Resolutions

Displaced #3

by Stephen Drake

Kevin Murdock, martial artist extraordinaire and longtime resident of the planet Oomah, is still center stage - and reluctant - to mentor any of the new batch of colonist arrivals. He alone is the remaining fair law on the planet. The new arrivals are with few leaders, and more clueless or dangerous individuals. Meanwhile, some of the previously arrived colonists are stirring up hate and discontent. Surprise awaits Murdock and his family. Are the plateau dwellers going to be the seeds of a new civilization, or will they devolve into something else... something dangerous to the remains of humanity?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

484 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2021

About the author

Stephen Drake, a retired computer programmer of 20+ years, is an American fantasy/sci-fi author. He is an avid Harley-Davidson Motorcycle enthusiast, and versed in many survival skills such as martial arts and bow hunting. He draws on his experiences to create gripping and believable stories.

Reviews

[K.J. Simmill]

Murdock and his tribe face the next influx of humans forced from Earth. These pods bring more humans than ever, and where new blood appears, trouble follows. The last settlers, still holding grudges against Murdock, move against him and his tribe, while trying to secure new blood for themselves.  Meanwhile, those heeding his advice venture further afield, finding new dangers and terrors within this strange land. Each new pod brings with it new challenges, but this one was special, this one not only harboured humans, but the very enemy of the Oomah. Change is coming, and the bonds of loyalty will be tested to their limits, and beyond.

I have followed this series from the beginning, and highly recommend book one as a starting place to give you a full appreciation for the depth and complexities of the story. The characters are diverse, interesting and well-conceived, and the plot has more than one surprise in store, as well as some revelations and explanations to really answer any questions raised from the previous books. As a reader you are drawn straight into the story, to the hardships and difficulties. You'll love, hate, and weep as you are integrated into the characters' lives. Action, chaos, vengeance, hope, judgement, survival, and love mesh to create a plot like no other, and one that, as always, leaves you wanting more.

[Mari]

Kevin Hunter is content with his tribe, but meets the new Pod arrivals. This time it is two thousand. He wastes no time making himself unpopular with the new ones when he tells them where they are allowed to go and gives stern warnings about the dangers that they will now face. Some will heed his warnings and advice, but many will not. Two of the new arrivals happen to be his first wife’s younger brother and sister. He brings them home with him. While they are happy to see their brother Declan, they manage to upset his wife. Em isn’t the kind to take things lightly and the situation degenerates. The younger ones choose to leave and are returned to the newcomers. Old animosities surface with the Miners and they go after the medical facility. It’s a fortress and impregnable. Kevin drives them all off and threatens to end their lives. One woman makes the mistake of taunting the leader of the losers and is killed. You gradually learn why Kevin was different from birth and just how many powers he has been granted through the Oomah, the bear/human-like creatures that actually control the planet and who is allowed where. You will not be given the explanation of how they acquired their abilities. This is a complex tale of complex people that plays out over the years. Kevin’s wife is killed by the miners and revenge becomes a compelling force. One man decides he will somehow defy Kevin by making people believe that he caused his wife to commit suicide and blame the miners. This scenario will not play out in this part of their survival tale. The characters come to life as you see Irene Harris recover from her earlier trauma of several years ago. Kevin’s oldest son will pass the qualifying test of the Oomah as all males must do to be accepted. Females do not as they are too important. Declan, howevr, decides to forgo his extra abilities rather than submit himself or his son to the test. Em decides that Kevin’s new wife is not fit to be around her children and she and Declan depart with their children for one of the new arrivals colony. Will there be another story to reunite the family? The background is certainly there, but the author gives no hint that the questions raised will ever be resolved. You want to know because you care about the characters.

[Lynn craycroft]

Having read this last installment of Displaced is bittersweet.

I can’t imagine not visiting this cast of characters every day for however man y days it’s taken me to read. In my experience I haven’t been quite so involved in a story where I laugh, weep and anger as I have in this book. Unfortunately I’m afraid I’ve been spoiled with this and will try to be accepting of future books I read. This was a throughly enjoyable experience. Thank you so much Stephen Drake.

[Randy Harmelink]

My least favorite book of the series, but I still enjoyed it. But I find myself baffled by motivations and reactions of many characters.

[Kelly Straube]

Best of the 3. Still a bit jumpy in the storyline sometimes and a few sentences didn't make sense at all but happy with the overall conclusion of the story. Was very confused about why the break off with Declan. It went from a question at the Spring Rite to blows to exile in like 2 pages. That was a wild ride. Also there was a lot of emphasis on Curtis & Angelica Griffen with the storyline to the beach which ended abruptly and then we basically never hear of them again. In all three of these books there were storylines that seemed to be abandoned, rushed through or needlessly included as fillers. One piece of the first book that I thought was going to thread through to the storyline was the necessity of harvesting salt from the lower level of the caves. Murdock finds it, presents it to Rose & it never gets mentioned again! The bland tasting fish in the mines could have used the salt & that could have been a trade purposed by Murdock. Could have also been a reason to visit Rose's tomb. While I enjoyed this series, the writer seems to be fairly new to developing storylines. Great ideas but no one is helping him to refine & edit.

[rose cook]

Wonderful book

I chose this rating because it is an awesome series. It has it all love, hate, monsters, good guys, bad guys (lots of those), magic. Well it has it all. I tend more to horror and disaster books and this series was really hard to put down. I would recommend it to anyone 16 and above. I really look forward to reading a lot more from this author.

[Michelle McPherson]

Displaced: Resolutions

I sincerely hope this is not the last book of the series. I have become completely invested in the lives ig the Murdocks. I refuse to believe the story with Declan is done. And what happens with the opposite at the mine and their storytelling?

Please continue this story, with more Oomah interaction too!

[Carol Darling]

Third influenced

Watching the new batch of earthlings land two thousand strong Murdock clan gets ready to great them. More people more trouble. Good read. Wonder how many of us could survive in such a place?

[Becky Adams]

wow

This is a great series. Recommend it .it shows the greed and evilness of man but also the good side too. I wish that it would have explained more who sent the people in the pods and why? That is the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

[lenniemarek]

The displaced series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this whole series.
The only complaint I have is that the series ended too soon. I wanted it to keep going!

[S.J. McGarry]

An enjoyable read

I've read all three books and enjoyed Drakes creativity and surprisingly unique story plot dealing with survival and the realization of family and unity.

[Carmen Morin]

Man meets the wilderness.

I found this story very entertaining. Put people together and there is always conflict no matter the situation. It also shows how some people prefer to lead and others prefer to follow. Kevin Murdock is a man skilled in living in the wild. His gruff exterior does not take away from his sense to teach others how to survive on a planet that pits man vs the wild. Taken from Earth, all who are dropped off on this planet can either sink or swim. With the help of an entity resembling a bear, Kevin becomes the first human to obtain exceptional powers. The author did an excellent job in keeping me interested throughout the entire series. I'd recommend this a must read if you love this type of fiction.

[Derrick Mooney]

A very good story... BUT disappointing.

An immensely enjoyable read marred by bad word usage.
You really need to run your writing through Grammarly to fix your bad use of the English language.

[David Paul]

Very good

Another great story just keeps getting better. Great characters and story line. Just wish it wasn't so long between books.

[Jennifer]

I'm a huge fan of this series! Resolutions is a great sequel, answering many questions and asking for more. More Murdock. More Oomah. More of it all. I need more!

[Clay Carley]

Enjoyed

The story lines were well interwoven and the characters were well developed. If you like good endings, you will enjoy this book.

[Allison J Howard]

loved these books

Thoroughly enjoyable, unique storyline, good vs evil.
I love it when I find I book that I can’t put down. This was it for me.