Review of Sent to Watch
Posted: 29 Nov 2023, 05:16
[Following is a volunteer review of "Sent to Watch" by David J. Lebenstein.]
Sent to Watch by David J. Lebenstein is a creative twist on historical fiction that keeps the reader hungry for more. Set in the 1870s and 1880s in “Earth 48” time, we find alien agents living on this planet as spies in order to learn as much as possible about the culture and technology of its civilizations. The agents are sent only to watch, not to affect any aspect of society so as not to alter the course of its history; however, we soon learn that some agents benevolently hope to influence the planet in order to facilitate its entry into The Confederation before a malevolent galaxy faction accomplishes a hostile takeover.
Lebenstein expertly weaves the stories and characters into their primitive lives in England, France, Germany, and the United States, and at the same time he helps us understand the more advanced worlds of the aliens. The book moves at a good pace and is easy on the eyes. We can actually feel that this scenario might be possible, indeed, that it could be happening right here on our planet as we speak! The result is a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The only dislike I had regarding this book is the myriad of names, aliases, planets, gadgets and equipment we learn about throughout the storyline. These became quite confusing for me so I tended to focus only on the characters and information that seemed immediately relevant. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the book overall.
I noted very few typographical or grammatical errors. In addition, the book contains no profanity that I could see and only vague references to intimacy. I would recommend it to all audiences.
I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars. It is a fantastic sci-fi that will make you want to see a sequel! Enjoy!
******
Sent to Watch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Sent to Watch by David J. Lebenstein is a creative twist on historical fiction that keeps the reader hungry for more. Set in the 1870s and 1880s in “Earth 48” time, we find alien agents living on this planet as spies in order to learn as much as possible about the culture and technology of its civilizations. The agents are sent only to watch, not to affect any aspect of society so as not to alter the course of its history; however, we soon learn that some agents benevolently hope to influence the planet in order to facilitate its entry into The Confederation before a malevolent galaxy faction accomplishes a hostile takeover.
Lebenstein expertly weaves the stories and characters into their primitive lives in England, France, Germany, and the United States, and at the same time he helps us understand the more advanced worlds of the aliens. The book moves at a good pace and is easy on the eyes. We can actually feel that this scenario might be possible, indeed, that it could be happening right here on our planet as we speak! The result is a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The only dislike I had regarding this book is the myriad of names, aliases, planets, gadgets and equipment we learn about throughout the storyline. These became quite confusing for me so I tended to focus only on the characters and information that seemed immediately relevant. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the book overall.
I noted very few typographical or grammatical errors. In addition, the book contains no profanity that I could see and only vague references to intimacy. I would recommend it to all audiences.
I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars. It is a fantastic sci-fi that will make you want to see a sequel! Enjoy!
******
Sent to Watch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon