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Gabriel's Redemption (Evan Gabriel Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Steve Umstead
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)

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Book Description

GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION

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Book 1 of the Evan Gabriel Trilogy


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"A cast of interesting and believable characters and a plot that kept me turning the pages...I enjoyed the author's take on technology and the political landscape of the future. Definitely recommended!" Michael R. Hicks, bestselling author of the In Her Name science fiction-adventure series and the bestselling thriller Season of the Harvest.
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North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after a disastrous mission on a far off world called Eden. He's spent the last five years hiding from his past, from those responsible for the failed mission, from those responsible for running him out of the Navy, and from those originally responsible for making him into who he was - a highly-trained, physically and mentally augmented Special Forces soldier.

Two mysterious visitors appear unannounced at the door of a Gabriel's seedy hotel room in the slums of Jamaica. His past has finally caught up with him.

From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the back alleys of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything -- one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government's eyes, but also his own.

Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in Book One of the science fiction-adventure trilogy.

Also available: Gabriel's Return (Book 2), Gabriel's Revenge (Book 3), Gabriel's Journey (complete collection) Approximately 66,000 words.

* Second Round Qualifier in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest!

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION

~ "If John Scalzi and Tom Clancy got combined in a transporter accident a la The Fly....and I mean that in a good way."
~ "This series brings me back to the old days when Sci-Fi was about ass kicking, great friends, loyalty and action."
~ "If you enjoy a good dose of military hardware in your SF, well, wait'll you get a load of this book."
~ "Umstead has a way of putting you right into the scene, whether it be on a Jamaican beach, a rundown apartment or the icy surface of a distant planet."
~ "The detail of the world-building pulled me in and made everything utterly believable."
~ "Well-thought-out universe with a tightly woven history, timeline, and culture."
~ "The author's imagination is amazing...he has knowledge of combat tactics, both with squads and hand-to-hand."
~ "Umstead's writing is solid, as good as it gets, not only in the genre, but in general."
~ "Umstead deals with issues like honor, responsibility and human nature. While deep in thematic content the forward thrust of the story never stops. "
~ "The military fiction of Tom Clancy, the hardware of Heinlein's Starship Troopers, and the intrigue of Dan Brown." 


Editorial Reviews

Review

"Character-rich story, non-stop adventure (think Jason Bourne travels the stars). Completely immersive read." - R.B. Wood, author of the urban fantasy The Prodigal's Foole

"The author weaves a futuristic action-adventure story full of twists and turns...rich in detail and full of advanced technology." - Debra Martin, author of the fantasy series Rule of Otharia

"A cast of interesting and believable characters and a plot that kept me turning the pages, wondering what was going to happen next. I also enjoyed the author's take on technology and the political landscape of the future. Definitely recommended!" Michael R. Hicks, bestselling author of the In Her Name science fiction-adventure series and the bestselling thriller Season of the Harvest.

About the Author

Steve Umstead has been the owner of a Caribbean & Mexico travel company for the past ten years, but never forgot his lifelong dream of becoming an author. After a successful stab at National Novel Writing Month, he decided to pursue his dream more vigorously...but hasn't given up the traveling.

Steve lives in scenic (tongue-in-cheek) New Jersey with his wife, two kids, and several bookshelves full of other authors' science fiction novels. More information is at SteveUmstead.com, and you can always find him on Twitter (@SteveUmstead).

Product Details


Customer Reviews

Great story line with good characters who are totally believable and very interesting. Rebecca Neilsen  |  56 reviewers made a similar statement
I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes science fiction, especially military scifi. Debra L. Martin  |  33 reviewers made a similar statement
Overall, there was a lot going on in this book, but at the end it all makes sense. The Kindle Book Review  |  15 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read! August 15, 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I just finished "Gabriel's Redemption," and I was captivated right from page 1. And this coming from a reader who is not generally a fan of space fiction! Umstead has created a dynamic, well-thought-out universe with a tightly woven history, timeline, and culture, and has peopled it with characters who are very far from the all-too-common two-dimensional action figures you often see in this genre. We genuinely care about his protagonists.

And along Evan Gabriel's journey toward redemption, we are met with several plot twists that absolutely took me by surprise. I love books that keep you guessing, and this one certainly did!

I give it a very high recommendation -- especially if you like futuristic military fiction, "Gabriel's Redemption" should be on your to-read list. And even if it's not your preferred genre, you'll find it a quick-paced, engaging read!

Kudos to Steve Umstead, and I look forward to his next novel!
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down! May 20, 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
Gabriel's Redemption is the first self-published book that I have read where I haven't had any previous free-of-charge experience of the author's writing. I have to tell you, I wasn't disappointed. The detail of the world-building pulled me in and made everything utterly believable. The rendering of Peru uninhabitable particularly resonated with me as I spent two and a half years there, which meant that I strongly related to all the details regarding Latin America.

Of course, what drew me in most was the story. I couldn't put it down! Which was awkward because I really did have to sleep. Gabriel is a fantastic character - well-rounded, human, and the secondary characters are all true individuals. They have a goal worth fighting for and man, do they put up a fight!

I am eagerly awaiting Steve's next offering and I'm sure it will more than live up to the promise of this, his first. Steve just made it to my 'buy whatever he publishes' list.
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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Gabriel's Redemption May 11, 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I'm new to reviewing, but I'm going to try to be thorough here because I think honest reviews are important for Indie authors.

I gave Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead three stars based on the following five points:

1. Willing Suspension of Disbelief (WSoD)
2. Story
3. Grammar (necessary for this review because it's a self-published work)
4. Style
5. Characters/character interactions

Gabriel's Redemption pulled through on the first three points, which is why I rated it three stars.

It was able to keep me in a willing state of suspended disbelief all the way through, which I think is really important in SciFi books. That's really just a fancy way of saying that the book follows the rules it sets up as far as believability is concerned. The advanced technology makes sense and, while imaginative, isn't too farfetched. The world's construction is sound and without glaring inconsistencies.

The story was solid and easy to follow and kept me interested, even though it was predictable at times.

The grammar was spot on as far as typos are concerned, which is refreshing in a self-published work.

The style is where Umstead started to lose me. Gabriel's Redemption had a few recurring stylistic issues that had a jarring effect on the flow of the story and made it almost painful to read at some times. I'll go into detail if anyone is interested, but I don't want to turn this into a nitpicky bash or anything so I'll just leave it at that.

The characters and their interactions also fell flat in my opinion. They often seemed cliché and the dialogue was pretty contrived at times. When I read a book, I like to picture the characters and events as if I were watching a movie. With Gabriel's Redemption, I often felt as though I were watching a movie with cool special effects but bad acting.

On the whole I'd say that I enjoyed Gabriel's Redemption for its good qualities, but its two bad ones are enough to keep me away. I'll sample book two when it comes out, but if Umstead's style flaws haven't been sorted out by then I probably won't purchase it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Huge scope and fast paced, space opera at its finest
I am a huge fan of the space opera genre and Gabriel's Redemption has a it all. Space Marines, intrigue, bent politicians, plenty of action and a plot with lots of twists and... Read more
Published 9 hours ago by I. H. Orford
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read!
Mr. Umstead did a great job doing research for this novel. I found it very entertaining and was surprised by the ending. If you are into realistic S.F. Read more
Published 14 hours ago by Reuben Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful start to a trilogy.
This story had plenty of action and yet ample building of the universe that flowed around the storyline. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Bob A. Huckaby
5.0 out of 5 stars great action sci fi
After reading ZERO POINT I took the time to reread the trilogy. REDEMPTION had a good plot with enough action and intrigue to maintain the energy throughout the story. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Allison Leinbach
5.0 out of 5 stars Great engaging romp
Very compact story and yet has all the essentials to keep you reading. The technology embedded in the story was not too far fetched or requiring too much "willing suspension... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Anne Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars Gabriel
A really decent sci fi adventure. You do not have to be a sci fi fan to enjoy this one, a little bit pf everything is within your reach just grab it , you will enjoy it.
Published 1 month ago by John Shearer
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice rainy day read. I read the whole series and like it...but
But somehow I felt that the books were following some formula for "how to write books." Sort of like, OK now there needs to be a romantic scene... Read more
Published 1 month ago by B Ward
3.0 out of 5 stars High tech low action
Steve goes into great detail about the technology, timeline of events, and things that are happening but loses sight of the more important aspects of the book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by RickReader
5.0 out of 5 stars Gabriel's Redemption
Spellbinder, tough to lay down until completed. Looking forward to more adventures of Gabriel. You will to if you are a Science Fiction reader.
Published 1 month ago by John K Dickinson
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book
This book was well written and moved quickly. The setup was great with Gabriel initially hiding from his past and suddenly reinstated for a top level mission. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jay Bursky
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More About the Author

Steve Umstead has been the owner of a Caribbean & Mexico travel company for the past ten years, but never forgot his lifelong dream of becoming an author. After a successful stab at National Novel Writing Month, he decided to pursue his dream more vigorously...but hasn't given up the traveling.

Steve lives in scenic (tongue-in-cheek) New Jersey with his wife, two kids, and several bookshelves full of other authors' science fiction novels. More information is at SteveUmstead.com, and you can always find him on Twitter (@SteveUmstead).

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