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Caretaker Chronicles #1
Caretaker
Fifty years in space—alone.
Ethan Bryant was supposed to fall asleep on a ship leaving Earth and wake up fifty years later with his family on the planet Minea. Instead, after the ship’s caretaker—the lone human in charge of monitoring the ship’s vital systems—suddenly died, the ship’s computer locked Ethan out of his stasis chamber and gave him the job. That was five years ago. Five years of checking to make sure everything runs smoothly on a ship Ethan knows almost nothing about.
Who wouldn’t dread the years ahead? Who wouldn’t long for their once-bright future now stolen away?
Ethan is resigned to his fate, until the ship suddenly wakes up another passenger: a beautiful engineer who, along with Ethan, soon discovers a horrible secret—a navigation room hidden from even the ship’s computer. The ship is not bound for Minea—but to somewhere far more dangerous.
With the ship nearing its sinister destination, Ethan soon learns he is the only one who holds the key to saving all 4,000 passengers from a highly-advanced, hostile alien race.
Ethan Bryant was supposed to fall asleep on a ship leaving Earth and wake up fifty years later with his family on the planet Minea. Instead, after the ship’s caretaker—the lone human in charge of monitoring the ship’s vital systems—suddenly died, the ship’s computer locked Ethan out of his stasis chamber and gave him the job. That was five years ago. Five years of checking to make sure everything runs smoothly on a ship Ethan knows almost nothing about.
Who wouldn’t dread the years ahead? Who wouldn’t long for their once-bright future now stolen away?
Ethan is resigned to his fate, until the ship suddenly wakes up another passenger: a beautiful engineer who, along with Ethan, soon discovers a horrible secret—a navigation room hidden from even the ship’s computer. The ship is not bound for Minea—but to somewhere far more dangerous.
With the ship nearing its sinister destination, Ethan soon learns he is the only one who holds the key to saving all 4,000 passengers from a highly-advanced, hostile alien race.
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2015
331 people are currently reading
1158 people want to read
About the author
Josi Russell
14 books70 followersJosi Russell’s science fiction novels explore familiar human relationships in unfamiliar contexts. She currently teaches creative writing and fiction courses as an Associate Professor of English for Utah State University Eastern. She lives in the alien landscape of the high desert American Southwest with her family and a giant tortoise named Caesar. Josi is captivated by the fields of linguistics, mathematics, and medicine, by the vast unknown beyond our atmosphere, and by the whole adventure of being human.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
October 21, 2015
Note to author: Please don't write any more "space" or science fiction books without extensive research or further education (past primary/high school level). Stick to romance novels or try your hand at chick lit. This is what this book basically was.
I read a lot of sci-fi and have read basically everything that came out after Lensman. Read a lot of "light" military sci-fi as well as epic tomes of hard sci-fi, so I don't mind any sub-genre and will review each book based on its own merits.
I came close to finishing the book. Maybe because I'm an engineer... but just I couldn't get past really bad (wrong) science in general, engineering, astronomy, biology (genetics),... Or authors ideas about these sciences. Not sure about the intended audience but I don't believe this should be read by anyone. It's ridiculous that the author writes about topics that she knows very little about and tries to sound "sciency" but comes out silly and wrong.
The writing isn't bad per se but, again, I had problems with: no (or poor) characterization, unbelievable dialogue, (unlikely) behavior, no (or shallow) world-building, etc.
SPOILERS:
-Advanced starship was "lost" due to one wire being loose on a fan and had no one onboard to repair it. Seriously? There's so many things wrong with this that I will not even start. Author probably hangs out with students of literature and never had a conversation with an engineer or read a wikipedia article about spacecraft (or even marine) engineering.
Author states on her website that she has an interest in linguistics, mathematics (parabolic curves) and medicine. Not sure how far that interest in linguistics really goes (not very) but the way that the "expert in linguistics" in the book describes the alien language and writing makes him sound like someone who read one article about linguistics on wikipedia and is claiming to be an expert. As for the author's supposed interest in medicine... It's probably on the level of bandages and their use because the way evolution, genetics and biology are described in the book as being understood by highly advanced civilizations is on the level of someone who barely finished high-school. So... mostly wrong and with a shallow understanding. Basically, it's mysterious and magical.
I also don't believe that the author has a basic grasp of astronomy, physics, astrophysics, planetary science and astrobiology or had done a minimum of research on any of these topics. This is based on the fact that the distances traveled, navigation, maneuvering, landing, etc. as discussed in the book make me think that the author does not really know the way spaceships could or should maneuver and also the difference between a galaxy and a star system. Probably didn't even read that many sci-fi books as well.
At one point, a super advanced (Class 15 in the book; not sure if author heard or read about the Kardashev scale - probably not) alien is standing in a meadow and (what author tries to make you believe) is having some super intelligent sciency conversation and then says something like: "Well, of course the planet's rotation is affected by gravity." Had to bang my head against the wall.
So... Avoid. Poor attempt at trying to write a sci-fi book just to get to say: "Hi, I'm a sci-fi author." at parties.
I read a lot of sci-fi and have read basically everything that came out after Lensman. Read a lot of "light" military sci-fi as well as epic tomes of hard sci-fi, so I don't mind any sub-genre and will review each book based on its own merits.
I came close to finishing the book. Maybe because I'm an engineer... but just I couldn't get past really bad (wrong) science in general, engineering, astronomy, biology (genetics),... Or authors ideas about these sciences. Not sure about the intended audience but I don't believe this should be read by anyone. It's ridiculous that the author writes about topics that she knows very little about and tries to sound "sciency" but comes out silly and wrong.
The writing isn't bad per se but, again, I had problems with: no (or poor) characterization, unbelievable dialogue, (unlikely) behavior, no (or shallow) world-building, etc.
SPOILERS:
-Advanced starship was "lost" due to one wire being loose on a fan and had no one onboard to repair it. Seriously? There's so many things wrong with this that I will not even start. Author probably hangs out with students of literature and never had a conversation with an engineer or read a wikipedia article about spacecraft (or even marine) engineering.
Author states on her website that she has an interest in linguistics, mathematics (parabolic curves) and medicine. Not sure how far that interest in linguistics really goes (not very) but the way that the "expert in linguistics" in the book describes the alien language and writing makes him sound like someone who read one article about linguistics on wikipedia and is claiming to be an expert. As for the author's supposed interest in medicine... It's probably on the level of bandages and their use because the way evolution, genetics and biology are described in the book as being understood by highly advanced civilizations is on the level of someone who barely finished high-school. So... mostly wrong and with a shallow understanding. Basically, it's mysterious and magical.
I also don't believe that the author has a basic grasp of astronomy, physics, astrophysics, planetary science and astrobiology or had done a minimum of research on any of these topics. This is based on the fact that the distances traveled, navigation, maneuvering, landing, etc. as discussed in the book make me think that the author does not really know the way spaceships could or should maneuver and also the difference between a galaxy and a star system. Probably didn't even read that many sci-fi books as well.
At one point, a super advanced (Class 15 in the book; not sure if author heard or read about the Kardashev scale - probably not) alien is standing in a meadow and (what author tries to make you believe) is having some super intelligent sciency conversation and then says something like: "Well, of course the planet's rotation is affected by gravity." Had to bang my head against the wall.
So... Avoid. Poor attempt at trying to write a sci-fi book just to get to say: "Hi, I'm a sci-fi author." at parties.
March 8, 2016
3.5/5 stars!
Was provided a copy from the publisher for an honest review.
Summary:
As a ship is being prepared for a 53 year journey through space, people are being put in their pods. As the last man is about to be put in stasis, the caretaker dies leaving him to fill the roll. A man who has no prior experience now has the weight of 4,0000 lives on his shoulders. But 5 years into the journey something starts going very wrong.
Dislikes:
I never really connected to any of the characters. And there were times when I felt like plot twists were added forcefully so it didn't transition as well as I would have hoped.
Likes:
Honestly, the world building and ship building was incredible. I really got a sense for what everything looked like. I felt really connected to the vessel they traveled on because I felt like I could see the holo map and move right along with the main characters.
Overall:
If you enjoy sci-fi then you should definitely check this out. Russell really knows how to create scenery.
Was provided a copy from the publisher for an honest review.
Summary:
As a ship is being prepared for a 53 year journey through space, people are being put in their pods. As the last man is about to be put in stasis, the caretaker dies leaving him to fill the roll. A man who has no prior experience now has the weight of 4,0000 lives on his shoulders. But 5 years into the journey something starts going very wrong.
Dislikes:
I never really connected to any of the characters. And there were times when I felt like plot twists were added forcefully so it didn't transition as well as I would have hoped.
Likes:
Honestly, the world building and ship building was incredible. I really got a sense for what everything looked like. I felt really connected to the vessel they traveled on because I felt like I could see the holo map and move right along with the main characters.
Overall:
If you enjoy sci-fi then you should definitely check this out. Russell really knows how to create scenery.
September 4, 2015
I know the old adage says not to judge a book by it's cover but this was one cover that caught my eye and my curiosity. To have a book titled "Caretaker" with such a sci-fi theme should give you a hint right off that this is no ordinary book.
It follows the story of Ethan Bryant, a man who was thrust into the position of "Caretaker" of 4000 people being held in stasis. A position he did not want nor expect.
Josi Russell does very well painting a picture of loneliness, longing, duty and the complications that arise from all of that.
I especially loved the alien language and the beautiful and agonizing way she ended the story. Giving it just enough feeling of completion and uneasiness.
The beginning part in the ship to me was slow and I felt the action took a long time to get to. There was a lot of information the reader needs and though it was sometimes tedious I felt it was necessary and in the end I was glad it was all there. It rounded out in the end.
Overall, good book, fascinating read and wonderfully written.
It follows the story of Ethan Bryant, a man who was thrust into the position of "Caretaker" of 4000 people being held in stasis. A position he did not want nor expect.
Josi Russell does very well painting a picture of loneliness, longing, duty and the complications that arise from all of that.
I especially loved the alien language and the beautiful and agonizing way she ended the story. Giving it just enough feeling of completion and uneasiness.
The beginning part in the ship to me was slow and I felt the action took a long time to get to. There was a lot of information the reader needs and though it was sometimes tedious I felt it was necessary and in the end I was glad it was all there. It rounded out in the end.
Overall, good book, fascinating read and wonderfully written.
June 3, 2017
2.5 stars, rounded up for debut status. This romantic space opera is soft science-fiction, told in 3rd person from the perspective of the hero, the "caretaker" himself, Ethan Bryant. I appreciated the fact that the author didn't split the perspective among multiple characters, no did she scene hop like a jitterbug (two writing ploys I dislike). Neither did the main character spend too much time in his thoughts, which can really bog down a book. For a debut novel, the writing isn't bad. Not great, but okay. Descriptive! And no typos noticed.
Solid audio narration by Patrick Lawlor. I alternatively read and listened.
I could imagine the contemporary setting through the vivid descriptions of the space ship itself — the interior, the stasis chambers, the hallways, navigation rooms, and caretaker's room. I felt like I was roaming the hallways and catwalks with them. The setting on the planet was fairly well portrayed, too. I got the shivers at the Glass Houses.
Quibbles:
Pacing is uneven. The story bogged down quite a bit in the first third of the book, but then it really picked up. The relationship between Ethan and Kaia was not convincing: It felt rushed and spasmodic, especially for Kaia who just got married before entering stasis. The Xardyn language lessons were interesting, but went on too long — it felt like the author was trying to convince me of her expertise in linguistics. I wanted the AI computer to play a stronger role during the voyage. Anyway, I was losing interest! But once "the sinister truth" was discovered aboard the ship, things started hopping and never slowed. Suddenly too much happened, and too fast, really. The final battle was too easily and quickly won.
Sci-fi threads lack credibility. This book is not grounded in science (but that's okay with me). I think I was the most taken aback by the genetics. The manipulation of genetics to force evolution. It happened so fast!
The romance did nothing for me. I wish the plot hadn't gone down that road. This book didn't know what it was -- science fiction or chick lit / romance. The author needs to pick a genre and stick with it.
The characterization is a little flat and simplistic. However, at least I liked the main characters, Ethan and Kaia, and the brave little animal.
The villains were one dimensional and completely hateful, with not a shred of goodness to redeem them. However, I did understand what motivated them — inferiority, envy. Cain versus Abel. In too many books, the villains are just bad to the bone, for no apparent reason.
I felt nothing for the supposedly advanced class 15 aliens, the"good" aliens on Beta Alora -- they just didn't feel authentic or credible at all.
Solid audio narration by Patrick Lawlor. I alternatively read and listened.
I could imagine the contemporary setting through the vivid descriptions of the space ship itself — the interior, the stasis chambers, the hallways, navigation rooms, and caretaker's room. I felt like I was roaming the hallways and catwalks with them. The setting on the planet was fairly well portrayed, too. I got the shivers at the Glass Houses.
Quibbles:
Pacing is uneven. The story bogged down quite a bit in the first third of the book, but then it really picked up. The relationship between Ethan and Kaia was not convincing: It felt rushed and spasmodic, especially for Kaia who just got married before entering stasis. The Xardyn language lessons were interesting, but went on too long — it felt like the author was trying to convince me of her expertise in linguistics. I wanted the AI computer to play a stronger role during the voyage. Anyway, I was losing interest! But once "the sinister truth" was discovered aboard the ship, things started hopping and never slowed. Suddenly too much happened, and too fast, really. The final battle was too easily and quickly won.
Sci-fi threads lack credibility. This book is not grounded in science (but that's okay with me). I think I was the most taken aback by the genetics. The manipulation of genetics to force evolution. It happened so fast!
The romance did nothing for me. I wish the plot hadn't gone down that road. This book didn't know what it was -- science fiction or chick lit / romance. The author needs to pick a genre and stick with it.
The characterization is a little flat and simplistic. However, at least I liked the main characters, Ethan and Kaia, and the brave little animal.
The villains were one dimensional and completely hateful, with not a shred of goodness to redeem them. However, I did understand what motivated them — inferiority, envy. Cain versus Abel. In too many books, the villains are just bad to the bone, for no apparent reason.
I felt nothing for the supposedly advanced class 15 aliens, the"good" aliens on Beta Alora -- they just didn't feel authentic or credible at all.
February 11, 2016
* I received a copy of Caretaker from Future House Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review.
Imagine yourself being a caretaker. Now let’s add another level to this; imagine being a caretaker who is watching 4000 people being held in stasis. That doesn’t seem hard right? Oh—don’t forget, you’re alone. Well, you’re alone for a couple years until—one wakes up. Throw in some drama, crazy alien situations, and romance—you got yourself one badass sci-fi YA.
It starts off by following Ethan Bryant, the caretaker who didn’t want to be assigned for this “special” job and yet he still had to do it. It’s kind of like a long road trip with a bunch of people who so happen to be sleeping the whole entire time (I hope he doesn’t have “I will walk 500 Miles” on replay). The reason for all of this was to move to a new planet; however, he will be dead once they reach final destination (no pun intended). Pretty cool—now suddenly things don’t go so smooth for him. In walks in (literally), Kaia, a pretty cool character who happen to be an engineer (she is really badass!). PLOT TWIST—something isn’t right because they are going the wrong directions (remember—use Google maps). As well, there is some romance that happens (not going to say) but it’s a triangle. I don’t want to say the ending because it’s pretty good!
For me, I tend to not read a lot of sci-fi; on the flip side, this was catered to my liking. If you’re a person who does read mostly sci-fi, you will kind of feel it lacks the traditional style. It did have a little bit of alien action, different language, and that sort of thing. But, majority was around the people and the main characters how they are dealing with all of this (remember Ethan is like “Cast Away” and he doesn’t have a ball named Wilson to be friends with). Josi Russell has a unique and thrilling writing style. I enjoyed it very much and I am so glad i read it.
Imagine yourself being a caretaker. Now let’s add another level to this; imagine being a caretaker who is watching 4000 people being held in stasis. That doesn’t seem hard right? Oh—don’t forget, you’re alone. Well, you’re alone for a couple years until—one wakes up. Throw in some drama, crazy alien situations, and romance—you got yourself one badass sci-fi YA.
It starts off by following Ethan Bryant, the caretaker who didn’t want to be assigned for this “special” job and yet he still had to do it. It’s kind of like a long road trip with a bunch of people who so happen to be sleeping the whole entire time (I hope he doesn’t have “I will walk 500 Miles” on replay). The reason for all of this was to move to a new planet; however, he will be dead once they reach final destination (no pun intended). Pretty cool—now suddenly things don’t go so smooth for him. In walks in (literally), Kaia, a pretty cool character who happen to be an engineer (she is really badass!). PLOT TWIST—something isn’t right because they are going the wrong directions (remember—use Google maps). As well, there is some romance that happens (not going to say) but it’s a triangle. I don’t want to say the ending because it’s pretty good!
For me, I tend to not read a lot of sci-fi; on the flip side, this was catered to my liking. If you’re a person who does read mostly sci-fi, you will kind of feel it lacks the traditional style. It did have a little bit of alien action, different language, and that sort of thing. But, majority was around the people and the main characters how they are dealing with all of this (remember Ethan is like “Cast Away” and he doesn’t have a ball named Wilson to be friends with). Josi Russell has a unique and thrilling writing style. I enjoyed it very much and I am so glad i read it.
February 18, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review
I'm technically giving "Caretaker" a 2.75. I can do that, right?
(Some general/semi-spoiler-y plot points below)
The premise of the book is pretty interesting - one man is designated Caretaker of all of the humans traveling to colonize a new planet. However, when Ethan mistakenly becomes Caretaker, he realizes he's in over his head. Not only is he not trained for this position, he's met with a stowaway and a hostile alien race and must race against all that — and Time — to get his family to their new planet safely.
I love space, I love linguistics, but this just wasn't the best executed story.
The characters are fairly flat - Ethan's wife Aria is in stasis the whole story and used mostly as a plot device. Kaia, the other female in the story, is given a very vague personality for someone who —SPOILER ISH — becomes a love interest for Ethan. The big scary alien race are one-dimensional baddies who get vanquished pretty easily.
There are plot holes, sure, but I did want to keep reading to find out what happened. The problem was truly that SO MUCH happened in such a short book, that nothing had any depth. Furthermore, there was no real sense of urgency or time. Events just happened, one after another with no real transition.
And don't even get me started on the horrible "I shouldn't care about you! I love my wife! But we're in isolation! for 50 years!"-"romance".
That said, I didn't hate the premise, and for an hour-long read, I can't say that I expected much more than that. I'd love to see some more meat to this story — maybe we'll see how the second turns out.
I'm technically giving "Caretaker" a 2.75. I can do that, right?
(Some general/semi-spoiler-y plot points below)
The premise of the book is pretty interesting - one man is designated Caretaker of all of the humans traveling to colonize a new planet. However, when Ethan mistakenly becomes Caretaker, he realizes he's in over his head. Not only is he not trained for this position, he's met with a stowaway and a hostile alien race and must race against all that — and Time — to get his family to their new planet safely.
I love space, I love linguistics, but this just wasn't the best executed story.
The characters are fairly flat - Ethan's wife Aria is in stasis the whole story and used mostly as a plot device. Kaia, the other female in the story, is given a very vague personality for someone who —SPOILER ISH — becomes a love interest for Ethan. The big scary alien race are one-dimensional baddies who get vanquished pretty easily.
There are plot holes, sure, but I did want to keep reading to find out what happened. The problem was truly that SO MUCH happened in such a short book, that nothing had any depth. Furthermore, there was no real sense of urgency or time. Events just happened, one after another with no real transition.
And don't even get me started on the horrible "I shouldn't care about you! I love my wife! But we're in isolation! for 50 years!"-"romance".
That said, I didn't hate the premise, and for an hour-long read, I can't say that I expected much more than that. I'd love to see some more meat to this story — maybe we'll see how the second turns out.
September 3, 2015
**I was given this ebook free in exchange for an unbiased review**
This book had it all! Aliens, space travel, fight scenes, romance (2 romances actually)....it was jam packed! With all of the new space travel movies out there right now, this book adds to that and makes me think it would make a great movie itself!
The details of the stasis ship and the idea of populating a new planet were intriguing. The new language the author made up reminded me of a drawing with a Spirograph....very creative!
I felt the romance between Ethan and Kaia came on a little too fast especially since Ethan was married with a child on the way. I loved how the author described teleportation once they got to the other planet. Although I was a little bored in the middle with the alien race that tried to claim the humans as slaves, I know it was an integral part of the story. And I was very very pleased with the ending and would have been mad if it had ended differently.
Best quote from the book: "Love it seemed to him, was perhaps the only emotion that endured." I was glad that this was a stand alone book. It's hard to wait for the next book in a series!
This book had it all! Aliens, space travel, fight scenes, romance (2 romances actually)....it was jam packed! With all of the new space travel movies out there right now, this book adds to that and makes me think it would make a great movie itself!
The details of the stasis ship and the idea of populating a new planet were intriguing. The new language the author made up reminded me of a drawing with a Spirograph....very creative!
I felt the romance between Ethan and Kaia came on a little too fast especially since Ethan was married with a child on the way. I loved how the author described teleportation once they got to the other planet. Although I was a little bored in the middle with the alien race that tried to claim the humans as slaves, I know it was an integral part of the story. And I was very very pleased with the ending and would have been mad if it had ended differently.
Best quote from the book: "Love it seemed to him, was perhaps the only emotion that endured." I was glad that this was a stand alone book. It's hard to wait for the next book in a series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
*Contains some spoilers*
This story is about Ethan Bryant who was supposed to be in stasis on a ship leaving Earth and wake up 50 years later with his family on the planet Minea. However, after the ship’s caretaker—the lone human in charge of monitoring the ship’s vital systems—had a sudden accident and died, the ship’s computer automatically made Ethan the new caretaker and locked him out of his stasis chamber. Now he has to make sure everything runs smoothly on a ship he knows almost nothing about, as well as take care of 3,999 other passengers, including his wife and unborn child who he won’t be able to see grow up on Minea because he’ll be an old man.
Ethan is resigned to his fate, until another passenger, a beautiful engineer wakes up and he realizes what it’s like to have another living soul to talk too. They soon discover a horrible secret—the ship is not bound for Minea, but to somewhere far more dangerous. With the ship nearing its ominous destination, Ethan soon learns he is the only one who holds the key to saving all the passengers from a highly advanced, and hostile alien race.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It had action, adventure, romance (two actually), aliens, evolution, and a new language…a great science fiction book.
I do have to admit that when I first started reading this book, I felt it moved slowly. It started out with Ethan all by himself, talking about the ship and its systems, how he figured things out over the past five years, thinking of the 45 years to come, and the overwhelming sadness of not being able to grow old with his wife and see their child grow up. He also talked about the dead alien language, Xardan, that he knew. Even though it seemed to move slowly, I’m grateful for all the information because it was integral to the rest of the story.
I think where it started to pick up was when one passenger, Kaia, woke up. They didn’t get off to a good start, but things worked out to the point that they became friends and even developed stronger feelings for each other. Then when they landed on the planet they ended up on, all of the things they had to do and go through to save themselves and all the passengers, and then the journey to Minea and what happened when they got there moved much faster than the beginning of the book.
In regards to Ethan and Kaia developing stronger feelings than friendship for each other. I’ve got to say that Ethan’s responses were understandable to me, and what he did about them earned respect in my eyes. What I mean is that it’s understandable he would find Kaia attractive and have intimate thoughts (want to hold, kiss, sleep with, etc.) about her—he’s been ALL by himself for the past five years with no human interaction or contact. You always hear something like “not even if we were the last man and woman on Earth.” For Ethan, he wasn’t on Earth and everyone else was in stasis, but he was the only awake human and it could’ve felt like he was the “last person (man) on Earth.” So for him to develop stronger emotions (lust/love) for Kaia, was understandable to me. Plus, how can you blame him? He’s been alone for five years, and suddenly there’s an attractive and intelligent woman who appears and pays attention to you (conversation, human contact, etc.). Wouldn’t you falter a bit if you were in his shoes?
However, what earned my respect is when he didn’t act on those feelings (except for a one-time, accidentally shared kiss). He would think of his wife in stasis and wanted to be able to look her in the eyes when they were on Minea—he being 50 years older and she still as young as she was when they left Earth—and tell her, with a clear conscience, that nothing (except the accidental kiss) happened between him and Kaia. He could’ve easily given into his desires for Kaia, but the fact that he didn’t—that he was loyal to his wife no matter what—is what made me really respect him.
Something I really liked is Ethan’s thoughts about emotions at the end of the book. He reflects on how Traxoram said that love was “the most fleeting and ridiculous of emotions.” Is it? I guess it depends on your definition of love. When you had a crush in elementary school, or when you had your first boyfriend/girlfriend…was that love? Or is love a deeper feeling reserved for your family, your significant other, and extremely close (like life-long) friends? I believe the true feeling of “love” is the latter, which is also how Ethan thought of love—that love is the opposite of “the most fleeting and ridiculous of emotions.” He reflects on everything and realized that “anger was momentary. Hatred passed. Fear eventually moved into memory. Love, it seemed to him, was the only emotion that endured.” Think back on your first “love”, a friend you were close to in high school, a family member that you haven’t seen for years because of a family conflict…do you still have feelings for them? Do you still care about them? I would say yes. You wonder what happened to them or what happened between you, and possible try to find and make contact with them again.
I would highly recommend reading this book, especially if you like action, adventure, romance, aliens, evolution, and a new language…overall, a science fiction book.
This story is about Ethan Bryant who was supposed to be in stasis on a ship leaving Earth and wake up 50 years later with his family on the planet Minea. However, after the ship’s caretaker—the lone human in charge of monitoring the ship’s vital systems—had a sudden accident and died, the ship’s computer automatically made Ethan the new caretaker and locked him out of his stasis chamber. Now he has to make sure everything runs smoothly on a ship he knows almost nothing about, as well as take care of 3,999 other passengers, including his wife and unborn child who he won’t be able to see grow up on Minea because he’ll be an old man.
Ethan is resigned to his fate, until another passenger, a beautiful engineer wakes up and he realizes what it’s like to have another living soul to talk too. They soon discover a horrible secret—the ship is not bound for Minea, but to somewhere far more dangerous. With the ship nearing its ominous destination, Ethan soon learns he is the only one who holds the key to saving all the passengers from a highly advanced, and hostile alien race.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It had action, adventure, romance (two actually), aliens, evolution, and a new language…a great science fiction book.
I do have to admit that when I first started reading this book, I felt it moved slowly. It started out with Ethan all by himself, talking about the ship and its systems, how he figured things out over the past five years, thinking of the 45 years to come, and the overwhelming sadness of not being able to grow old with his wife and see their child grow up. He also talked about the dead alien language, Xardan, that he knew. Even though it seemed to move slowly, I’m grateful for all the information because it was integral to the rest of the story.
I think where it started to pick up was when one passenger, Kaia, woke up. They didn’t get off to a good start, but things worked out to the point that they became friends and even developed stronger feelings for each other. Then when they landed on the planet they ended up on, all of the things they had to do and go through to save themselves and all the passengers, and then the journey to Minea and what happened when they got there moved much faster than the beginning of the book.
In regards to Ethan and Kaia developing stronger feelings than friendship for each other. I’ve got to say that Ethan’s responses were understandable to me, and what he did about them earned respect in my eyes. What I mean is that it’s understandable he would find Kaia attractive and have intimate thoughts (want to hold, kiss, sleep with, etc.) about her—he’s been ALL by himself for the past five years with no human interaction or contact. You always hear something like “not even if we were the last man and woman on Earth.” For Ethan, he wasn’t on Earth and everyone else was in stasis, but he was the only awake human and it could’ve felt like he was the “last person (man) on Earth.” So for him to develop stronger emotions (lust/love) for Kaia, was understandable to me. Plus, how can you blame him? He’s been alone for five years, and suddenly there’s an attractive and intelligent woman who appears and pays attention to you (conversation, human contact, etc.). Wouldn’t you falter a bit if you were in his shoes?
However, what earned my respect is when he didn’t act on those feelings (except for a one-time, accidentally shared kiss). He would think of his wife in stasis and wanted to be able to look her in the eyes when they were on Minea—he being 50 years older and she still as young as she was when they left Earth—and tell her, with a clear conscience, that nothing (except the accidental kiss) happened between him and Kaia. He could’ve easily given into his desires for Kaia, but the fact that he didn’t—that he was loyal to his wife no matter what—is what made me really respect him.
Something I really liked is Ethan’s thoughts about emotions at the end of the book. He reflects on how Traxoram said that love was “the most fleeting and ridiculous of emotions.” Is it? I guess it depends on your definition of love. When you had a crush in elementary school, or when you had your first boyfriend/girlfriend…was that love? Or is love a deeper feeling reserved for your family, your significant other, and extremely close (like life-long) friends? I believe the true feeling of “love” is the latter, which is also how Ethan thought of love—that love is the opposite of “the most fleeting and ridiculous of emotions.” He reflects on everything and realized that “anger was momentary. Hatred passed. Fear eventually moved into memory. Love, it seemed to him, was the only emotion that endured.” Think back on your first “love”, a friend you were close to in high school, a family member that you haven’t seen for years because of a family conflict…do you still have feelings for them? Do you still care about them? I would say yes. You wonder what happened to them or what happened between you, and possible try to find and make contact with them again.
I would highly recommend reading this book, especially if you like action, adventure, romance, aliens, evolution, and a new language…overall, a science fiction book.
March 15, 2016
I won this as a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm a pretty big fan of sci-fi and the concept for this book was pretty unique and quite promising. Essentially, a xenolinguist and his family are on their way in a passenger ship to participate in the colonization of a new world. As Ethan is getting ready to go into stasis, the Caretaker of the ship dies and the ship's computer decides that Ethan will be the new one and essentially sentences him to 50 years of isolation on the ship surrounded by thousands of people in stasis on the way to their new home. Part way into the journey one of the passengers wakes up early and they discover that headed to a rather bleak future and their government sent them there.
The author created a language, or at least the basis for a language, in this book that was pretty fascinating and played a surprisingly large part in the book. The initial setup of the book including the descriptions and building of the ship were done quite well. The time she spent describing the isolation Ethan felt was excellent and really drew the reader in to his world. In this respect, I think Ethan's reactions to Kaia, the passenger that awakes early, after 5 years of isolation are totally understandable and justified. I think Kaia's feelings toward Ethan are a real stretch considering she was in love with and just married to someone else and no time has passed for her since she was put in stasis.
Some other reviewers expressed concerns about pacing at the beginning and I disagree. I think the relatively slow pace was put to good use developing Ethan and the world the author put him in. The problem I had was the pacing after the characters discover something is wrong. From that point on, it felt like the author was on a deadline and rushing through things to get finished.
The author has spent nearly 200 pages drawing the reader into this world she has created and then spends the next 100 pages taking the characters out of this world, into a hastily described and constructed second one. There they encounter aliens that the reader has little to no reason to fear even though the characters seem terrified of them. The aliens boast at one point of their lack of emotion and use of logic to determine their course, but this is contradicted by some pretty ridiculous emotional drivers that don't really make sense. Ethan and Kaia are thrust into an alien conflict that is pretty shallow, poorly thought out, and a little ridiculous. They participate in a battle planning session with some of the aliens and essentially come up with a way to end a centuries old, or older, conflict in an afternoon. The dialogue and intelligence of the characters drops here as well. This can be seen in statements like "the planet's rotation is affected by gravity" and "if we can use seeing through walls we will, otherwise let's stick to the plan."
Basically these are two separate stories that involve the same two main characters. The first is a pretty good story with a few character flaws but nothing that kills the story. The second is a pretty bad adventure story that wasn't really planned, poorly executed, and really killed the whole book. This was an interesting idea and while I'm not sad I read it, I definitely wouldn't read it again.
I'm a pretty big fan of sci-fi and the concept for this book was pretty unique and quite promising. Essentially, a xenolinguist and his family are on their way in a passenger ship to participate in the colonization of a new world. As Ethan is getting ready to go into stasis, the Caretaker of the ship dies and the ship's computer decides that Ethan will be the new one and essentially sentences him to 50 years of isolation on the ship surrounded by thousands of people in stasis on the way to their new home. Part way into the journey one of the passengers wakes up early and they discover that headed to a rather bleak future and their government sent them there.
The author created a language, or at least the basis for a language, in this book that was pretty fascinating and played a surprisingly large part in the book. The initial setup of the book including the descriptions and building of the ship were done quite well. The time she spent describing the isolation Ethan felt was excellent and really drew the reader in to his world. In this respect, I think Ethan's reactions to Kaia, the passenger that awakes early, after 5 years of isolation are totally understandable and justified. I think Kaia's feelings toward Ethan are a real stretch considering she was in love with and just married to someone else and no time has passed for her since she was put in stasis.
Some other reviewers expressed concerns about pacing at the beginning and I disagree. I think the relatively slow pace was put to good use developing Ethan and the world the author put him in. The problem I had was the pacing after the characters discover something is wrong. From that point on, it felt like the author was on a deadline and rushing through things to get finished.
The author has spent nearly 200 pages drawing the reader into this world she has created and then spends the next 100 pages taking the characters out of this world, into a hastily described and constructed second one. There they encounter aliens that the reader has little to no reason to fear even though the characters seem terrified of them. The aliens boast at one point of their lack of emotion and use of logic to determine their course, but this is contradicted by some pretty ridiculous emotional drivers that don't really make sense. Ethan and Kaia are thrust into an alien conflict that is pretty shallow, poorly thought out, and a little ridiculous. They participate in a battle planning session with some of the aliens and essentially come up with a way to end a centuries old, or older, conflict in an afternoon. The dialogue and intelligence of the characters drops here as well. This can be seen in statements like "the planet's rotation is affected by gravity" and "if we can use seeing through walls we will, otherwise let's stick to the plan."
Basically these are two separate stories that involve the same two main characters. The first is a pretty good story with a few character flaws but nothing that kills the story. The second is a pretty bad adventure story that wasn't really planned, poorly executed, and really killed the whole book. This was an interesting idea and while I'm not sad I read it, I definitely wouldn't read it again.
February 12, 2016
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.
Disclaimer: I received this title at a discount in exchange for sharing my opinions. I have not received any monetary compensation.
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.
Disclaimer: I received this title at a discount in exchange for sharing my opinions. I have not received any monetary compensation.
February 11, 2016
This was certainly an interesting read! The premise was intriguing and the characters were certainly interesting!
We are introduced to Ethan, alone on a ship with four thousand people, tasked with watching over them on their 50-year journey to their new home. And then, SURPRISE! Someone joins him.
Watching Ethan rediscover how to interact with another human being was likely my favorite part of this book. There were a couple of moments when I really questioned his actions and motives, but then I had to remind myself to take a step back and try to consider myself in his position. Certainly raised some thought-provoking questions.
I will say, I felt that this whole book was rather unfair to Kaia for a variety of reasons I can't go into...because spoilers. I loved her spirit and just felt like there were so many situations that were just one giant slap in the face.
Overall, an enjoyable read!
{I received this book for free from Future Publishing House in exchange for an honest review.}
We are introduced to Ethan, alone on a ship with four thousand people, tasked with watching over them on their 50-year journey to their new home. And then, SURPRISE! Someone joins him.
Watching Ethan rediscover how to interact with another human being was likely my favorite part of this book. There were a couple of moments when I really questioned his actions and motives, but then I had to remind myself to take a step back and try to consider myself in his position. Certainly raised some thought-provoking questions.
I will say, I felt that this whole book was rather unfair to Kaia for a variety of reasons I can't go into...because spoilers. I loved her spirit and just felt like there were so many situations that were just one giant slap in the face.
Overall, an enjoyable read!
{I received this book for free from Future Publishing House in exchange for an honest review.}
March 12, 2016
I enjoyed the first part of the book as it presented interesting questions about space travel and the sacrifices needed by humans who want to colonize the far reaches of the universe (or other universes). The story shifted in a way that did not appeal to my science-fiction interests, as the story took a "magic-science" turn that forced the plot along in an unquestioning manner; it could easily have been interpreted as a fantasy novel with a few word changes. By the end, the "magic" subsided, yet even that didn't make sense as it lost continuity with other portions of the novel. The male protagonist was clearly written by a female author; I didn't feel a realistic connection with the male lead. The scenery was well-described in that I could really picture the setting, though I struggled with imagining some of the characters' physical qualities. I realize this novel has gotten many accolades from readers, but as someone who teaches science-fiction, I don't think it meets the standard other writers have set.
February 11, 2016
Unique
I received a free copy of the second book in this series for a unbiased opinion so, naturally I had to read the first book. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued as I got further into the book. The author captivates you in Ethan's story by conflicting emotions and situations. I liked the uniqueness to the unlikely hero and how he quickly gains our attention while finding himself through many difficult situations. He quickly rises to any ordeal and navigates through uncharted waters with ease as he uses his own passion, a ancient alien language, to save the passengers and his wife safely to their intended destination. This book gives you a tangled love that quickly grasps your heart and squeezes to the very end. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I received a free copy of the second book in this series for a unbiased opinion so, naturally I had to read the first book. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued as I got further into the book. The author captivates you in Ethan's story by conflicting emotions and situations. I liked the uniqueness to the unlikely hero and how he quickly gains our attention while finding himself through many difficult situations. He quickly rises to any ordeal and navigates through uncharted waters with ease as he uses his own passion, a ancient alien language, to save the passengers and his wife safely to their intended destination. This book gives you a tangled love that quickly grasps your heart and squeezes to the very end. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
February 10, 2016
I started reading this book without reading the synopsis first so I had no idea what to expect. I was immediately drawn in and couldn't put it down It's a perfect mix of futuristic sci-fi, technology. a little bit of aliens, and a love story all in one. I'm immediately beginning on book two! The characters are believable and realistic and the story is fast paced yet thorough.
Although I do enjoy sci-fi writing I don't regularly choose space/alien themed books. I like that this book got to the story we all want to hear without pages of boring drivel and explaining of various worlds and alien races. In fact I really had no idea aliens would even be characters in the book until they suddenly appear in the second half.
I received a copy of this book in order to review it. All opinions are my own of course and no compensation was ever received.
Although I do enjoy sci-fi writing I don't regularly choose space/alien themed books. I like that this book got to the story we all want to hear without pages of boring drivel and explaining of various worlds and alien races. In fact I really had no idea aliens would even be characters in the book until they suddenly appear in the second half.
I received a copy of this book in order to review it. All opinions are my own of course and no compensation was ever received.
June 7, 2016
It took a long time to get into the action. I put the book down several times, but ultimately so glad I finished. All the build up and establishing relationships really attached me to the characters and their unique plight. I even shed a tear or two near the end when I wasn't sure what would happen to them.
While I'm not an astrophysicist, the science was believable and it didn't seem terribly far fetched. It was cool to hear about alien languages, stasis pods, advanced alien civilizations, mental powers and...well, I don't want to give away too much, so let's just say I really enjoyed the world author Josi Russell had created and the journey she took me on there.
While I'm not an astrophysicist, the science was believable and it didn't seem terribly far fetched. It was cool to hear about alien languages, stasis pods, advanced alien civilizations, mental powers and...well, I don't want to give away too much, so let's just say I really enjoyed the world author Josi Russell had created and the journey she took me on there.
February 12, 2016
In the first book, Caretaker, Ethan finds about some double-dealing has been going on when he is thrust in to caring for a ship of sleeping passengers. Though many questions are answered and dealt with in the first of the Saga, Much more develops in The Guardian. There is trickery and deception. Morals and unique gifts must battle and adjust to dramatic situations. A scourge of illness overtakes the surface of their planet and the shipmates lost underground must fight to return topside. Josie Russell has done a spectacular job with setting the reader in the middle of this adventure. The characters are genuine and very likeable (well most are)
October 23, 2015
A lot more here than just Si-fi
I read close to a book each day and this is the first book that has made me cry in years. Beautiful in its writing and in the Author's understanding of the parts of us as humans that make us great, even in our insignificance. I read Sci-fi for escapism, not for humanism. This book crosses over both, making it an unexpected find. I recommend the book to sci-fi lovers, and general fiction readers. I'll be on the look out for more books by this author.
I read close to a book each day and this is the first book that has made me cry in years. Beautiful in its writing and in the Author's understanding of the parts of us as humans that make us great, even in our insignificance. I read Sci-fi for escapism, not for humanism. This book crosses over both, making it an unexpected find. I recommend the book to sci-fi lovers, and general fiction readers. I'll be on the look out for more books by this author.
January 4, 2016
On a starship with few thousand people in stasis a man is assigned an emergency role of caretaker for the long path of decades long voyage. Few years later one passenger is awakened and we start the part where story talks about how people deal with seclusion, how they find strength to go on.
As main character is a xenolinguist we also get discussions about what language is, how different can it be.
Then the action picks up as an emergency for whole ship arises connected to some alien species.
Book has some discussions about human nature related to space travel, but also a lot of action.
As main character is a xenolinguist we also get discussions about what language is, how different can it be.
Then the action picks up as an emergency for whole ship arises connected to some alien species.
Book has some discussions about human nature related to space travel, but also a lot of action.
September 3, 2015
Caretaker by Josi Russell grabbed me and sucked me in immediately. The writing was intense and the editing immaculate. I loved everything about the ship where Ethan was Caretaker of 4000 hybernating humans on their 50 year journey to their new home. When Kaia shows up out of the blue it adds to the building tension which caries you through the rest of the book.
August 9, 2016
Great book, start a little too erratic, it should have a little prologe but even if everything gets explained on the way, it is still hard on the reader at the beginning, love the story, the narrator, the "politics" and the relationships between the diferent characters.
October 30, 2015
Enjoyable
I was worried I wouldn't enjoy the novel, but it was well written and an entertaining story. I felt that the main character may have been a little over the top on his affections, but fun regardless.
I was worried I wouldn't enjoy the novel, but it was well written and an entertaining story. I felt that the main character may have been a little over the top on his affections, but fun regardless.
December 1, 2015
A splended example of a Wordwright's creative artistry, full with the pathos of humanity!
In a word. ... WELLWROUGHT!
THANK YOU.
Forrest Dee Jeffcoat... an instant fan.
Seven more more words would not suffice,... But!
In a word. ... WELLWROUGHT!
THANK YOU.
Forrest Dee Jeffcoat... an instant fan.
Seven more more words would not suffice,... But!
December 26, 2015
This book was much better than I imagined it would be. I read it in a day every chance I could find. The story took unexpected turns and always kept me guessing on where it would end up.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good, original sci-fi stories.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good, original sci-fi stories.
March 2, 2016
I really enjoyed Caretaker. It has a unique premise and an interesting twist. The writing is solid, and the characters are likable without sacrificing complexity. Overall, I'm eager to see what happens next.
October 10, 2015
Enjoyable Read
Kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. I didn't care for the crab-like aliens, but it was still a good book.
Kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. I didn't care for the crab-like aliens, but it was still a good book.
November 19, 2015
this book had me interested from beginning to end.
November 25, 2015
This is an awesome book! If you love sci fi you will love this book!
December 15, 2015
Enthralling
This book sucked me in, couldn't put it down. It has it all, action, science, love and drama. I recommend
This book sucked me in, couldn't put it down. It has it all, action, science, love and drama. I recommend
February 5, 2016
Holy CRAP WAS THIS GOOD. I'm seriously impressed. If anyone is interested in a sci-fi I highly suggest picking this up!
February 2, 2016
A very interesting concept. I enjoyed this book very much. Good character development. I highly recommend this book.
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