Law 3: And here is the conundrum…Cletus, a robot, cannot harm a human, but he cannot let humans come to harm by not acting, and that is where he falls into the trap.
I have read several of Benjamin X Wretlind’s in depth novels and loved them, so when I saw Sunset On Maior Pales, a SciFi, western novella, I had to give it a shot. I love the cover, but the story fell a bit short for me. Is it because my expectations were very high, or it wasn’t a good fit for me, but I loved the ending. Regardless, I will read anything Benjamin writes.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
CYN-4329-2316-ACBS-092134853a–known to itself as Cletus and assigned a male gender in one of its first acts as an AI consciousness–has a bug in its programming. Against all logic, the ghost of a young man has muddled its circuits and promised to give it a soul…provided one small thing that only a self-aware robot with a yearning to self-actualize can do.
After centuries of exploration, humans are finally on the move to settle new worlds. To better facilitate settlement, advance teams of sentient robots have been sent ahead to build new towns and roll out the red carpet for the arrival of their masters. Now, just one month before the big event known as Arrival, Cletus is about to mess it all up.
The ghost of Boone Richards claims his family was murdered hundreds of years ago, and on board the shuttle that will deliver the humans to the western-themed town of Free Point, the direct descendant of that murderer has put together a gang of other outlaws to wreak havoc on the newly dubbed planet Maior Pales. When the ghost of Boone’s sister, Delphine, speaks up, Cletus finds himself faced with a dilemma for which its programming is incapable of processing.
How do you follow orders when doing so would break one law but not doing so would break another? And just how does a robot gain a soul?
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Novellas and Short Stories, Western
115 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2022
ABOUT BENJAMIN X WRETLIND (from Amazon)
Benjamin, a multi-genre author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
He is the author of the dystopian novel Beneath Gehenna, the psychological horror Castles, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang (literary fiction), Sunset on Maior Pales (a sci-fi western) and other novels and novellas.
Three ideas. Three directions. Not everyone will survive.
REVIEW
OMG! Five hundred and nine pages of suspense with characters to die for…and Benjamin X Wretlind is not afraid to kill them off. Some I mourned, others, well…
As I read, I kept thinking of The Walking Dead, only on an alternate planet. Instead of zombies, we have vicious creatures. And the evil humans, we have them too.
There is so much I want to say, but this is the third book in the series and I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. It is worth learning everything for yourself. The beginning does give us a quick recap, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning.
In All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind, three children will be pushed into adulthood when they make their exodus from a sanctuary which has become too dangerous. The main focus is on Miriam Page. She is the leader of the first group to leave their sanctuary. The second group is led by Joel, the thinker who wants to find a way to go back to Earth. The third group is led by Micah, who was the Scribe.
Doubts will arise as the dangers do too. The leaders find themselves second guessing their decisions, but keep taking the next step forward. They realize there is no going back.
All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind is described as an anthropological science fiction series. I find it is a wonderful description. The people, who Benjamin has no problem killing off, struggle to survive. Some things they do because they must, other things they do because they have lost their humanity. Does it always come down to kill or be killed? Can’t we learn to get along?
I will caution that there is brutality, torture, danger and death. There are also moments of levity, smiles, laughter and love. But isn’t that life?
Nemeth is a character that began to take a position front and center for me.
I was able to visualize the world, the characters and their actions, because of Benjamin X Wretlind’s vivid and detailed descriptions, at times making me feel like I am walking beside them, battling creatures and the elements, looking for their new home.
Questions are answered and new questions arise. There will be nine books in the series. I am already so invested I don’t know how I will manage to wait for the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book.
I feel my review does not do the book justice, but I was afraid of giving something away, so this is what you get. Want to know why the book blew me away? Read it. 🙂
At the end of the book is a list of the characters and a glossary of definitions.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind.
5 Stars
BLURB
Following the exodus from rising floodwaters, the surviving descendants of those who came to create a society on a planet far from Earth have struggled to rebuild within the remains of an ancient temple. Now, as disease and an unfamiliar environment threaten to destroy them yet again, everyone seems to have an opinion about what to do next.
Miriam and Tobias Page, newly married, believe there may be a possible home beyond a distant canyon. Their journey with a quarter of the population doesn’t start well and soon nature and their own humanity will conspire to end it all. Meanwhile, Miriam’s two cousins, Joel and Micah, have different ideas. Joel is convinced the best course of action is to return to the mountains they left to mine for the ore that would make a great return to Earth possible. Micah hopes to stay, learn all he can about the temple’s previous occupants, and prove both of them wrong. But soon, he and his new partner Patience realize that no option is truly safe.
As the transits of three different groups get underway, new dangers and surprises emerge from within the rainforests, mountains, and deserts of the planet…and one of those may have followed them from Earth. While a final home is a dream away, present nightmares must be dealt with first if any of them are going to survive.
EXCERPT
“How many?” Moran asked.
“Four. Just up ahead.” Tobias tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Bethany is waiting for us.”
Moran stopped and watched as the caravan slowly edged toward the right, away from immediate danger. “Wish we had more to spare.”
“So do I.” Tobias took in a calming breath and let it out slowly. The nervousness in his stomach eased up. Miriam had taught him several techniques for dealing with fear, for calming his anxiety and sharpening his mind. He would forever be grateful to be married to a counselor, a therapist, a wise wizard of the brain’s complications.
“Ready?” Moran asked.
They both walked slowly toward Bethany’s position, their eyes locked on the trees where Tobias saw the four animals.
“Eight,” Bethany whispered as they approached. “Four more in a cluster of trees to the right of the others.”
“Typical pack. Haven’t heard the growl, yet,” Moran said. “Maybe they didn’t see us.”
“Oh, they did.” Tobias pointed to the tree with the first rychat he spotted. “I swear I saw that one lick its lips.”
“Well, we’ll have to take care of that.”
Moran raised his crossbow and took aim at the one Tobias pointed out. In tandem, both Tobias and Bethany raised their own weapons.
“One on the trunk,” Tobias whispered.
Bethany responded. “The big one to the right.”
The three were silent as they steadied themselves.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Benjamin, a speculative fiction author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
They were promised a new world and got it. Now they’re in a fight for their lives. No one said colonization would be easy.
My Journey to the planet Tishbe began with winning The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind. Then I was lucky enough to win The Second Transit and a tour for The Third Transit came up, so I got the third book…of this nine book series.
It all started when Elijah jumped off a cliff to his death, but the gods felt his work wasn’t done. They gave him abilities that led him to take his followers from Earth to paradise….
The ‘happy life’ on Tishbe began to deteriorate when Candice, an eleven year old girl, disobeyed her parents warning…Don’t go in the holes.
The three main characters are Miriam Michaels, Micah and Joel. They had never know Earth, having grown up on Tishbe. As the danger around them rises, so do questions. Why had no one investigated the forests, the mountains, the rest of the planet. Secrets were kept, and we all know that sooner or later, those that kept them would be called out.
The creatures and the planet are vividly described, as a small group venture forth, looking for a new place to live. Not only will they learn about Tishbe, but they will learn about each other. Some will not survive.
The Transit series by Benjamin X Wretlind is a nine book series. Each book I’ve read has been over five hundred pages long. I happily spent hours with the characters, ‘watching’ the story unravel, dodging creatures that want to eat me…I mean them…avoiding dangers as they discover a new place to live, wondering why it was deserted and where the aliens went. The more I read, the more curious I become.
Paradise? Utopia? Sure!
On to All We Leave Behind: Transit Three by Benjamin X Wretlind.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Where do you go when the storms come and your paradise rebels?
On a cold and rainy September afternoon, Father Elijah Jonas convinced his followers to abandon the purgatory that was Earth and travel on faith to a new world. Now, forty years after the most important event in human history no one left on Earth witnessed, the descendants of those who followed Elijah have built a remarkable life. From farms to stables to the mundane of the day, life has been fruitful. But, like many things in life and society, what lies under the surface threatens the future.
As natural disasters and wild dangers claim the human residents on the planet Tishbe, relationships strain, families are torn apart and allegiances are tested. For Miriam Michaels, granddaughter of the eldest elder and man responsible for the societal mores and traditions the community follows, the future is found in the unknown. For young Micah, a scribe-in-training, the present is a confusing array of love and hate with few answers to the myriad of questions which emerge daily. And for Miriam’s cousin, Joel, an engineer determined to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, it is the past which holds answers.
For all of them, the journey from their normal life into the unknown will test the strength and resolve of the community and strain relationships, threatening to destroy the grand vision Father Elijah and his followers had for the future of mankind. In sunshine they were born and in shadow they will pass, but not until they can build the life each of them imagine on a planet far from paradise.
It doesn’t get easier.
ABOUT BENJAMIN X WRETLIND (from Amazon)
Benjamin, a multi-genre author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
He is the author of the dystopian novel Beneath Gehenna, the psychological horror Castles, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang (literary fiction), Sunset on Maior Pales (a sci-fi western) and other novels and novellas.
What if society could start over? Would we make the same mistakes? For one cult, the only way to find out is to try.
I won a signed hardcover copy of Out Of Due Season: The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind some time ago. It looked really good, but it is a big book, 544 pages, and a series, so I put it on hold. Then, I got a chance to grab Book II, Sunshine and Shadow: Exodus, or The Second Transit…then, a tour came up for Book III, All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three. YAY!!!!!
First off, I am going to start with the fact that there will be nine books in this series. It’s science fiction, but so much more than science fiction. It is a study of humanity, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is a saga, each book 500+ pages long, so be prepared when you sit down to read.
A lake. A floating corpse. Under the water, 131 more. A mass suicide? A cult?
Zachary is twenty five years old, and the body of his missing sister, Claire, was identified as one of the three hundred and twelve bodies found in the lake. He is a part of the dive team, whose job it is to recover the decomposing bodies. This is his first dive and even those prepared for what they found, were hard put to keep it together.
Claire had told him that he is detached from the world around him, so he is quick to adapt to the what ifs that life throws at him. I have a suspicious nature, and it is confirmed when Zachary receives an email from his dead sister, DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR.
Tigger’s best friend is one of the bodies found in the lake. They had been in the service together, then Darrell disappeared and Tigger got lost in a bottle. Tigger was injured in Syria, where he served as a Marine. He lives in a trailer with his drugged out girlfriend and a case of PTSD. BUT, he’s determined to get the real story about Darrell and the other COL members.
Kayla’s brother, Kenneth, was a victim of the Circle of Light, or COL. Or was he? She is black, deaf, mute, and a geointelligence specialist, spying on citizens, reading every email ever sent. She is on the run, because no one leaves the agency. I immediately thought of the deaf girl in Walking Dead, and how dangerous the world is for someone who can’t hear what’s going on around them.
Jorge an accountant finds out his father is missing. When he meets Kayla, he becomes her protector.
They are the Remainders, an unlikely group of people that come together, seeking answers. Will they be off on a wild goose chase, or hunting down a conspiracy?
I love when a book mentions the Pandemic, now that I’ve lived it first hand. I can relate to the lockdown imposed on the characters. The mounting chaos in the streets, the government clamping down, taking advantage of the situation. Riots, militia uprisings, police crackdowns, curfews, closed borders, government oppression…
…fifteen seconds to midnight
…fifteen seconds folks.
Is this our future? The clock was designed to keep people afraid, so they can be controlled. Their liberties, their freedoms can be taken away, one by one, until they are happy to be locked away in a detention center or an internment camp, or whatever the government wants to call their home these days.
Transit won! Going to Utopia, right?
The book was loaded with details, told from multiple points of view. There is so much going on, I try to put the pieces together, one page at a time, one day at a time. I am so happy that I saved this book to read at this time, because I now have two more books in the series. At 500+ pages each, I think that will keep me going for a while and maybe the wait won’t be too long for the rest of the books in the series, which will be nine…at this time. 🙂
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Out Of Due Season: Transit One by Benjamin X Wretlind.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A cult leader. A government tightening its grip. Competing global interests. A mysterious power source. What could possibly go wrong?
What if humanity had a second chance?
On a June afternoon, a body is discovered floating in a remote lake in northwestern Washington. When a recovery team attempts to retrieve it, they make a shocking discovery: 311 other bodies lie under the water, all members of a previously unknown religious cult. However, what appears to be a tragedy of immense proportions is only the beginning.
When a few relatives and friends of the victims discover inconsistencies in the stories, a small group bands together to learn the truth. As government agencies apply pressure for reasons unknown and civil unrest in the country makes communication and movement difficult, this tiny yet determined team unravels what may be the greatest event in recent—if not all—human history.
Something epic is about to happen in that remote lake, and as competing sides inch ever closer to the truth, the last pieces of the puzzle are revealed.
The First Transit is for those who follow the rules, while disaster awaits everyone else.
ABOUT BENJAMIN X WRETLIND (from Amazon)
Benjamin, a multi-genre author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
He is the author of the dystopian novel Beneath Gehenna, the psychological horror Castles, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang (literary fiction), Sunset on Maior Pales (a sci-fi western) and other novels and novellas.
