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Keeper #1
Keeper
When Captain Alex Marcase's estranged father dies, he hopes his inheritance will be enough to fund his next deep space expedition. When his inheritance turns out to be a genetically-altered slave named Evan, it's just the beginning of the end of Alex's normal, orderly life.
Not only does Evan have his own brand of morality, his special abilities are coveted by his late owner's enemies. As the pair head into deep space with their enemies in hot pursuit, Alex's chief rival ahead of them, and a saboteur on board their ship, will they be able to learn to appreciate each other as individuals in time?
Or will their differences be too much to overcome?
Not only does Evan have his own brand of morality, his special abilities are coveted by his late owner's enemies. As the pair head into deep space with their enemies in hot pursuit, Alex's chief rival ahead of them, and a saboteur on board their ship, will they be able to learn to appreciate each other as individuals in time?
Or will their differences be too much to overcome?
403 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2009
102 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Williams
30 books7 followersKristine was educated in Veterinary medicine, then spent 10 years in that field until one day, with her arm up a cow's ass, it dawned on her - in the way that astonishing things dawn, with bright flashes of light, a sweeping theme and credits for a Key Grip and Gaffer - that people really did get paid to do other things.
Now she writes, cuts rocks for pleasure, and spends maybe just a little too much time playing video games she justifies as novel "research".
Now she writes, cuts rocks for pleasure, and spends maybe just a little too much time playing video games she justifies as novel "research".
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 10, 2017
This book had me eschewing sleep, and general life was put on hold so that I could catch up with my reading, I kept grabbing snatches of 'Keeper' at every possible moment.
Alex is left an unexpected inheritance from his estranged father that turns out to be an enhanced and modified human slave available only to the wealthiest in society. Alex has some difficulty in coming to terms with being the Keeper of his latest acquisition Evan.
Evan is far from subservient in fact he's actually quite scary. Known as a Sha'erah, he feels an obligation to look out for Alex's best interests, despite not being overly impressed with his new Keeper.
Morally opposed to the concept of slavery, Alex feels unable to sell his Sha'erah. Instead he flees with Evan back to his space ship and crew headed for an exploratory trip into uncharted space. This will be a race to find ore before it is discovered by rivals.
Alex and Evan slowly become accustomed to their new circumstances, and to each other and they begin to build a professional relationship with the potential of friendship.
Their spaceship is sabotaged and more than Alex's reputation and professional pride is at stake instead there's a real possibility that Alex, Evan and their crew will not make it home alive.
Alex faces dilemmas about who to trust and whether he is more like his unscrupulous father than he wants to be. To survive Alex and Evan need to form a partnership beyond the usual Keeper/Sha'erah bond.
The refreshing thing about this novel is that there is no love interest. It will be intriguing to see if a romance develops in future novels in the series, however it is much more interesting to watch the interplay between protagonists and their struggles with ethics, loyalty and ultimately friendship.
Alex is left an unexpected inheritance from his estranged father that turns out to be an enhanced and modified human slave available only to the wealthiest in society. Alex has some difficulty in coming to terms with being the Keeper of his latest acquisition Evan.
Evan is far from subservient in fact he's actually quite scary. Known as a Sha'erah, he feels an obligation to look out for Alex's best interests, despite not being overly impressed with his new Keeper.
Morally opposed to the concept of slavery, Alex feels unable to sell his Sha'erah. Instead he flees with Evan back to his space ship and crew headed for an exploratory trip into uncharted space. This will be a race to find ore before it is discovered by rivals.
Alex and Evan slowly become accustomed to their new circumstances, and to each other and they begin to build a professional relationship with the potential of friendship.
Their spaceship is sabotaged and more than Alex's reputation and professional pride is at stake instead there's a real possibility that Alex, Evan and their crew will not make it home alive.
Alex faces dilemmas about who to trust and whether he is more like his unscrupulous father than he wants to be. To survive Alex and Evan need to form a partnership beyond the usual Keeper/Sha'erah bond.
The refreshing thing about this novel is that there is no love interest. It will be intriguing to see if a romance develops in future novels in the series, however it is much more interesting to watch the interplay between protagonists and their struggles with ethics, loyalty and ultimately friendship.
February 16, 2013
4.5 stars
Keeper is very good sci-fi story but at this stage in the series (it's the first book) I would hesitate to call it a romance in any way.
Alex, a highly skilled and reputable space explorer, has his preparations for his latest mission interrupted by the news of his long-estranged father's death. His late father's lawyers insist he must immediately travel to the planet where his father lived and died to claim his inheritance. Hoping, that in his death, his father would finally show him some level of care by providing enough funds to purchase his leased ship outright, he is unprepared to find that he sole property is a genetically and technically modified human slave, Evan - a Sha’erah.
Yet a Sha’erah is, he learns, is so much more than a mere slave, and as he and Evan slowly become accustomed to their new circumstances, he finds out exactly what a Sha’erah is capable of.
As the tale unfolds, and as Alex and his rival race to claim a new discovery, it's clear that there is much more going on than mere professional rivalry, as both ships suffer unexpected effects of sabotage. Now, it seems, not only is professional pride is at stake, but so are their lives. To survive, Alex and Evan find themselves forming a partnership beyond the usual Keeper/Sha’erah bond.
As I mentioned at the start, this is not a romance, but it does, perhaps, lay the groundwork for one (I'd need to read the rest of the series, lol, to be sure). The plot is good if you're not expecting a romance, and while some things were soon fairly obvious, there were enough twists to keep me satisfied. I enjoyed it, and will certainly look at reading more of the series, even if they remain only as sci-fi thrillers.
Keeper is very good sci-fi story but at this stage in the series (it's the first book) I would hesitate to call it a romance in any way.
Alex, a highly skilled and reputable space explorer, has his preparations for his latest mission interrupted by the news of his long-estranged father's death. His late father's lawyers insist he must immediately travel to the planet where his father lived and died to claim his inheritance. Hoping, that in his death, his father would finally show him some level of care by providing enough funds to purchase his leased ship outright, he is unprepared to find that he sole property is a genetically and technically modified human slave, Evan - a Sha’erah.
Yet a Sha’erah is, he learns, is so much more than a mere slave, and as he and Evan slowly become accustomed to their new circumstances, he finds out exactly what a Sha’erah is capable of.
As the tale unfolds, and as Alex and his rival race to claim a new discovery, it's clear that there is much more going on than mere professional rivalry, as both ships suffer unexpected effects of sabotage. Now, it seems, not only is professional pride is at stake, but so are their lives. To survive, Alex and Evan find themselves forming a partnership beyond the usual Keeper/Sha’erah bond.
As I mentioned at the start, this is not a romance, but it does, perhaps, lay the groundwork for one (I'd need to read the rest of the series, lol, to be sure). The plot is good if you're not expecting a romance, and while some things were soon fairly obvious, there were enough twists to keep me satisfied. I enjoyed it, and will certainly look at reading more of the series, even if they remain only as sci-fi thrillers.
May 16, 2010
The first time I read this story, it was on-line. I fell in love with it within the first chapter or two and I've been in love with it ever since. When I found out that it was possible to buy it in a paperback form, I didn't hesitate.
The book is told from the POVs of Alex, the clueless and unwilling Keeper, and Evan, his bitter Sha'erah. The whole story is about them, how their relationship evolves, which is amazing. It's a real bromance in the making, quite the fascinating thing. And I love the setting!
I'll be definitely buying Book 2.
The book is told from the POVs of Alex, the clueless and unwilling Keeper, and Evan, his bitter Sha'erah. The whole story is about them, how their relationship evolves, which is amazing. It's a real bromance in the making, quite the fascinating thing. And I love the setting!
I'll be definitely buying Book 2.
Want to read
October 24, 2011You can read it for free here
http://www.midnightreading.com/Keeper...
http://www.midnightreading.com/Keeper...
December 12, 2019
Awesome feel-good, action packed, sic-fi buddy story.
September 13, 2017
I found this in my Unread folder and quickly read the first book of this series. I was delighted by the premise and the execution didn't disappoint. I love really fast-paced books, and although there was a bit of weeding through the MCs' thoughts--POV went back and forth between the two male MCs--the story definitely held my interest. Character introduction and development was great and the world building was easy to follow. I was surprised when the story arc wrapped up (albeit, with lots action!) when I was less than a third of the way through the book. Then I realized that what I had on my laptop was actually the whole series. Way cool!
Well, about a third of the way through the second part it finally hit me: they are not actually ever going to get together. They will just be friends. There will be no romance. There will be no sex. I'm probably pretty dense for having read so far before I realized that. If I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll definitely finish the rest of the series.
As it is now, even though I enjoyed the first book a great deal, I'm so disappointed not to get my romance that I need to put this book down and find something sweet to console myself with.
Well, about a third of the way through the second part it finally hit me: they are not actually ever going to get together. They will just be friends. There will be no romance. There will be no sex. I'm probably pretty dense for having read so far before I realized that. If I'm wrong, please let me know and I'll definitely finish the rest of the series.
As it is now, even though I enjoyed the first book a great deal, I'm so disappointed not to get my romance that I need to put this book down and find something sweet to console myself with.
April 8, 2018
Mystery, suspense, bromance, adventure. Great plot, world and characters. I can't wait to read book 2.
April 10, 2018
I loved it! Bromance, space adventure, mystery - very cool world. I look forward to reading more.
May 10, 2013
I was very excited to find this long scifi series, but unfortunately I will be stopping right here with book one. This was mostly just dull with way too much recapping by the characters; very little actually happens. Instead, there's much going over of things that they already know or had already discussed, the kind of repetitious filler you get when something is published in installments online.
This book was lacking in both plot & character development. I was disappointed that nothing much was done with the interesting premise of a man opposed to slavery forced to take possession of an unusual slave, one who, though genetically compelled to serve his Keeper, is not submissive and speaks his mind freely. We don't get to know Evan much at all, aside from his mandate to serve.
And there was NO hint that this possible friendship would lead to a romantic relationship in future books. Since the blurbs for those books are very vague and the few reviews posted make no mention of the story going in that direction, there just isn't enough here to keep my interest.
This book was lacking in both plot & character development. I was disappointed that nothing much was done with the interesting premise of a man opposed to slavery forced to take possession of an unusual slave, one who, though genetically compelled to serve his Keeper, is not submissive and speaks his mind freely. We don't get to know Evan much at all, aside from his mandate to serve.
And there was NO hint that this possible friendship would lead to a romantic relationship in future books. Since the blurbs for those books are very vague and the few reviews posted make no mention of the story going in that direction, there just isn't enough here to keep my interest.
December 15, 2010
3.5 stars
Check out the Comments section to see more of my thoughts on this book. I will say here that I started reading this novel expecting a m/m romance, but that turned out not to be the case at all. Lest you be fooled too, I just want to make clear that this book falls strictly into the sci-fi/fantasy/futuristic category. Not m/m romance. Weirdly enough, I quite enjoyed the male friendship components of this story, and while a part of me might wish for some slash action, I suppose I can do without from time to time. :)
Now I'm off the read the second book, Madness.
Oh, and FYI -
Free online here: http://www.midnightreading.com/Keeper...
$1 at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Print and PDF at Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
Check out the Comments section to see more of my thoughts on this book. I will say here that I started reading this novel expecting a m/m romance, but that turned out not to be the case at all. Lest you be fooled too, I just want to make clear that this book falls strictly into the sci-fi/fantasy/futuristic category. Not m/m romance. Weirdly enough, I quite enjoyed the male friendship components of this story, and while a part of me might wish for some slash action, I suppose I can do without from time to time. :)
Now I'm off the read the second book, Madness.
Oh, and FYI -
Free online here: http://www.midnightreading.com/Keeper...
$1 at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Print and PDF at Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback...
March 8, 2012
Hey folks, it’s time for another book review. This time I read Keeper by Kristine Williams. I quite enjoyed Keeper. The author has come up with a new twist on an old theme. I also love sci-fi and this is good sci-fi.
There was one plot problem that continued to bother me right up until near the end when it was all tied together neatly and made perfect sense. Whew! Keeper has action, suspense, and mystery enough to keep anybody reading through to the end. Also, the constant attempts of the two main characters to understand each other, and themselves, provides endless entertainment. Here’s where to find it.
The one real problem I had with this book was the occasional difficulty in knowing which character was speaking. The odd “he said / she said” would have been helpful. Having said that, I am looking forward to further adventures of Alex and Evan.
I give this book four stars out of five. Happy reading.
There was one plot problem that continued to bother me right up until near the end when it was all tied together neatly and made perfect sense. Whew! Keeper has action, suspense, and mystery enough to keep anybody reading through to the end. Also, the constant attempts of the two main characters to understand each other, and themselves, provides endless entertainment. Here’s where to find it.
The one real problem I had with this book was the occasional difficulty in knowing which character was speaking. The odd “he said / she said” would have been helpful. Having said that, I am looking forward to further adventures of Alex and Evan.
I give this book four stars out of five. Happy reading.
August 27, 2011
Probably a 4.5/5, actually.
After I finished reading Keeper I immediately forwent sleep to read the other three in the series. The world-building isn't bad and the plot is pretty good, but it's the character development that really makes this worth five stars.
As someone who prefers character development to world-building or plot, though, I will say that Keeper completely outshines all of its sequels, which focus more on plot.
After I finished reading Keeper I immediately forwent sleep to read the other three in the series. The world-building isn't bad and the plot is pretty good, but it's the character development that really makes this worth five stars.
As someone who prefers character development to world-building or plot, though, I will say that Keeper completely outshines all of its sequels, which focus more on plot.
December 30, 2010
This story is nice fresh air with well developed plot and intriguing main characters. I really enjoyed reading this first book in this series and will continue to read second one.
I like how Alex and Evan interacted with each other and how their friendship was building from the scratch. Both characters are complex and focused individuals and with depth and undiscovered possibilities. Well developed story which kept me focused till the last page.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK!!
I like how Alex and Evan interacted with each other and how their friendship was building from the scratch. Both characters are complex and focused individuals and with depth and undiscovered possibilities. Well developed story which kept me focused till the last page.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK!!
April 3, 2011
To be honest, I almost quit halfway through this book. I'm glad I didn't because the other three books in this series are a lot of fun. The changes and the evolution of Alex and Evan's relationship is what really make these books worthwhile.
June 10, 2020
I like the story. It was a little hard going in the beginning, though. It felt too much like a soap opera, which is often true for the characters' inner dialogues as well. Once the ball gets rolling, the author's good with the action and science fiction stuff, which made for a pretty fun read.
February 4, 2011
A fun journey and interesting way to begin a lifelong friendship. Nice world building and characters. Simple enough plot with good pacing.
August 24, 2012
Really enjoyed this first novel in the series. Nice premise for a difficult friendship relationship between men. It was a fast read for me, as in I ate the story in a day.
June 6, 2015
This was an Awesome book! I strongly recommend to all those who like sci-fi books.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews