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False Refuge
*False Refuge was self-published in 2009 and is currently not. A version of the story might return someday, but only after hardcore revisions.*
ebook
First published January 1, 2009
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14 people want to read
About the author
Steve Anderson
157 books29 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 26, 2011
False Refuge by Steve Anderson is the thought-provoking story of Alex Swenson, an army reservist who has gone AWOL. Having fought for his country, Alex is left to determine what loyalty really means to him and how far he is willing to go. Alex soon makes up his mind that he is done with the violence and suffering and takes action into his own hands by going AWOL in hopes of starting over. He travels to an island in Hawaii where there are rumors that a place called Krieger Estates will help him stay hidden. Alex's conscience is put to the test when he must decide between staying hidden or risking everything to disarm a gunned robber.
Alex happens to meet a local Hawaiian named Kanani who puts up a good cover of being an innocent local when really she has a dark and mysterious past that she is running from. Instantly drawn too Kanani, they go on the run together in hopes of starting new. Things turn out differently once they reach Krieger Estates when Kanani's past may be more of a hindrance rather than an attraction. No matter their pasts, Alex and Kanani must stick together and enlist outside help to battle the powers that are demanding their obedience inside the Krieger Estates walls.
Mr. Anderson writes an extremely descriptive tale that allowed me to easily envision the scenery and really get a feel for Hawaiian climate. The descriptive details alone make this book a good read but is balanced out with a great story line as well. I could almost feel the wetness of rain soaking into my pores while reading False Refuge.
There are several issues covered in the book that may leave the reader agreeing, or disagreeing, with Alex and his beliefs on war. Is war needed to secure our freedom, is it just a necessary evil, or is it just a way for certain people to gain more power without having to get their own hands dirty? If you have an open mind when it comes to aspects such as war, I recommend giving False Refuge a try.
Alex happens to meet a local Hawaiian named Kanani who puts up a good cover of being an innocent local when really she has a dark and mysterious past that she is running from. Instantly drawn too Kanani, they go on the run together in hopes of starting new. Things turn out differently once they reach Krieger Estates when Kanani's past may be more of a hindrance rather than an attraction. No matter their pasts, Alex and Kanani must stick together and enlist outside help to battle the powers that are demanding their obedience inside the Krieger Estates walls.
Mr. Anderson writes an extremely descriptive tale that allowed me to easily envision the scenery and really get a feel for Hawaiian climate. The descriptive details alone make this book a good read but is balanced out with a great story line as well. I could almost feel the wetness of rain soaking into my pores while reading False Refuge.
There are several issues covered in the book that may leave the reader agreeing, or disagreeing, with Alex and his beliefs on war. Is war needed to secure our freedom, is it just a necessary evil, or is it just a way for certain people to gain more power without having to get their own hands dirty? If you have an open mind when it comes to aspects such as war, I recommend giving False Refuge a try.
April 16, 2011
This is a thought provoking read at least it was for me. This book really makes you think and that is what I liked most about this read. Some people might not agree with some of the politics/thoughts in the book, but it is still a wonderful read. I wanted to know what Alex was going to do and I can't blame him for not wanting to go back to war. Will his friends help him out? Yes, my review might be short, but it is to the point and I don't want to give too much away from the read.
May 24, 2011
Several weeks ago, a post on Henry Baum’s Self Publishing Review blog offered a succinct perspective on quality in self-publishing, questioning whether readers would care or even notice so-called gatekeeper issues when they’re paying less than a buck for an E-Book. False Refuge by Steven Anderson is an under-a-buck book and the post made me pause to consider whether, as a reviewer, I ought to consider the price in reviewing this novel and be more forgiving about any copyediting issues I might come across.
Alex Swenson has gone AWOL and wants to stay gone. He’s found work in a coffee shop in Kona, under an assumed name, pondering his future. When he foils a robbery at the coffee shop, the threat of exposure via heroism compels him to seek out a semi-secret entity called Krieger Estates. He’s heard they’ll help conscientious objectors like him forge new identities. It’s a strong opening putting our protagonist on the run and into action, which he does with dramatically satisfying desperation.
He solicits the aid and company of a local girl, Kanini, whose history of troubles with the law would make her benefit from a new identity too. Better yet, her local knowledge can help him penetrate Krieger Estates. Together they join the organization—a legitimate resort on the surface—taking menial jobs to gain the trust of its operators. This takes some time, time during which they learn more about this refuge. Troubling things. It turns out Krieger Estates is much more than a sanctuary and that Alex’s military skills will be put to undetermined but certainly questionable uses. For Alex this means all he’s done is trade one military organization for another. Alas, Alex’s nosiness draws the wary attention of his hosts.
Alex’s friend on the outside, Jerry Bateman, is worried about his AWOL buddy. Jerry correctly guesses Alex would head to Hawaii but the clues he finds lead to a dead end. Some time later, while preparing for a mission to Iraq, Jerry gets a cryptic email from Alex. Jerry returns to Hawaii, using the last few days of leave, and finds Krieger Estates, essentially following the path Alex and Kanini took. Kanini knows who Jerry is and makes contact. Through discrete conversations, she tells him that Alex has been taken away somewhere. Jerry and Kanini team up then to locate Alex and save him. But for Jerry, saving Alex will still put him in a dilemma, as he’d be duty-bound to report his friend to the military authorities.
Throughout, many conversations and debates take place between the three main characters, and to a lesser extent between them and their adversaries, about war, guns, politics, and other weighty topics. The perspectives of each character are often idealistic and simplistic but in using close third-person, the author does a good job of associating them with the character and distancing them from himself. This prevents the book from becoming a political statement and keeps it as a character-driven thriller. Alex’s naivety comes across as sincere and believable. I’d bet there are many men in the armed forces who share his views.
Things do sag though in the chapters between Alex’s escape from the coffee shop and the ending when all three try to escape their dire situation. The descriptions, most notably of people and their attire and physical characteristics, are often too long. The use of dialogue for exposition occurs more than I would like to see. Characters, particularly the protagonist’s friend, Jerry Batemen, are too passive for too long stretches of interior monologues of back-story and personal theories. Of lesser importance, but still notable, the inconsistent use of the past perfect and commas. All fixable issues through more diligent copyediting.
It’s when the characters are in action that the writing picks up. Especially, as mentioned above, when they’re on the move in the Hawaiian countryside, the descriptions of which fit the pace of the story.
They passed the marina and the airport and the lush greens of Kona gave way to the bleak lava-flow landscape of the Kohala Coast. This was farther than he’d traveled since he arrived over seven months ago. The wind at his half rolled-down window became a rushing blast. They could see the stars in the clear sky. And the traffic thinned out, the rental sedans giving way to a few worn island pickups and compacts. Along this stretch of coast were some pristine and remote beaches, if you knew the right narrow rocky trail to take among the many that snaked in and out of the scrawny, wind-battered trees and brushes that soldiered on between the lava flows.
I have never been to Hawaii, but after reading this book, I feel I have in a way. Another passage later on illustrates this further, as well as a fine blending of dialogue and action I wish I had read more of.
Bateman waved them up. “This isn’t even the worst of it,” Kanani added as they climbed. “Two types of lava on da Big Island — the pahoehoe, and the ‘a’a. Pahoehoe flows are smooth and wavy surfaces, like this. But the ‘a’a? All broken up. Jagged, loose, rocky piles of hell. Is junk, brah. This flow got choke ‘a’a. And up ahead, too.”
Bateman clambered over to them and led them onward. “It’s like a fucking obstacle course up here,” he panted, “so be careful.” He had a bloody scrape on his knee. Kanani made a
clicking sound at that.
“This lava can be more friend than foe,” Alex said. “No ATV could traverse this, not with this goddamn ‘a’a lava.”
“True,” Bateman said. “But that chopper decides to head this way now with us out in the open we’re fucked.”
They scrambled across the black river of slabs, zigzagging to avoid the spans of ‘a’a rock that came up fast like streams of mountain water and then there were the crevices, their usual half hour a mile taking more like an hour. Then it was all ‘a’a and it was like hiking across a bed of coral. The brittle sharp chunks wobbled and shattered and yards of them shifted under their feet. Ankles rolled, palms scraped. After an hour of it they could smell the brown grass of the saddle. Almost there. Behind them the chopper hovered nearer, high in the sky like a second sun.
If the entire book had been handled with the same skill consistently throughout—and the author is certainly capable of doing so—then the price never would have been a consideration for me.
I have to say then that as a 99-cent product, False Refuge offers decent value and will find an audience. Overall, it’s a well-composed story with somewhat interesting characters and dramatic possibility amidst a lush setting. Its issues are of the kind many readers wouldn’t consciously notice, not the glaring grammatical ones of the example cited in the SPR post. But they still required mentioning.
Alex Swenson has gone AWOL and wants to stay gone. He’s found work in a coffee shop in Kona, under an assumed name, pondering his future. When he foils a robbery at the coffee shop, the threat of exposure via heroism compels him to seek out a semi-secret entity called Krieger Estates. He’s heard they’ll help conscientious objectors like him forge new identities. It’s a strong opening putting our protagonist on the run and into action, which he does with dramatically satisfying desperation.
He solicits the aid and company of a local girl, Kanini, whose history of troubles with the law would make her benefit from a new identity too. Better yet, her local knowledge can help him penetrate Krieger Estates. Together they join the organization—a legitimate resort on the surface—taking menial jobs to gain the trust of its operators. This takes some time, time during which they learn more about this refuge. Troubling things. It turns out Krieger Estates is much more than a sanctuary and that Alex’s military skills will be put to undetermined but certainly questionable uses. For Alex this means all he’s done is trade one military organization for another. Alas, Alex’s nosiness draws the wary attention of his hosts.
Alex’s friend on the outside, Jerry Bateman, is worried about his AWOL buddy. Jerry correctly guesses Alex would head to Hawaii but the clues he finds lead to a dead end. Some time later, while preparing for a mission to Iraq, Jerry gets a cryptic email from Alex. Jerry returns to Hawaii, using the last few days of leave, and finds Krieger Estates, essentially following the path Alex and Kanini took. Kanini knows who Jerry is and makes contact. Through discrete conversations, she tells him that Alex has been taken away somewhere. Jerry and Kanini team up then to locate Alex and save him. But for Jerry, saving Alex will still put him in a dilemma, as he’d be duty-bound to report his friend to the military authorities.
Throughout, many conversations and debates take place between the three main characters, and to a lesser extent between them and their adversaries, about war, guns, politics, and other weighty topics. The perspectives of each character are often idealistic and simplistic but in using close third-person, the author does a good job of associating them with the character and distancing them from himself. This prevents the book from becoming a political statement and keeps it as a character-driven thriller. Alex’s naivety comes across as sincere and believable. I’d bet there are many men in the armed forces who share his views.
Things do sag though in the chapters between Alex’s escape from the coffee shop and the ending when all three try to escape their dire situation. The descriptions, most notably of people and their attire and physical characteristics, are often too long. The use of dialogue for exposition occurs more than I would like to see. Characters, particularly the protagonist’s friend, Jerry Batemen, are too passive for too long stretches of interior monologues of back-story and personal theories. Of lesser importance, but still notable, the inconsistent use of the past perfect and commas. All fixable issues through more diligent copyediting.
It’s when the characters are in action that the writing picks up. Especially, as mentioned above, when they’re on the move in the Hawaiian countryside, the descriptions of which fit the pace of the story.
They passed the marina and the airport and the lush greens of Kona gave way to the bleak lava-flow landscape of the Kohala Coast. This was farther than he’d traveled since he arrived over seven months ago. The wind at his half rolled-down window became a rushing blast. They could see the stars in the clear sky. And the traffic thinned out, the rental sedans giving way to a few worn island pickups and compacts. Along this stretch of coast were some pristine and remote beaches, if you knew the right narrow rocky trail to take among the many that snaked in and out of the scrawny, wind-battered trees and brushes that soldiered on between the lava flows.
I have never been to Hawaii, but after reading this book, I feel I have in a way. Another passage later on illustrates this further, as well as a fine blending of dialogue and action I wish I had read more of.
Bateman waved them up. “This isn’t even the worst of it,” Kanani added as they climbed. “Two types of lava on da Big Island — the pahoehoe, and the ‘a’a. Pahoehoe flows are smooth and wavy surfaces, like this. But the ‘a’a? All broken up. Jagged, loose, rocky piles of hell. Is junk, brah. This flow got choke ‘a’a. And up ahead, too.”
Bateman clambered over to them and led them onward. “It’s like a fucking obstacle course up here,” he panted, “so be careful.” He had a bloody scrape on his knee. Kanani made a
clicking sound at that.
“This lava can be more friend than foe,” Alex said. “No ATV could traverse this, not with this goddamn ‘a’a lava.”
“True,” Bateman said. “But that chopper decides to head this way now with us out in the open we’re fucked.”
They scrambled across the black river of slabs, zigzagging to avoid the spans of ‘a’a rock that came up fast like streams of mountain water and then there were the crevices, their usual half hour a mile taking more like an hour. Then it was all ‘a’a and it was like hiking across a bed of coral. The brittle sharp chunks wobbled and shattered and yards of them shifted under their feet. Ankles rolled, palms scraped. After an hour of it they could smell the brown grass of the saddle. Almost there. Behind them the chopper hovered nearer, high in the sky like a second sun.
If the entire book had been handled with the same skill consistently throughout—and the author is certainly capable of doing so—then the price never would have been a consideration for me.
I have to say then that as a 99-cent product, False Refuge offers decent value and will find an audience. Overall, it’s a well-composed story with somewhat interesting characters and dramatic possibility amidst a lush setting. Its issues are of the kind many readers wouldn’t consciously notice, not the glaring grammatical ones of the example cited in the SPR post. But they still required mentioning.
September 14, 2011
This is a thought-provoking book, dealing as it does with one man's decision to go AWOL rather than be sent to war. The question of whether Alex has deserted his mates or exercised his right to refuse service in an illegal war is not a simple one. Anderson, however, manages to have his characters explore that question without bogging down the story. In the action scenes, this book reminded me of an Andy McNab thriller. This is the third Steve Anderson book that I've read. It's not his best (that accolade goes to The Losing Role), but it is very good and certainly worth four stars.
August 16, 2011
I'm reading to review for BookRoosters and though I'm not on the same page with the MC's politics, I am enjoying it so far.
I think I like his first book better, MC waxed poetic long and hard to try and sell his reasons for being a deserter.
I think I like his first book better, MC waxed poetic long and hard to try and sell his reasons for being a deserter.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews