There is this indescribable feeling I get when I read a great book—one that is so rare I can’t replicate it or even explain it through words. All I can tell you is I had this extraordinary feeling when I finished Gabriel’s Watch.
Why?
I love post-apocalyptic books, and when you throw Aliens into the mix I am sold. But this is a genre many talented authors have a difficult time conquering. Sophisticated stories should be left to intelligent authors, and Noah Fregger was able to captivate me in his debut novel, not an easy feet.
Gabriel’s Watch follows a character named Miles Stone and his friend Alice. They are survivors of a nuclear war that has devastated the Earth. They scavenge the city for food and parts to build their greatest creation—a robot named Zeke. When he isn’t looking for his next meal, Miles is avoiding the agents of the corrupt “government” that runs the city with a tyrannical grip. As the plot unfolds the reader is introduced to the “Travelers”—an alien race that has come to earth to help the human race. At the end of the book everything comes together, implying a well thought out story line that develops at an appropriate pace.
There are so many twists and turns in this book I’m cautious to explain much more as I don’t want to give away any spoilers. What I can tell you is this. Miles Stone is an intelligent character. He is a brave man, full of integrity in a world that has long since forgotten the meaning of the word. You will grow to like him and will undoubtedly find yourself concerned with his fate.
The characters are all well developed and the dialogue is crisp and realistic. And the imagery of the destroyed world is described eloquently. In addition, this book is also free of grammatical and spelling errors, a rare feet for an indie author.
Normally I wouldn’t dream of giving an indie book five stars, but honestly, I can’t find a reason to give it anything but five. This is the best indie book I have ever read. I hate using clichés, but I can’t wait for book two. It was by chance—simple chance that I came across this book and now I believe I have found myself a new sci-fi series.