Customer Reviews

Guardian's Gambit

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A futuristic ranger meets old farmland charm in this new departure for Mrs. Dennis. Intended as the pilot novel of a new sci-fi/fantasy blend series, Guardian's Gambit details the story of the young Galactic Guardian Trav Weiss on his mission to aquire a large supply of the planet's valuable natural resources - the only way to end mankind's hostilities with a misterious alien race. The mission quickly changes however as hidden agendas are revealed, and Trav finds himself alone between an alien race and the massacre of the planet's human population. A loveable cast of caracters straight out of a country story, from the sensible and kind Aunt Meddle, or the wise but practical loner Hermit, to the beautiful but naïve tomboy Sam provide humor, romance, and adventure that will entertain readers of all ages.

Carol Dennis's new book, Guardian's Gambit, is a must-buy if you love your off-world experiences so rich in atmosphere and detail that you can practically smell the biscuits baking. Her writing style is a perfect fit for the home-spun culture on her agrarian planet of Wald, and it makes you feel she writes about a place she'd lived all her life. The plot reminds me of a western, where the lawman comes to stop the rustlers, and if he doesn't deal with them quickly, the settlers will be wiped out by marauding Indians (whose part is played by sentient trees). The story comes complete with a sidekick cougcat and a helpful widow with a beautiful niece. If you like old-fashioned fun updated for the modern reader, Guardian's Gambit is for you.

Whether you are a died in the wool sci-fi reader or one that likes a good story, Guargian Gambit is the book for you. You'll appreciate Trav, the Gaurdian who arrives on Wald wanting to do a little politcal favor currying, but soon is thrown into a race to save the planet.

Aunt Meddle, what can I say about her except her name truly fits her as you soon see, but you'll take to her instantly. Watch out for her rolling pin. Without giving away any plot secrets, let me say that the trees are very different than the ones on Earth. We all know that feline's have a mind of their own, but on this planet, they really have a mind of their own.

Carol Dennis has a voice that is both simple and complex. The story rolls forth easily, but suddenly, she drops in unique ways of perceiving the world Wald.

This book currently stands alone, but could become the first of a new series. It is not related to the author's Dragon series. My detailed rating would be 4.0 for this book. Carol Dennis has taken a bold stab at science fiction here, from her previous fantasy series. And it reminds me more of Don Callander's work than it does of her other books! Where Callander's stories are filled with down-home Iowa farmboy manners, this book's filled with Pennsylvania Dutch farmboy manners (to me at least!). Once again Carol Dennis manages to successfully walk a treacherous line in her book -- Don Callander's stories get corny quick, but this book somehow avoids that. The characters here are more developed, and much quirkier, than Callander's or Dennis' other books. There seem to be some extraneous plot elements that make the story not feel "tight", but the writing is excellent, and the story is really cute!