By Harmony Kent4 out of 5 Stars(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on behalf of Awesome Indies)ABOUT THE BOOK:“Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?When burned-out star-ship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.”MY THOUGHTS:This book is of the futuristic dystopian variety, yet with a situation that resonates strongly with where we might find our current technology taking us here in the 21st century on earth. The plot begins well, and is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately it peters out from the point at which the main character begins his mind training. There is a lot of dialogue, and it feels like sitting in a heavy duty psychology/parapsychology class. Everything else that happens later in the book is predictable, and the ending is very abrupt. Which rather than inspiring me to go on to purchase the next book in the trilogy, just leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Yes, we want to be lead into asking what happens next, but no – we don’t want to finish this story with so much unresolved.THE STRUCTURE:This book is approximately 460 pages in length, and is told from various points of view, usually indicated by a paragraph break and easy enough to follow. There is a lot of detailed dialogue for roughly 300 of the 460 pages, with bits of action interspersed briefly in between. The copy editing and proof reading has been done to a good standard, but the plot does suffer from pacing issues. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished.SUMMARY:If you enjoy dystopian novels, or are interested in paranormal psychology then you might well enjoy this book. Although it is set in an off world location in the future, I would not really class it as Science Fiction, it has elements of that to be sure, but not enough to plant it firmly in that Genre. The narrative raises valid questions for where we find ourselves in this day and age with all of our medical and technological advances and abilities, and the many issues that are arising with regard to individual rights of privacy – especially in relation to the internet and all that that entails. However, the voice in the story is strongly one sided, and doesn’t furnish us with any alternative viewpoints at all. So in many ways, it can feel a bit like the reader is being told what to think. Whilst there are no major structural issues, or editing/proofing mistakes, I do feel that the plot pacing has problems. It is for this reason I do not feel able to give this book any more than 4 out of 5 stars.
This is a recent release from an author I devoured as a middle schooler. This book had some great commentary on the progression of modern medicine into culture that gives up the freedom of death and personal choice in healthcare in exchange for all illnesses being treatable under government control (including some illnesses you'd like to think are in the realm of free will) . The characters and story line aren't incredibly complex, with twists and conflict that, in hindsight, are entirely predictable. But mix in heavily with plenty of credible ESP training techniques, and it was a thought provoking read.
What do You think about Stewards Of The Flame (2009)?
Undine is a planet not so very different from our own. People care about their health. Like us, they endeavor to extend the natural human lifespan by curing all types of disease (including mental and social illnesses). Undine has just taken the initiative to insure universal good health and long life. Free health care, the annihilation of all forms of disease, virtual immortality, Undine might seem like a perfect world. However, Jesse Sanders, a starship captain, quickly finds out the hard way that looks can be deceiving. Jesse is arrested for alcoholism after having a few drinks while on leave. Part of his treatment involves extreme aversion therapy. Fortunately, he's one of the lucky ones, a secret faction of those who appose the government's methods rescues him and bring him into their group. Stewards of the Flame combines contemporary concerns about health, social issues, and privacy with science fiction and parapsychology to create a powerful story. Are we really headed towards a world like Undine? Are there better alternatives to medications and suspended animation? Both the questions and the potential answers are fascinating.
—Tami
If Ayn Rand was a Scientologist, this is the book you'd get. It's not so much a dystopian novel as an extended libertarian lecture on the evils of socialised health care, preventative medicine, medical treatment involving any form of drugs and, above all, psychiatry and psychoactive treatment. All illness, you see, is caused by stress, and if you so much as try to eat healthily or go to a doctor for a checkup, your body will kill you. People get sick because doctors and Big Pharma tell them to. And antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs cause brain damage. All we need is the Power of the Mind. And our hero falls in with a beautiful cult who teach him so. The writing is so lacking in shades of grey that it is never in doubt that the cult is 100% right.The book mostly consists of the hero being lectured by cult members and saying "I never thought of it that way, but you're right!" Truly abysmal.
—Lindley Walter-smith
