Caretaker on Amazon: http://amzn.to/20QmrpS
After the hero saves the day, he is supposed to go home and live happily ever after. But life is never that simple.
Ethan had just settled in to what was supposed to be his happily ever after with his wife and their new family. He was adjusting well to the side effects with which his adventure where he saved 4000 people in stasis left him, when the planet, home to his sunny meadow with the little blue cottage starts to show her ugly side. Natural dangers abound and Ethan once again finds himself in a position where he is responsible for a small group of people.
To further complicate things, the settlement of the planet was privately subsidized. Leaving just about everything owned by major corporations. However, corporations rarely care about much beyond their bottom line in their profit margins. Cutting corners and over promising available jobs has left the economy in a dire state where most citizens find themselves in an indentured servitude position.
In this book Josi Russell explores economic hardships and how they might look on another planet. She also pulls in themes of how do those with super abilities and fame assimilate as they strive for "normalcy"
The book is well written, and I really do like the characters. Josi has a way of creating a bevy of unique characters that you can't help but love (or love to hate in some instances).
You can investigate Guardians on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1K6EdkM
This second book was released earlier today (February 11th) and to celebrate, Future House Publishing is offering a discount for both titles.
Both Guardians and it's prequel, Caretaker, will be available for $0.99 February 11th - February 17th.
The publisher will also be giving away some physical copies too on our Goodreads giveaway starting February 15th.
Click on the link below to enter to win a copy of Guardians on Goodreads.
Caretaker on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26215914-caretaker
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